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Best Enterprise Router

Cisco Maintains Its Router Supremacy

As your network grows and becomes the center of your enterprise data processing system, the last things you can live with are routers that are anything less than rock solid. You expect electricity when you plug into an outlet. You expect a dial tone when you pick up the phone. And you expect a network when you plug in your computer. It's just that simple. But there aren't too many companies that can actually deliver. In fact, our three candidates are among only a handful of vendors that can actually pull it off.
Cisco has long reigned as the king of the router market, and the 7000 system, since its introduction, has served to keep the company on the router throne. Cisco's Silicon Switching Processor gives the 7000 great performance characteristics, but what makes Cisco a winner is its routing software, wide range of available interfaces and top-notch support.
Cisco's routing software, particularly for TCP/IP, has always been a step ahead of the industry. Along with its excellent protocol support, Cisco offers advanced filtering and configuration options that allow network administrators to tailor their networks.
Recent upgrade plans for the 7000 include greater bus bandwidth and faster central processors. These will both serve to strengthen Cisco's hand. For mission-critical enterprise routers, it's still hard to beat Cisco.
Bay Networks, with its BCN, is hot on the heels of Cisco. The BCN was the top performer in our router tests (see our September 1994 issue), and Bay has an architecture that can be expanded.
3Com hasn't been c onsidered a major player in this game to this point; however, 3Com has invested heavily in its router technology and has an excellent story with the NetBuilder II.

Cisco 7000 family, $11,900-$19,900, Cisco Systems, 170 W. Tasman Dr., San Jose, CA 95134. (800) 553-6387; (408) 526-4000; fax (408) 526-4100.

Runners-Up
NETBuilder II, 3Com Corp.,
5400 Bayfront Plaza,
Santa Clara, CA 95052.
(408) 764-5000; fax (408) 764-5001.

Backbone Concentrator Node (BCN), Bay Networks,
8 Federal St., Billerica, MA 01821.
(508) 670-8888; fax (508) 436-3436.