I actually just finished using the "Live Chat" function and found out that I need a SMARTnet contract that I obtain from a Cisco reseller or partner.

Here is another Q:

If a piece of equipment is no longer supported(EOS) is the IOS image now free to download?

The rep I talked to earlier said that Cisco will not allow me to download an IOS image without a SMARTnet contract tied to my CCO account unless the IOS is EOS. Is this accurate? And if I tried to download an IOS image for a non-EOS hardware (2811) will it allow me?

Richard

Yes SMARTNET is the name that Cisco gives to the maintenance contract on their equipment. And it is required that your CCO account be linked with an active contract to enable you to download software.

I am not aware of anything that would enable you to download software that was EOS without having a contract. As far as I know there are no exceptions to the requirement about having a contract. And since you must login with a CCO account that is linked to an active contract to get to the software download page I do not see how an exception could work.

There is one possibility that occurs to me. When you are working with TAC on an issue they will sometimes provide a special image (which may have some special code for your issue) and they put that into a special access location and give you access to it. I am not sure if it might be possible that if you contact TAC about software that is EOS that they might put a copy into the special access location for you.

HTH

Rick