Cisco Memory and Third Party Memory

How would I upload a file from my PC into a Cisco router's flash memory?

I want to replace the default music on hold playing in my office. I have the properly formatted music on a desktop. How do I get the music from there into the router? (2821 running Cisco Communications Manager Express)

What type of memory for Cisco 2811 Routers? Registered or Unbuffered?

Cisco 2811 Routers require ECC SDRAM (133 MHz, DDR266/PC2100 184-Pin) memory - should it be registered or Unbuffered?

Cisco memory? Who can tell some general info about Cisco memory?

There is no such thing? Cisco makes networking devices, mostly for large enterprises. They don't manufacture memory modules or chips.

Anything labeled Cisco memory is almost certainly produced by another vendor, but certified to work in Cisco equipment. If you're using it in a non-Cisco environment, it should work as well as any decent grade memory.

Watch the memory specs, however. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that some Cisco equipment uses ECC (error correcting) memory that most PC workstations can't handle.

Cisco memory is vital for Cisco network hardware including Cisco routers, Cisco switches, and firewalls. Questions above from Cisco users told us their common problems while choosing Cisco memory. How many types of Cisco memory? How is it used in Cisco network equipment?

Right, one secret to Cisco "Original" memory is that Cisco does not manufacture any memory themselves. The memory parts customers get when they purchase Cisco equipment are manufactured by a Cisco approved OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The OEM could be any company from Cisco's Approved Vendor List (AVL) which includes companies such as OKI Semiconductor, NEC Electronics, and Samsung among others. Cisco does not make their AVL public.

Approved/OEM Cisco memory refers to memory parts manufactured by companies on Cisco's AVL; these memory modules have been engineered specifically for use by Cisco Systems and undergo strict and comprehensive testing before being approved by Cisco for use with their routers and other products. These modules are guaranteed to have 100% compatibility with their corresponding Cisco equipment and are backed by a lifetime warranty.

Third party memory modules on the other hand are manufactured by companies not on Cisco's AVL and are not tested nor approved by Cisco Systems. The manufacturer does offer warranty and compatibility guarantee for these memory modules but Cisco does not. And although manufacturers of such memory modules claim to be fully compliant with Cisco's specifications, Cisco does hold the right to refuse service, under warranty, when the fault is deemed to be caused by the 3rd party memory modules. 

There are advantages to both choices. The specter that Cisco could deny warranty service to those using third party memories is the best reason to only purchase Cisco Original memory. Both Cisco original and third party memory are built to the benchmarks set by Cisco by large OEM semiconductor companies, and third party memory provides a lower cost option to users with budget constraints.

Cisco Catalyst 2950 Switch Configuration

Cisco has long been a player in the networking industry, and routers and switches form the core of its product offerings. The Cisco Catalyst 2950 switch is a great example of Cisco’s dedication to quality and efficiency. In addition to the standard console and aux ports, the Cisco 2950 comes with 12, 24 or 48 Ethernet ports, depending on the model. Before you start, be sure to get the network address and password information you will need from your network administrator.

Guide: How to Configure a Catalyst 2950 Cisco Switch

1. Connect the serial cable that came with the switch to the console port on the switch and to a serial port on your computer. The cable that comes with the switch is typically blue, and the serial end is a 9-pin d-shell connector. The console port end is an RJ-45 jack, which resembles a telephone jack connector, but is a little bit larger.

2. Power on the computer, and set up a terminal session using your computer’s terminal software. HyperTerminal, Putty or any other terminal emulator will work fine for this step. Configure the session for 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity and no flow control. Power on the switch. If you have properly configured the terminal session, you will see the Cisco boot messages. Press “Enter” to accept the defaults for the prompts that ask if you would like to enter the initial configuration dialog and if you would like to enter basic management setup.

3. Enter a host name of your choosing at the host name prompt, or press “Enter” to accept the default of “Switch.” Enter the enable secret password, the enable password and the virtual terminal password at the respective prompts. If these were not issued by your network administrator, you may choose your own passwords. Press “Enter” after entering each password. Be sure to write down the passwords and store them in a secure place.

4. Accept the default to the SNMP Network Management prompt by pressing “Enter.” Enter “vlan1” for the interface used to connect to the management network, and press “Enter.”

5. Accept the default to the Configure IP on this interface question by pressing “Enter.” Enter the IP address and subnet mask information given to you by your network administrator in response to the next two prompts.

6. Answer “no” when prompted to enable as a cluster command switch and press “Enter.” The switch will now display the current configuration and offer you three choices.

7. Enter “2” and press “Enter” to save the configuration to NVRAM and exit, and you have successfully configured the Cisco 2950 switch.

Reference: Assigning the Switch IP Address and Default Gateway

                  Configure Cisco switch telnet login andpassword