Full English Description for Cisco ASA5506W-X-K9
1. Official Short Order Description
Cisco ASA5506W-X-K9: Fanless compact desktop next-generation Adaptive Security Appliance (NGFW) from Cisco ASA 5500-X entry branch series, integrated built-in Aironet 702i dual-band 802.11n wireless AP, factory preloaded permanent Security Plus K9 unrestricted license with native FirePOWER threat defense hardware. Equipped with 8 integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit copper ports, dedicated out-of-band Gigabit management port, internal dual-band Wi-Fi radio, single external DC power supply, running ASA OS up to final supported release 9.16. Built on Cisco Adaptive Security Algorithm, it delivers wire-speed stateful SPI firewall, full hardware-accelerated DES/3DES/AES IKEv1/IKEv2 IPsec/DMVPN, AnyConnect SSL/DTLS remote access VPN, AVC application control, integrated NGIPS intrusion prevention, NAT/PAT, unified communications TLS proxy, VoIP fixup inspection, multi-context virtual firewalls, and Active/Standby stateful failover high availability. Performance benchmarks: up to 750 Mbps cleartext stateful firewall throughput, 50,000 maximum concurrent TCP/UDP connections, 5,000 new connections per second, 100 Mbps full 3DES/AES VPN throughput, supporting 50 site-to-site IPsec tunnels, 50 remote access VPN peers and 30 logical routed VLAN interfaces. K9 license unlocks unlimited TLS proxy sessions, full multi-context segmentation and complete HA capabilities. Managed via serial console, embedded ASDM web GUI, Cisco Security Manager (CSM), Syslog and SNMPv3. Fully End-of-Sale (Sep 30, 2018) and End-of-Support (Jul 31, 2022) obsolete hardware, targeted at small offices, retail branches, small business wireless perimeter security, superseded by Firepower 1010 wireless-capable entry NGFWs.
2. Complete Detailed Product Overview
Product Line Positioning
The Cisco ASA5506W-X-K9 is the wireless integrated variant of the ASA5506-X fanless desktop NGFW, differentiated from standard ASA5506-X-K9 by an embedded Aironet 702i dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi access point inside the chassis, eliminating separate wireless AP hardware for small office/retail deploymentsCisco. Designed for small branch offices, retail store security perimeters, small business headquarters and remote teleworker VPN aggregation requiring unified wired firewall + integrated secure wireless LAN control.
The K9 designation stands for full Security Plus unrestricted license bundle pre-installed at factory, removing all DES-only limitations of K8 base SKUs, enabling maximum VLAN count, multi-context virtual firewalls, stateful failover and unlimited TLS proxy capacity for UC voice/video inspection. The platform reached End-of-Sale September 30, 2018 and End-of-Support July 31, 2022; no official firmware patches, vulnerability fixes or Cisco TAC technical support are available today, replaced by modern Firepower entry wireless security appliances.
Physical Hardware & Fixed Port Fanless Integrated Wireless Architecture
Form Factor & Mechanical Specifications
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Compact desktop form factor, fanless zero-dBA passive cooling, low noise for office environments, 1.82 kg weight with AC power adapter, optional rack-mount tray for 19-inch rack deployment
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Single external 12V DC power supply (no redundant PSU support), steady-state 12V 2.5A, peak 12V 5A power input
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Passive heat sink cooling without rotating fans, NEBS Level 3 compliant for quiet commercial rack deployment
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Front panel multi-color diagnostic LED array: Power, System Status, FirePOWER module health, wireless AP operational indicator, failover status
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Integrated physical security lock slot for anti-tampering protection
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Hardware core: Single multi-core security processor, fixed 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 50 GB mSATA solid-state drive for ASA OS, FirePOWER rule databases, configurations and persistent event logs
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Internal embedded Aironet 702i dual-band wireless subsystem (no external Wi-Fi antennas, internal integrated antennas)
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No I/O expansion slots, fully fixed port design without modular interface cards
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Single rear USB 2.0 Type-A port for external flash configuration backup, firmware upgrades and log offloading
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Environmental compliance: 0°C to +40°C operating temperature, 10%–90% non-condensing humidity, altitude up to 3050m; FCC Class A, CE, UL 60950, FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certifiedCisco
Rear Panel Fixed Port Layout
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8 × Built-in 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Auto-MDI/MDIX RJ45 Copper Ports (GE0/0 – GE0/7)
Native auto-crossover Gigabit copper ports for internal wired LAN, external broadband WAN and isolated DMZ subnets
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1 × Dedicated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Out-of-Band Management Port (Management0/0)
Fully segregated management interface isolated from production data plane traffic for secure device administration
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Internal Wireless Logical Interface (GigabitEthernet1/9)
Embedded Aironet 702i AP connects internally to this virtual interface; all Wi-Fi client traffic passes through ASA security policy enforcementCisco
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Dual Console Access: RJ45 RS-232 Serial Console + Mini USB Console Port
Dual console options for initial bootstrap, password recovery and offline bulk configuration editing
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Single USB 2.0 storage port, hardware factory reset pushbutton
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DC power input jack for external 12V AC-DC power adapter
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DB-15 dedicated inter-chassis stateful failover serial port for redundant pair session synchronization
Integrated Aironet 702i Wireless AP Key Specifications
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Dual concurrent 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz 802.11n MIMO 2x2 radios, 2 spatial streams, max 300 Mbps PHY rate per bandCisco
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Supports autonomous standalone mode or lightweight CAPWAP mode managed by external Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers (WLC)
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Internal built-in omnidirectional antennas, no external antenna connectors
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Wireless feature support: SSID segmentation, WPA2-Enterprise, 802.1X client authentication, FlexConnect, Monitor RF scanning mode, DFS compliant 5GHz channels
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All Wi-Fi client traffic is fully inspected by ASA firewall, IPS, VPN and QoS policies for unified wired/wireless security segmentationCisco
Core Performance & K9 Security Plus Full License Capabilities
Throughput & Connection Benchmarks
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Maximum cleartext stateful firewall throughput: 750 Mbps
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Multiprotocol real-world HTTP throughput: 300 Mbps
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Maximum concurrent TCP/UDP connection table entries: 50,000 (20,000 on K8 Base license)
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Maximum new connections per second: 5,000
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Maximum 64-byte small packet forwarding rate: 246,900 packets per second
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IPsec VPN throughput (hardware-accelerated full 3DES/AES): Up to 100 Mbps
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AVC application control throughput: 250 Mbps
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Combined AVC + NGIPS threat defense throughput: 125 Mbps
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Maximum simultaneous IPsec IKE security associations: 50 site-to-site tunnels + 50 remote access VPN peers
K9 Unrestricted License Exclusive Advantages vs ASA5506W-X-K8 Base DES License
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Encryption suite: Full native DES, 3DES-168, AES-128/AES-192/AES-256 strong enterprise crypto (K8 locked to DES weak encryption only)
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Logical routed VLAN interfaces: Up to 30 separate security zones (5 VLAN hard cap on K8 base license)
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TLS proxy sessions for encrypted SIP/SCCP unified communications inspection: Unlimited chassis-wide capacity (1000 hard cap on K8)
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High Availability: Supports stateful Active/Standby inter-chassis failover (completely disabled on K8 base license)
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Multi-context virtual firewalls: Up to 5 independent isolated virtual security contexts (disabled on K8 DES license)
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Native multi-device VPN clustering and load balancing fully enabled for branch remote access hub aggregation
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AnyConnect Premium SSL/DTLS remote access peers: 2 permanent base seats, expandable via separate add-on AnyConnect Plus/Apex license packs
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Internal LAN host capacity: Unlimited, no hard-coded user count throttling
Full Integrated Security & Networking Feature Suite (ASA OS 8.x / 9.16 Final Supported Release)
1. Stateful Adaptive Security Algorithm Firewall
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Wire-speed full stateful packet inspection tracking all TCP/UDP connection states to eliminate stateless filter bypass attacks
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Object-group based inbound/outbound ACLs for granular multi-zone traffic permission/denial rule management
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Multi-vector enterprise-grade DoS/DDoS mitigation: SYN flood protection, port scan detection, full TCP normalization, malformed packet filtering, IP spoof suppression
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Layer 7 fixup protocol inspection engines for FTP, H.323, SIP, SCCP Skinny, RTSP, NetBIOS to preserve NAT traversal for VoIP and multimedia workloads
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Native Transparent Layer 2 firewall mode for inline branch security deployment without LAN re-addressing
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Built-in FirePOWER Next-Generation IPS (NGIPS) with application visibility and control (AVC), URL filtering, malware detection and intrusion prevention without separate expansion blades
2. Standards-Based Multi-Protocol VPN Suite
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Site-to-site LAN-to-LAN IPsec tunnels for secure inter-branch private backbone connectivity over public internet
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Remote access IPsec VPN for legacy Cisco VPN Client software teleworker tunnels
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Clientless SSL VPN + AnyConnect Premium SSL/DTLS remote access for browser/software-based global mobile workforce connectivity
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Dual IKEv1/IKEv2 key exchange protocol support, full X.509 digital certificate enrollment via SCEP for scalable multi-site branch deployments
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GRE tunnel encapsulation for routed non-IPsec traffic across VPN fabrics
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Dedicated on-board hardware crypto acceleration to eliminate CPU bottlenecks for 50 concurrent IPsec tunnels
3. Broadband & Branch Routing / NAT Services
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Static one-to-one NAT, dynamic NAT pools, PAT port address translation for multi-user public IP sharing
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Native PPPoE client for small-scale broadband ISP aggregation deployments
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Local DHCP server supporting up to 1024 internal IP address leases for wired LAN and wireless Wi-Fi client endpoints
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Static routing, policy-based routing (PBR), BGP, OSPF, EIGRP dynamic interior routing protocol support
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Dual-stack native IPv4 protocol stack, limited partial IPv6 functionality on ASA OS 9.16
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Local persistent DNS caching to reduce external DNS lookup latency and bandwidth consumption
4. Threat Defense & Unified Wired/Wireless Security Stack
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Base built-in signature-based IDS engine with thousands of predefined exploit, worm and brute-force scan signatures; advanced inline NGIPS integrated without extra hardware
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Full unified security policy enforcement across wired GE ports and internal wireless AP client traffic (single policy control for both LAN and Wi-Fi zones)
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Automatic dynamic host blacklisting to quarantine malicious source IP addresses after detected security breaches on wired or wireless clients
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Unicast Reverse Path Forwarding (URPF) strict/loose anti-spoof filtering to block forged source IP traffic in small multi-tenant environments
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Persistent local flash/HDD event logging + remote Syslog export to centralized small-business SIEM platforms for regulatory compliance audit trails
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Encrypted administrative access only: SSHv2 remote CLI, HTTPS ASDM web GUI, encrypted SNMPv3 secure device monitoring
5. AAA Access Control & Audit Logging
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Complete AAA authentication, authorization and accounting via external RADIUS and TACACS+ servers for segregated branch administrative access control
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Local user credential database for standalone device emergency administrative login
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Comprehensive logging architecture supporting buffered flash storage, USB flash log offloading and remote Syslog archival
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SNMPv3 secure monitoring for real-time device health, throughput utilization, PSU/fan fault, VPN tunnel status and wireless AP client connection statistics
6. Application-Aware Hierarchical QoS & Bandwidth Management
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Four-level priority queuing to prioritize real-time voice/video unified communications over recreational streaming, SaaS and P2P file-sharing traffic
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Per-port bandwidth shaping and policing applied equally to wired LAN and wireless Wi-Fi traffic to eliminate congestion across small business segments
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DSCP marking preservation across IPsec and SSL VPN tunnels for consistent end-to-end enterprise branch QoS policy enforcement
Management & Configuration Tools
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ASA CLI Console: Full IOS-style command-line interface via serial console or encrypted SSHv2 remote access for bulk scripting and advanced troubleshooting (supports ASA firewall and embedded AP wireless configuration)
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Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM): Embedded HTTPS graphical web GUI for single-chassis visual configuration, real-time wired/wireless traffic dashboards, VPN tunnel monitoring and security event reporting
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Cisco Security Manager (CSM): Centralized enterprise policy management platform for bulk multi-branch ASA deployment orchestration, mass firmware upgrades and cross-device compliance audit reporting
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TFTP + USB flash dual methods for OS firmware and full configuration backup/restore; offline config editing supported
Key Differentiators vs Related ASA Platforms
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vs ASA5506W-X-K8 Base DES License:
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Full unrestricted 3DES/AES strong encryption suite (K8 locked to DES weak encryption only)
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50,000 concurrent sessions vs K8’s 20,000 hard cap, 30 VLANs vs 5 VLAN limit
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Enables multi-context virtual firewalls and Active/Standby stateful failover (K8 lacks both core business-grade features)
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vs Standard ASA5506-X-K9 Fanless Model: Integrated internal Aironet 702i dual-band 802.11n wireless AP, native unified wired/wireless security policy enforcement; ASA5506-X has no built-in Wi-Fi radio and requires separate external AP hardware
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vs ASA5508-X/5512-X Mid-Tier Rack Models: Compact fanless desktop form factor (rack-only larger chassis for higher models), lower throughput and session scale, fixed 8-port copper design without expansion slots, integrated wireless AP unique to 5506W-X
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vs Legacy ASA5505 Fixed-Port Firewall: Modern ASA 5500-X architecture with built-in FirePOWER NGIPS, native 1Gbps full copper ports, higher 750 Mbps throughput, AnyConnect SSL VPN support and integrated wireless option unavailable on older ASA5505
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vs Discontinued PIX 501/506E: Modern unified ASA OS architecture, native IPv6 support, ASDM graphical GUI, integrated wireless security control and hardware-accelerated VPN encryption
Typical Deployment Scenarios
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Small business headquarters all-in-one security gateway: Wired LAN firewall + integrated secure Wi-Fi access point + internet broadband edge perimeter protection
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Remote retail store branch unified security appliance: Internal wireless for in-store staff/customer guest Wi-Fi + site-to-site IPsec VPN backhaul to corporate data center
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Small MSP single-tenant colocation boundary security appliance with independent virtual firewall segmentation for segregated wired and wireless customer network traffic
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Redundant Active/Standby chassis pair for small enterprise zero-traffic-loss disaster recovery continuity with unified wired/wireless failover protection
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Entry-level network lab training platform for basic ASA stateful firewall, FirePOWER IPS, integrated wireless AP configuration and small-scale remote access VPN learning
3. E-commerce Short Marketing Description
Cisco ASA5506W-X-K9 Entry Fanless All-In-One Wireless Gigabit Desktop Next-Generation Adaptive Security Appliance, legacy ASA 5500-X series Security Plus unrestricted K9 firewall with embedded Aironet 702i dual-band 802.11n wireless AP, eight built-in 10/100/1000 Gigabit copper ports, dedicated out-of-band Gigabit management port, integrated FirePOWER NGIPS threat defense, single DC power supply, running ASA OS up to final supported 9.16 firmware. K9 bundle unlocks full DES/3DES/AES strong encryption, unlimited internal host capacity, stateful SPI firewall, unified wired/wireless security policy enforcement, IPsec site-to-site/AnyConnect SSL remote access VPN, inline hardware NGIPS intrusion prevention, NAT/PAT, PPPoE broadband client, VoIP unified communications TLS proxy inspection, multi-context virtual firewalls and Active/Standby stateful failover high availability. Up to 750 Mbps cleartext firewall throughput, 50,000 concurrent TCP/UDP sessions and 50 simultaneous IPsec VPN tunnels, managed via serial console, embedded ASDM web GUI and Cisco Security Manager. Obsolete end-of-support fanless all-in-one wired/wireless NGFW for small businesses, remote retail offices and entry-level branch site unified perimeter security deployments.
4. Product Catalog Keyword Tags
Cisco, ASA5506W-X-K9, ASA 5500-X Series Fanless All-In-One Wireless Integrated Next-Generation Firewall, Legacy Small-Branch Unified Wired/Wireless Stateful Inspection NGFW, Desktop Form Factor, Fanless Passive Cooling Zero dBA, Embedded Aironet 702i Dual-Band 2.4G/5G 802.11n MIMO Wireless AP, 8 × 10/100/1000 Gigabit Copper Auto-MDI/MDIX Ports, Dedicated Gigabit Management 0/0 Port, Dual Console Ports (RJ45 Serial + Mini USB), Single USB 2.0 Storage Port, DB-15 Inter-Chassis Stateful Failover Serial Port, External 12V DC Power Supply, Single Multi-Core Security Processor, 8192 MB DDR2 SDRAM, 50 GB mSATA Solid-State Drive, Cisco Adaptive Security Algorithm ASA, ASA OS 8.x / 9.16 Final Supported Firmware, Stateful Packet Inspection SPI, 750 Mbps Max Cleartext Firewall Throughput, 300 Mbps Multiprotocol HTTP Throughput, 100 Mbps Hardware-Accelerated 3DES/AES VPN Throughput, AVC Application Control Throughput 250 Mbps, Combined AVC+NGIPS Throughput 125 Mbps, IPsec IKEv1/IKEv2 Site-to-Site & AnyConnect SSL/DTLS Remote Access VPN, Full DES/3DES-AES Unrestricted Strong Encryption Suite, Integrated Built-In FirePOWER NGIPS Intrusion Prevention System, Unified Wired/Wireless Single-Policy Security Enforcement, Wireless AP Autonomous / CAPWAP Lightweight Controller Managed Mode, NAT PAT Static Dynamic Address Translation, PPPoE DSL Broadband Client, VoIP H.323 SIP SCCP Skinny Fixup Protocol Inspection, Transparent Layer 2 Firewall Mode, Multi-Context Virtual Firewall Segmentation (Up to 5 Independent Contexts), Active/Standby Stateful Failover Redundancy, Native Multi-Device VPN Clustering & Load Balancing, 30 Logical Routed VLAN Maximum (Security Plus K9 License), 50 Max Simultaneous IPsec VPN Peers, Unlimited TLS Proxy UC Sessions, 50,000 Concurrent TCP/UDP Connections, ASDM Adaptive Security Device Manager Embedded Web GUI, Cisco Security Manager CSM Centralized Small-Branch Policy Orchestration, Syslog SNMPv3 Secure Monitoring, Dual-Stack IPv4 / Limited IPv6 Native Support, Application-Aware Hierarchical QoS Scheduling, NEBS Level 3 FIPS 140-2 Level 1 Office Certified, End-of-Sale Sep 30 2018 End-of-Support Jul 31 2022 Obsolete Legacy Hardware, Security Plus K9 Unrestricted Upgrade Over ASA5506W-X-K8 DES Base License, Predecessor to Firepower 1010 Wireless Next-Generation Firewall Series, Small Business Headquarters All-In-One Wired/Wi-Fi Internet Edge Security Gateway, Remote Retail Branch Unified Wireless LAN + IPsec VPN Backhaul Firewall, Entry-Level Small MSP Single-Tenant Colocation Boundary Integrated Wireless NGFW
Naming Rule Explanation
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ASA: Adaptive Security Appliance, Cisco post-PIX unified firewall product family integrating stateful firewall, VPN, integrated FirePOWER next-generation IPS and embedded wireless AP security services
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5506W-X: Entry compact fanless desktop model within the legacy ASA 5500-X branch/small business next-generation firewall series; the suffix W denotes built-in integrated dual-band wireless access point hardware (unique variant vs standard ASA5506-X fixed copper port non-wireless chassis)
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K9: Premium unrestricted Security Plus license identifier unlocking full 3DES/AES strong encryption, expanded concurrent session/VLAN capacity, unlimited TLS proxy sessions, multi-context virtual firewalls and Active/Standby stateful failover; contrasted with K8 base DES-only limited license
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Hardware Distinction Note: The ASA5506W-X-K9 is the only fanless ASA 5500-X chassis with an internal embedded Aironet 702i dual-band 802.11n wireless AP, delivering unified wired and wireless security policy control without separate external wireless hardware. All ASA5506W-X hardware is fully obsolete with no official firmware updates, vulnerability patches or Cisco TAC technical support available today.
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