Cisco is a leading manufacturer of networking devices, including routers that connect computer networks and direct traffic between them. Cisco offers a wide variety of routers suitable for home, small business, enterprise, data center, and service provider environments. This article provides an overview of the main types of Cisco routers available.
Routers are important devices that enable multiple computer networks to communicate with each other. They receive, analyze, and forward data packets between networks, using headers and routing tables to determine the best path. Without routers, isolated networks could not share data effectively.
What Are Cisco Routers?
- Cisco routers are hardware devices that use Cisco IOS software to perform several critical functions. First, they connect LANs (local area networks) and WANs (wide area networks). Additionally, these routers filter and forward data packets between networks while blocking unauthorized access and malicious traffic. They also prioritize time-sensitive traffic, such as video and voice, ensuring optimal performance for these applications.Moreover, Cisco routers provide connectivity redundancy to mitigate outages, which enhances network reliability. They analyze IP traffic for capacity planning and monitoring, allowing organizations to make informed decisions about their network infrastructure. Finally, regular updates to Cisco IOS software introduce new features and security enhancements, enabling organizations to scale their networks cost-effectively.
Types of Cisco Routers
Cisco offers over 200 router models optimized for different use cases. The main types  include:
Wired and Wireless Home/Office Routers
Edge Routers
Core Routers
Core routers form the backbone of a large network, ensuring efficient data flow across various segments. Cisco offers several core routing platforms, including:
- Cisco ASR 9000 Series – This flagship core and edge routing platform is massively scalable and reliable, making it suitable for the largest networks in the industry. It can forward up to 400 Gbps per slot, providing exceptional performance.
- Cisco CRS Series – Known as the industry benchmark for carrier core routing, this series delivers multi-terabit capacity with unmatched availability. As a result, it is ideal for ISP and carrier networks.
- Cisco NCS Series – This innovative line is optimized for web-scale networks and CDNs, supporting advanced 100/400GE density in incredibly compact form factors. Consequently, it addresses the needs of modern, high-demand environments.
Overall, Cisco’s core routers are designed to provide robust performance and reliability for large-scale networking.
Data Center Routers
Data centers require high-density, low-latency routing. Cisco provides a range of data center routers, including:
- Cisco Nexus 7000 – This modular data center switch and router is designed for high-performance cloud and virtualization environments, ensuring optimal connectivity.
- Cisco Nexus 9000 – As Cisco’s flagship fixed and modular data center switches, this series offers high port density, low latency, and ease of automation at scale, making it suitable for demanding applications.
Virtual Routers
In addition to physical routers, Cisco also offers virtual routers as software packages, which are ideal for cloud and multi-tenant environments:
- Cisco CSR 1000v – The Cisco Cloud Services Router virtual router supports full-featured Cisco IOS XE in leading hypervisors, making it easy to spin up and manage.
- Cisco Nexus 1000v – This virtual switch and router is designed for multi-hypervisor environments, providing advanced traffic control, visibility, and troubleshooting capabilities.
Overall, Cisco’s data center solutions are tailored to meet the evolving needs of modern networks, ensuring both performance and flexibility.
Top 5 Benefits of Cisco Routers
Powered by the Cisco IOS (Internetwork Operating System) software, Cisco routers offer significant advantages for organizations of all sizes. Here are five top benefits of deploying these routers:
Reliability and Performance
Organizations can leverage custom ASIC chipsets and optimized Cisco IOS software to achieve industry-leading performance and reliability. Advanced routing protocols, traffic control mechanisms, redundancy features, and rigorous testing all contribute to high uptime and fast failover.
Network Security
Cisco routers integrate comprehensive security capabilities, including firewall services, intrusion prevention, VPN connectivity, and malware protection. Furthermore, regular Cisco IOS updates provide protection against the latest threats, ensuring end-to-end network security.
Traffic Management
With the Cisco IOS, users gain access to sophisticated traffic management tools, including QoS (Quality of Service) and traffic shaping. These features optimize network performance by prioritizing time-sensitive voice and video while controlling bandwidth usage across applications.
Centralized Management
Network administrators can manage Cisco platforms centrally using tools like the Cisco DNA Center. This approach simplifies operations, configuration management, and monitoring. Additionally, network automation capabilities help reduce errors and overhead.
Investment Protection
Cisco IOS software ensures backward and forward compatibility between platforms. Consequently, enterprises can migrate to new routers while retaining existing Cisco IOS capabilities and training. This capability allows for seamless service migration across platforms, protecting overall investments.