The current generation of routers ordinarily include L2 switching capability, and many of today's switches have some Layer 3 routing capability. Routers developed by Cisco, the supplier of the vast majority of the world's routers, have advanced significantly in capability and speed and Cisco makes an extensive portfolio that features routers engineered to handle the requirements of customers from households to nationwide service providers.
The latest Integrated Services Routers from Cisco have the speed and built-in features to support IP voice and video plus virtual environments while at the same time offering high availability, remote administration, easy scalability, and advanced protection. Cisco's ISR routers allow you to establish a solid foundation for an IT network that can grow smoothly as you hire new workers, open extra offices, deploy new capabilities, extend your network to customers and vendors, and build an an increasingly mobile user base. Progent's Cisco CCIE network consultants can provide immediate and economical online support to assist your company to select, configure, administer, upgrade, and support Cisco's latest router technology and can assist you to support your older routers or move efficiently to Cisco's newer router solutions.
Cisco Routers for Home Offices and Small Offices and Branch Offices
Cisco's routers for small organizations and branch offices provide affordable and reliable no-frills alternatives that enable small groups of users to have secure access to the Internet. These single-configuration desktop routers feature at minimum four 10/100 Ethernet switches with wireless options plus integrated firewall to provide advanced security. Designed for simple installation, management, and troubleshooting, Cisco's small business and home routers reduce ownership costs by cutting acquisition and operational expenses. Progent's remote troubleshooting specialists have in-depth backgrounds delivering immediate and affordable technical assistance for small companies to configure and support these routers, and Progent's CCIE-certified network consultants can assist you to determine how Cisco's entry-level routers can increase the business value of your IT network.
ISR 900 Series Integrated Services Routers
Cisco's ISR 900 Series desktop routers are compact, quiet, fixed-configuration appliances intended for small to medium-sized businesses, branches, and home offices. These entry-level routers include four managed GE LAN ports and can support Metro Ethernet, LTE, and DSL WAN connectivity. Cisco's ISR 900 router product line provides triple the IPsec throughput of Cisco's ISR 800 Series routers. All ISR 900 models feature Group Encrypted TransportVPN (GETVPN), dynamic multipoint virtual private network VPN, FlexVPN, and firewall. VPN throughput is as high as 250 Mbps. All router versions support up to 50 virtual LANs. Supported automatic failover protocols for high availability include VRRP, Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP), and Multigroup HSRP. Provisioning and management can be performed with Cisco CP Express, Cisco DNA Center, and Cisco IOS Software. Cisco ISR 900 Series devices do not support Cisco SD-WAN.
Cisco's ISR 921 router comes with dual GE WAN ports, Category 4 LTE, and a built-in power supply. VPN throughput is 150 Mbps. Cisco's ISR 926 and ISR 927 routers have external power supplies and feature one GE WAN port, Category 4 LTE, plus VDSL2 and ADSL2/2+. VPN performance for both devices is 150 Mbps. The high-performance Cisco ISR 931 router features dual GE WAN and has an internal power supply. VPN performance is 250 Mbps.
Cisco Meraki MX Series SD-WAN Security Appliances
The Cisco Meraki MX line of desktop routers provide SD-WAN and cloud-based unified threat management (UTM) in one compact appliance able to handle 50 to 200 users. Each MX series appliance needs to be licensed for the Meraki cloud. For sites having multiple WAN network options (e.g., MPLS, fiber optic, cellular), SD-WAN technology allows administrators to specify the WAN connection an application uses or to build performance-based rules to select the appropriate interface. Cisco Meraki MX fixed-configuration desktop routers share key capabilities including:
Cisco 1000 and 1100 Family ISR Enterprise Branch Routers
Cisco 1000 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) running Cisco IOS XE internetworking operating system are a line of fanless appliances intended to deliver high-performance network service, wireless access, and advanced cybersecurity for SMBs, enterprise branches, retail outlets, kiosks, and machine-to-machine (M2M) environments. Parallel CPU cores and compatibly with Cisco IOS XE enable these routers to deliver features consistent with Cisco's entire line of modern Enterprise routers. 1000 family ISR routers are offered with 4 or 8 LAN switch ports and offer Gigabit Ethernet (GE) packet forwarding. Available features include PoE and PoE+, auto provisioning, plus a selection of built-in or pluggable connections for LAN, WAN, wireless LAN, G.fast DSL, LTE wireless, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and SFP Fiber. Cisco 1000 and 1100 family ISR models work with Cisco's SD-WAN services for transparent multi-cloud connectivity, multilayer security, and unified monitoring and management across hybrid network models.
Cisco's 1RU or desktop ISR 1100-4G router comes with four integrated GE ports, built-in 3G/4G LTE with two LTE antenna SMA sockets, and one micro-SIM plug-in slot. Encryption packet processing speed is 200 Mbps. The 1100-6G ISR router adds two 1G SFP connections and delivers encryption performance of 520 Mbps. Cisco's desktop 1101-4P ISR router has four built-in GE connections, offers 802.11ac Wi-Fi and 3G/4G LTE wireless, and features encryption rates of 280 Mbps. The Cisco ISR 1109-2P/4p desktop routers include two or four integrated switched GE connections and two pluggable 3G/4G LTE wireless ports. Encryption packet processing performance is 200 Mbps.
The 1RU or desktop 111x-4P/8P ISR routers include four or eight integrated GE interfaces (two or four provide PoE) and support VDSL2/ADSL2+, 802.11ac, 3G/4G LTE, and SFP Fiber. Encryption performance is 280 Mbps. Cisco's rackmount or desktop ISR 1111X-8P router has eight built-in switched GE ports (four with Power over Ethernet) and a port for SFP Fiber. Encryption packet processing speed is 340 Mbps. The ISR 112x-8P router features eight built-in switched GE interfaces with Power over Ethernet and features SHDSL, VDSL2/ADSL2+, 802.11ac, 3G/4G LTE wireless, and SFP. Encryption speed is 340 Mbps. The Cisco ISR 1161X-8P router has eight switched GE interfaces with PoE and provides 3G/4G LTE and SFP Fiber. Encryption packet processing rate is 450 Mbps.
Catalyst 8000 Series Branch and WAN Edge Platforms for SD-WAN and Routing
Cisco Catalyst 8000 line of routers are modular appliances intended to work at the enterprise branche and the WAN edge to support hybrid network environments that can incorporate a mix of public and private clouds and cloud-hosted applications. Catalyst 8000 devices use Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software and provide expandability, advanced cybersecurity, and 5G connectivity. Throughput is optimized using custom silicon, a multicore design, high port capacity, and in-line encryption. Cisco's subscription software suites offer ongoing access to current SD-WAN technology and allow unified management with advanced cybersecurity, application-based policies, segmentation, and cloud integration.
Cisco Catalyst 8200 Series Enterprise Branch Edge Routers
Cisco Catalyst 8200 routers are successors to Cisco's 4300 Series ISRs, delivering higher IPsec throughput and scale, hardware-accelerated crypto, plus higher built-in WAN port density. These 1RU appliances are designed to provide Cisco's Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), SD-WAN and 5G-connection technology to enterprise branches and the enterprise WAN edge. The Catalyst C8200L-1N-4T router includes four CPU cores, supports 500 Mbps IPsec throughput, and allows 1,500 SD-WAN tunnels. Cisco's Catalyst 8200L platform does not support container-based apps. Cisco's Catalyst C8200-1N-4T model features eight CPU cores, provides 1Gb IPsec throughput, permits 2,500 SD-WAN tunnels, and allows edge computing with existing container models. Both devices come with one Network Interface Module (NIM) slot, one Pluggable Interface Module slot, two 1G Ethernet WAN interfaces, and two 1G Ethernet WAN SFP ports. Four-port and eight-port 1G Ethernet switch NIM modules are available for both 8200 models.
Catalyst 8300 Series Enterprise Edge Routers
Catalyst 8300 Series WAN Edge routers are designed to supersede Cisco's 4400 family of Integrated Services Routers, providing Cisco's secure SD-WAN technology to medium-sized and large enterprise branch offices seeking high WAN IPSec performance combined with integrated SD-WAN services. Advanced capabilities include 5G wireless support, integrated cybersecurity, WAN MACSec, enhanced Layer 2 switching, and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) with application-aware optimization. Cisco Catalyst 8300 WAN Edge routers support edge computing for an existing container environment for Cisco UCS-E modules offered on Cisco's 4000 line of ISR routers. All models in the Catalyst 8300 portfolio allow 4,000 SD-WAN tunnels and feature dual power supplies for high uptime.
The Catalyst 8300-1N1S-6T router model is a 1RU device that features 8 CPU cores and offers 2G SD-WAN throughput and IPsec data rates as high as 1.9Gbps. The router includes one Service Module plug-in slot, one NIM slot, and six built-in 1-Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports. The Catalyst 8300-2N2S-6T router is a two-rack unit model that includes 8 CPU cores and supports 2G SD-WAN throughput and IPsec data rates as high as 1.9Gbps. The router has two Service Module plug-in slots, two Network Interface Module slots, and six integrated 1G Ethernet WAN interfaces. The Catalyst C8300-1N1S-4T2X router model is a one-rack unit appliance that includes eight CPU cores and supports 5G SD-WAN data rates and IPsec data rates as high as 15Gbps. The appliance features one a single Service Module expansion slot, a NIM slot, two integrated 10-Gigabit Ethernet WAN interfaces, and four built-in 1-Gigabit Ethernet WAN interfaces. The Cisco Catalyst C8300-2N2S-4T2X device is a two-rack unit model that features 12 CPU cores and delivers 5G SD-WAN throughput and IPsec throughput up to 18Gbps. The appliance has two Service Module expansion slots, two Network Interface Module slots, two built-in 10-Gigabit Ethernet WAN interfaces, and four integrated 1-Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports. LAN modules modules offered by Cisco range from a 4-port 1-Gigabit Ethernet switch Network Interface Module module to a 50-port Catalyst L2 switch SM module.
Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Aggregation Edge Routers
The Catalyst 8500 Aggregation Edge routers are fixed, 1RU aggregation routers for SD-WAN and colocation deployments. Integrated features include route processor, ESP, plus aggregation hardware for various connection options. IPsec performance is twice that of Cisco's earlier generation ASR1001-X aggregation services router. Flexible connectivity options include 1GE, 10GE, 40GE, and 100GE WAN ports. These routers include redundant AC or DC power units for improved resilience. Software subscription suites provide continuing use of Cisco DNA Center Software for SD-WAN and routing and enable unified management of cybersecurity, application-based policies, network segmentation, and cloud support.
The Catalyst C8500L-8S4X router is designed to offer a similar basic functionality as Cisco's ASR 1000 appliance. The C8500L-8S4X includes four 1/10GE WAN ports and can deliver up to 20 Gbps aggregate data rates. SD-WAN IPsec performance is up to 19Gbps. The Catalyst C8500-12X appliance has 12 integrated 1/10GE WAN ports and supports as high as 120 Gbps Cisco Express Forwarding aggregate data rates. SD-WAN IPsec throughput is up to 51 Gbps. The C8500-12X4QC aggregation router comes with four built-in 1/10GE WAN ports and eight 1-Gigabit interfaces and delivers up to 200 Gbps aggregate performance. SD-WAN IPsec performance is up to 68 Gbps.
Cisco Integrated Services G2 Routers
Cisco's ISR Generation 2 routers are intended to offer branch offices of enterprises with advanced video and voice applications, virtualization, protection, and reliable WAN access. ISR G2 routers feature an architecture that protects past investments in modules for first-generation ISR routers and reduces future expenses by allowing easy installation of new modules when they are developed. Compared to previous Integrated Services Routers, Cisco's Integrated Services G2 routers offer 2-7 times more throughput, far greater expandability, and more affordable support. All ISR Generation 2 routers support GE switching and incorporate multi-core CPUs and ultra-fast fabric for faster throughput. ISR G2 routers also offer smart power management for better energy efficiency.
A key innovation with Integrated Services Generation 2 routers is the IOS Universal image which contains all of the IOS technology sets so that you can quickly authorize and activate extra services as required without having to acquire and copy a new IOS Software image over to yourrouter. Progent's group of CCIE network consultants can provide proven expertise to help your business to design, implement, and support multi-site installations of Cisco ISR G2 routers that enhance satellite office efficiency and reduce the price of upgrades and support.
Cisco's ISR 800 Line of Routers
The 800 Series of ISR routers has been superseded by the faster Cisco ISR 900 series but is still widely used. Cisco's comprehensive portfolio of 800 Series ISR routers consists of desktop devices intended for small organizations, branch locations, retail shops, telecommuters, and customers of ISPs. A wealth of models in Cisco's 800 Series product line have been developed with various options over many years. Cisco's 881 line of ISR routers exemplifies the vast array of options offered within the Cisco 800 Series product family. Various models in Cisco's 881 router portfolio can enable unified media networks by providing IP voice and video, Wi-Fi and cellular wireless and data in one integrated router and switch. Built-in security can include encryption, VPN, firewall, and URL filtering. For survivability, available options for 881 routers include duplicate WAN connections or support for wired high-speed WAN connections such as DSL as well as multiple different cellular 3G and 4G wireless WAN connections all built into a single appliance.
The baseline Cisco 881 router has a 4-port 10/100-Mbps managed switch that delivers 15 Mbps throughput, support for 20 users, two-port integrated Power over Ethernet, and IPv6 compatibility. The Cisco 881W ISR router supports 802.11g/n Wi-Fi. Cisco's 881 SRST router includes 4 FXS ports and 1 FXO port for PSTN fallback with Cisco SRST. With a Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE) license, Cisco's 881 ISR router supports SIP trunk connectivity as a replacement for legacy Primary Rate Interface (PRI) lines or FXO voice connectivity to a PSTN carrier. SIP trunks also support remote agents in Cisco Call Center environments.
4000 Series ISR Routers
Cisco's 4000 Series Integrated Services Routers are modular and scalable platforms designed for organizations with multiple branches and remote workers who need direct access to in-house data centers and public clouds via VPNs and the Internet. The 4000 series provides the throughput required for distributed enterprise sites to accommodate mobile workers, Cloud-based services, and multimedia applications by utilizing network optimization, deep packet inspection, and traffic-management technology. Devices in the 4000 Series run Cisco's IOS XE operating system, come in a 1-rack-unit (RU) or 2RU form factor, can support as much as 2 Gbps of throughput, and can have up to 3 network interface module slots, 2 service module slots, 4 integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports, and 8 CPU core integrated server modules. Cisco ISR 4000 models can support integrated Gigabit Ethernet, T1/E1, T3/E3, PR1, xDSL and other interfaces. To manage unified communications, Cisco's 400o ISR offers comprehensive edge support for session border control, branch telephony survivability, and TDM gateways.
The main difference between the Cisco 4400 ISR and 4300 Series is redundant power supply capability in the 4400 ISR Series, providing a greater degree of availability. Cisco's 4321 ISR Router comes in a 1 RU desktop package with two network interface modules (NIMs), delivers as much as 100 Mbps performance, and allows up to 240 Digital Voice and Video Channels. The 4331 ISR Router comes in a 1 RU form factor and includes two network interface modules, delivers as much as 300 Mbps performance, and can handle 360 Digital Voice/Video Channels. The 4351 Integrated Services Router comes in a 2 RU package with three NIMs, delivers as much as 400 Mbps throughput, and can handle 720 Digital Voice/Video Channels. Cisco's dual power supply 4431 router comes in a 2 RU form factor with three NIMs, delivers up to 1 Gbps throughput, and can handle 720 Digital Voice/Video Channels. The fault-tolerant 4431 ISR Router comes in a 2 RU package with three network interface modules, provides as much as 2 Gbps performance, and can handle 1200 Digital Voice/Video Channels.
Cisco's WAN Edge Routers and Service Provider Routers
Cisco's WAN edge and service provider routers can provide larger businesses with fast, protected distribution points to aggregate satellite office and off-site data packets and to offer service providers cost-effective wide area network edge routing. Cisco's WAN aggregation and carrier router product line includes the Cisco ASR 1000 routers and the 9000 ASR family.
Progent's national team of Cisco CCIE network consultants have in-depth experience working with enterprises and Internet service providers to design optimal installations and smooth expansion of Cisco's WAN edge routers. Progent's GIAC-certified information assurance experts can provide unbiased, third-party network security inventory assessments, stealth penetration services and advanced Security information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions to help enterprises that use Cisco's WAN aggregation routers to comply with industry standards and statutory requirements for IT information protection and incident reporting.
Cisco ASR 1000 Series WAN Edge Routers
Cisco's ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services line of routers is positioned in the center of Cisco's midrange products that focus on acting as headends at the wide area network edge. Cisco's ASR 1000 WAN Edge routers offer a small footprint, multi-function solution for large businesses requiring branch office aggregation at supergigabit Ethernet speeds. ASR 1000 Aggregation Services routers incorporate an innovative architecture that combines hardware acceleration with programmable flexibility in order to offer a multitude of concurrent services while preserving dependable performance.
ASR 1000 routers feature Cisco's proprietary QuantumFlow Processor made up of 40 purpose-built Packet Processing Engines (PPEs) that in combination can support as many as 160 simultaneous threads. This multi-processing structure, combined with hardware acceleration for all services, allows the top-of-the-line ASR 1006 router to expand up to 128K queues, 32K clients, 4,000 IPsec tunnels at 10,000 sessions/second, and 2 million Netflow log records. This CPU capability permits Cisco's ASR 1000 Series WAN Edge routers to deliver a broad range of sophisticated services simultaneously in high volume while avoiding throughput degradation that could compromise compliance with service level agreements. These services include IOS Firewall, IPS, NAT, FPM, and in-line deep packet inspection. The Cisco ASR 1000 also permits tiered traffic management for applying numerous levels of QoS to a packet in one operation, improving responsiveness for high-bandwidth voice, video, and conferencing applications.
Cisco ASR 9000 Series Routers
Cisco's ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers are designed as WAN-edge routers for service providers who are required to support the highest quality HD multimedia services to residential, commercial, and mobile customers by providing always-on operation, high speed, and application awareness. All models in Cisco's ASR 9000 line of Aggregation Services Routers are powered by Cisco's IOS XR operating system, a distributed operating system designed for continuous availability. Performance of the Cisco ASR 9000 family of Aggregation Services Routers can be expanded up to 96 Tbps per system. the ASR 9000 line of Aggregation Services Routers can handle Gigabit Ethernet (GE), 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and 100 GE and feature redundant fabric and power modules, power entry modules, plus backup switch fabric.
The Cisco ASR 9001 platform is a provider-edge router that comes in a 6 RU package with 120 Gbps of nonblocking fabric capacity. The ASR 9001 has two modular bays to support port adapters for 1 Gigabit, 10 Gigabit, and 40 Gigabit Ethernet. The base chassis incorporates four 10 Gbit Ethernet SFP+ ports as well as ports for Stratum 1 clocking, building integrated timing supply (BITS), and management. The Cisco ASR 9904 Router comes in a 6 RU form factor and offers line-rate 10 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet connections in space-constrained sites. The 4-slot router can support up to 4 Tbps of switching capacity in one chassis. The Cisco ASR 9912 Router has a 30 RU chassis and includes 12 slots slots able to provide 550 Gbps of throughput. The ASR 9912 Router has 2 route CPUs and 6+1 Fabric Cards for N+1 redundancy.
Ways Progent Can Help You with Cisco Routers
Progent's Cisco certified engineers can help your company to plan, configure, and maintain an integrated business network that can automate operations, reduce expenses, and accelerate the path to positive return on investment. By teaming Cisco routers with Cisco Catalyst switches support and Catalyst and Meraki Wi-Fi wireless expertise, Progent can significantly increase the business value of your connectivity environment. Progent can provide onsite and off-site help and offers data center support throughout the U.S.
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