F5 Networks BIG-IP i-Series Hardware Maintenance
side by side.

i2000/i4000 · entry/mid-range

i2600 · i2800 · i4600 · i4800 (up to ~5 Gbps L7)

i5000/i7000 · mid-range

i5600/i5800/i5820 · i7600/i7800/i7820 (up to ~40 Gbps L7)

i10000/i11000 · high-end

i10600/i10800/i10820 · i11600/i11800 (up to ~80 Gbps L7)

i15000 · top-of-the-line

i15600 · i15800 · i15820 (up to ~320 Gbps L7)

Components & SSL

Power supplies (AC/DC) · fan trays · hard drives/SSDs · SSL/TLS hardware modules · NICs

EOSL status of F5 BIG-IP i-Series

F5 support is traditionally high-priced in the European market — TMOS software licenses (LTM, GTM/DNS, APM, ASM, AFM, SSL Forward Proxy) are separately licensed and continue to be sourced through F5, but hardware maintenance is the area where TPM has the greatest lever. Even F5 support for an i5800 with 24×7×4 is a noticeable annual cost block, and a pair configuration (active/standby) doubles it. For i10/i15 high-end platforms, terms are correspondingly higher. TPM reduces the hardware layer to 40-50 percent without affecting TMOS software, F5 licenses or software updates.

We service F5 BIG-IP i-Series with OEM power supplies, fan trays, hard drives and SSL hardware modules from our own warehouse. For i-Series fleets we stock all four classes — entry/mid (i2/i4), mid-range (i5/i7), high-end (i10/i11) and top-of-the-line (i15). For i10/i15 platforms with SSL/TLS hardware acceleration (FIPS modules, crypto cards), we also cover the specialized components. TMOS software and all F5 modules (LTM, GTM, APM, ASM, AFM) run independently of hardware maintenance — TPM only affects the hardware layer.

The full OEM-vs-TPM matrix (spare parts, SLA tiers, language, sub-outsourcing, compliance docs, reporting) is the same for every F5 line — see the F5 battle card.

BAIT/MaRisk documentation package, DORA Art. 28 contract template, ISO 27001 and GDPR-compliant media handling apply identically to every F5 line — details on the F5 battle card.

Same four steps for every F5 line: inventory → fixed-price quote in 48 h → contract (BAIT/MaRisk/DORA hooks) → hand-over with spare-parts provisioning. Details on the F5 battle card.

Which F5 BIG-IP i-Series models do you service?

Complete i-Series family of all four classes: entry/mid (i2600, i2800, i4600, i4800), mid-range (i5600, i5800, i5820, i7600, i7800, i7820), high-end (i10600, i10800, i10820, i11600, i11800), top-of-the-line (i15600, i15800, i15820). Including all power supplies (AC and DC), fan trays, hard drives/SSDs, SSL/TLS hardware modules (including FIPS modules for i10/i15) and network interface cards.

What does TPM cost for F5 i-Series compared to F5 support?

30 to 60 percent savings. For an i5800 with 24×7×4, TechCare is roughly 55–60% below the F5 price, roughly 60% for an i7800, and roughly 55–60% below F5 support for i10800 and i15800. A pair configuration (active/standby) doubles the absolute savings linearly. For larger data centers with 4-8 i-Series pairs, F5 support costs quickly become a major budget item — TPM achieves substantial absolute savings here.

Does TMOS and all F5 modules continue to work without an F5 support contract?

Yes. TMOS (Traffic Management Operating System) on your BIG-IP appliances continues to work with existing module licenses (LTM for local traffic management, GTM/DNS, APM for access management, ASM for web application firewall, AFM for network firewall, SSL Forward Proxy) without licensing — all production functions stay active. TMOS code updates to newer versions (major releases, hotfixes) require an active F5 contract — usually uncritical with stable ADC/WAF configurations because F5 setups in productive environments are operated stably over years. F5 iHealth (proactive monitoring) and MyF5 portal access are F5 contract-bound.

Can you service older i2600/i4600 after EOSL?

Yes. Early i2600/i2800 and i4600/i4800 (released 2015, EOSL 2024-2025) are still productive in DACH mid-market and branch office setups — typically as smaller ADC or reverse proxy platforms. We stock power supplies, fan trays, hard drives and replacement appliances for these generations. TMOS on older i-Series continues to work — TMOS updates to newer major versions require an active F5 contract, usually uncritical with stable configurations.

What about SSL/TLS hardware and FIPS modules?

F5 BIG-IP i10/i11/i15 have hardware-based SSL/TLS acceleration — for i10800/i11800 this is standard, for i15 top models often with FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified crypto modules for banks and government. We explicitly cover these specialized components — pool depth for FIPS modules is lower than for standard components, hence risk assessment per fleet. For FIPS compliance requirements, we communicate clearly before contract conclusion which components are available in which quantity in stock.

Which SLA levels do you recommend for i-Series?

F5 BIG-IP is typically operated in pair configurations (active/standby with VIPRION-style config sync) — single appliance failure is absorbed by standby partner, service continuity is maintained. For productive pair setups, 5×9 NBD per appliance is economically justifiable. For single appliance setups (smaller branch offices, test/dev): 24×7×4. For bank, e-commerce or carrier setups with highest availability requirements: 24×7×4 with German-speaking onsite engineer standard. EOSL i2/i4 in stable legacy setups: Parts Only or 5×9 NBD sufficient.