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Overview of the Cisco 4000 Series Routers

Overview of the Cisco 4000 Series Routers

Overview of the Cisco 4000 Series Routers

The Cisco 4000 series consists of the Cisco 4000-M, the Cisco 4500-M, and the Cisco 4700-M. All models provide a configurable modular router platform using network processor modules---individual modules that when installed in the router are ready for external network connections. Performance is the key distinction between the Cisco 4000M, Cisco 4500-M, and Cisco 4700-M.

For maximum performance in the Cisco 4000 series, the Cisco 4700-M contains a 133MHz RISC microprocessor, 16 to 64 MB main memory, and a 512-KB secondary cache. The faster speed of the Cisco 4700-M allows higher throughput for high-speed interfaces. The 512-KB secondary cache is useful for process switching applications such as compression and encryption.

The Cisco 4500-M contains a 100MHz RISC microprocessor and 8 to 32 MB of main memory. The Cisco 4000-M contains a 40MHz CISC microprocessor and 4 to 32 MB of main memory.

All Cisco 4000 series routers provide flexibility, allowing network managers to easily reconfigure the router when needs change.

The Cisco 4000 series routers support up to three network processor modules at a time. The network processor modules supported on the Cisco 4000 series are as follows:

Note EIA/TIA-232 and EIA-TIA-449 were know as recommended standards RS-232 and RS-449 before their acceptance as standards by the Electronics Industries Association (EIA) and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)

Figure 1-1 shows the front panel of a Cisco 4000 series router.

Figure 1-1 : Cisco 4000 Series Chassis---Front Panel

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Series Specifications

Design specifications for the Cisco 4000 series are as follows:

The BRI four-port and eight-port network interface modules can not be used in the same chassis with the channelized T1/ISDN PRI network interface module or the channelized E1/ISDN PRI network interface module.

The Cisco 4000-M does not support the ATM or six-port Ethernet network processor modules.The Cisco 4000-M can support only one FDDI network processor module in combination with any two other types of network processor modules.

The Cisco 4500-M and Cisco 4700-M can support two FDDI network processor modules. If you are only using one FDDI module, install it in the center slot for optimum heat dissipation.

The Cisco 4500-M and Cisco 4700-M can support one ATM network processor module or up to three six-port Ethernet network processor modules. The single-port Ethernet module is not supported on the Cisco 4500-M or the Cisco 4700-M.

Note The Cisco 4500-M and Cisco 4700-M support all network processor modules except the single-port Ethernet network processor module.

Table 1-1 lists the network processor module interface options available for the Cisco 4000 series.

Table 1-1 : Network Processor Module Interface Options

Interface Options Port Options Part Numbers
Ethernet Single port, dual port, or six port NP-1E=, NP-2E=, NP-6E=
Synchronous serial Dual port or four port NP-2T=, NP-4T=
Token Ring Dual port or single port NP-1RV2=, NP-2R=
Multimode FDDI Single attachment or dual attachment NP-1F-D-MM=, NP-1F-S-M=
Single-mode FDDI Dual attachment NP-1F-D-SS=
BRI Four port or eight port NP-4B=, NP-8B=
G.703 Four port (balanced or unbalanced)1 NP-4GB=, NP-4GU=
Channelized T1/ISDN PRI Single channelized T1/PRI port NP-CT1=
Channelized E1/ISDN PRI Single channelized E1/PRI port NP-CE1=
ATM Single ATM port NP-1A-SM=, NP-1A-MM=, NP-1A-DS3=, NP-1A-E3=

1 For G.703 and G.704 connections, balanced or unbalanced ports must be matched with the corresponding balanced or unbalanced cable.

Table 1-2 lists the specifications of the Cisco 4000 series routers.

Table 1-2 : System Specifications

Description Specification
Dimensions (H x W x D) 3.4 x 17.6 x 17.7" (8.6 x 44.7 x 45 cm)
Weight 24 lb (10.9 kg) (including the chassis and network processor modules)
Power 100--240 VAC, 50--60 Hz, 3.0--1.5A or 40--72 VDC, 5--2.8A
Wire gauge for DC-input power connections 14 AWG1
Network interface options Ethernet, serial, Token Ring, FDDI, BRI, G.703, channelized T1/PRI, channelized E1/PRI, ATM
Serial interfaces EIA/TIA-232, EIA/TIA-449, V.35, X.21, NRZ/NRZI, DTE/DCE, EIA-530 DTE
Console port EIA/TIA-232 DB-25 female connector
Auxiliary port EIA/TIA-232 DB-25 male connector
Nonoperating temperature -- 40--185°F (-- 40--85°C)
Operating humidity 5--95%, noncondensing
Operating temperature 32--104°F (0--40°C)
Regulatory compliance FCC Class A, FCC Part 68, Canadian DOC Class A, CS-03, UL 1950 2nd edition, CAN/CSA 950-M93, EN60950 with Amendments 1 and 2, AN/NZS 3260, NOM 019
Additional regulatory compliance is in the Cisco 4000 Series Public Network Certification document that shipped with your router.)

1 AWG = American Wire Gauge


Software Compatibility

Network processor modules must be supported by the appropriate level of system software. The minimum system software version for the original Cisco 4000 was Software Release 9.1; for the Cisco 4000M, Software Release 9.14; for the Cisco 4500, and Cisco 4500-M, Cisco Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) Release 10.2; for the Cisco 4700M, Cisco IOS Release 10.3(10). Table 1-3 lists the minimum system software versions for network processor modules.

Table 1-3 : Minimum Software Release Version

Network Processor Module Type Minimum Software Release Version
Multimode FDDI Software Release 9.14(1)
Dual Ethernet Software Release 9.14(2)
Six-port Ethernet Cisco IOS Release 10.3(6)
Single-mode FDDI Software Release 9.14(3)
Dual and Version 2 Token Ring Software Release 9.14(5)
Four-port serial Software Release 9.14(6)
ISDN BRI Cisco IOS Release 10.2
G.703 Cisco IOS Release 10.2(7)
Channelized T1/ISDN PRI Cisco IOS Release 10.3(4)
Channelized E1/ISDN PRI Cisco IOS Release 10.3(4)
ATM OC-3C Cisco IOS Release 10.3(4)
ATM DS-3 and E3 Cisco IOS Release 11.0(5)

Note The Cisco 4000 can no longer be ordered, but Cisco IOS Releases 10.0, 10.2, and 10.3 are supported on installed Cisco 4000 routers. The Cisco 4500 can no longer be ordered, but Cisco IOS Releases 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3 are supported on installed Cisco 4500 routers. The Cisco 4700 can no longer be ordered, but Cisco IOS Release 10.3 is supported on installed Cisco 4700 routers.

Table 1-4 lists the processor and memory specifications of the Cisco 4000 series routers.

Table 1-4 : Cisco 4000 Series Processor and Memory Specifications

Description Cisco 4000-M Cisco 4500-M Cisco 4700-M
Processor 40-MHz Motorola 68EC030 100-MHz IDT Orion RISC1 133-MHz IDT Orion RISC
Main memory (DRAM)2 4, 8, 16, or 32 MB 8, 16, or 32 MB 16, 32, or 64 MB
Secondary cache memory None None 512 KB
Shared memory (DRAM) 4 or 16 MB 4, 8, or 16 MB 4, 8, or 16 MB
Flash memory 4 or 8 MB 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 MB 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 MB
NVRAM3 128 KB 128 KB 128 KB
Boot ROM 128 KB--8 MB 128--512 KB 128--512 KB
Boot Flash Not available 4--16 MB 4--16 MB

1 The Orion microprocessor is based on the MIPS R4400 and is pin-compatible.
2 DRAM = dynamic random-access memory.
3 NVRAM = nonvolatile random-access memory.


Memory Systems

The Cisco 4000 series memory systems (see Figure 1-2) have the following functions:

  • Main memory---Stores the running configuration and routing tables. The Cisco IOS software executes from main memory.

  • Shared memory---Used for packet buffering by the router's network interfaces.

  • Flash memory---Stores the operating system software image. In the Cisco 4500-M and 4700-M, the Flash memory also stores the boot helper software.

  • NVRAM---Stores the system configuration file and the virtual configuration register.

  • Boot EPROM---In the Cisco 4000-M, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM)-based memory stores the boot helper---a subset of the Cisco IOS software---and the ROM monitor. In the Cisco 4500-M and Cisco 4700-M, only the ROM monitor is EPROM based. The boot helper image allows you to boot the router when Flash memory does not contain a valid system image. In the Cisco 4500-M and 4700-M, the ROM monitor allows you to boot a system image from Flash memory if a boot helper image is not present in boot Flash memory.

The differences between the memory systems in the Cisco 4000 series allows enhanced software upgradability in the Cisco 4500-M and Cisco 4700-M.

Note See the appendixes "Cisco 4000 Series Virtual Configuration Register," "Cisco 4000-M ROM Monitor," and "Cisco 4500-M and Cisco 4700-M ROM Monitor" for more information on the ROM Monitor.

Figure 1-2 : Cisco 4000 Series Memory Systems and Software Images

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Memory Requirements in the Cisco 4000 Series

Each module in the Cisco 4000 series can change memory configurations to accommodate internetworking demands. The memory requirements are affected by the following factors:

  • The number of Cisco IOS software images a system stores can be increase by adding Flash memory.

  • Network expansion, the use of additional protocols or Cisco IOS services, or newer Cisco IOS releases may require additional main memory

  • I/O performance or more physical or virtual interfaces may require additional shared memory.


Shared Memory Requirements

The standard configuration for shared memory is 4 MB for the Cisco 4000 series. 4 MB of memory is enough for most configurations with fewer than 24 physical or virtual interfaces. Routers with multiple ISDN BRI network processor modules or with 24 or more physical and virtual interfaces require 8 to 16 MB of shared memory.

Note The types and numbers of network processor modules installed in a system does not affect main or flash memory requirements.

Table 1-5 : Cisco 4000-M Shared Memory Requirements

Network Processor Module Per-Module Shared Memory Requirements
Single-port Ethernet 0.1 MB
Dual-port Ethernet and dual-port serial 0.2 MB
Dual-port Token Ring, four-port serial, and G.703/G.704 serial 0.4 MB
Eight-port BRI, CT1/PRI, and CE1/PRI 1.0 MB
FDDI 2.0 MB

Table 1-6 : Cisco 4500-M and Cisco 4700-M Shared Memory Requirements

Network Processor Module Per-Module Shared Memory Requirements
Dual-port Ethernet and dual-port serial 0.4 MB
Dual-port Token Ring, four-port serial, and G.703/G.704 serial 0.6 MB
Six-port Ethernet, Eight-port BRI, CT1/PRI, and CE1/PRI 1.2 MB
ATM and one FDDI1 2.0 MB
Two FDDI2 3.0 MB

1 FDDI modules are an exception in that two FDDI modules do not require double the shared memory of one FDDI module.
2 FDDI modules are an exception in that two FDDI modules do not require double the shared memory of one FDDI module.


Main Memory Requirements

The amount of main memory required by a Cisco 4000 series router is affected by the size of the network and by the access list configurations. However, it is difficult to quantify the exact main memory requirements based only on network size. Use the following guidelines to determine approximate main memory requirements.

Note If your memory requirements fall near the upper end of one of the available main memory options, consider installing the next larger memory option to allow for network growth.

Main memory requirement guidelines for Cisco 4000 series routers are as follows:

  • The 4 MB of main memory standard in the Cisco 4000-M will only suffice on routers with knowledge of very small networks and which run very few protocols.

  • The 8 MB of main memory standard in the Cisco 4500-M and the 16 MB of main memory standard in the Cisco 4700-M generally suffices on routers running Cisco IOS Release 10.2.

  • 16 MB of main memory, optional in the Cisco 4500-M and standard in the Cisco 4700-M, generally suffices on routers using Cisco IOS Release 10.3 or later.

  • The 64 MB main memory option for the Cisco 4700-M is recommended for routers using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

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