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Cisco's Technical Assistance Center (TAC)

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If you enter a search on the keywords ISDN BRI from the home page, you

get thousands of responses, with none of the top 10 being relevant to what
you are trying to do.

The CD-ROM is an invaluable tool because it is mobile and does not

require a network connection. This is important if you are installing a router
at a remote site, and don't yet have a network connection.

Cisco's Technical Assistance Center (TAC)

hen you need additional resources to solve network failures, you

can contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center, or TAC. The TAC is
accessible by phone, the CCO Web site, fax, or e-mail.

The TAC provides support for Cisco contract holders, gives warranty service,

and can even bill you directly if you do not have a Cisco maintenance contract.

If you can solve the network problem yourself, you can avoid the time that

it takes to contact and receive assistance from the TAC. However, the TAC has
access to information that the end user does not have. Often, this information
proves invaluable for solving the problem. You also need to contact them if the
problem is faulty hardware--the TAC can send you replacement equipment,
if needed.

You need to give some basic information when contacting the TAC to open

a case. First, the Customer Response Center operator asks you for a serial
number or a contract number. (The Customer Response Center is the central
point for incoming calls.) In addition to your contract or serial number, they
ask you for your name and company name. They verify your address, phone
number, and e-mail address. They take preliminary information and prioritize
the case, and then forward the case to the proper engineering group. You
should make sure to record the ticket number for future reference.

When you open your ticket, you can specify the priority of your case.

There are four priorities to choose from:

Priority 1 Production network down

Priority 2 Production network performance seriously degraded

Priority 3 Network performance degraded

Priority 4 Information needed on Cisco products

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