The Cisco® Gigabit Ethernet High-Speed WAN Interface Card (HWIC) brings Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to Cisco 2800 Series and 3800 Series integrated service routers to accelerate applications such as Metro Ethernet access, inter-VLAN routing, and high-speed connectivity to LAN switches.
Overview
The single-port Cisco Gigabit Ethernet HWIC provides Gigabit Ethernet optical and copper connectivity in a compact form factor for all Cisco 2800 and 3800 series integrated services routers, except the 2801.
As an updated and enhanced version of the current WIC for the Cisco 2600 and 3700 chassis, the HWIC offers greater bandwidth and higher port density than the current WIC. The HWIC supports both Power over Ethernet (PoE) and inline power based on Cisco Systems® technology, and is available in single-wide and double-wide form factors.
The Gigabit Ethernet HWIC enables branch offices to cost-effectively use high-speed uplinks in numerous environments (Figure 1). The enhanced performance of Gigabit Ethernet in Cisco 2800 and 3800 series routers allows customers to enable new applications and services, as well as provide greater capacity for existing inter-VLAN routing and bridging capabilities. Additionally, branch offices can now connect to metropolitan-area networks (MANs).
Note: The HWIC provides Gigabit Ethernet connectivity but will not support line rate since the throughput is limited by the platforms.
For flexibility, the HWIC includes one Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) slot to carry any Cisco copper or optical SFP (Table 1), allowing customers to use different SFPs for special distance, cost, existing infrastructure, and future expansion requirements.
Cisco IOS® Software provides enhanced capabilities such as quality of service (QoS), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), IP Security (IPSec), and Layer 3 VPNs. Since this is a true routed port card, the user can configure an IP address directly on the HWIC-1GE-SFP interface and does not have to configure the port for VLAN trunking as is done in Switched Virtual Interface (SVI) configurations.
Figure 1. Cisco Gigabit Ethernet HWIC
Product Summary
Table 1. Cisco Gigabit Ethernet HWIC Product Part Numbers and Descriptions
CWDM 1470 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
CWDM-SFP-1490=
CWDM 1490 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
CWDM-SFP-1510=
CWDM 1510 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
CWDM-SFP-1530=
CWDM 1530 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
CWDM-SFP-1550=
CWDM 1550 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
CWDM-SFP-1570=
CWDM 1570 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
CWDM-SFP-1590=
CWDM 1590 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
CWDM-SFP-1610=
CWDM 1610 NM SFP Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G Fibre Channel
Features
Ethernet and VLAN Features
• IEEE802.3 with IEEE802.2 Service Advertising Protocol (SAP)
• IEEE802.3 with IEEE802.2 and Subnetwork Access Protocol (SNAP)
• IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging
• Flow control (802.3x)
• Gigabit EtherChannel® for link redundancy
Network Management Features
• CiscoWorks
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) support
• Remote Monitoring (RMON) support
• Cisco NetFlow accounting
QoS Features
• Weighted Random Early Detection (WRED)
• Precedence setting and mapping (802.1p)
• Committed access rate (CAR)
• Access control lists (ACLs)
• MAC address filtering
• Extended ACLs
• Voice and remaining QoS features, per platform and per Cisco IOS Software release
Additional Features
• Jumbo frame support up to 9576 bytes
• Cisco Group Management Protocol and Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) for multicasting
• High availability, supporting Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP), Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), and Gateway Load Balancing Protocol (GLBP)
• Hot insertion and removal for SFPs on all platforms
• Media or SFP type display through a command-line interface (CLI)
Gigabit Ethernet Applications
Gigabit Ethernet in the Branch Office
In a branch office, the Cisco Gigabit Ethernet HWIC provides a high-speed uplink. Figure 2 shows the HWIC being used to bridge nonroutable protocols, while providing Layer 3 connectivity. The HWIC is also useful in situations that require IEEE 802.1q inter-VLAN routing and in any LAN requiring fiber connectivity.
Figure 2. VLAN Trunking Application
Gigabit Ethernet in MANs
Figure 3 shows the Cisco Gigabit Ethernet HWIC used to connect Layer 3 VPNs over a MAN. Cisco IOS Software enables QoS applications such as traffic shaping and Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR). As with VLAN trunking, this is ideal for situations in which fiber connectivity is desirable.
Figure 3. Metro Ethernet Application
Specifications
Software Support
Table 2 gives the Cisco IOS Software requirements for the Cisco Gigabit Ethernet HWIC, and Table 3 lists the platforms supported.
