Cisco WIC-2T Full Official Technical Specification Document

1. Product Overview

Official Full Designation

Core Definition

SKU Naming Breakdown

1. WIC: WAN Interface Card, modular expansion slot card for Cisco ISR routers to add serial WAN interfaces
2. 2: Two independent physical serial ports integrated on one card
3. T: Serial synchronous/asynchronous transport interface variant
4. =: Optional suffix for standalone spare-only WIC kits (WIC-2T=)

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2003
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Status: Discontinued, Cisco stopped manufacturing brand-new WIC-2T hardware units
• Direct Upgrade Replacement Model: HWIC-2T high-speed second-generation serial HWIC card
• Minimum Supported IOS Software Version: Cisco IOS Release 12.0(7)XK, 12.1(1)T, 12.2 and 12.2T releasesCisco
• Software Maintenance Status: Only critical security vulnerability patches are released for customers holding active Cisco service contracts; no new feature development
• Legacy Status: End-of-sale legacy hardware; certified refurbished spare parts, validated IOS firmware upgrades and 24×7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support remain available through authorized Cisco distribution channels

Supported Router Platform Compatibility

1. Cisco 1700 Series (1701, 1711, 1712, 1721, 1751, 1760)
2. Cisco 2600 / 2600XM / 2691 Series Routers
3. Cisco 3600 Series (3620, 3640, 3660)
4. Cisco 3725 / 3745 Series Routers

Deployment Restrictions

1. No true hot-swap capability: The card cannot be safely inserted/removed while the router is powered on; power cycling the router is required for installation or replacement. Live removal will trigger link outages and system log errors.
2. Network module compatibility limit: WIC-2T cannot be used together with 10Mbps Ethernet network modules (NM-1E2W, NM-1E1R2W, NM-2E2W). It can only be deployed with Fast Ethernet network modules (NM-1FE2W, NM-2FE2W) or standalone WIC slots without network modules.
3. Port speed limitation on 2600 and low-speed network modules:
   • Single-port operation: Max 8 Mbps synchronous per port
   • Dual-port simultaneous operation: Each port limited to maximum 4 Mbps synchronous
   • On high-performance routers (2691, 3725, 3745): Both ports support full 8 Mbps synchronous speed simultaneously without bandwidth restrictionCisco.

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

1. WIC-2T base dual-port serial WAN interface card with two front-panel Smart Serial connectors and dual independent port status LED indicators
2. Anti-static ESD handling storage bag
3. Quick-start hardware installation guide covering WIC slot insertion, removal, Smart Serial breakout cable matching and basic IOS configuration examples
4. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

• Dual independent synchronous/asynchronous serial transmission ports: Two fully separated serial interfaces that can run different transmission modes and encapsulations at the same time
• Multi-standard serial electrical interface support via separate Smart Serial breakout cables for each port: V.35, EIA-232, EIA-449, EIA-530, EIA-530A, X.21Cisco
• WAN data link protocol hardware offload support: HDLC, PPP, Frame Relay, SDLC, SNA, SLIP
• Independent port status indicator LED labeled "CONN SER L" for each serial port: Solid green light indicates valid physical layer link detection; blinking green light represents active bidirectional data transmission/reception
• Native IOS feature compatibility: Static routing, dynamic routing protocols (RIP, EIGRP, OSPF), NAT, QoS traffic shaping, access control lists, dial backup, leased-line failover
• Legacy industrial and mainframe infrastructure integration: Connect SDLC SNA mainframe concentrators, building alarm monitoring controllers, POS optical transmission equipment and remote serial console servers
• Independent DTE/DCE configurable mode per port; supports external CSU/DSU devices for leased-line carrier interconnection

2. Hardware & Performance Specifications

Core Transmission Performance

• Synchronous maximum line rate: Up to 8.048 Mbps per port (E1 standard speed), subject to router chassis and network module limitations
• Asynchronous maximum line rate: Up to 115.2 Kbps per port; minimum supported asynchronous speed 600 bps (use router AUX port for lower asynchronous speeds)Cisco
• Physical Port Connector: Dual independent Smart Serial female connectors (one per serial port)
• Supported Breakout Cable: Cisco Smart Serial transition cables (separate cable required for each port)
• Link Layer Encapsulations: HDLC, PPP, Frame Relay, SDLC, SNA, SLIP

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical operating power draw under medium dual-port data traffic load: 10 Watts
• Maximum full-load power consumption under peak synchronous dual-port transmission: 15 Watts
• Power Delivery: Powered exclusively through the router chassis WIC slot backplane; no external power supply connectors on the WIC card

Thermal & Environmental Operating Parameters

• Certified Continuous Operating Temperature Range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) standard data center equipment room environment
• Extended Validated Short-Term Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C (32°F to 131°F)
• Storage & Transport Temperature Range: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F)
• Operating Relative Humidity: 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing
• Storage Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% RH, non-condensing
• Operating Altitude: Certified operational range -150 m to 2,000 m (-500 ft to 6,500 ft); extended validated range up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft)
• Cooling Design: Passive heat dissipation without onboard cooling fans; cooling airflow supplied by the host router’s internal fan assembly
• Airflow Direction: Horizontal cross airflow through the router chassis slot bay

Physical Form Factor & Weight

• Form Factor: Standard low-profile WIC modular expansion card form factor for Cisco 1700/2600/3600/3700 ISR router WIC slots
• Bare WIC Net Weight (without cables and accessories): Approximately 0.31 kg (0.68 lbs)

3. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications

1. Safety Standards: UL 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1, EN 60950-1, IEC 60950-1, GB 4943 Chinese national safety standard
2. EMC & EMI Standards: FCC CFR Title 47 Part 15 Class A, VCCI Class A, EN55022 Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, ICES003 Class A
3. Environmental Directive: EU RoHS hazardous substance restriction compliance

4. Core Deployment Advantages

1. Dual-Port High-Density Serial WAN Design: Two independent serial ports integrated on a single WIC slot, doubling serial WAN port capacity without consuming an extra router expansion slot. This design drastically reduces router chassis slot occupation and hardware investment for multi-branch leased-line aggregation deployments, compared to deploying two separate WIC-1T single-port cards.
2. Fully Independent Per-Port Configuration Flexibility: Each Smart Serial port operates completely separately, supporting different breakout cable standards, DTE/DCE modes, and WAN encapsulation protocols simultaneously. Network administrators can connect two distinct leased-line carriers or a leased line plus a legacy industrial serial device on one expansion card.
3. Broad Cross-Generation Cisco ISR Router Compatibility: WIC-2T works seamlessly across multiple generations of mid-range Cisco Integrated Services Routers from the 1700 series up to the 3700 series, enabling consistent dual-serial WAN expansion for existing legacy router fleets without full chassis replacement.
4. Comprehensive IOS Feature Set Compatibility: Fully supports all core Cisco IOS routing, security, QoS and high-availability features on compatible routers, including dynamic routing protocols, traffic shaping for leased-line bandwidth control, access list security filtering, and dial backup for redundant WAN connectivity.
5. Low Power Fanless Passive Cooling Reliable Design: Fanless passive heat dissipation architecture removes mechanical fan failure points on the expansion card, improving long-term continuous operation reliability for unmanned remote branch equipment rooms. The low 10W typical power draw minimizes overall router power consumption and cooling load.
6. Cost-Effective Legacy Serial WAN Migration Solution: As a discontinued but widely available refurbished legacy WAN module, WIC-2T provides an affordable high-density dual-serial hardware alternative for enterprises and carriers maintaining existing serial leased-line WAN infrastructure, avoiding costly full router hardware refresh before complete fiber/IP migration.

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

K9 Security Compliance Note

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms