Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000) are midrange routers designed to deliver high-performance, scalable, and resilient network services for enterprises and service providers. Powered by the Cisco QuantumFlow Processorâ„¢, these routers offer massive parallel processing capabilities, enabling simultaneous activation of multiple advanced routing services without compromising performance. The ASR 1000 Series supports speeds from 2.5 to 200 Gbps and features a split control and data plane architecture for predictable, high-throughput traffic forwarding.
Key features include integrated network services such as packet encryption, deep packet inspection, application recognition, and traffic differentiation, all on a single platform without requiring external appliances. The routers support Cisco IOS XE Software, providing modularity, feature velocity, and resiliency. Models range from compact 1RU units like the ASR 1001-X and ASR 1001-HX to larger chassis such as the ASR 1006-X and ASR 1009-X, offering options for hardware redundancy and high availability.
The ASR 1000 Series is optimized for enterprise WAN edge, data center edge, and service provider environments, supporting SD-WAN capabilities and integration with Cisco ThousandEyes for enhanced application visibility and network performance monitoring. Security is embedded with features like application-aware firewalls, DNS layer enforcement via Cisco Umbrella, and tamper-resistant design to reduce attack surfaces.
Benefits described by Cisco include consistent and reliable network deployments with millisecond failover and zero packet loss, flexible growth to meet evolving business needs, and high-performance security with embedded VPN and firewall services. The platform also supports advanced routing protocols, MPLS, and IPv6, making it suitable for complex, multi-service networks. Cisco ASR 1000 Series routers help organizations optimize bandwidth usage, reduce operational costs, and deliver superior user experiences across distributed networks.