1. Home
  2. Routers
  3. Cisco 4000 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR 4000) Reviews
  4. User Review of Cisco 4000 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR 4000)
Solid performer for medium to large Branch offices.
June 13, 2019

Solid performer for medium to large Branch offices.

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco 4000 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR 4000)

We purchased several ISR 4351 to replace our aging 2800/3800 series branch routers, to terminate WAN and VPN connections for both voice and data traffic. They are pretty standard Cisco branch routers, and perform reliably. It is a huge bump up from the Gen 1 ISRs that they replaced, especially the crypto throughput. They are also a great value on the voice side, as the newer PVDM3 modules are massive in capacity. Since we don't run much video on our network, there is way more transcoding and conference resources than we will ever need. Both the hardware and software have been running trouble free for years, and have not required any significant manual interaction since installation.
  • VPN performance is a huge step up from previous generation ISRs.
  • PVDM3 modules are much higher capacity.
  • Very stable and reliable.
  • Single PSU.
  • CF card slot is a pain to access.
  • Relatively expensive.
  • Excellent uptime for voice
  • Reliable access to data center resources via VPN
  • Low maintenance
  • Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000) and Cisco ASA
The 4300 is much more cost effective for medium sized branch offices, which do not require the horsepower of an ASR. Compared to an ASA, the ISR does not really compare, since it is not a dedicated firewall. Using the IOS firewall would not be an ideal solution, but it would work in a pinch.
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)
We use the 4351 in large branch offices with 100 or more users and it works well for encrypted voice and video over WAN or VPN. For smaller offices, it is overkill and should be skipped in favor of a cheaper router. Also, as with other Cisco routers, firewall features are not exactly industry leading, so you'll almost always need another firewall device.