Cisco Systems, Inc.: Difference between revisions

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=====Removing access to critical downloads for products that are "end-of-support"=====

Cisco removes all downloads for products that are past their "end-of-support" date, making it impossible to obtain software or firmware from official sources for your Cisco product. Cisco claims "'''Note:''' For security purposes, upon retirement of a product, Cisco Systems purposely removes documentation, downloads, and ~~product~~ pages from the Cisco.com website, though you may be able to obtain peer support in the Cisco Community."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Retired Products |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |url-status=live}}</ref> This is considered [[security through obscurity]]. If you, a consumer, have obtained obsolete Cisco hardware and wish to utilize it in a working environment, Cisco has deliberately made it harder to update your device to shield against security issues, or add features.

[[File:Screenshot 2026-02-25 at 1.07.39 pm.png|thumb|Cisco's Retired Products page with a note explaining that they purposely remove documentation, downloads and product pages from the Cisco.com website "for security purposes"]]

Cisco removes all downloads for products that are past their "end-of-support" date, making it impossible to obtain software or firmware from official sources for your Cisco product. Cisco claims "'''Note:''' For security purposes, upon retirement of a product, Cisco Systems purposely removes documentation, downloads, and produc[6]t pages from the Cisco.com website, though you may be able to obtain peer support in the Cisco Community."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Retired Products |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222210213/https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |archive-date=2026-02-22 |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Cisco Product Support}}</ref> This is considered to be [[security through obscurity]]. If you, a consumer, have obtained obsolete Cisco hardware and wish to utilize it in a working environment, Cisco has deliberately made it harder to update your device to shield against security issues, or add features.

=====Requiring a service contract to download firmware for products that are in-support=====

Some Cisco products such as the [https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html Cisco ISR 1000 series] require an "active service contract" from Cisco to download any files such as firmware, software, patches, etc. This makes updating devices to their latest respective versions increasingly harder, as you are required to sign in to an account and pay a subscription fee just to update components of the device that you already own. "To Download this software, you must have a valid service contract associated to your Cisco.com profile"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Service Contract Required |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |url-status=live |archive-date=2026-02-25}}</ref>

[[File:Screenshot 2026-02-25 at 1.05.23 pm.png|thumb|A Cisco download page showing the text "'''Log In and Service Contract Required".''']]

Some Cisco products such as the [https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html Cisco ISR 1000 series] require an "active service contract" from Cisco to download any files such as firmware, software, patches, etc. This makes updating devices to their latest respective versions increasingly harder, as you are required to sign in to an account and pay a subscription fee just to update components of the device that you already own. "To Download this software, you must have a valid service contract associated to your Cisco.com profile"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco 1000 Series Integrated Services Routers download page showing "Service Contract Required" |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250831232702/https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |archive-date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Cisco Product Support}}</ref>

=====Withholding bug details from customers without a service contract=====

Cisco hides bug details (most importantly the "resolution/workaround" of a bug) from non-paying customers. You are required to log into a Cisco account to view bug details, and even then you are only permitted to view 200 bugs a month without paying for a service contract.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco Bug Search Tool |url=https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Cisco hides bug details (most importantly the "resolution/workaround" of a bug) from non-paying customers. You are required to log into a Cisco account to view bug details, and even then you are only permitted to view 200 bugs a month without paying for a service contract.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco Bug Search Tool |url=https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225021043/https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |archive-date=2026-02-25 |access-date=2026-02-25}}</ref>

"Bug information is viewable for customers and partners who have a service contract. Registered users can view up to 200 bugs per month without a service contract."

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 =====Removing access to critical downloads for products that are "end-of-support"=====
-Cisco removes all downloads for products that are past their "end-of-support" date, making it impossible to obtain software or firmware from official sources for your Cisco product. Cisco claims "'''Note:''' For security purposes, upon retirement of a product, Cisco Systems purposely removes documentation, downloads, and product pages from the Cisco.com website, though you may be able to obtain peer support in the Cisco Community."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Retired Products |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |url-status=live}}</ref> This is considered [[security through obscurity]]. If you, a consumer, have obtained obsolete Cisco hardware and wish to utilize it in a working environment, Cisco has deliberately made it harder to update your device to shield against security issues, or add features.
+[[File:Screenshot 2026-02-25 at 1.07.39 pm.png|thumb|Cisco's Retired Products page with a note explaining that they purposely remove documentation, downloads and product pages from the Cisco.com website "for security purposes"]]
+Cisco removes all downloads for products that are past their "end-of-support" date, making it impossible to obtain software or firmware from official sources for your Cisco product. Cisco claims "'''Note:''' For security purposes, upon retirement of a product, Cisco Systems purposely removes documentation, downloads, and produc[6]t pages from the Cisco.com website, though you may be able to obtain peer support in the Cisco Community."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Retired Products |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222210213/https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |archive-date=2026-02-22 |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Cisco Product Support}}</ref> This is considered to be [[security through obscurity]]. If you, a consumer, have obtained obsolete Cisco hardware and wish to utilize it in a working environment, Cisco has deliberately made it harder to update your device to shield against security issues, or add features.
 =====Requiring a service contract to download firmware for products that are in-support=====
-Some Cisco products such as the [https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html Cisco ISR 1000 series] require an "active service contract" from Cisco to download any files such as firmware, software, patches, etc. This makes updating devices to their latest respective versions increasingly harder, as you are required to sign in to an account and pay a subscription fee just to update components of the device that you already own. "To Download this software, you must have a valid service contract associated to your Cisco.com profile"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Service Contract Required |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |url-status=live |archive-date=2026-02-25}}</ref>
+[[File:Screenshot 2026-02-25 at 1.05.23 pm.png|thumb|A Cisco download page showing the text "'''Log In and Service Contract Required".''']]
+Some Cisco products such as the [https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html Cisco ISR 1000 series] require an "active service contract" from Cisco to download any files such as firmware, software, patches, etc. This makes updating devices to their latest respective versions increasingly harder, as you are required to sign in to an account and pay a subscription fee just to update components of the device that you already own. "To Download this software, you must have a valid service contract associated to your Cisco.com profile"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco 1000 Series Integrated Services Routers download page showing "Service Contract Required" |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250831232702/https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |archive-date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Cisco Product Support}}</ref>
 =====Withholding bug details from customers without a service contract=====
-Cisco hides bug details (most importantly the "resolution/workaround" of a bug) from non-paying customers. You are required to log into a Cisco account to view bug details, and even then you are only permitted to view 200 bugs a month without paying for a service contract.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco Bug Search Tool |url=https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |url-status=live}}</ref>
+Cisco hides bug details (most importantly the "resolution/workaround" of a bug) from non-paying customers. You are required to log into a Cisco account to view bug details, and even then you are only permitted to view 200 bugs a month without paying for a service contract.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco Bug Search Tool |url=https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225021043/https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |archive-date=2026-02-25 |access-date=2026-02-25}}</ref>
 "Bug information is viewable for customers and partners who have a service contract. Registered users can view up to 200 bugs per month without a service contract."