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Chris_Hansen_90's avatar
Chris_Hansen_90
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May 20, 2011

What can I do with a BigIP box?

Hi all,

 

 

I have a BigIP box sitting in my garage that works, or at least did when I put it there after acquiring it. The problem is that I don't know what to do with it. It came out of an IT installation for a previous employer and when they closed the office (and let us all go) we were allowed to take any equipment that was 'left over'.

 

 

 

Can I use it as a server? Filter? Is it only good for load balancing? If I can't use it at home, is there a market for it?

 

 

 

Thanks for any insight y'all might have.

 

 

 

chris

 

  • Hi Chris,

     

     

    What platform and version is it? You can check SOL10635 for details on getting this info:

     

     

    http://support.f5.com/kb/en-us/solutions/public/10000/600/sol10635.html

     

     

    For an old 2u or 4u unit, it's probably only good as a door stop as any current x86 server or laptop would probably have better specs and lower energy use. For a newer platform, you could potentially upgrade it to the last version of software that was available when the unit last had support with F5.

     

     

    You could use it as a load balancer if you have multiple servers or services you want to serve. There isn't much of a used market for old F5 gear as F5 charges a fee to recertify equipment to get it under support again. But you could always try putting it up on Ebay and see what you get for it.

     

     

    Aaron