Go Communications Systems Ltd

AI Bubble or Just a Bump in the Road?

Until recently, I wasn’t sure whether AI was heading for a bubble .. and if so, when (or how loudly) it might pop.

There are definitely echoes of the dot-com boom and bust. Back then, companies rushed to build massive websites and networks in anticipation of traffic that never came. Many of those sites were clunky and over-hyped ..remember boo.com? (or was it boohoo… I can never remember!).

The bubble burst because the internet itself just wasn’t ready .. speeds were slow, infrastructure was limited, and the tech hadn’t caught up with the ambition.

I can see a similar dynamic with AI today. Demand is real, but if there’s not enough power to fire up all those GPUs, we might see some shiny new data centres sitting idle for a while ...digital white elephants waiting for the grid to catch up.
Still, just like the internet, any “AI bump” will likely be temporary. Once the infrastructure catches up, things will accelerate again ..only faster and bigger than before.

Just my two cents.

5 days ago | [YT] | 2

Go Communications Systems Ltd

Can you tell the difference? Of course you can.

One comes in a plain brown box. The other arrives in a Cisco-branded one.

A long time ago (around 1999, which now feels like a different industry entirely), we had a customer request that caught us slightly off guard: they wanted used equipment to look and feel like new again.

At first, it sounded like a stretch. Then we saw who it was — Germany’s largest telecoms company at the time. That changed the tone of the conversation pretty quickly.

So we got to work.

We started with the device itself: repairing cosmetic damage, filling scratches, priming, and respraying until it looked like it had never been anywhere near a rack in its previous life. Any empty slots were properly populated with blanking plates, rack mount kits were checked and standardised, and every unit received a new power cable matched to its destination.

Then came the part most people overlook — the presentation.

We designed packaging specifically around the equipment, not the other way round.

Today we hold around 60 different box sizes in stock, with internal end caps engineered with cut-outs so we can adapt for minor variations without multiplying SKUs endlessly. It’s a small detail, but it keeps consistency high and waste under control.

In the end, it wasn’t just refurbished hardware. It was a controlled, repeatable process for making “used” feel a lot closer to “new than expected”.

If you’ve got any requirements, feel free to drop me a message or email: david@gocomsys.com

#ITAD #RefurbishedIT #CircularEconomy

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Go Communications Systems Ltd

The switch where it all began.


Back in the late ’90s, Cisco acquired Crescendo Communications — the move that gave birth to one of the most iconic switches in networking history: the Catalyst 5500. Developed from the first-gen Catalyst 5000, the 5500 quickly became the go-to modular switch for large enterprise networks everywhere. With its backplane-based architecture, hot-swappable supervisor engines, and support for high-density Fast Ethernet and early Gigabit Ethernet, it was a true powerhouse of its time.

As I was writing this, I thought about sending these legends (pictured) off to the great data center in the sky… but then I heard Scotty’s voice in my head: “I cannae let her go yet, Captain — she’s still got life in her!”

Some classics just deserve one last warp-speed salute.

If you’ve got any requirements, feel free to drop me a message or email: david@gocomsys.com

#CiscoHistory #Catalyst5500 #NetworkingThrowback #DataCentreHeaven

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

Go Communications Systems Ltd

40 Cisco 2960X switches.
3 engineers.
2 sprayers.
3 refurb techs.
51 hours of hard graft.

Result? Only one switch failed to make the cut — lady luck was definitely with us.

The customer had been burned before with “refurbished” gear that wasn’t exactly showroom-ready, so they wanted proof this time. Photos, videos, the works. We were happy to deliver — because in our book, there’s only one level of refurbished network equipment. And it’s exactly what you see in the picture.

If you’ve got any requirements, feel free to drop me a message or email: david@gocomsys.com

#SeduceTheSwitch #NetworkEquipment #CiscoSwitches #QualityYouCanTrust #CircularEconomy

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

Go Communications Systems Ltd

Cisco couldn’t deliver. A massive bank needed the tech. And I was just two years into my career.

Back then, you could actually get through to people, and as it turned out, my timing wasn’t bad. They were in the middle of a major network upgrade, moving away from 3Com hubs and Wellfleet routers and standardising on Cisco. They had already ordered hundreds of Catalyst 5000 switches, but lead times were slowing everything down. All they needed was ten units to get started — and Cisco couldn’t even supply that.

So the question came to me: could I?

Used stock wasn’t really an option as it was being snapped up just as quickly, but I knew of a company in California called Network Hardware Resale. At the time, they were known for being a bit different — three Surfer guys, very laid back, well connected in Silicon Valley. As luck would have it, they had around ten brand new, open-box Catalyst 5000s available.

I worked out the shipping, checked the numbers carefully, and went back to JP Morgan with a price. The answer came back quickly — yes. Just like that, two years into the job, I’d landed a £150k order. That evening was celebrated properly with my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, who thankfully decided I was worth sticking with.

Of course, it didn’t stay straightforward. JP Morgan couldn’t buy from us directly due to an existing contract with Computer Sciences Corporation, so the order had to be routed through them. Same price, no extra margin, and a few slightly awkward conversations later, it still went through — with Cisco’s approval as well, which in those days made life a lot easier than it might be now.

A week later, the equipment arrived, and like many people early in their careers, I was doing a bit of everything — sales, warehouse, logistics. I opened every box myself. Brand new Catalyst 5000s, fully loaded with cards, proper bits of kit. The kind of equipment that looked expensive before you even knew the price.

That deal stuck with me, not because of the value, but because of the lesson. When the usual route can’t deliver, there’s always another way — if you’re prepared to look for it.

It might have been easier back then, but it hasn’t stopped me trying ever since.

🚀 I share stories and lessons on navigating the tech and business world every week. Hit Follow so you don't miss the next one and if you’ve got any requirements, feel free to drop me a message or email: david@gocomsys.com

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Go Communications Systems Ltd

Alright folks, we’ve got a heavy hitter for your rack this week!

The Cisco Meraki MS390-48UX-HW is the ultimate high-performance, cloud-managed access switch. Built for high-density enterprise networks, this beast handles demanding workloads without breaking a sweat.

Why it’s a game-changer:
48 Multigigabit Ports: Built-in speed up to 10G to fully unleash your Wi-Fi 6/7 access points.
UPoE Power (60W): Massive power budget to run heavy-duty IoT, PTZ cameras, and AV gear over a single cable.
480 Gbps Stacking: Stack up to 8 units with StackPower redundancy for zero-downtime reliability. Meraki Dashboard: Zero-touch cloud provisioning and total network visibility from anywhere.

Freshly refurbished, fully tested, and ready to deploy.

No endless inventory lists here — just the standout gear we rate this week.

Looking for something else from Cisco, Juniper, or Arista? Drop your required part codes in the comments below or send us a DM, and our team will source or refurbish exactly what you need.

#Cisco #NetworkingHardware #RefurbishedIT #NetworkEngineer #Arista #Juniper Networks

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Go Communications Systems Ltd

In a world obsessed with the "next best thing," when was the last time you saw a piece of tech last for two decades?

Not quite the original gangster… but close.

Here I am next to a 13-slot Cisco Catalyst 6500 chassis — a proper heavyweight from the early noughties. It replaced the Catalyst 6000 and shared many of the same cards, but what really set the 6500 apart was its longevity.

Some parts in this range were supported by Cisco for nearly 20 years. That’s no small achievement in networking. You could run them in 3-, 4-, 6- or 13-slot variants, and over the years they evolved from 10Mb all the way up to 40G.

A serious platform, built to last. And I’ve got a sneaking suspicion we’ll still be selling something Catalyst 6500-related ten years from now.

Why? Because for some services, the philosophy is simple:
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

What’s the oldest piece of kit still running in your network? Let me know in the comments! And if you're looking to keep your legacy infrastructure running strong without the forced upgrades, drop us a message.

#CiscoLegends #LegacyNetworking #Cisco #CCIE #CCNA

1 month ago | [YT] | 4

Go Communications Systems Ltd

End of an era. 🛠️ If you browsed the web in the late '90s or early 2000s, there’s a massive chance your data passed through this exact heavy metal legend.

Another farewell… this time I'm recycling this venerable Cisco GSR 12000, better known by its rather dramatic codename, the GSR10/200.

Introduced back in 1997, the GSR 12000 series (notably the 12010 and 12012) was the industry’s first true multi-gigabit, crossbar switch-fabric router. It arrived just in time to replace the software-based Cisco 7500 series, which was starting to wheeze a bit under the explosive bandwidth demands of the early internet years.

For well over a decade, these beasts formed the backbone of some of the world’s largest service-provider networks. But as all legends eventually do, the GSR began its graceful bow between 2004 and 2006, making way for the Cisco CRS-1 and later the ASR 9000—built for 100G densities, modern Ethernet services, and far fewer raised-floor nightmares.

Goodbye, old friend. You moved a lot of packets in your time.

Did you ever pull a shift in a data center with one of these screaming in the background? Drop your best Cisco GSR memories (or configuration nightmares) in the comments below!

#Cisco #CiscoClassics #CCIE #CCNA #CCNP

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Go Communications Systems Ltd

Long before the internet lived in our pockets, it lived in massive, heavy beige boxes like this one.

This AGS+ was gifted to me by a very dear friend — and for a bit of context, I’ve added a couple of Motorola phones from the same era… when batteries were optional and pockets were not.

Introduced in 1989/1990, the Cisco AGS+ (Advanced Gateway Server Plus) was the heavy lifter that helped build the early commercial internet. At a time when networking was a chaotic mix of languages (IPX, AppleTalk, DECnet), the AGS+ acted as a universal translator, letting universities and businesses finally talk to each other.

By the early ’90s dot-com era it was the gold standard for high-performance routing, paving the way for the 7000 and 7500 series. To many early network engineers, this unassuming beige box is where the internet proved it could truly scale.

Your turn: What’s the oldest piece of tech in your collection (or the first piece of networking gear you ever configured)? Let me know in the comments!

#Cisco #CiscoClassics #CCIE #CCNA #CCNP

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Go Communications Systems Ltd

If you were trying to source networking gear in 2011, you probably still have the scars.

In the early 2010s, just after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the ripple effect hit the semiconductor world harder than most people expected — and yes, it reached right into networking.

For us, it showed up in the form of the ever-popular Cisco ASA 5510.

At the time, these firewalls were everywhere — and suddenly, they were very hard to get hold of. Demand shot up, supply dried up, and for a while even used units were going for list price… sometimes more. New ones? Practically mythical.

Then things got a bit strange.

Units started appearing with odd differences — most notably memory configurations.
Some had a single DRAM slot instead of two, which caused all sorts of confusion when people tried to upgrade them. The forums were full of debates:

Were they modified Cisco ASA 5520 units?
Factory anomalies?
Something less official?

Even Cisco Systems themselves suggested some weren’t original, but there was never a clear, widely accepted explanation. No obvious tell-tale signs, just a lot of head-scratching and guesswork.

What was clear: if you needed one, you paid what it took — and you didn’t ask too many questions.

At the time, the Cisco ASA 5500 Series was the market leader by a long way, and moments like that proved it. Limited supply, no real alternatives, and everyone chasing the same kit.

Fast forward to today, and while the 5510 has long retired, we still see demand for higher-end modules and spares from that era.

Thankfully, no one’s panic-buying ASA 5510s anymore…
…but give it time — the way memory markets are behaving, anything’s possible.

If you’ve got any requirements, feel free to drop me a message or email: david@gocomsys.com

#Cisco #DRAMShortage #HBM #SemiconductorShortage #AIPCs #SupplyChainResilience

1 month ago | [YT] | 1