Full English Description for Cisco ASA5505-K8
1. Official Short Order Description (Datasheet Standard Format)
Cisco ASA5505-K8: Entry-level small business / SOHO branch Adaptive Security Appliance from Cisco ASA 5500 Series, Base K8 bundled license variant. Compact fanless desktop security chassis with integrated 8-port 10/100 Fast Ethernet switch (2 PoE-capable ports), running Cisco ASA OS 9.x. Equipped with an optional AIP-SSC-5 IPS hardware module slot, USB 2.0 ports, and out-of-band RJ45 console management. Base license specs: up to 150 Mbps firewall throughput, 10,000 concurrent TCP/UDP connections, maximum 10 IPsec site-to-site/remote access VPN peers, support for 3 logical VLAN security zones, stateless active/standby failover, and DES crypto encryption. Managed via local CLI, embedded ASDM graphical web GUI, Cisco Security Manager (CSM) and Syslog. Delivers stateful firewall, IPsec VPN, NAT/PAT, URL filtering, basic QoS and VoIP fixup inspection for small office, retail kiosk and remote teleworker edge deployments. End-of-Sale and End-of-Support legacy hardware, succeeded by ASA 5506-X series firewalls.
2. Complete Detailed Product Overview
Product Line Positioning
Released as the lowest-cost entry platform of the ASA 5500 firewall family, the Cisco ASA5505-K8 targets small businesses, satellite retail stores, remote branch offices and SOHO teleworker sites requiring integrated switching and basic boundary security without rack-mount infrastructure. It replaces the discontinued Cisco PIX 500 series desktop firewalls, adopting modern ASA OS unified security architecture combining Layer 2 switching, stateful firewall, multi-standard VPN and threat defense in a silent fanless desktop chassis.
The K8 suffix denotes the Base DES encryption license bundle, limited to 10 IPsec VPN peers, 10,000 concurrent sessions and 3 VLAN segments; it can be upgraded with premium license keys to unlock 25,000 sessions, 25 VPN peers, 20 VLANs and 3DES/AES strong crypto (ASA5505-UL-BUN-K9). The platform reached End-of-Sale in 2017 and End-of-Support in 2022; no official firmware patches, vulnerability fixes or Cisco TAC technical support are available today.
Physical Hardware & Integrated Switch Architecture
Form Factor & Mechanical Specifications
-
Compact white plastic fanless desktop chassis, zero operational noise for indoor office/desk deployment, no native rack-mount brackets
-
Front panel multi-color LED indicators: Power, System Status, Global Activity, VPN Tunnel, SSC IPS module status, per-port link/activity LEDs for all 8 FE switch ports
-
Integrated physical security lock slot for anti-tampering protection
-
Hardware core: Single-core x86 processor, base 256 MB DRAM (field-upgradeable to 512 MB), 64 MB fixed flash storage for ASA OS, configurations and event logs
-
External 100–240V AC universal DC power brick (no redundant internal power supplies)
-
Operating environment: 0°C to +40°C ambient temperature, 10%–90% non-condensing humidity, max 3000m altitude; FCC, CE, UL certified for indoor enterprise deployment
Rear Panel Fixed Port Layout
-
8 × 10/100 Fast Ethernet Integrated Layer 2 Switch Ports (Ethernet 0/0 – 0/7)
-
Ports 0/0: Default dedicated Outside untrusted WAN uplink for cable/DSL modems
-
Ports 0/1 – 0/5: Standard Inside trusted LAN switch ports for workstations, printers and peripherals
-
Ports 0/6 & 0/7: PoE 802.3af power delivery ports for IP phones, wireless access points and PoE-enabled cameras
Auto-MDI/MDIX detection eliminates crossover cable requirements; ports can be grouped into separate logical VLAN security zones for multi-segment traffic isolation.
-
RJ45 RS-232 Serial Console Port
Out-of-band CLI management at default 9600 baud for initial bootstrap, password recovery and offline configuration editing.
-
2 × USB 2.0 Ports (Rear) + 1 × Front USB 2.0 Port
Supports external USB flash storage for config backup, firmware image upgrades and log archiving.
-
SSC Security Services Card Expansion Slot
Field-installable AIP-SSC-5 hardware IPS module for inline intrusion prevention, malware signature scanning and advanced threat mitigation.
-
DC Power Input Jack
Receives included external AC-to-DC switching power adapter.
Core Performance & Base K8 License Restrictions
Throughput & Connection Benchmarks
-
Maximum cleartext stateful firewall throughput: 150 Mbps
-
Maximum concurrent TCP/UDP connection table entries (Base K8 license): 10,000 (upgradeable to 25,000 with Unrestricted license)
-
IPsec VPN throughput (DES crypto only on K8 base): Up to 45 Mbps
-
VPN throughput with upgraded 3DES/AES license: Up to 100 Mbps
-
Maximum simultaneous IPsec IKEv1/IKEv2 security associations (site-to-site + remote access): 10 peers (25 max with premium license)
VLAN & High Availability Limits
-
Base K8 license maximum logical routed VLAN interfaces: 3 (Inside, Outside, single DMZ zone)
-
No native Active/Active failover; only stateless Active/Standby redundant firewall pair support for business continuity
-
No multi-context virtual firewall segmentation capability (unlocked on higher ASA models and upgraded ASA5505 bundles)
Full Integrated Security & Networking Feature Suite (ASA OS 9.x)
1. Stateful Adaptive Security Algorithm Firewall
-
Full stateful packet inspection tracking all TCP/UDP connection states to block invalid stateless traffic
-
Static, dynamic and object-based access control lists (ACLs) for granular inbound/outbound traffic permission/denial rules
-
Multi-vector DoS/DDoS flood mitigation, port scan detection and malformed packet filtering
-
Layer 7 application fixup inspection engines for FTP, H.323, SIP, SCCP Skinny, RTSP, NetBIOS to maintain NAT traversal for VoIP and multimedia workloads
-
Transparent Layer 2 firewall mode native support (ASA OS 8.x+)
2. Standards-Based IPsec & SSL VPN Suite
-
Site-to-site LAN-to-LAN IPsec tunnels for secure inter-branch private connectivity over public internet
-
Remote access IPsec VPN for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client teleworker tunnels back to corporate headquarters
-
Clientless SSL VPN browser-based remote access for web application access without local client software
-
IKEv1/IKEv2 key exchange protocol support; K8 base license limited to DES encryption only (3DES/AES requires separate upgrade license)
-
X.509 digital certificate enrollment via SCEP for scalable multi-site VPN deployments
-
GRE tunnel encapsulation for routed non-IPsec traffic across VPN links
3. Broadband NAT & Routing Services
-
Static one-to-one NAT, dynamic NAT pools, PAT port address translation to share a single public IP across dozens of internal LAN endpoints
-
Native PPPoE client for DSL broadband ISP authentication and dynamic public IP assignment
-
Local DHCP server supporting up to 256 internal IP address leases for wired endpoints
-
Static routing and policy-based routing (PBR); dual-stack IPv4 / IPv6 native support on ASA OS 9.x
-
Local DNS caching to reduce external DNS query latency and bandwidth consumption
4. Threat Defense & Unified Security Stack
-
Built-in basic intrusion detection engine (enhanced inline IPS with AIP-SSC-5 hardware module)
-
Dynamic host blocking to quarantine malicious source IP addresses after detected security breaches
-
Unicast Reverse Path Forwarding (URPF) strict/loose anti-spoof filtering to block forged source IP traffic
-
Third-party URL web content filtering integration for outbound internet access control
-
Local event logging + remote Syslog export to external SIEM/log servers for compliance audit trails
5. Application-Aware QoS & Bandwidth Management
-
Application recognition to classify Teams, Zoom, enterprise SaaS, streaming media and P2P file-sharing traffic
-
4-level hierarchical priority queuing to prioritize real-time voice/video conferencing over recreational internet traffic
-
Per-link bandwidth shaping on both primary WAN and internal PoE switch ports to prevent link congestion
-
DSCP marking preservation across IPsec VPN tunnels for consistent end-to-end enterprise QoS policy enforcement
Management & Configuration Tools
-
ASA CLI Console: Modern Cisco IOS-style command-line interface via serial console or remote SSH access
-
Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM): Embedded HTTPS web-based graphical GUI for single-device visual configuration, real-time traffic utilization charts, VPN tunnel monitoring and security event reporting
-
Cisco Security Manager (CSM): Centralized enterprise policy management platform for bulk multi-ASA deployment orchestration and cross-device firmware upgrades
-
TFTP / USB flash drive dual methods for OS firmware and full configuration file backup/restore
Key Differentiators vs Other ASA 5505 Licenses & Higher ASA Models
-
vs ASA5505-UL-BUN-K9 Unrestricted Bundle: K8 Base license limited to 10 VPN peers, 10,000 concurrent sessions, 3 VLANs and DES-only crypto; UL bundle unlocks 25 VPN peers, 25,000 sessions, 20 VLANs and full 3DES/AES strong encryption
-
vs Mid/High ASA 5510/5520/5540: Compact desktop fanless chassis with integrated 8-port PoE switch (no separate external switch required), lower throughput and session capacity, no rack-mount hardware, limited VLAN and VPN scale
-
vs Discontinued PIX-506E: Modern ASA OS architecture, native IPv6 support, ASDM graphical GUI, PoE switch ports, AnyConnect SSL VPN capability, higher throughput and session limits
Typical Historical Deployment Scenarios
-
Small business / SOHO internet edge firewall with integrated PoE switch for IP phones and office workstations
-
Satellite retail kiosks, pop-up stores and field office secure IPsec VPN gateway for corporate network access
-
Remote teleworker multi-device home-office security boundary with basic ISP broadband protection
-
Entry-level network lab training platform for ASA OS stateful firewall, VPN and switch segmentation learning
-
Temporary disaster recovery business continuity security appliance for small-site broadband connectivity
3. E-commerce Short Marketing Description
Cisco ASA5505-K8 Entry-Level Small Business Adaptive Security Appliance, fanless desktop form factor with integrated 8-port 10/100 Fast Ethernet switch (2 PoE ports), running ASA OS 9.x. Base K8 DES license supporting up to 150 Mbps firewall throughput, 10,000 concurrent TCP/UDP sessions, 10 simultaneous IPsec VPN tunnels and 3 logical VLAN security zones. Equipped with SSC IPS expansion slot, USB 2.0 storage ports and serial console management, featuring stateful SPI firewall, IPsec site-to-site/remote access SSL VPN, NAT/PAT, PPPoE broadband client, VoIP fixup inspection and stateless active/standby failover. Managed via CLI, embedded ASDM web GUI and Cisco Security Manager, cost-effective legacy edge security firewall for SOHO, small branch and retail deployments.
4. Product Catalog Keyword Tags
Cisco, ASA5505-K8, ASA 5500 Series Entry Adaptive Security Appliance, Base DES K8 License Bundle, Fanless Silent Desktop Chassis, Integrated 8-Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch, 2 × 802.3af PoE LAN Ports, SSC Security Services Card Expansion Slot (AIP-SSC-5 IPS Module), 3 × USB 2.0 Storage Ports, RJ45 Serial Out-of-Band Console Port, Cisco ASA Operating System 9.x, Stateful Packet Inspection SPI Firewall, IPsec IKEv1/IKEv2 Site-to-Site & AnyConnect SSL Remote Access VPN, Base DES Encryption (3DES/AES Upgrade Required), Inline IPS Intrusion Prevention (Optional SSC Module), NAT PAT Static Dynamic Address Translation, PPPoE DSL Broadband Client, VoIP H.323 SIP SCCP Fixup Protocol Inspection, Transparent Layer 2 Firewall Mode, Stateless Active/Standby Failover Redundancy, 3 Logical VLAN Limit (Base K8 License), 10 Max Simultaneous IPsec VPN Peers, 10,000 Concurrent TCP/UDP Connections, 150 Mbps Max Cleartext Firewall Throughput, ASDM Adaptive Security Device Manager Embedded Web GUI, Cisco Security Manager CSM Centralized Policy Orchestration, Syslog SNMPv3 Monitoring, Dual-Stack IPv4/IPv6 Native Support, Application-Aware Hierarchical QoS, Small Office SOHO Branch Internet Edge Firewall, PoE Switch Integrated Security Gateway, End-of-Sale End-of-Support Obsolete Legacy Hardware, Predecessor to ASA 5506-X Next-Generation Firewall Series
Naming Rule Explanation
-
ASA: Adaptive Security Appliance, Cisco post-PIX unified firewall product family combining firewall, VPN and IPS services
-
5505: Entry-tier small-branch desktop model number within the ASA 5500 legacy security appliance lineup
-
K8: Base license bundle identifier with DES encryption only, limited VPN peer and VLAN capacity; contrasted with K9 premium bundles unlocking full 3DES/AES strong crypto and expanded resource limits
-
License Distinction: All ASA5505 hardware shares identical physical ports and hardware performance; only software feature scale, encryption algorithms and resource limits differ between K8 base and K9 unrestricted license bundles. The platform is fully obsolete with no official Cisco firmware updates or technical support available today.
|
