Cisco 2000 Series Connected Grid Routers (CGR 2000) vs Cisco 900 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR)

Likelihood to Recommend

These may not be the fastest or latest [technology] when it comes to routers, but for their class, they are great. If you were you put a similarly priced router out in the places these things can run it would be dead within a year. Also, you don't need to have an elaborate networking closet to get these into. They work well in small, hot, or potentially dusty places with ease.

Read full review

Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology

Government Administration Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

No problems with any of the Cisco 900 Series [Integrated Services Routers] (ISR) platform features within the enterprise environment. Because these devices are running a version of IOS-XE as opposed to traditional IOS, some of the more 'basic' configurations can become more complex. In the end, the 900 Series is still able to provide the required functionality, but there is a learning curve.

Read full review

Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Telecommunications Company, 11-50 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

Pros

Rugged construction
No special heating or cooling requirements
Part of the Cisco ecosystem, so no special maintenance

Read full review

Verified User

Director in Information Technology

Insurance Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

[It] works great full-featured, but [I recommend a] small router for remote sites.
[It] can handle more traffic than it even advertises!
[It has a] well-priced option for smaller or less critical sites.

Read full review

Verified User

Manager in Information Technology

Information Technology & Services Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

Cons

Cisco has some troubles with licensing hardware still unless you're on smart licensing
Price with Cisco equipment is usually high
Bugs found in the interface

Read full review

Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology

Government Administration Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

[It has a] pay as you grow model of licensing, but, [in my opinion, is] a pain to implement.
[The] service impacting license application [could be improved].
Configuration complexity [could be improved].

Read full review

Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Telecommunications Company, 11-50 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

Pricing Details

General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No

Starting Price

—

General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No

Starting Price

—

Support Rating

Cisco 2000 Series Connected Grid Routers (CGR 2000) 7.3

Based on 2 answers

Have not had to use support yet but would follow our current Cisco process.

Read full review

Verified User

Director in Information Technology

Insurance Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

No score

No answers yet

No answers on this topic

Alternatives Considered

We didn't look outside of the Cisco branded routers since we wanted to manage it as part of the enterprise and not have a "one-off" router.

Read full review

Verified User

Director in Information Technology

Insurance Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

Cisco Catalyst Switches are technically faster and easier to deploy but don't provide the same flexibility when it comes to 10Gbps services or advanced routing. There are corner cases where having IOS-XE on the 900 series ISRs provides the functionality required for complex applications whereas the Catalyst cannot. Having the option to scale the number of active ports on the 900 series ISR helps in keeping costs at an appropriate level.

Read full review

Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Telecommunications Company, 11-50 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

Return on Investment

Saved money on replacing standard routers that die in those environments
Saved time with the easy linking and connection options
Given us peace of mind that the device will continue to run without intervention

Read full review

Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology

Government Administration Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

Lots of money saved in downgrading from less useful and older full-sized routers at small sites
Time saved having to learn new commands (web GUI works great)
Saves time training staff to manage them

Read full review

Verified User

Manager in Information Technology

Information Technology & Services Company, 501-1000 employees

View all 2 answers on this topic

Cisco 2000 Series Connected Grid Routers (CGR 2000) vs Cisco 900 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR)