Compare exact Cisco router Product IDs side by side across the Catalyst 8200, 8300 and 8500 Edge Platforms, the ISR 1000 and ISR 4000 families and the Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers. Each comparison lines up routed ports, IPsec and SD-WAN throughput with its packet size, expansion slots, tunnel and route scale, memory, licensing and power.
Explore Cisco router series comparisons or open a comparison of two exact model numbers.
Compare interfaces, throughput, expansion slots and memory. Search above to add other router models.
Compare Catalyst 8000 models and explore ISR 4000 replacement options.
Understand WAN ports, throughput, IPsec, SD-WAN and expansion slots. Each explanation shows what the specification means and what to check when comparing router models.
WAN ports connect a router to an internet circuit or another network. LAN ports connect the local network. RJ-45 describes a copper connection; SFP and SFP+ interfaces accept compatible transceivers or cables.
Forwarding throughput measures how much traffic a router processes under stated test conditions. Mbps means megabits per second; 1 Gbps equals 1,000 Mbps. A 10G interface does not by itself guarantee 10 Gbps of routing performance.
IPsec encrypts traffic between networks. SD-WAN IPsec throughput describes encrypted traffic in the stated SD-WAN test mode; autonomous IPsec describes a separate operating mode.
IMIX uses a mixture of packet sizes. A 1400-byte test uses packets of one stated size. Both may describe IPsec performance, but they represent different traffic patterns.
This is the aggregate bandwidth allowed by a stated license or configuration where Cisco specifies a limit. It describes an entitlement or setting, separate from a measured performance result.
A NIM is a Network Interface Module. NIM and service-module slots allow supported interfaces or services to be added to a router. Slot count describes expansion space, not the number of installed ports.
DRAM is working memory used while the router runs. Flash and SSD storage hold software, files and logs. Default memory is what the stated configuration includes; maximum memory is its supported expansion limit.
Autonomous routing and Catalyst SD-WAN use different management and configuration models. Licenses and subscriptions determine access to features, management and, on some platforms, bandwidth tiers.
Compare the listed Cisco router models by routed interfaces, licensed bandwidth, SD-WAN IPsec throughput, NIM slots and memory. The 1400-byte and IMIX results stay in separate columns.
| Cisco Model | WAN / Routed Interfaces | Aggregate Licensed Throughput | SD-WAN IPsec (1400-byte) | SD-WAN IPsec (IMIX) | NIM Slots | Default DRAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C8200L-1N-4T | 4 configurable routed Ethernet ports: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 and 2 x Gigabit Ethernet SFP | Not listed | 0.5 Gbps | 0.4 Gbps | 1 | 4 GB |
| C8300-1N1S-6T | 4 x 1GE RJ-45; 2 x 1GE SFP | Not listed | Up to 2 Gbps | 1.8 Gbps | 1 | 8 GB |
| C8200-1N-4T | 4 configurable routed Ethernet ports: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 and 2 x Gigabit Ethernet SFP | Not listed | 1 Gbps | 0.9 Gbps | 1 | 8 GB |
| C8300-1N1S-4T2X | 4 x 1GE RJ-45; 2 x 10GE SFP+ | Not listed | Up to 17 Gbps | 6.3 Gbps | 1 | 8 GB |
| C8500-12X | 12 x 1/10GE SFP+ | Not published by Cisco | Up to 51 Gbps | Up to 22.6 Gbps | 0 | 16 GB |
| C8300-2N2S-4T2X | 4 x 1GE RJ-45; 2 x 10GE SFP+ | Not listed | Up to 18.8 Gbps | 7.6 Gbps | 2 | 8 GB |
| ISR4431/K9 | 4 x onboard 1GE RJ-45/SFP configurable ports | 500 Mbps | Not listed | Not listed | 3 | 4 GB |
| C1111-8P | 1 x 1GE RJ-45; 1 x 1GE SFP/RJ-45 combo | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | 0 | 4 GB |
Throughput columns keep Cisco's test conditions: 1400-byte, IMIX and licensed-bandwidth figures are shown separately, and routers that publish only 512-byte or EMIX figures show them on their comparison pages.
“Not listed” means no value is recorded for that model; it does not mean zero or unsupported.
They are separate families that share the 8000 name. Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms such as the C8200-1N-4T, C8300-1N1S-6T and C8500-12X publish throughput with 1400-byte and IMIX packets and need a Cisco DNA subscription for SD-WAN. Secure Routers carry a -G2 suffix, such as the C8231-E-G2 and C8375-E-G2; they publish 512-byte and EMIX figures and include Routing OS Essentials, which limits aggregate encrypted traffic to 250 Mbps until a higher license is added.
The C8200-1N-4T has four Gigabit routed ports, one NIM and one PIM slot, a fixed 100 W supply and 1 Gbps of SD-WAN IPsec at 1400 bytes. The C8300-1N1S-6T adds an SM slot, six Gigabit ports and two hot-swappable supplies, and the C8300-1N1S-4T2X with two 10G ports reaches up to 17 Gbps. The C8500-12X is a fixed aggregation router with twelve 1/10G ports and up to 51 Gbps of SD-WAN IPsec.
The code after the series gives the slots and ports. In C8300-1N1S-6T, 1N1S means one NIM slot and one SM slot, and 6T means six Gigabit ports; C8300-2N2S-4T2X has two NIM and two SM slots with four Gigabit and two 10G ports. C8200-1N-4T has one NIM slot and four Gigabit ports, and the C8200L-1N-4T is the lower-performance version of the same layout.
Choose Routers, search each complete Product ID and add up to four models. Keep the full model number, including suffixes such as /K9, -E or -G2, because one family can include models with different ports, performance tiers and licensing.
Each value is taken from Cisco data sheets and hardware installation guides for the exact Product ID. Throughput keeps Cisco's packet size and operating mode, such as 1400-byte SD-WAN IPsec or 512-byte autonomous IPsec, so that figures from different test methods are never merged into one row.