Cisco is replacing its ISR G2 routers with the new ISR 4000 series, which offers enhanced performance, security, and redundancy for branch network services. The ISR 4000 series is suitable for various branch sizes and utilizes Cisco IOS-XE for improved performance and flexibility, including advanced network services and application-centric features. The lineup includes six models, each with specific capabilities, ensuring comprehensive support for evolving network demands and business continuity.

1. The Latest ISR 4000 Model Comparison
***The “Always On” Cisco ISR 4000 Will Replace the Popular Cisco
1900, 2900, and 3900 Series
The Cisco is deciding to stop the ISR G2. Cisco Integrated Services
Routers Generation 2 will be end-of-sale and end-of-life in Dec 2017.
Yes, the Cisco ISR G2 will be replaced by the more powerful Cisco ISR 4000
Series. Why do the Cisco users migrate to ISR 4000 series? Cisco has already
listed the main benefits while migrating to Cisco ISR 4000 Series:
When you need “always on” branch services, please consider the new 4000
Series ISR!
Ideal for small, medium and large branches, the 4000 Series delivers critical
branch network services, industry leading security, and multiple levels of
redundancy, including Verizon XLTE, for “always on” business continuity.
Fueled by Cisco IOS-XE for up to 2Gbps performance with Advanced Network
Services enabled, the 4000 Series provides industry-leading network, security,
compute, and storage services to help you meet every day network

2. challenges, and extend new hybrid WAN architectures and cloud
services across remote sites.
In addition to industry leading functionality, the 4000 Series offers a new
Verizon Wireless 4G XLTE Module, Application Centric Services, and
programmability to maximize utility and deployment flexibility.
 Enhanced Redundancy w. 4G XLTE NIM
Do you need enhanced business continuity?
Business continuity and increased resiliency are standard in the ISR 4k. Here
are a few examples:
 Resilient multi-core CPU architecture using separate control and data
services planes.
 Dual integrated power supplies (4451 and 4431 ISRs), and optional
power supply for additional PoE power.
 Modular interfaces with online removal and insertion (OIR) for module
upgrades without network disruption.
 Modular network interfaces for load-balancing and diverse connection
options (T1/E1, T3/E3, Serial, xDSL, Gigabit and Ten-Gigabit Ethernet)
for network resiliency.
 For more information on features and capabilities of the ISR 4k family,
please review the data sheet here.
Adding to the line of modular Network Interface Modules (NIM) and diverse
connection options, the 4000 Series can now be equipped with the Verizon
Wireless XLTE NIM to help improve business continuity.
 Extensibility for New Services
Is your network in transition?
Meeting application performance expectations has become more complex with
the transition to IWAN, cloud, virtualization and bring-your-own-device
(BYOD) environments. Traditional challenges with network congestion and
latency are amplified.
For example, as more web-based applications are deployed or run over
shared infrastructure, visibility for capacity planning and troubleshooting
becomes obscured. In addition, bandwidth demanding applications such as
virtual desktops and latency-sensitive applications such as video can have
poor performance with a centralized deployment model.

3. Cisco AX delivers application-centric networking by integrating essential
application aware services and infrastructure tools into the router, in a pay-
as-you-grow model enabling you to overcome these challenges.
Learn more about the pay-as-you-grow AX services and licensing model.
Another option to gain needed service extensibility is to purchase Cisco One
Software with your ISR 4000 routers. Cisco One features “better together”
pricing, reduced complexity, simplified buying and the peace of mind that
today’s software investments can be utilized on hardware platforms
purchased in the future.
Cisco One software offers expense predictability throughout the lifecycle
of the underlying hardware.
More information about Cisco One for WAN can be found here.
For more on how these new services are delivered in the ISR 4K, view the
videos: ISR 4300 & ISR 4400 Video Data Sheets located here.
 Deploying and managing new applications with the ISR
4k API
Are you prepared for the unknown?
Do you know all the services your users and network will demand in the
future? Most don’t. For needed extensibility to support today’s services,
and for services you may not even know you will need, the 4000 Series offers
Cisco IOS Embedded Event Manager (EEM).
EEM is a unique subsystem within Cisco IOS Software that allows customers
to harness the significant intelligence within Cisco IOS Software to respond
to real-time events, automate tasks, create customized commands,
and take local automated action based on conditions detected by the
Cisco IOS Software.
Custom programs or scripts, referred to as EEM policies, can be programmed
using a simple Command-Line-Interface (CLI)-based interface or using a
scripting language called Tool Command Language (Tcl).
Specific to ISR LTE services, several scripts already exist to support ease
of provisioning, and platform and mobile management.
Existing scripts can be found here.
With EEM you take even more control of your environment to customize your
user experience, ease your administration and to be prepared for new
service demands.

4. More information on EEM, including additional scripts and an ecosystem of
partners who can help you create additional scripts can be found here.
The Cisco ISR 4000 family has 6 members now. They are ISR 4221(the
newest one), 4321, 4331, 4351, 4431 and 4451 router.
What are the differences among the six models? Cisco also updated the
newest model comparison of ISR 4000 series. Let’s take a look.
The Latest ISR 4000 Model Comparison
Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Form factor 1 RU
Deskto
p
1 RU
Deskto
p
1 RU 2 RU 1 RU 2 RU
Integrated
WAN ports
GE /
SFP
GE /
SFP
GE /
SFP
2 PoE
GE /
SFP
2 PoE
GE /
SFP
2 PoE
GE /
SFP
1 GE GE GE GE/
SFP
2 GE /
SFP
2 GE /
SFP
SFP
Performance 35Mbps 50
Mbps
100
Mbps
200
Mbps
500
Mbps
Gbps
Upgrad
able to
75
Mbps
Upgrad
able to
100
Mbps
Upgrad
able to
300
Mbps
Upgrad
able to
400
Mbps
Upgrade
able to
1 Gbps
Upgrad
able to
2 Gbps
Management
port
1 GE (Integrated Out of Band)
Network
Interface
2 2 2 3 3 3

5. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Modules
(NIM)
Enhanced
Services
Module (SM-
X)
N/A N/A single-
wide
2
single-
or1
double-
wide
N/A 2
single-
or
double-
wide
Integrated
Services
Card (ISC)
slots
N/A 1 1 1 1 1
(PVDM
4)
(PVDM
4)
(PVDM
4)
(PVDM
4)
(PVDM
4)
USB ports
(type A)
1 1 1 2 2 2
Default/max
Flash
8 GB 4 GB /
8 GB
4 GB /
16 GB
4 GB /
16 GB
8 GB /
32 GB
8 GB /
32 GB
Default/max
DRAM
4 GB 4 GB /
8 GB
4 GB /
16 GB
4 GB /
16 GB
4 GB /
16 GB
4 GB /
16 GB
Power
supply type
Externa
l: AC
Externa
l: AC,
PoE
Internal
: AC,
PoE
Internal
: AC,
PoE or
DC
Internal:
AC, PoE
or DC
Internal
: AC,
PoE or
DC
Redundant
power
supply
No No No No Yes Yes
Internal
RPS
Internal
RPS

6. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Module
online
insertion and
removal
(OIR)
No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Server
virtualization
platform
(UCS E-
Series) and
Network
Compute
Engine
(NCE)
N/A 2-core
single-
wide,
2-core
NCE
2 core
single-
wide,
2-core
NCE
2-core
single-
wide,
2-core
NCE
4-core
NCE
4-core
single-
wide,
4-core
NCE
4 core
single-
wide,
4-core
NCE
4-core
NCE
4-core
single-
wide,
4-core
NCE
4 core
double-
wide,
4-core
double-
wide,
6 core
double-
wide,
6-core
double-
wide,
8 core
double-
wide
8-core
double-
wide
Advanced
Security
4221 4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Zone-based
firewall and
VRF-Aware Firewall and Network Address Translation (NAT)

7. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
NAT services
Hardware
VPN
acceleration(
DES, 3DES,
AES)
No
IPSEC VPN
services
FlexVPN, Easy VPN remote server, Enhanced Easy VPN,
Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN),
Group Encrypted Transport VPN (GET VPN), V3PN, MPLS VPN
SSL VPN No
Intrusion
prevention
Yes (Snort for Singnature Based and FirePower as nGIPS)
Anomaly
Detection
and Machine
Learning
Cisco Self Learning Networks (SLN)
Network
foundation
protection
ACL, FPM, control plan protection, control plane policing
(CoPP), QoS, role-based CLI access, source-based RTBH,
uRPF, SSHv2
Cisco
Umbrella
Branch
Support
Yes
Cisco Cloud
Web
Yes

8. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Security
Identity-
based
networking
No No No No No No
Cisco
TrustSec
Security Group Tag Exchange Protocol (SXP), SGT over
GETVPN
SGT over IPSEC
SGT over DMVPN
SGT-based ZBFW
Port/Layer 3 interface/IP/subnet-to-SGT mapping
SGT export in Flexible NetFlow
Unified
Communic
ations
4221 4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Local
conferencing
N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Digital signal
processor
support
N/A PVDM4 PVDM4 PVDM4 PVDM4 PVDM4
Cisco Unified
Survivable
N/A Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to

9. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Remote Site 50 100 750 1200 2000
Telephony
support
Cisco Unified
Communicati
ons
N/A Up to
50
Up to
100
Up to
250
Up to
350
Up to
450
Manager
Express
support
Cisco Unity
Express
N/A Use
Cisco
Unity
Connec
tion on
UCSE
Use
Cisco
Unity
Connec
tion on
UCSE
Use
Cisco
Unity
Connec
tion on
UCSE
Use
Cisco
Unity
Connecti
on on
UCSE
Use
Cisco
Unity
Connec
tion on
UCSE
(NM, SM, or
ISM)
Cisco Unified
Border
Element
(CUBE)
N/A 100 400 1000 3000 6000
(SIP/H.323
sessions)
nano Cisco
Unified
Border
Element
(nanoCUBE)
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

10. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
(sessions)
Digital voice
and video
(T1/E1
channels)
N/A Up to
240
Up to
360
Up to
720
Up to
720
Up to
1200
Analog/BRI
voice
N/A Up to 8
ports
(FXS,
FXO,
E/M,
BRi)
Up to
12
ports
(FXS,
FXO,
E/M,
BRi)
Up to
20
ports
(FXS,
FXO,
E/M,
BRi)
Up to 12
ports
(FXS,
FXO,
E/M,
BRi)
Up to
20
ports
(FXS,
FXO,
E/M,
BRi)
Routing
and
Multicast
4221 4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
IPv4 routing
protocols
RIP
v1/v2,
EIGRP,
OSPF,
BGP,
PBR,
PfR
RIP
v1/v2,
EIGRP,
OSPF,
BGP,
PBR,
PfR
RIP
v1/v2,
EIGRP,
OSPF,
BGP,
PBR,
PfR
RIP
v1/v2,
EIGRP,
OSPF,
BGP,
PBR,
PfR
RIP
v1/v2,
EIGRP,
OSPF,
BGP,
PBR,
PfR
RIP
v1/v2,
EIGRP,
OSPF,
BGP,
PBR,
PfR
Multicast
routing
protocols
PIM-
SM,
mroute
(static
route),
and
MLD
PIM-
SM,
mroute
(static
route),
and
MLD
PIM-
SM,
mroute
(static
route),
and
MLD
PIM-
SM,
mroute
(static
route),
and
MLD
PIM-SM,
mroute
(static
route),
and
MLD
PIM-
SM,
mroute
(static
route),
and
MLD
IPv6 routing EIGRP, EIGRP, EIGRP, EIGRP, EIGRP, EIGRP,

11. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
protocols RIP,
OSPFv3
, IS-IS,
RIP,
OSPFv3
, IS-IS,
RIP,
OSPFv3
, IS-IS,
RIP,
OSPFv3
, IS-IS,
RIP,
OSPFv3,
IS-IS,
RIP,
OSPFv3
, IS-IS,
BGP
and
PBR
BGP
and
PBR
BGP
and
PBR
BGP
and
PBR
BGP and
PBR
BGP
and
PBR
Wireless
LAN
4221 4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Integrated
802.11 b/g/n
access point
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Integrated
802.11
a/b/g/n
access point
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Unified and
autonomous
mode
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
RP-TNC
connectors
for field-
replaceable
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
optional
high-gain
antennas
Diversity
(dual
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

12. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
antennas)
Wireless LAN
controller
module
N/A Availabl
e on
UCS E-
Series
Availabl
e on
UCS E-
Series
Availabl
e on
UCS E-
Series
Availabl
e on
UCS E-
Series
Availabl
e on
UCS E-
Series
Wireless
WAN
4221 4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
3G /4G LTE
cellular
Yes
Cat 6 LTE
Advanced
Yes†
GPS Support Yes
Indoor
Antenna
Yes (Various antenna using 2 x TNC connectors supporting
MIMO)
Outdoor
antennas
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Integrated
Switching
4221 4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Maximum
switched
Ethernet
ports
2 x 8 16 40 72 24 72
Maximum 0 16 40 72 24 72

13. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
switched
Ethernet
LAN ports
with PoE
PoE support
(wattage)
N/A 120 W 250 W 500 W 250 W 500 W
without PoE
boost
(with optional
power supply
redundancy)
PoE support
(wattage)
N/A 260 W 500 W 950 W 530 W 990 W
with PoE
boost
(no power supply
redundancy)
EtherSwitch
Service
Module type
(width)
N/A N/A single 2 single
or 1
double
N/A 2 single
or 1
double
Application
Services
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Intelligent
Path Control
PfR PfR PfR PfR PfR PfR
Network
Contention
Control
QoS,
HQoS
QoS,
HQoS
QoS,
HQoS
QoS,
HQoS
QoS,
HQoS
QoS,
HQoS

14. Feature 4221(n
ew)
4321 4331 4351 4431 4451
Application
Visibility
NBAR
v2
NBAR
v2
NBAR
v2
NBAR
v2
NBAR v2 NBAR
v2
WAN
Optimization
N/A ISR-
WAAS
ISR-
WAAS,
ISR-
WAAS,
ISR-
WAAS
ISR-
WAAS,
vWAAS
on UCS
E-
Series
vWAAS
on UCS
E-
Series
vWAAS
on UCS
E-
Series
Akamai
Connect
N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cisco
Application
Centric
Infrastructur
e
Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) with
Enterprise Module
† With CAT6 LTE Advanced theoretical DL speed of 300 Mbps, with 2
NIM slots ISR4221 and ISR4321, customer may need the performance license
to maximize CAT6 LTE Advanced theoretical full potential capability with 2
NIM CAT6 LTE Advanced slots depending on specific carrier SP provisioning
capability & capacity.
Reference from
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/routers/4000-series-integrated-
services-routers-isr/models-comparison.html
More Related
The New ISR 4221, the New Cisco DNA-Ready Platform
Introducing the Cisco IOS XE Open Service Containers
Say Something about Cisco 4400 and 4300 Series

15. Simple ISR 4000 Model Comparison except the New Cisco 4221
Cisco 4000 Series Integrated Services Routers Data Sheet
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/routers/4000-series-
integrated-services-routers-isr/datasheet-c78-732542.html
More Related
The New ISR 4221, the New Cisco DNA-Ready Platform
Introducing the Cisco IOS XE Open Service Containers
Say Something about Cisco 4400 and 4300 Series