Today's routers usually incorporate L2 switches, and many of today's switches include some Layer 3 routing capability. Routers developed by Cisco, the source of 90% of the world's routers, have advanced significantly in function and performance and Cisco makes a comprehensive product line that features routers designed to handle the requirements of customers ranging from households to nationwide ISPs.
The most recent ISR routers released by Cisco have the speed and built-in features to support data voice and video plus virtualization while at the same time offering high availability, remote administration, seamless scalability, and advanced protection. These routers enable your business to build a solid basis for an IT environment that can grow seamlessly as you hire new employees, establish new offices, activate new capabilities, extend your system to clients and partners, and build an an increasingly mobile user base. Progent's Cisco certified CCIE network engineers offer fast and economical online support to help you to plan, configure, manage, update, and support Cisco's latest router technology and can help you to support your older routers or migrate efficiently to Cisco's newer router products.
Cisco Routers for Home Offices and Small Offices and Branch Offices
Cisco's routers for small companies and branch offices provide affordable and dependable no-frills alternatives that enable small sets of workers to have safe access to wide area networks. These fixed-configuration desktop routers feature at least four 10/100 Ethernet switches with Wi-Fi options and integrated firewall for enhanced protection. Built for simple setup, management, and support, Cisco's small business and home routers reduce total cost of ownership by cutting acquisition and operational investments. Progent's remote support specialists have extensive backgrounds providing immediate and affordable IT help for small companies to configure and support these routers, and Progent's CCIE-certified network engineers can help your company to understand whether and how these routers can increase the business value of your IT network.
Cisco ISR 900 Series Routers
The Cisco ISR 900 Series desktop routers are compact, quiet, fixed-configuration appliances intended for small to medium-sized businesses, branch offices, and home offices. These value-priced routers have four managed GE switch ports and offer Metro Ethernet, LTE, and DSL WAN connectivity. The ISR 900 router family provides three times the IPsec throughput of the ISR 800 Series routers. All ISR 900 Series routers offer 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 VLANs. Supported automatic failover technology for business continuity include VRRP, HSRP, and Multigroup HSRP. Setup and management can be done with Cisco Configuration Professional Express, Cisco DNA Center, and Cisco IOS. ISR 900 Series devices do not work with Cisco SD-WAN.
The Cisco ISR 921 router comes with dual GE WAN, LTE Cat 4, and an internal power supply. GE WAN VPN performance is 150 Mbps. Cisco's ISR 926 and ISR 927 routers include external power and support one GE WAN port, Category 4 LTE, plus VDSL2 and ADSL2/2+ high-speed broadband. GE WAN VPN throughput for both routers is 150 Mbps. The high-performance Cisco ISR 931 features dual GE WAN ports and has an internal power supply. VPN throughput is 250 Mbps.
Cisco Meraki MX Series SD-WAN Security Appliances
The Cisco Meraki MX line of desktop routers provide software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) and cloud-hosted unified threat management in a single small-footprint device able to handle 50 to 200 users. Each MX router needs to be licensed for the Meraki cloud. For sites with several external network options (e.g., MPLS, fiber optic, cellular), SD-WAN technology allows admins to specify the WAN interface an app uses or to create performance-based algorithms to determine the appropriate interface. MX fixed-configuration desktop routers share key capabilities including:
Cisco 1000 Family ISR Branch Routers
Cisco 1000 Series Integrated Services Routers powered by Cisco IOS XE internetworking operating system are a selection of fanless routers designed to provide network connectivity, wireless access, and advanced security for SMBs, enterprise branch offices, retail outlets, customer premises equipment (CPE), and M2M venues. Multiple parallel processing cores and compatibly with Cisco IOS XE enable these routers to deliver capabilities consistent with Cisco's complete family of Enterprise routers. 1000 and 1100 family ISR routers are offered with 4 or 8 LAN switch ports and provide Gigabit Ethernet (GE) packet forwarding. Available features include PoE and PoE+, auto provisioning, plus a selection of built-in or pluggable options such as LAN, WAN, wireless LAN, VDSL2/ADSL2+, 4G LTE Advanced wireless, 802.11 Wi-Fi, and SFP Fiber. Cisco 1000 family ISR routers work with Cisco's SD-WAN services for transparent multi-cloud access, advanced cybersecurity, and cohesive administration across hybrid network models of any complexity.
Cisco's rackmount or desktop ISR 1100-4G router includes four built-in GE WAN/LAN ports, built-in 3G/4G LTE wireless with two LTE antenna SMA sockets, and a micro-SIM slot. Encryption packet processing performance is 200 Mbps. The Cisco 1100-6G ISR router adds two 1G SFP connections and features encryption performance of 520 Mbps. Cisco's desktop ISR 1101-4P router includes four integrated GE connections, supports 802.11ac and 3G/4G LTE wireless, and delivers encryption rates of 280 Mbps. Cisco's ISR 1109-2P/4p desktop routers include two or four integrated switched GE connections and dual pluggable 3G/4G LTE wireless ports. Encryption throughput is 200 Mbps.
Cisco's 1RU or desktop 111x-4P/8P ISR routers have four or eight integrated GE interfaces (two or four with Power over Ethernet) and feature VDSL2/ADSL2+, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 3G/4G LTE wireless, and 1G SFP. Encryption throughput is 280 Mbps. Cisco's 1RU or desktop 1111X-8P ISR router includes eight switched GE interfaces (four with POE) and a port for SFP Fiber. Encryption rate is 340 Mbps. The ISR 112x-8P router features eight built-in GE interfaces with Power over Ethernet and features SHDSL, VDSL2/ADSL2+, 802.11ac, 3G/4G LTE, and SFP. Encryption performance is 340 Mbps. The 1161X-8P ISR router includes eight switched GE ports with PoE and provides 3G/4G LTE wireless and SFP. Encryption performance is 450 Mbps.
Catalyst 8000 Series Branch and WAN Edge Platforms for SD-WAN and Routing
Cisco Catalyst 8000 line of routers are modular devices designed 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 SaaS applications. All Catalyst 8000 devices use Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software and offer scalability, intelligent cloud security, and 5G access. Performance is enhanced via purpose-built hardware, a multicore architecture, high port density, and in-line encryption. Cisco's subscription software suites offer ongoing access to the latest SD-WAN technology and enable centralized management with enhanced cybersecurity, application-based policies, network segmentation, and cloud readiness.
Cisco Catalyst 8200 Enterprise Branch Edge Routers
Catalyst 8200 routers are upgrades to Cisco's 4300 Series ISRs, offering higher IPsec throughput and expandability, accelerated crypto, plus greater integrated WAN interface density. These 1RU appliances are built to provide Cisco's Secure Access Service Edge, SD-WAN and 5G-interface technology to enterprise branches and the enterprise access edge. Cisco's Catalyst C8200L-1N-4T model features four CPU cores, supports 500 Mbps IPsec traffic, and permits 1,500 SD-WAN tunnels. The Catalyst 8200L platform does not support container-based applications. Cisco's Catalyst C8200-1N-4T model includes eight CPU cores, provides 1Gb IPsec performance, permits 2,500 SD-WAN tunnels, and enables edge computing with in-place container models. Both devices include a NIM slot, one PIM slot, two 1G Ethernet WAN copper interfaces, and two 1G Ethernet WAN SFP ports. Four-port and eight-port 1G Ethernet switch NIM modules are available for both 8200 routers.
Catalyst 8300 Enterprise Branch Edge Routers
Catalyst 8300 Series WAN Edge routers are intended to supersede Cisco's 4400 Series Integrated Services Routers, delivering Cisco's secure SD-WAN architecture to mid-sized and large company branches looking for high WAN IPSec performance combined with unified SD-WAN services. Advanced capabilities include 5G wireless support, integrated security, WAN MACSec, enhanced Layer 2 switching, and DPI with application-aware optimization. Catalyst 8300 WAN Edge routers support edge computing for an in-place container environment for Cisco UCS-E modules available on Cisco's 4000 family of ISR routers. All versions in the Catalyst 8300 portfolio allow 4,000 SD-WAN tunnels and feature backup power supplies for improved availability.
The Cisco Catalyst 8300-1N1S-6T router model is a one-rack unit device that features eight CPU cores and delivers 2G SD-WAN performance and IPsec data rates of up to 1.9Gbps. The unit includes one Service Module plug-in slot, one NIM slot, and six built-in 1G Ethernet WAN ports. The Catalyst 8300-2N2S-6T appliance is a two-rack unit device that includes 8 CPU cores and delivers 2G SD-WAN performance and IPsec data rates as high as 1.9Gbps. The router includes two SM expansion slots, two NIM slots, and six built-in 1G Ethernet WAN ports. The Cisco Catalyst C8300-1N1S-4T2X router is a one-rack unit appliance that includes eight CPU cores and offers 5G SD-WAN performance and IPsec data rates up to 15Gbps. The unit includes one a single Service Module plug-in slot, a Network Interface Module slot, two integrated 10-Gigabit Ethernet WAN interfaces, and four fixed 1-Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports. The Cisco Catalyst C8300-2N2S-4T2X device is a two-rack unit appliance that features 12 CPU cores and delivers 5G SD-WAN throughput and IPsec performance up to 18Gbps. The unit has two SM plug-in slots, two NIM slots, two integrated 10-Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports, and four fixed 1-Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports. LAN modules modules offered by Cisco range from a 4-port 1-Gigabit Ethernet switch NIM module to a 50-port Catalyst L2 switch SM module.
Cisco Catalyst 8500 Aggregation Edge Routers
The Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Aggregation Edge routers are fixed, 1RU aggregation appliances for SD-WAN and colocation deployments. Built-in features include route processor, embedded services processor, plus aggregation hardware for multiple interfaces and connectivity choices. IPsec performance is twice that of Cisco's earlier generation ASR1001-X aggregation services router. Available interface alternatives include 1GE, 10GE, 40GE, and 100GE WAN interfaces. 8500 routers include dual AC or DC power supplies for improved availability. Software subscription packages allow ongoing use of Cisco DNA Center Software for SD-WAN and routing and enable unified management of cybersecurity, application-aware policies, network segmentation, and cloud support.
The Cisco Catalyst C8500L-8S4X Aggregation Edge router is designed to provide the same basic functionality as Cisco's ASR 1000 router. The C8500L-8S4X includes four 1/10GE WAN interfaces and supports as high as 20 Gbps Cisco Express Forwarding aggregate throughput. SD-WAN IPsec throughput is up to 19Gbps. The Cisco Catalyst C8500-12X appliance includes 12 built-in 1/10GE WAN ports and delivers up to 120 Gbps aggregate throughput. SD-WAN IPsec performance can reach 51 Gbps. The C8500-12X4QC model comes with four built-in 1/10GE WAN ports and eight 1GE interfaces and delivers up to 200 Gbps aggregate performance. SD-WAN IPsec throughput is up to 68 Gbps.
Cisco Integrated Services G2 Routers
Cisco's Integrated Services G2 routers are designed to offer satellite offices of large businesses with enhanced collaboration, virtual networking, protection, and reliable connectivity. ISR Generation 2 routers feature an architecture that preserves past investments in service modules for first-generation ISR routers and reduces down-the-line expenses by allowing easy installation of new modules when they are developed. In comparison to previous Integrated Services Routers, Cisco's ISR Generation 2 routers feature 2-7 times more throughput, substantially more, and easier support. All Integrated Services Generation 2 routers offer Gbit switching and include multi-core processors and ultra-fast fabric for higher throughput. Integrated Services G2 routers also support smart power management for improved energy conservation.
A major advance with ISR Generation 2 routers is the Cisco IOS Universal image which contains all of the Cisco IOS technology sets so that you can rapidly authorize and activate extra features when required without having to download and copy a different IOS image over to yourCisco router. Progent's team of CCIE-certified network engineers offer proven skills to help your business to plan, configure, and support multi-location installations of Cisco ISR G2 routers that enhance branch office productivity and reduce the price of expansion and support.
Cisco's ISR 800 Series Routers
Cisco's 800 Series of ISR routers has been functionally replaced by the faster Cisco ISR 900 line but remains widely used. Cisco's extensive line of 800 Series ISR routers is made up of desktop, fanless appliances intended for small organizations, branch offices, retail shops, telecommuters, and clients of ISPs. Many devices in the 800 product line have been released with many options for many years. Cisco's 881 Series of ISR routers suggests the wide selection of options available within the Cisco 800 line of routers. Various models in Cisco's 881 Series router portfolio can enable unified media environments by delivering IP voice and video, wireless and data in a single integrated appliance. Advanced data protection can include encryption, VPN tunneling, firewall, and URL filtering. For survivability, available features for 881 ISR routers include redundant wide area network connections or support for wired high-speed WAN links such as DSL as well as multiple cellular 3G and 4G wireless connections all built into a single appliance.
The baseline Cisco 881 router includes a 4-port 10/100-Mbps managed switch that delivers 15 Mbps throughput, support for 20 users, 2-port integrated PoE, and IPv6 support. Cisco's 881W router supports 802.11g/n Wi-Fi. Cisco's 881 SRST router includes four FXS ports and 1 FXO port for PSTN failover with Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST). With a Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE) feature license, the Cisco 881 ISR router supports SIP trunking to replace outdated PRI lines or FXO voice connectivity to a PSTN service provider. CUBE-based SIP trunks also connect remote agents in Cisco Call Center environments.
4000 Series ISR Routers
Cisco's 4000 Line of Integrated Services Routers are compact modular and expandable routers designed for organizations with multiple branch offices and offsite users requiring direct access to in-house data centers as well as public clouds via VPNs and the Internet. Cisco's 4000 series provides the bandwidth required for hybrid WAN environments to accommodate mobile workers, Cloud-based services, and HD multimedia applications by using network optimization, deep packet inspection, and traffic-management technology. Devices in Cisco's 4000 family are powered by Cisco's IOS XE software, come in a 1RU or 2RU form factor, are able to support as much as 2 Gbps of throughput, and can include 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, PRI and xDSL. To handle unified communications, the 400o ISR offers comprehensive edge support for policy-enhanced SBC, branch telephony fault tolerance, and Time Division Multiplexing gateways.
The major difference between Cisco's 4400 ISR and 4300 Series Routers is the inclusion of redundant power supply support in the 4400 Series, providing a higher degree of availability. The 4321 ISR Router comes in a 1 RU desktop form factor and includes two network interface modules, delivers as much as 100 Mbps performance, and allows up to 240 Digital Voice/Video Channels. Cisco's 4331 model has a 1 RU package with two network interface modules, delivers up to 300 Mbps throughput, and allows up to 360 Digital Voice/Video Channels. Cisco's 4351 Integrated Services Router has a 2 RU package with three network interface modules, provides as much as 400 Mbps throughput, and allows up to 720 Digital Voice and Video Channels. Cisco's dual power supply 4431 model comes in a 2 RU package with three network interface modules, provides as much as 1 Gbps throughput, and allows up to 720 Digital Voice and Video Channels. The fault-tolerant 4431 Integrated Services Router has a 2 RU package and includes three NIMs, provides up to 2 Gbps throughput, and supports 1200 Digital Voice/Video Channels.
Cisco's Midrange WAN Aggregation Routers and Service Provider Routers
Cisco's WAN edge and carrier routers can provide larger businesses with fast, protected headends to manage satellite office and off-site data packets and to offer carriers cost-effective WAN edge solutions. Cisco's WAN aggregation and service provider router portfolio features the Cisco ASR 1000 product line and the 9000 Series Aggregation Services routers.
Progent's national team of CCIE certified network experts have extensive experience working with global businesses and Internet service providers to plan efficient installations and seamless upgrades of Cisco's midrange and carrier-class routers. Progent's GIAC-certified information assurance consultants can provide objective, third-party network security inventory assessments, penetration testing and comprehensive SIEM solutions to help enterprises with Cisco's Aggregation Services Routers to comply with industry standards and government mandates for IT information protection and incident reporting.
Cisco ASR 1000 Series WAN Edge Routers
Cisco's ASR 1000 WAN Edge family of routers is designed to fill the center of Cisco's midrange devices that focus on aggregating services at the WAN edge. Cisco's ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services routers provide a small footprint, single-product answer for large businesses looking for satellite office service aggregation at multigigabit Ethernet speeds. ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services routers introduce a revolutionary architecture that combines on-board acceleration with programmable versatility to offer a rich set of simultaneous services without sacrificing dependable performance.
ASR 1000 routers feature Cisco's proprietary QuantumFlow Processor composed of 40 purpose-built Packet Processing Engines that together can support as many as 160 simultaneous threads. This multi-processing structure, in conjunction with on-board acceleration for every service, enables the top-of-the-line ASR 1006 Aggregation Services router to scale up to 128 queues, 32,000 subscribers, 4K IP security VPN tunnels at 10K sessions/second, and 2 million Netflow records. This CPU power allows ASR 1000 WAN Edge routers to deliver a variety of advanced services concurrently in massive volume while avoiding throughput decay that could violate compliance with SLAs. Examples of these services include IOS Firewall, intrusion-detection services, Network Address Translation, Flexible Packet Matching, and deep packet inspection. The Cisco ASR 1000 also allows tiered traffic management for performing numerous levels of Quality of Service to a packet in one operation, enhancing the user experience for high-bandwidth voice, video, and conferencing applications.
Cisco ASR 9000 Series Routers
Cisco ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers are intended as WAN-edge routers for service providers who are required to support the highest quality data, voice and video services to residential, commercial, and mobile customers by providing continual availability, high speed, and application awareness. All models in the ASR 9000 family of Routers run Cisco's IOS XR operating system, a self-healing, distributed operating system designed for non-stop uptime. Throughput of the Cisco ASR 9000 portfolio of Routers can be expanded to as high as 96 Tbps per chassis. Cisco's ASR 9000 line of Aggregation Services Routers can handle high-density Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and 100 GE and have fully redundant fabric and power supply, power entry modules, and fan trays plus redundant switch fabric.
The ASR 9001 model is a carrier-edge router in a 6 RU form factor that delivers 120 Gbps of full-duplex fabric performance. The Cisco ASR 9001 has two modular bays which can accept port adapters for 1 GE, 10 GE, and 40 GE. The chassis includes four 10 GE SFP+ ports as well as ports for Stratum 1 clocking, building integrated timing supply (BITS), and management. The ASR 9904 Router has a 6 RU form factor and offers line-rate 10 GE and 100 GE connectivity in space-constrained environments. The 4-slot ASR 9094 can support up to 4 Tbps of capacity in one chassis. The Cisco ASR 9912 platform comes in a 30 RU form factor with 12 slots slots able to handle 550 Gbps of throughput. The Cisco ASR 9912 Router incorporates 2 route CPUs as well as 6+1 Fabric Cards for N+1 redundancy.
How Progent's Consultants Can Assist You with Cisco Routers
Progent's CCIE certified engineers can assist your business to design, configure, and support a converged business network that can automate processes, reduce costs, and speed the path to positive return on investment. By teaming Cisco integrated services routers with Catalyst switches expertise and Catalyst and Meraki Wi-Fi wireless integration, Progent can dramatically increase the business value of your network infrastructure. Progent can provide in-person and off-site help and can provide data center support throughout the U.S.
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