Cisco WIC-4T 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 legacy Cisco ISR routers to add serial WAN interfaces
2. 4: Four independent physical serial ports integrated on one single expansion card
3. T: Synchronous/asynchronous serial transport interface variant for leased-line WAN links
4. =: Optional suffix for standalone spare-only WIC spare kits (WIC-4T=)

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2004
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Status: Discontinued; Cisco permanently halted production of brand-new WIC-4T hardware units
• Direct Upgrade Replacement Model: HWIC-4T high-performance second-generation serial HWIC card for newer 1800/2800/3800 ISR platforms
• Minimum Supported IOS Software Version: Cisco IOS Release 12.2(11)T and all subsequent 12.2T, 12.3 mainline IOS releases
• Software Maintenance Status: Only critical security vulnerability patches are released for customers holding active Cisco DNA service contracts; no new feature enhancements will be developed
• Legacy Status: End-of-sale legacy hardware; certified refurbished spare modules, validated legacy IOS firmware images and 24×7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support remain available through authorized Cisco distribution partners

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 hot-swap capability: The card cannot be safely inserted or removed while the router is powered on; complete power cycle of the chassis is mandatory for installation or replacement. Live removal triggers immediate link outages and persistent system log error messages.
2. Network module compatibility limit: WIC-4T cannot coexist with low-speed 10Mbps Ethernet network modules (NM-1E2W, NM-1E1R2W, NM-2E2W). It only supports co-deployment with Fast Ethernet network modules (NM-1FE2W, NM-2FE2W) or empty standalone WIC slots without network modules installed.
3. Port speed performance limitations by chassis hardware:
   • Low-performance chassis (standard 2600, 1700 series, paired with slow NM Ethernet modules): Single active port max 8 Mbps synchronous; if multiple ports run simultaneously, each port is throttled to maximum 4 Mbps synchronous
   • High-performance chassis (2691, 3725, 3745): All four ports support full 8 Mbps synchronous transmission concurrently without bandwidth throttling

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

1. WIC-4T base four-port serial WAN interface card with four front-panel independent Smart Serial connectors and four dedicated per-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 serial interface configuration examples
4. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

• Four fully independent synchronous/asynchronous serial transmission ports: All ports operate with isolated hardware controllers, supporting different transmission modes, DTE/DCE modes and WAN encapsulation protocols running concurrently without resource contention
• Multi-standard serial electrical interface support via separate Smart Serial transition breakout cables for each port: V.35, EIA-232, EIA-449, EIA-530, EIA-530A, X.21
• Hardware offloaded WAN data link encapsulation support: HDLC, PPP, Frame Relay, SDLC, SNA, SLIP
• Per-port dedicated status indicator LED labeled "SER L": Solid green light indicates valid physical layer link detection; blinking green light represents active bidirectional data transmission/reception on that serial port
• Native full IOS feature compatibility: Static routing, dynamic routing protocols (RIP, EIGRP, OSPF), NAT, QoS traffic shaping, access control lists, dial backup and leased-line redundant failover
• Legacy industrial and mainframe infrastructure integration: Connect SDLC/SNA mainframe concentrators, building fire/alarm monitoring controllers, POS optical transmission equipment and remote serial console servers
• Independent configurable DTE/DCE mode for every port; supports external CSU/DSU carrier equipment interconnection for leased-line WAN services

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 hardware 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 baud rates)
• Physical Port Connector: Four independent Smart Serial female connectors (one dedicated connector per serial port)
• Supported Breakout Cable: Cisco Smart Serial transition cables (separate dedicated cable required for each individual port)
• Link Layer Encapsulations: HDLC, PPP, Frame Relay, SDLC, SNA, SLIP

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical operating power draw under medium four-port concurrent data traffic load: 14 Watts
• Maximum full-load power consumption under peak synchronous four-port simultaneous transmission: 19 Watts
• Power Delivery: Powered exclusively through the router chassis WIC slot backplane; no external power supply connectors mounted 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: Fanless passive heat dissipation architecture without onboard cooling fans; cooling airflow supplied by the host router’s internal chassis fan assembly
• Airflow Direction: Horizontal cross airflow passing through the router chassis expansion slot bay

Physical Form Factor & Weight

• Form Factor: Standard low-profile single-wide WIC modular expansion card form factor designed exclusively for Cisco 1700/2600/3600/3700 ISR router WIC expansion slots
• Bare WIC Net Weight (without breakout cables and accessory hardware): Approximately 0.38 kg (0.84 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. Ultra-High-Density Four-Port Serial WAN Design: Four fully independent serial ports integrated within a single WIC expansion slot, quadrupling serial WAN port capacity without consuming additional router chassis slots. This design drastically reduces router slot occupation and overall hardware capital expenditure for multi-branch leased-line aggregation deployments, eliminating the need to deploy multiple separate WIC-1T or WIC-2T cards.
2. Fully Isolated Per-Port Independent Configuration Flexibility: Each Smart Serial port operates with completely separated hardware controllers, supporting different breakout cable electrical standards, DTE/DCE modes, and WAN encapsulation protocols running simultaneously. Network administrators can connect multiple distinct leased-line carrier circuits, or mix leased-line WAN links and legacy industrial serial control equipment on a single expansion card without cross-port interference.
3. Broad Cross-Generation Legacy Cisco ISR Router Compatibility: WIC-4T operates seamlessly across multiple generations of mid-range legacy Cisco Integrated Services Routers from the 1700 series up to the 3700 series, enabling consistent high-density serial WAN expansion for existing legacy router fleets without complete chassis hardware replacement.
4. Comprehensive Full IOS Feature Set Compatibility: Fully supports all core Cisco IOS routing, security, QoS and high-availability feature suites on compatible router platforms, including dynamic interior and exterior routing protocols, traffic shaping for precise leased-line bandwidth control, access list security filtering, and dial backup mechanisms for redundant WAN connectivity.
5. Low-Power Fanless Passive Cooling Carrier-Grade Reliable Design: Fanless passive heat dissipation architecture eliminates mechanical fan failure points onboard the expansion card, significantly improving long-term 24/7 continuous operation reliability for unmanned remote branch equipment rooms. The low 14W typical power draw minimizes overall router chassis power consumption and reduces data center cooling load and operational energy costs.
6. Cost-Effective Legacy Serial WAN Migration Solution: As a discontinued but widely available refurbished legacy WAN module, WIC-4T delivers an affordable high-density four-serial-port hardware alternative for enterprises and service providers maintaining large-scale existing serial leased-line WAN infrastructure, avoiding costly full router hardware refresh cycles prior to complete fiber/IP-based WAN migration.

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

K9 Security Compliance Note

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms