When you have networking equipment in your business, there may come a time when you need to replace it. There are many reasons to replace your equipment, and there are many reasons for which it would be considered to be at the ‘end of life’. The most obvious would probably be that it is broken, but a more common reason is that new or improved software or hardware has been released.

At this time you will have a decision to make. You can either replace the network hardware or you could keep it and continue running on what is known as a legacy network. Running on a legacy network can be extremely difficult. It might be easy at first, but once you get past a certain point it will be difficult to replace parts and expand it to meet your businesses needs. It might even become extremely expensive.

If you decide to forego the legacy network option, you will need to get rid of your old network equipment. The question however is what will you do with it? In some cases it is illegal to simply throw it out, but as the IT manager you might actually find it immoral to get rid of the equipment, this might not be an option anyway.

There are a number of things that you could do with outdated equipment. For one thing, you could donate it to an educational institution. Vocational schools and colleges love receiving old equipment because they can either use it on their own network, or they can use them for repair practice.

Some businesses would rather make some money from their old equipment which is perfectly understandable. If this is the case with you, then you could choose to have an auction, or even list the equipment on a website if you do desire. The choices are nearly limited as you will no doubt find out in your quest to rid yourself of that old network equipment.

Keep in mind that you will not be able to sell every single piece of equipment. In some cases you will have broken equipment, or perhaps you have equipment that no one really wants anymore. In any case, getting rid of that old equipment can definitely prove to be a challenge, and with that being the case, you might have to contact a recycling center.

There are many recycling centers that specialise in getting rid of old computer parts, and this could serve to help you quite a bit. You will normally have to pay a fee of some sort, but you will at least be rid of those legacy parts, and you will have done it the legal way. Also keep in mind that hanging on to your old hardware might not be a bad idea. There may come a time down the road when someone wants parts of this nature and they may be willing to pay quite a bit for it. In fact, some older equipment can become very expensive in later years. So sit down, figure it out, and do something about the legacy equipment in your building.

Author Bio: Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For information on Network Support Services, he recommends Network 24.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: Network Equipment,Network Cabling,Network Routers,End of Life Network Equipment