FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How do I get help if I have a network emergency?

A: If it involves an equipment failure or a software upgrade and you have a SmartNet Maintenance agreement or active warranty, you can open a case with the Cisco Technical Assistance Center [TAC] via

phone: 1 800 553 2447
email: tac@cisco.com
web (login required):
http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/front.x/case_tools/caseOpen.pl

For help with ongoing network problems, troubleshooting or network design issues, Boardwalk recommends our Onsite Expert service. Our highly experienced network experts will assist your staff to find the root of the problem and recommend or implement the cure. Our experts draw on many years of experience in the fields of network operations and network consulting. All our experts offer a wide breadth of inter-networking knowledge as well as an in-depth understanding of both technology and operational objectives.

Q: I don't have an existing hardware/software support contract. How can I get one?

Boardwalk resells Cisco's award-winning SmartNet Maintenance. Please contact any Boardwalk representative for information on the various options and pricing.

Q: I don't have an emergency but need help training/ upgrading/ supporting/ planning my network. Who can I call?

A: To address implementation and other off-the-shelf services Boardwalk recommends our wide range of Service Products . Our innovative ordering, delivery and billing approach vastly simplifies the arduous process of procuring and managing contractors.

For larger or custom projects we will define and agree on a project scope with you. To simplify the engagement process and lower the risk to the customer, we fix the price. This allows us to effectively manage our resource pool, and improve the productivity of our people.

Q: How can I see what the traffic profile is on in my network?

A: Network visibility is the Holy Grail for many network managers. Two approaches are available:

Capture and analyse traffic on a specific link with a capture device: Boardwalk recommends the market leading network analyser: NAI Sniffer as the means to this end. Sniffer provides complete traffic visibility and reporting tools to summarize and define the traffic profile.

Generate reports using your Cisco router. Some of the roughly 7000 software features in a Cisco router allow an administrator to generate traffic reports and usage statistics of all the IP traffic traversing a device. Contact a Boardwalk representative to learn more about features such as Network Based Application Recognition[NBAR] and Quality of Service Device Manager[QDM] on routers and Switch Top-N reports on switches.