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The hidden cost of cheap networking gear

When it comes to building a network, price is always a consideration, especially in the current economic climate, but there is a difference between smart spending and short-term saving. Opting for cheap, untested networking equipment may seem like a win upfront, but it often comes at a far greater cost in the long run.

Riaan van Staden.

We have seen it time and again in the field. A business or reseller installs budget devices to reduce upfront expenditure. Six months later, the calls start. Coverage is patchy. Devices drop off the network. Power issues escalate. Suddenly, the ‘cost-effective’ choice becomes a support nightmare, and this is not just a nightmare for the customer, but for the partner who installed it.

The hidden cost of cheap gear usually is not visible on the invoice. It appears in repeated callouts, extended troubleshooting sessions, and hours spent trying to track down technical support from vendors with little to no local presence. Firmware updates may be unavailable or unsupported. Integration with existing platforms becomes a guessing game, and the pressure falls squarely on your team to make things work.

These support issues are not just inconvenient, but also expensive. A study estimates that network downtime costs businesses an average of $5600 per minute, while 70% of unplanned outages now cost over $100 000. And locally, the pain is just as real. According to another study, a single internet outage can cost South African SMEs around R223 000 per incident. Add to that the 25 000 in quarterly losses that businesses are already absorbing due to unpredictability around loadshedding, and the risk of cutting corners becomes crystal clear.

The reality is that networking infrastructure is not just a once-off investment. It is the backbone of business operations. When performance falters, productivity suffers. When security is compromised, the entire organisation is at risk, and when gear fails, replacements and service calls quickly chew into margins.

Cheap devices typically lack the hardware resilience, firmware reliability, and local support ecosystems that businesses need to stay online and secure. They are also more prone to overheating, inconsistent power draw (a big concern with PoE deployments), and compatibility issues with modern protocols. Over time, the cost of managing this complexity outweighs any initial savings.

From a reseller's perspective, the reputational risk is just as high. End users rarely blame the brand. Instead, they blame the company that made the recommendation. When something breaks, it is your phone that rings first. Over time, this erodes trust and can cost far more than the initial savings.

It is not about spending more. It is about spending smart; ensuring your infrastructure is built to last.

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