Buying a used switch. How to test it?!

NullCode

Hi Guys,

I am planning to buy a few used 3550 switches. Each costs about 285dollars, and i want to test them as good as i can.

Here is what i was planning:
1. Connect to each port with a cable and check if everything is working fine(leds/connection etc)
3. I was thinking of "show tech-support" but is there any program that can make a summary of it ?
4. Issued commands i want to make:
a. show env all <- shows the environment
b. sh processes cpu sorted / sh process cpu history
c. sh platform port-asic stats drop
d. sh controllers <options>
e. sh interfaces counters errors
f. sh controller ethernet-controller
g. sh controller ethernet-controller port-asic statistics
h. sh platform port-asic stats enqueu
i. show platform forward interface-id [vlan vlan-id] src-mac dst-mac [l3protocol-id] [sap | snap] [cos cos] [ip src-ip dst-ip [frag field] [dscp dscp] {l4protocol-id | icmp icmp-type icmp-code | igmp igmp-version igmp-type | tcp src-port dst-port flags | udp src-port dst-port}



What is you experience in buying used switches ? This is the 1st time i will buy some, because i plan on making my CCIE LAB.

So i need 2 3550 switches and 2 3560 switches. (i will buy 4 3550).

P.S.: I think it would be great to make a pinned post, where we can tell the users what to look for when buying a used switch.

Thank you guys.

Slowhand

If all the ports check out okay and there's nothing funky in the start-up diagnostics, I would really just make sure you've got a blank slate, (no startup-configuration,) and verify what version of the IOS is on each switch by running show version. With that info, you should have no trouble finding out what commands are supported without having to go through the trouble of individually testing each on every switch you buy.

BroadcastStorm

I could sell you 2 x 3550 and have you test every single port remotely for a much cheaper price with the latest EMI image.