Cisco router comparison
C8200L-1N-4T vs C8231-E-G2
C8200L-1N-4T offers four Gigabit routed ports and expandable DRAM. C8231-E-G2 adds two 10G fiber ports, two 2.5G copper ports and dedicated management, but its 8 GB DRAM is fixed and its published IPsec tunnel limit is lower.
2models compared
44specs published for every model
34confirmed differences
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At a glance
Key differences
Compare the specifications that shape your deployment.
| Specification | C8200L-1N-4T | C8231-E-G2 |
|---|---|---|
Router Role |
Small-branch SD-WAN and SD-Routing edge | Medium branch |
Configurable Ethernet Ports |
4 configurable routed Ethernet ports: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 and 2 x Gigabit Ethernet SFP | 2 x 1/10GE SFP+; 2 x 2.5GE mGig RJ-45 (2 x UPOE+) |
Expansion Slots |
1 NIM slot and 1 PIM slot | 1 x NIM; 1 x cellular PIM; no SM slot |
Management Model |
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager or Cisco IOS XE CLI, NETCONF/RESTCONF and SNMP | Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, Cisco Catalyst Center, WebUI, CLI, SNMP, NETCONF/RESTCONF and YANG |
Required Subscription |
Cisco DNA subscription required for SD-WAN deployments | Routing OS Essentials included (250 Mbps aggregate crypto limit); Routing Advantage or WAN subscription for licensed features; WAN Essentials/Advantage required for SD-WAN |
Default DRAM |
4 GB | 8 GB |
Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | C8200L-1N-4T | C8231-E-G2 |
| Product and ordering | ||
| Product Type | Cisco Catalyst 8200L Edge Platform | Cisco 8200 Series Secure Router |
| Form Factor | 1RU | 1RU |
| Router Role | Small-branch SD-WAN and SD-Routing edge | Medium branch |
| Routing and WAN performance | ||
| Configurable Ethernet Ports | 4 configurable routed Ethernet ports: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 and 2 x Gigabit Ethernet SFP | 2 x 1/10GE SFP+; 2 x 2.5GE mGig RJ-45 (2 x UPOE+) |
| Configurable Ethernet Port Count | 4 | 4 |
| Integrated LAN Switch Ports | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Integrated LAN Port Count | 0 | 0 |
| Flex Ports (Configurable LAN/WAN) | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Flex Port Count | 0 | 0 |
| Built-in 1GE Ports | 4 | Not listed |
| Built-in 10GE Ports | 0 | Not listed |
| Expansion Slots | 1 NIM slot and 1 PIM slot | 1 x NIM; 1 x cellular PIM; no SM slot |
| NIM Slots | 1 | 1 |
| SM-X Slots | 0 | 0 |
| Cellular Connectivity / PIM | 1 PIM slot for an optional LTE/5G pluggable module | 1 x PIM for optional LTE/5G module |
| Integrated DSL | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Service Module Support | NIM and PIM modules; no SM-X slotISR 4000 Ethernet WAN NIMs, storage modules and motherboard PVDMs are not supported; ISR 4000 CAT6 LTE NIMs are | NIM and cellular PIM modules; no SM slot |
| Ports and interfaces | ||
| Management Ports | Management through routed Ethernet; no dedicated management Ethernet port | 1 x RJ-45 out-of-band management |
| Console Ports | RJ-45 and USB console | 1 x RJ-45 console; 1 x micro-USB console |
| Performance and scale | ||
| Autonomous IPv4 Forwarding (1400-byte) | 3.8 Gbps | Not listed |
| Forwarding Throughput (512-byte) | Not listed | 19 Gbps |
| SD-WAN IPsec Throughput (1400-byte) | 0.5 Gbps | Not listed |
| SD-WAN Throughput (512-byte) | Not listed | 4 Gbps512-byte packets; IPsec, QoS, deep packet inspection and Flexible NetFlow enabled |
| SD-WAN IPsec Throughput (IMIX) | 0.4 Gbps | Not listed |
| Autonomous IPsec Throughput (1400-byte) | 0.5 Gbps | Not listed |
| IPsec Throughput (512-byte) | Not listed | 5 Gbps |
| Threat Protection Throughput (EMIX) | Not listed | 1 GbpsEMIX, 100% DIA-NAT, NGFW, IPS, URL filtering and AMP |
| SD-WAN Overlay Tunnels | 1,500 | Not listed |
| IPsec Tunnels | 1,500 | 700 |
| NAT Sessions | Up to 2,000,000 | 1,500,000 |
| IPv4 Routes | Up to 4,000,000 | 1,500,000 |
| IPv6 Routes | Up to 4,000,000 | 1,500,000 |
| IPv4 ACLs | 4,000 | 3,000 |
| IPv4 ACEs | 72,000 | 15,000 |
| VRF Instances | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Configuration, licensing and management | ||
| Routing Protocols | Static routing, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, IS-IS, MPLS and VRF | Static routing, RIP, OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, IS-IS and VRF; availability depends on license tier and operating mode |
| SD-WAN Support | Supported | Supported |
| Management Model | Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager or Cisco IOS XE CLI, NETCONF/RESTCONF and SNMP | Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, Cisco Catalyst Center, WebUI, CLI, SNMP, NETCONF/RESTCONF and YANG |
| Licensing | Cisco Smart Licensing | Platform-class licensing; no bandwidth tiers; HSEC not required |
| Required Subscription | Cisco DNA subscription required for SD-WAN deployments | Routing OS Essentials included (250 Mbps aggregate crypto limit); Routing Advantage or WAN subscription for licensed features; WAN Essentials/Advantage required for SD-WAN |
| USB Ports | 1 x USB Type-A storage port; 1 x USB Mini-B console and 1 x RJ-45 console | 1 x USB 3.0 Type-C |
| Memory and software | ||
| Default DRAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Maximum DRAM | 32 GB | 8 GBNo DRAM upgrade option |
| Storage | 8 GB | 16 GBDefault; 600 GB option |
| Operating System | Cisco IOS XE autonomous or SD-WAN software | Cisco IOS XE |
| Minimum Software Release | Cisco IOS XE 17.5.1 | Cisco IOS XE 17.18.1 |
| Minimum SD-WAN Manager Release | Not listed | Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager 20.18.1 |
| PoE and power | ||
| Integrated PoE Support | Optional through a compatible PoE NIM and external PoE supply | PoE-capable WAN/Flex ports as listed; upgraded power adapter required |
| Default PoE Budget | Not applicable | 0 WPoE-capable ports require an upgraded power adapter |
| PoE Budget with Required Power Option | 150 W | 120 WWith 150 W PoE adapter |
| Default Power Supply | Fixed internal 100 W AC supply | 140 W internal AC power supply (default) |
| Power Supply Options | Fixed internal 100 W AC supply; optional PWR-CC1-150WAC external supply for PoE | 150 W external AC adapter for PoE; 120 W PoE budget; optional secondary 150 W AC/DC or 150 W DC/DC adapter |
| Power Redundancy | No system power-supply redundancy; optional external adapter powers PoE only | Optional secondary external power adapter |
| Typical Power Consumption | Not listed | 34.2 W |
| Physical and environmental | ||
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 43.9 × 438.1 × 299.7 mm | Not published by Cisco |
| Dimensions as Published (Axis Check Required) | Not listed | 1.73 x 17.25 x 11.81 in; current Cisco table labels H x D x W. Earlier Cisco data sheets label the same values H x W x D; confirm width/depth before rack planning. |
| Weight | 4.54 kg | 3.79 kg8.36lbs (3.79 kg) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 40 °C | 0 to 40 °C; 0 to 45 °C; -5 to 55 °C0 to 40 °C up to 10,000 ft; 0 to 45 °C up to 6,000 ft; -5 to 55 °C for NEBS up to 6,000 ft with a third fan assembly |
| Storage Temperature | -40 to 70 °C | -40 to 70 °C |
| Storage Humidity | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% |
| Operating Humidity | 5% to 85% | 5% to 85% |
| Operating Altitude | 0–3,050 m | Up to 3,048 m |
| MTBF | 692,577 hours | Not listed |
| Warranty | Cisco 1-year limited hardware warranty | Cisco Limited 2-Year Return to Factory Hardware Warranty |
Specifications from Cisco Catalyst 8200 Series Edge Platforms Data Sheet and Cisco 8200 Series Secure Routers Data Sheet (checked 2026-10-11).
“Not published by Cisco” and “Not listed” indicate that a confirmed direct comparison is unavailable. These rows are not counted as confirmed differences.
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