Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 9, 2022, at 09:44, Drew Weaver <drew.weaver@thenap.com> wrote:
Hello,
We had been purchasing some used 48 port 10000BaseT switches /w 6x QSFP28 ports for around $3000 until about 2021.
You didn’t specify the chipset or feature / character of these devices, but I would assume based on the time frame that these are dune arad or Broadcom tomahawk. These are both obsolete and still in fairly high demand and the follow on chipsets eg tomahawk 2 trident 3 jericho and so on are both more feature rich and more modern and are therefore in high demand. Since people are not swapping out equipment they cannot replace, the secondary market is not getting the last generation hardware. If you buy new high end 100 and 400 gig tor switch chipsets in meaningful quantities you’ll be seeing lead times of like a year. The used car market is experiencing a similar condition.
In 2021 the aftermarket pricing went from $3,000 each to $15,000 each.
Now these particular switches are selling for $20,000 each (and people are still buying them[?]…)
Obviously I cannot pay $20k for a used switch so I am trying to find alternatives that perhaps aren’t as rare.
I’m trying to determine whether this pricing is just based on the model I am trying to buy or if it is basically every switch from every MFG.
Just trying to see if anyone else has had any luck getting any hardware at around a fair price lately?
Fair is subject to personal preference and local conditions. The people who would like new switches cannot in some case buy them at any price.
I’m aware of the macro-economic environment, inflation, chip shortages, etc.. Just looking for another option.
Thanks, -Drew