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52 Chapter 3: Assembling and Cabling the WAN Components
1600 Router Series
This family of routers is generally meant to extend networks to small offices. These routers are
flexible in their physical configuration options, but cannot support high port densities. The 1600
has a small footprint (read: not rack mountable), so it fits just about anywhere in the wiring
closet. If it is to be placed in a rack, it requires a shelf to sit on.
All 1600 router implementations include one or two LAN ports and a single WAN port. For
dedicated connectivity back to the central site, this router would provide a solid base.
1700 Router Series
This router family is designed for the small- to medium-sized office. It can support one to four
WAN connections and Ethernet or Fast Ethernet connectivity. It is quite similar in some regards
to its 1600 router cousin. However, it tends to be a higher horsepower device.
A 1700 series router is seen in some circles as the replacement to the 2500 series router. It can
provide multiple WAN connections simultaneously and is a strong, stable router. It has a small
footprint and is easy to work with. This flexibility and growth capacity make it an ideal choice
for a small- to medium-sized branch office. If it is to be placed in a rack, it requires a shelf to
sit on.
2500 Router Series
The 2500 is the workhorse of the product line. Its chassis is arguably the most deployed router
model in the world. It has a seemingly endless array of configuration options. Typically, 2500
series routers are mission-specific; that is, they are usually fixed configuration chassis. They can
support almost any technology in some form or fashion.
The 2500 is the most deployed router model in Cisco's line. With the varying interface
configurations it offers, it's proven itself very valuable. Its downfall has been the introduction
of devices with higher speeds and lower costs. It's well known that this router works well in
almost any situation. However, it may not work as quickly as its newer counterparts. If speed is
the issue (as it usually is), the 1700 or 2600 probably are better choices.
2600 Router Series
A cousin to the 3620 series, the 2600 series can support multiservice offerings of voice, video,
and data in a single chassis. Analog or digital telephony are options for this box. Traditional
LAN/WAN routing options are, of course, available as well.
This router too is seen as a viable replacement for the 2500 series routers. It is rack mountable
and flexible in its configuration. It combines high-speed processing capabilities with mix and
match port types.