Should You Buy Refurbished or Used Network Equipment?

Yes, for the right equipment. Switches, routers, firewalls and access points have no moving parts beyond fans and power supplies, are built to run for years, and are often retired while they still work perfectly, after a refresh or an office move. Refurbished equipment that has been tested and reset costs a fraction of new and works the same.

The question isn’t new or used. It’s whether the model has enough life left in it for how long you plan to run it.

New, refurbished and used: what the terms mean

	What it means	Best for
New	Unused, in its original packaging	New buildings, full refreshes, the latest models
Refurbished	Previously used, then tested, cleaned and reset to factory defaults by the seller	Expansions, spares, matching existing equipment, budget refreshes
Used	Previously owned and sold as-is, sometimes untested	Labs and test benches

At Link US, the condition is labeled on every product listing.

When refurbished makes sense

• Expanding a network you already run. Adding a switch to an existing stack or access points to an existing controller is simplest with the same model.
• Spares. A spare switch or power supply on the shelf turns a failure into a 15-minute swap instead of a week of waiting.
• Discontinued models. When a manufacturer stops selling a model your network depends on, refurbished is often the only way to get more.
• Access switches and access points on a budget. These are the bulk of any network’s hardware count, so savings add up fast.

When to buy new

• The latest generation. If you need Wi-Fi 7, the newest switching capacity or a model that came out this year, it’ll only be available new.
• Long planned life. If the equipment needs to run eight or ten years, start with a current model.

Check the end-of-support date first

Every manufacturer publishes end-of-sale and end-of-support dates for its products. After end of support, no new software or security fixes come out. The sweet spot for refurbished equipment is a model that’s still well inside its support window: proven, discounted and still getting updates.

For example, the Meraki MR36 and MR46 go end of sale on December 31, 2026, with support through December 31, 2031. That’s five more years, which makes them a solid refurbished buy for expanding a Meraki network. More in our MR36 vs MR46 comparison.

What to ask before you buy refurbished

• How was it tested? Power, every port, PoE output and fans, not just “powers on”.
• Was it reset? It should arrive at factory defaults with the previous owner’s configuration erased.
• What’s the warranty? Get the length in writing.
• What’s included? Power supplies, fans, rack ears and power cords vary from listing to listing.
• What’s the return policy? Know how returns work before you need one.

How refurbished equipment works at Link US

Used equipment goes through testing and refurbishment before we sell it: power, data and PoE checks, software and a factory reset. Refurbished units carry our 90-day warranty, and the condition is labeled on every listing. Most refurbished equipment is sourced to order, so ask for a quote on the exact models and quantities you need. Returns follow our refund and returns policy.

Selling your old equipment

Upgrading? Your old switches, routers, firewalls and access points are worth money. We buy used networking equipment of any brand: send us a list and we’ll make an offer the same business day. Local pickup is available, and in North Carolina we can decommission equipment on site. Sell your equipment.

Get a quote

Send us the models and quantities you need, new or refurbished, and we’ll quote them the same business day.