Cisco C897VAM-K9 Full Product Description

1. Short Overview

Suffix Definition

• C897: DSL-native ISR G2 hardware platform of Cisco 890 Series built for analog POTS telephone copper circuits
• VA: Multimode VDSL2 + ADSL2+ enhanced DSL chipset compliant with ITU G.993.2 VDSL2 and G.992.5 ADSL2+ standards
• M: Annex M DSL spectrum profile, reallocates frequency bands to maximize upstream transmission speeds for heavy outbound traffic
• -K9: Permanent built-in cryptographic license suite supporting AES-128/AES-192/AES-256, 3DES, DES, SHA-1/SHA-2, IKEv1/IKEv2 with dedicated hardware crypto offload

Core Differentiators

1. vs C897VA-K9: C897VA-K9 uses standard Annex A DSL with limited upstream capacity; C897VAM-K9 implements Annex M to deliver significantly higher upload bandwidth for cloud sync, multi-camera video streaming and bulk POS data uploadsCisco.
2. vs wireless variant C897VAMW-K9: C897VAM-K9 omits integrated dual-band 802.11n MIMO WLAN radio; wireless SKUs add built-in wireless access point for on-site mobile client coverageCisco.
3. vs ISDN DSL C896VA-K9: C896VA-K9 is engineered for ISDN Annex B copper loops; C897VAM-K9 operates on mainstream analog POTS Annex M telephone lines.
4. vs Ethernet-only C891F / expandable C892FSP: These models lack onboard DSL modems; C897VAM-K9 provides native high-upload Annex M VDSL2/ADSL2+ primary uplink plus combo SFP/GE fiber-copper backup dual broadband redundancy.
5. vs entry-level metal C887VAM-K9: C887VAM-K9 only features Fast Ethernet LAN, smaller memory and limited concurrent VPN tunnel capacity; C897VAM-K9 upgrades to full 8-port Gigabit PoE switching, 1 GB DRAM, native inline IPS, DMVPN dynamic VPN and complete EIGRP/BGP enterprise routing stack.
6. vs industrial hardened C819HG series: C897VAM-K9 is commercial indoor fanless desktop chassis with standard temperature range, not hardened for vehicle, railway or extreme outdoor shock/vibration environments.

2. Hardware Interface & Performance Specifications

Dual Primary/Backup WAN Interfaces (Automatic Failover Supported)

1. Integrated Multimode VDSL2/ADSL2+ POTS Port (Annex M)
   Auto-negotiates VDSL2 or ADSL2+ line profiles, fully optimized for Annex M spectrum allocation to prioritize upstream bandwidth. Supports G.INP impulse noise protection, seamless rate adaptation (SRA), bitswap, TR069 remote DSLAM provisioning, real-time line quality monitoring and Dying Gasp fault detection. Ideal for branches with continuous outbound data transmission.
2. Combo GE/SFP Hot-Swappable Gigabit WAN Slot
   Dual-function shared port supporting either copper RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet or hot-pluggable GE SFP transceivers (SX/LX/ZX), serving as independent high-bandwidth fiber/copper redundant backup transport path.

Tertiary ISDN BRI Dial Backup Port

8-Port Full Gigabit Managed LAN Switch Interfaces

• Ports 1–4: IEEE 802.3af PoE enabled (mandatory 125W high-power AC adapter required to output 15.4W per port for IP cameras, VoIP phones and external wireless APs)
• Ports 5–8: Standard non-PoE Gigabit Ethernet
• Full switch feature set: 802.1Q VLAN tagging, port isolation, static MAC security, dedicated DMZ port assignment, broadcast storm control, SPAN port monitoring, LACP link aggregation, Smartport macros and per-port CoS traffic marking

Management & Auxiliary Ports

1. Separate dedicated RJ45 Console port: Independent local CLI configuration via rollover cable, physically separated from AUX port
2. Independent RJ45 AUX port: Standalone secondary serial port for extra out-of-band remote management access
3. Single USB 2.0 Type-A host port: For external flash storage to store logs, offline configuration backups and EEM automation scriptsCisco
4. Hardware reset button, Kensington anti-theft lock slot for physical equipment protection
5. Onboard real-time clock (RTC) for accurate timestamping of logs, security certificates and network event triggers

Memory & Storage

• DRAM: 1 GB base system memory to process dozens of concurrent IPsec VPN tunnels, dual-stack routing, inline IPS inspection, PoE LAN forwarding and high-upload Annex M DSL traffic
• Flash storage: 256 MB onboard flash; factory preloadedc890-universalk9-mzAdvanced Security IOS image, minimum supported firmware release 15.4(2)TCisco

Front Panel LED Status Indicators

Physical & Power Parameters

• Form factor: Fanless all-metal compact desktop chassis, optional wall-mount bracket available
• Dimensions (H × W × D): 44 mm × 438 mm × 302 mm (1.75 × 17.25 × 12 inches) with anti-slip rubber feet
• Weight: ~2.5 kg (5.5 lbs) without power supply
• Official power supply options
  1. 60W universal AC adapter (for non-PoE deployments, 12 VDC output)
  2. 125W high-power universal AC adapter (required for all PoE LAN port operation)Cisco
• Typical maximum power consumption: 26 W under full Annex M DSL + combo SFP fiber + all 8 Gigabit PoE LAN ports full load
• Ingress protection: IP20, only suitable for dry indoor commercial office environments

Environmental Operating Specifications

• Operating temperature: 0°C ~ +40°C (32°F ~ 104°F); performance degrades 1.5°C per 1000 m altitude above 3000 m
• Storage temperature: -20°C ~ +65°C (-4°F ~ 149°F)
• Relative humidity: 10%–85% RH non-condensing
• Maximum operating altitude: 3,000 m (10,000 ft)

3. Hardware Acceleration & Security Engine

• Dedicated onboard crypto co-processor fully offloads IPsec VPN encryption traffic and eliminates CPU bottlenecks under up to 50 concurrent site-to-site and remote access VPN tunnels
• Permanent K9 crypto license unlocks complete enterprise encryption stack: DES, 3DES, AES-128/192/256, SHA-1/SHA-2 hash algorithms, IKEv1/IKEv2 static site-to-site tunnels, Easy VPN remote access and DMVPN hub-spoke dynamic tunnels
• Integrated DSL traffic isolation filters to segregate Annex M POTS copper loop traffic and protect internal corporate LAN via independent VLAN segmentation

4. Cisco IOS Advanced Security Feature Suite

Multi-Tier WAN Routing & Redundancy (High-Upload Annex M DSL + Combo Fiber/GE)

• Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF), static routing, RIPv1/v2, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, GRE/MGRE tunnel encapsulation, complete IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack support
• Automatic policy-based failover logic between primary Annex M VDSL2/ADSL2+ POTS DSL and secondary combo SFP/GE fiber-copper backup link
• ISDN BRI tertiary dial backup triggered upon simultaneous failure of both main WAN uplinks
• Policy-Based Routing (PBR), multi-NAT pools, PAT overload for logical segmentation of PoE-powered devices and standard wired LAN endpoints
• DHCP server/relay/client, DNS proxy, dynamic DNS, Ethernet OAM / 802.3ah for fiber/copper link health monitoring; dedicated DSL OAM optimized for Annex M high-upload copper loop diagnostics

Unified Enterprise Security Suite

• Zone-Based Stateful Policy Firewall (ZBFW) for logical isolation of internal corporate LAN, PoE camera/VoIP subnet, DMZ and untrusted internet traffic zones
• Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN), Easy VPN Server & Client, IKEv2 IPsec encrypted inter-branch tunnels operable over Annex M DSL, copper GE or SFP fiber transport
• Signature-based inline Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), Cisco ScanSafe cloud URL filtering, deep NBAR application control for HTTP, FTP, IM and mainstream business applications
• AAA authentication via TACACS+ / RADIUS, 802.1X port authentication available on all 8 Gigabit LAN switch ports
• Secure management only: SSHv2, HTTPS; plaintext Telnet disabled by factory default
• Granular access control lists (ACLs), static MAC address port lockdown on Gigabit switch ports

QoS & High-Upload DSL/Gigabit Bandwidth Optimization

• WFQ, CBWFQ, LLQ queuing mechanisms for low-latency prioritization of voice, multi-stream video surveillance, SCADA and POS real-time payment traffic
• NBAR deep packet inspection to classify and prioritize bandwidth-heavy outbound workloads (cloud file sync, video upload, bulk transaction transmission) leveraging Annex M’s enhanced upstream capacity
• RTP/TCP header compression, DSL traffic shaping and policing to control metered xDSL bandwidth consumption and avoid overage charges
• PoE QoS scheduling to guarantee stable power and bandwidth priority for critical IP cameras and VoIP handsets

Remote Management & Automation

• Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) for mass standardized deployment of enterprise branches and ISP high-upload POTS DSL CPE
• Cisco IOS Embedded Event Manager (EEM): Scriptable triggers for DSL line drop, fiber link loss and automatic ISDN dial backup activation with alert notifications
• SNMP v2c/v3, remote syslog, IP SLA end-to-end link performance monitoring, dedicated MIBs for SFP fiber diagnostics and Annex M DSL copper loop telemetry
• Compatible with Cisco Configuration Professional (CCP) web GUI for simplified CLI-free deployment and daily monitoring of routing, security, PoE, fiber and DSL subsystems
• GOLD non-disruptive onboard diagnostics for continuous remote hardware health checks of DSL modem, SFP fiber, copper Ethernet and PoE subsystems

5. Typical Deployment Scenarios

1. High-Upload POTS Retail Multi-Redundant Secure Gateway with PoE
   Primary Annex M VDSL2/ADSL2+ POTS DSL delivers boosted upstream bandwidth for bulk POS transaction uploads and multi-camera surveillance video streaming; combo SFP fiber/GE copper serves as high-speed redundant backup. The 8-port Gigabit PoE LAN switch powers POS payment terminals, office PCs, VoIP phones and high-resolution IP camera arrays. VLAN segmentation separates sensitive payment infrastructure from staff corporate LAN and public internet threats. Persistent IPsec DMVPN tunnels transmit large volumes of retail data securely back to corporate headquarters, while zone firewall + inline IPS block external network intrusion risks.
2. Cloud-Focused Mission-Critical Enterprise Satellite Office
   Three-layer WAN redundancy (Annex M high-upload DSL primary, fiber/GE secondary, ISDN BRI tertiary dial backup) meets strict enterprise business continuity requirements. Full Gigabit PoE switching eliminates separate power injectors for cameras and VoIP devices, with full EIGRP/BGP support for seamless integration into the corporate core routing domain. Ideal for offices reliant on cloud storage, video conferencing and regular large file outbound transfers.
3. Service Provider Managed High-Upload POTS Business CPE
   Uniform hardware platform enables ISPs to deliver either Annex M high-upload VDSL2/ADSL2+ DSL or SFP fiber/copper Metro Ethernet services to enterprise subscribers with heavy outbound data demands. Centralized ZTP mass deployment and remote SNMP/TR069 monitoring support managed security, PoE and high-bandwidth networking service packages.
4. Campus Remote Building PoE IoT & Surveillance Edge Router
   PoE ports connect multiple high-resolution IP cameras, access control hardware and environmental sensors requiring continuous video uploads; combo SFP fiber uplink provides high-throughput backhaul to the campus core. Automatic copper GE failover ensures uninterrupted sensor and video data transmission during fiber outages, while Annex M DSL acts as primary connectivity for locations without full fiber coverage.
5. Cloud Teleworker Small Office VPN Gateway
   Deployed at remote employee residences with standard Annex M POTS copper circuits, the high-upload DSL profile supports large cloud file sync, multi-party video calls and remote desktop workloads. Encrypted Easy VPN tunnels maintain stable secure connectivity to corporate headquarters, PoE ports power home IP cameras and VoIP equipment, and integrated security services defend all wired Gigabit endpoints against malware and unauthorized access.

6. Standard Package Contents of C897VAM-K9

Separately Sold Optional Accessories

• RJ45 rollover console cable for local CLI configuration
• GE SFP fiber transceivers (SX/LX/ZX) for combo fiber WAN uplink
• POTS DSL copper line cord, ISDN BRI telephone line cord for dial backup
• 60W non-PoE AC power supply / 125W high-power PoE AC power supply
• Spare replacement universal AC power adapter
• USB flash drives for log archiving and offline configuration backup
• CAT5e/CAT6 Ethernet patch cords for LAN and copper GE WAN connections

Software Licensing Information

• The-K9suffix includes a permanent built-in cryptographic license; no extra purchase required for IPsec, AES encryption and secure management protocols
• All core routing, multi-layer Annex M DSL/fiber failover, xDSL OAM management optimized for high upload, PoE power control, firewall, inline IPS, QoS, ZTP and Gigabit managed switch features are fully included in the base Advanced Security IOS image; no additional paid feature licenses needed
• No wireless AP or cellular modem licenses apply (corresponding hardware is omitted from this wired high-upload POTS DSL SKU)

Short Commercial Catalog Summary for Quotation