Routers, switches, firewalls, wireless access points, and other networking equipment tend to have shorter useful lives than many people expect. Technology standards evolve, security vulnerabilities emerge in older firmware, and business networks outgrow their hardware. The result is a steady stream of retired networking gear that needs to be disposed of properly.
Networking equipment is often overlooked in e-waste planning because individual items are relatively small. But the data security risks they carry can be significant, and the materials they contain deserve proper recycling rather than landfill.
Why Networking Equipment Needs Careful Disposal
There are two main reasons networking gear cannot just be tossed in the bin: the materials and the data.
Materials: Networking equipment contains circuit boards rich in copper, gold, and other recoverable metals. The plastic housings, metal chassis, and electronic components all require proper recycling channels. Like all e-waste, networking gear contains lead solder, brominated flame retardants, and other hazardous substances that should not enter landfill.
Data: This is the bigger concern for most organisations. Networking devices store configuration data that can reveal your entire network architecture, including IP addressing schemes, VLAN configurations, firewall rules, VPN credentials, SNMP community strings, routing tables, and sometimes stored user credentials. In the wrong hands, this information is a roadmap for attacking your network.
Types of Networking Equipment and Their Risks
Routers and Firewalls
Enterprise routers and firewalls are the highest-risk items in the networking e-waste category. They store complete routing configurations, access control lists, NAT rules, VPN tunnel configurations (including pre-shared keys and certificates), and often logs of network activity. Some models have internal flash storage or even hard drives that store more data than most people realise.
Managed Switches
Managed network switches store VLAN configurations, port security settings, access control lists, SNMP credentials, and management passwords. While less critical than router configurations, this data still provides useful intelligence about your network layout.
Wireless Access Points and Controllers
Wireless APs store SSID configurations, pre-shared keys or RADIUS server details, and potentially logs of connected devices. Wireless controllers store the configuration for your entire wireless infrastructure in one place, making them particularly sensitive.
Load Balancers and Application Delivery Controllers
These devices may store SSL certificates and private keys, application configurations, health check parameters, and sometimes cached application data. The SSL certificates alone make these devices worth securing during disposal.
How to Wipe Networking Equipment
Every networking device has a factory reset procedure, though the exact steps vary by manufacturer and model. Here is the general approach for the major vendors:
Cisco devices: Use the “write erase” command followed by “reload” to clear the startup configuration and reboot to factory defaults. For devices with additional flash storage, use “format” commands to clear stored files. Some newer Cisco devices support a “factory-reset all” command that handles everything in one step.
Juniper devices: Use “request system zeroize” which erases all configuration and log files and returns the device to factory state. This is the most thorough option available on Junos devices.
HP/Aruba networking: Use the “erase startup-config” command and reboot. For Aruba wireless controllers, use the factory reset procedure in the management interface.
Consumer/SMB devices (Netgear, TP-Link, Ubiquiti, etc.): Most have a physical reset button (usually recessed, requiring a paperclip). Press and hold for 10-30 seconds while the device is powered on to trigger a factory reset. Check the manual for the specific duration required.
After performing a factory reset, verify that the reset was successful by connecting to the device and confirming it presents the initial setup wizard rather than any prior configuration.
Where to Recycle Networking Equipment
Professional e-waste recyclers and ITAD providers are the best option for business networking equipment. They can handle data wiping verification, provide destruction certificates, and process the equipment through proper channels. Many networking devices, particularly enterprise-grade Cisco and Juniper equipment, have meaningful resale value on the secondary market, so an ITAD provider may be able to recover value from your retired gear.
Council e-waste drop-off points accept networking equipment from residents and small businesses. This is suitable for consumer routers, home networking gear, and small quantities of business equipment that has already been factory reset.
Manufacturer programs exist for some vendors. Cisco operates a take-back and recycling program. Other manufacturers have varying levels of end-of-life support.
The Resale Value of Enterprise Networking Gear
Enterprise networking equipment often has surprisingly strong resale value, particularly for well-known brands like Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, and Palo Alto Networks. A managed switch or router that is one or two generations old may still fetch 30-50% of its original purchase price on the secondary market.
Organisations that upgrade networking equipment regularly can offset a significant portion of their new equipment costs by selling retired gear through a reputable ITAD provider. The key is to plan the disposition process alongside the procurement process rather than treating it as an afterthought.
For more on the financial aspects of IT asset management, see our guide to the full IT asset lifecycle.
Special Cases
Fibre Optic Equipment
Fibre optic transceivers (SFPs, QSFPs) are small, easy to overlook, and often left plugged into retired switches. They contain gallium arsenide and indium phosphide, both of which need proper recycling. They also have reasonable resale value if they are clean and functional.
PoE Equipment
Power over Ethernet switches and injectors handle higher power levels than standard networking gear. Ensure they are powered down and discharged before handling. The higher-capacity power supplies in PoE switches contain more copper, making them more valuable for materials recycling.
Telecoms Equipment
PBX systems, VoIP gateways, and other telecommunications equipment often store call logs, voicemail recordings, and directory information in addition to network configuration data. Treat these items with the same level of data security attention as routers and firewalls.
For guidance on building a comprehensive disposal policy that covers all IT equipment types, see our guide to building an IT asset disposal policy.
EWV helps Victorian businesses manage e-waste and IT asset disposal compliantly and sustainably — including collection, certified data destruction, and recycling. Contact us for a free quote.