Network Infrastructure Refresh: When and How to Upgrade
Your network infrastructure is invisible until it fails, and by then you're dealing with outages, security breaches, or performance problems affecting the entire organization. Unlike laptops that users complain about when they slow down, network problems often accumulate gradually until you face a crisis. Here's how to plan and execute network infrastructure refreshes that improve performance, enhance security, and extend equipment life.
What is network infrastructure refresh?
Network infrastructure refresh is the planned replacement or upgrade of core networking equipment including switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access points, load balancers, and related network hardware. Unlike end-user device refreshes that replace individual items, network refreshes often require coordinated upgrades because network devices work together as systems.
Refresh projects range from simple (replacing aging wireless access points) to complex (upgrading core switching infrastructure across multiple data centers). The scope depends on what's approaching end-of-life, what's creating performance bottlenecks, and what's no longer receiving vendor security updates.
Network infrastructure typically lasts longer than end-user devices. Switches and routers can run reliably for 7-10 years in stable environments. But "can run" doesn't mean "should run." Vendor support lifecycles often drive refresh decisions—Cisco typically provides security updates for 5-7 years after product release. Once devices reach end-of-support, they become security vulnerabilities even if they're functioning perfectly from a hardware perspective.
Refresh projects also address capacity and capability needs. That switch installed in 2015 might be running fine, but if it only supports 1Gbps ports and you need 10Gbps for new applications, functional obsolescence drives replacement even though the hardware hasn't failed.
How do you know when network infrastructure needs refreshing?
Multiple indicators signal it's time to consider network refresh, though no single indicator automatically triggers replacement. The decision requires evaluating several factors together.
Vendor end-of-life announcements are hard signals. When Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, or other manufacturers announce end-of-support dates, put those dates on your refresh planning calendar. Operating network infrastructure past vendor support expiration creates security risks and compliance issues that usually outweigh any cost savings from extending equipment life.
Performance degradation is harder to quantify but equally important. Are users complaining about slow network speeds? Are applications timing out? Is Wi-Fi coverage dropping in certain areas? Performance problems don't always mean hardware failure—configuration issues, capacity exhaustion, or interference can cause similar symptoms. But persistent performance issues despite configuration optimization often indicate hardware limitations.
Increasing failure rates signal aging equipment. One switch port failing is normal wear and tear. Multiple ports failing on multiple switches suggests equipment approaching end-of-life. Power supply failures, fan failures, and other hardware issues increase as equipment ages. When monthly repair costs approach 10-15% of replacement cost, replacement becomes more economical.
Security vulnerabilities that can't be patched are critical indicators. If vendor security bulletins identify vulnerabilities in your equipment and no patches are available because devices are past end-of-support, you have unacceptable security risk. Compliance audits increasingly flag unsupported network equipment as audit findings requiring remediation.
Capacity limitations preventing new initiatives might justify early refresh. If you need to implement 10Gbps connections to support new data-intensive applications but your switches only support 1Gbps, waiting until equipment reaches natural end-of-life means delaying business initiatives. Sometimes strategic refresh makes sense even though equipment hasn't reached typical lifecycle end.
What's the difference between refreshing network infrastructure versus end-user devices?
Network refresh and end-user device refresh follow different patterns because network equipment has different failure modes, longer lifecycles, higher interdependencies, and different operational impacts.
End-user devices can be refreshed incrementally. Replace 100 laptops this month, another 100 next month, and users barely notice as long as their individual transition goes smoothly. Network infrastructure often requires coordinated "forklift upgrades" where entire systems get replaced during planned maintenance windows because partial upgrades create compatibility issues or split-brain scenarios.
Downtime planning differs dramatically. Laptop refresh happens transparently to other users—the person getting a new laptop experiences transition, everyone else continues working normally. Network equipment refresh often requires planned outages affecting dozens, hundreds, or thousands of users simultaneously. This makes scheduling critical—most network refreshes happen on weekends or overnight to minimize business impact.
Testing requirements are more complex for network infrastructure. When deploying new laptops, you test that applications work and users can access their files. Network refresh testing includes verifying routing tables, confirming redundancy failover works correctly, checking performance under load, validating security policies are correctly migrated, and ensuring monitoring systems can see new equipment. Network refresh typically requires more extensive testing than end-user device refresh.
Skills required differ too. Any competent IT generalist can deploy laptops. Network infrastructure refresh requires specialized networking knowledge—understanding routing protocols, VLAN configuration, quality-of-service policies, and vendor-specific implementation details. This often means engaging networking specialists or external consultants rather than handling refresh with general IT staff.
Financial models differ because network equipment holds value longer. A 3-year-old laptop has maybe 25-30% of original value in secondary markets. A 3-year-old Cisco switch might retain 40-50% of original value because it's mid-lifecycle for network equipment. This affects refresh ROI calculations—network equipment refresh has higher upfront costs but potentially better asset recovery.
How do you plan network infrastructure refresh without causing outages?
Minimizing downtime during network refresh requires extensive planning, redundancy where possible, and realistic expectations about what can be accomplished without some service interruption.
The ideal scenario is maintaining redundant network paths during refresh so you can upgrade one path while traffic flows through the other, then switch over and upgrade the second path. This requires network architecture with built-in redundancy—dual switches, dual routers, multiple uplinks. Not all organizations have this infrastructure, but if you're planning refresh you might invest in temporary redundancy specifically to enable zero-downtime upgrades.
For networks without redundancy, planned maintenance windows are unavoidable. The best approach is consolidating necessary downtime into single maintenance windows rather than spreading disruption across multiple events. If you need 8 hours of downtime to refresh core networking, schedule it once rather than attempting four 2-hour windows that disrupt business repeatedly.
Thorough pre-planning reduces downtime duration. This means detailed runbooks documenting every step, pre-configuring new equipment as much as possible before the maintenance window, staging equipment near installation locations, and having rollback procedures ready if anything goes wrong. Teams that spend 40 hours planning might complete upgrades in 4 hours of downtime. Teams that do minimal planning might need 12+ hours because they're figuring things out during the maintenance window.
Phased rollouts reduce risk when possible. Instead of upgrading the entire network at once, upgrade non-critical segments first (guest Wi-Fi, test networks, non-production environments) to validate procedures before touching production networks. This tests the upgrade process and identifies issues before they affect critical systems.
Communication with users is essential. If you're taking the network down for 6 hours on Saturday night, make sure everyone knows in advance. Include specific timing ("network unavailable Saturday 10pm through Sunday 4am"), what will be affected ("all network access including Wi-Fi, VPN, and cloud applications"), who to contact with questions, and what to expect when service resumes ("you may need to reboot computers or reconnect to Wi-Fi").
What happens to old network equipment during refresh?
Network equipment disposal follows similar principles to other IT asset disposition but with some unique considerations around data security, configuration recovery, and remarketing value.
Data security for network equipment focuses on configuration files, security credentials, and potentially logged traffic. While network devices don't store large volumes of user data like laptops do, they contain extremely sensitive information. A stolen or improperly disposed router configuration file reveals your entire network architecture, firewall rules, VPN credentials, and administrative passwords.
Before any network equipment leaves your control, all configuration should be wiped and devices should be reset to factory defaults. For equipment headed to remarketing, factory reset is sufficient. For equipment being recycled or destroyed, physical destruction of any storage media (flash memory, hard drives in higher-end equipment) provides additional security.
Configuration backup is important before wiping devices. You might need those configurations for reference when setting up replacement equipment or for compliance documentation showing what security policies were in place. Back up configurations to secure storage before performing factory resets.
Remarketing value for network equipment varies dramatically by manufacturer, model, and age. Enterprise-grade Cisco, Juniper, HP/Aruba, and Fortinet equipment has strong secondary markets. A 3-year-old Cisco Catalyst switch might recover 40-50% of original purchase price. Generic or consumer-grade network equipment has minimal resale value.
The key factors affecting remarketing value are whether equipment is still receiving vendor support (equipment approaching or past end-of-support has reduced value), equipment condition (network equipment that's been properly cooled and maintained lasts longer and looks better), whether you have original documentation and accessories (power supplies, mounting hardware, cables), and current market demand (some models hold value better than others based on industry adoption).
Equipment that's past vendor end-of-life still has markets but at significantly reduced prices. Small businesses, home labs, development environments, and international markets often purchase older equipment at 10-20% of original value. Even equipment with no resale value contains recoverable metals worth $15-$40 per device in recycling value.
Can you upgrade network infrastructure in phases?
Phased network upgrades work well for some scenarios and are impractical for others. The determining factor is how tightly integrated your network components are.
Edge equipment like access switches, wireless access points, and branch office routers can usually be upgraded in phases without affecting core infrastructure. You might upgrade the second-floor access switch this month, the third floor next month, and so on. As long as new equipment is backward compatible with existing core infrastructure, phased rollouts work fine.
Core infrastructure like aggregation switches, distribution routers, and data center networks are harder to upgrade in phases because these components often need to work together as matched sets. Upgrading one core switch while leaving its redundant pair running old software creates version mismatch issues, compatibility problems, and potential split-brain scenarios where the two switches disagree about network state.
Phased upgrades work best when you have clear migration paths—defined stages where you move from state A to state B in incremental steps. Cisco and other vendors typically provide migration guides showing how to upgrade infrastructure incrementally. Without clear migration paths, phased upgrades create long periods where you're running mixed environments that complicate troubleshooting and create compatibility risks.
The advantage of phased upgrades is spreading capital expenditure and operational risk. Instead of spending $500,000 on network infrastructure all at once, you might spend $125,000 per quarter over a year. This helps with budget management and ensures you're not discovering problems after you've already committed to replacing everything.
The disadvantage is extended project timelines and potential for getting stuck in intermediate states. If phase 1 goes smoothly and phase 2 encounters issues, you might end up running mixed old/new infrastructure for months or years instead of the planned weeks. This creates technical debt and operational complexity.
What certifications should network equipment disposal providers have?
Certification requirements for network equipment disposal mirror those for other IT assets but with particular emphasis on data security given the sensitive nature of network configurations.
NAID AAA certification for data destruction is essential. Network equipment contains configuration files, logs, and potentially cached data that requires secure destruction. NAID AAA validates that providers follow rigorous data destruction processes, maintain facility security, screen employees, and carry appropriate insurance.
R2 (Responsible Recycling) or e-Stewards certification ensures environmental compliance. Network equipment contains hazardous materials that require proper handling. These certifications prohibit landfill disposal, restrict export to countries without adequate recycling infrastructure, and require downstream tracking to verify proper processing.
ISO 27001 certification demonstrates information security management maturity. For network equipment containing particularly sensitive configurations—data center core infrastructure, security appliances, equipment from regulated industries—ISO 27001 provides assurance that disposal providers treat information security seriously throughout their operations.
For organizations in regulated industries, look for relevant compliance experience. Network equipment from healthcare facilities might require HIPAA-compliant handling. Financial services equipment might require SOC 2 compliance. Government networking equipment might require security clearances.
Manufacturer certifications can also matter. Some network equipment requires vendor-specific training for proper handling. Cisco-certified providers understand Cisco equipment, know what data storage elements exist in different models, and follow vendor guidelines for secure decommissioning. This matters less for complete device destruction but matters significantly if you're remarketing equipment.
How much does network infrastructure refresh typically cost?
Network refresh costs vary enormously based on network size, equipment types, whether you're making architectural changes, and how much professional services support you need.
For small offices (5-20 users), basic network refresh might cost $5,000-$15,000 including a couple of access switches, wireless access points, and a firewall. For medium offices (50-200 users), expect $25,000-$75,000 covering more switches, higher-capacity firewalls, and potentially core routing equipment. Enterprise deployments (500+ users, multiple locations) can run $200,000-$1,000,000+ depending on scope.
These costs include hardware, software/licensing, professional services for installation and configuration, and any required downtime or overtime costs. They don't include upstream changes like ISP upgrades or downstream changes like endpoint configuration that might be necessary to take advantage of new network capabilities.
Labor costs often exceed hardware costs for complex network refreshes. A $15,000 switch might require 40-60 hours of engineering time for design, configuration, testing, and cutover. At $150-$250/hour for networking specialists, labor can be $6,000-$15,000 on top of hardware costs.
However, asset recovery from old equipment offsets some costs. For equipment that's 3-5 years old and still vendor-supported, you might recover 25-40% of original purchase price. This rarely covers the full refresh cost but can offset professional services costs or fund other infrastructure improvements.
Maintenance costs also factor into total cost of ownership. New equipment typically comes with manufacturer warranties covering hardware failures for 1-3 years. After warranty expiration, you're either paying for extended support contracts (typically 10-20% of hardware cost annually) or taking risk of hardware failures. Extended support costs over 5-7 years can equal or exceed original hardware costs.
Comparing refresh costs to continuing with old equipment isn't straightforward. Yes, old equipment has zero acquisition cost. But old equipment has higher failure rates (more emergency repair costs), higher operational overhead (more staff time spent troubleshooting), security vulnerabilities (potential breach costs), and compliance risks (audit findings, potential fines). Quantifying these costs is difficult but they're real.
What are the biggest mistakes in network infrastructure refresh?
The most common mistake is treating network refresh purely as hardware replacement without considering architecture improvements. If you're replacing 10-year-old switches, it's tempting to buy direct equivalents of what you have. But 10 years of technology evolution means modern equipment has capabilities your old equipment never had—better security features, higher port densities, improved management tools, enhanced redundancy options. Treating refresh as an opportunity to improve architecture rather than just replace hardware creates more value.
Inadequate testing before production deployment causes most network refresh failures. New equipment might be configured correctly and still behave differently than old equipment due to firmware differences, timing sensitivities, or subtle protocol implementation variations. Testing in lab environments doesn't always catch issues that only appear under production traffic loads. Extensive testing with realistic traffic patterns before production cutover prevents surprises.
Poor documentation compounds every other problem. When network refresh goes wrong and you need to troubleshoot at 2am, do you have documentation showing exactly how new equipment is supposed to be configured? Do you have rollback procedures if you need to revert to old equipment? Documentation seems like overhead until you need it, at which point it's invaluable.
Underestimating project timeline is nearly universal. Network refresh projects have more dependencies than most IT projects—vendor delivery lead times, maintenance window scheduling, staff availability (networking specialists are often oversubscribed), testing requirements, and coordination with other projects. What seems like a 2-month project routinely becomes 4-6 months once you account for all dependencies and realistic timelines.
Failing to involve stakeholders creates friction. Network refresh affects everyone who uses the network, but IT teams sometimes treat it as a purely technical project without business input. Inadequate communication means users are surprised by maintenance windows, applications owners don't know to expect potential issues, and business leaders don't understand why you're spending money on "equipment that works fine."
Neglecting asset recovery leaves money on the table. Network equipment has significant resale value if properly handled. Letting old equipment sit in closets for years, disposing of it as scrap, or hauling it to recycling without evaluation wastes 40-60% of potential recovery value. Asset recovery should be planned as part of refresh strategy, not an afterthought.
Finally, forgetting to update documentation and monitoring systems after refresh causes operational problems. New equipment needs new configurations in monitoring systems, documentation needs updating with new IP addresses and management interfaces, and operations teams need training on new equipment capabilities. Failure to update supporting systems means the new infrastructure isn't fully integrated into operations.
Planning a network infrastructure refresh?
Synetic handles complete ITAD services for retiring network equipment including secure data destruction, asset recovery, and environmental compliance. We help organizations maximize equipment value while maintaining security throughout the disposition process. Contact us to discuss your network refresh and see how proper asset handling recovers value while ensuring data protection.