Cisco WIC-1B-S/T Full Official Technical Specification Document

1. Product Overview

Official Full Designation

Core Definition

SKU Naming Breakdown

1. WIC: WAN Interface Card, modular expansion slot adapter for Cisco Integrated Services Routers
2. 1: Single integrated ISDN BRI port on the card
3. B: BRI, ISDN Basic Rate Interface standard
4. S/T: S/T bus two-wire user-side ISDN interface (requires external NT1)
5. =: Optional suffix for standalone spare-only WIC spare kits (WIC-1B-S/T=)

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2002
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Status: Discontinued; Cisco permanently halted production of brand-new WIC-1B-S/T hardware units
• Direct Upgrade Replacement Models: WIC-1B-S/T-V2, WIC-1B-S/T-V3 enhanced ISDN BRI S/T WICs
• Minimum Supported IOS Software Version: Cisco IOS Release 11.3(2)XA, 12.0, 12.0T, 12.1, 12.1T, 12.2 mainline IOS releases; limited support in early 12.2T trainsCisco
• 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 1600 Series (excludes 1603 and 1604 base chassis, incompatible)
2. Cisco 1700 Series (1720, 1750, 1760)
3. Cisco 2600 Series (2610, 2611, 2620, 2621, 2650, 2651, 2600XM, 2691)
4. Cisco 3600 Series Multiservice Routers (3620, 3640, 3660, 3631)
5. Cisco 3700 Series (3725, 3745)

Deployment Restrictions

1. No certified hot-swap capability: Power cycling the entire router chassis is mandatory for safe installation or replacement; live removal causes immediate ISDN interface outages and persistent IOS logging errors.
2. Mandatory external NT1 device: Cannot directly connect to carrier ISDN lines without a standalone NT1 termination unit; WIC-1B-U with built-in NT1 is used for regions eliminating external NT1 hardware requirements.
3. Network module slot compatibility only: May only be installed into W0 or W1 WIC sub-slots of mixed-media Ethernet/WIC network modules (NM-1E2W, NM-2E2W, NM-1E1R2W). Cannot coexist with WIC36-1B-S/T within the same network module, though separate network modules in one chassis may each carry one WIC-1B-S/T cardCisco.
4. Low-end router exclusion: Not supported on Cisco 1603 and 1604 base 1600-series routers.

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

1. WIC-1B-S/T base single-port ISDN BRI S/T WAN interface card with front-panel RJ-45 (RJ-48C) ISDN port and dedicated channel status LED indicators
2. Anti-static ESD handling storage bag
3. Quick-start hardware installation guide covering WIC slot insertion, removal, external NT1 wiring layout, ISDN BRI cabling pinouts and basic IOS ISDN dialer backup configuration examples
4. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

• Single ISDN BRI S/T two-wire user-side interface, requiring external NT1 termination hardware to terminate carrier ISDN copper loops
• Standard BRI channel architecture: 2×64 kbps bearer (B) channels for bidirectional user voice/data transmission, 1×16 kbps data (D) channel for ISDN Q.921/Q.931 call signaling
• Full ISDN protocol stack support: Q.921 Layer 2 framing, Q.931 Layer 3 call control, HDLC, PPP, ML-PPP multilink bundling for aggregated B-channel bandwidth
• Converged voice-data workload support: Simultaneous VoIP voice trunking (ISDN voice dial) and IP data routing over the same BRI circuit, compatible with Cisco IOS voice feature sets
• ISDN dial backup core functionality: IOS dialer watch, backup interface and floating static routing mechanisms to automatically activate ISDN dial connectivity when primary Ethernet, DSL or serial leased-line WAN links experience failure
• Out-of-band remote router management: Establish dial-in IP sessions via Telnet, SSH or reverse SSH over the ISDN circuit to remotely configure, troubleshoot or reboot branch routers during complete LAN/WAN primary link outages
• Low-density dial-in remote access server (RAS) capability: Support dual-B-channel simultaneous dial-in user sessions for remote employee access to branch internal IP subnets via PPP / PAP / CHAP authentication
• Full IOS feature integration: Static/dynamic routing (RIP, EIGRP, OSPF), IOS zone-based firewall, NAT/PAT, IPSec VPN tunneling, AAA identity authentication (PAP/CHAP/MS-CHAP, RADIUS/TACACS+), dialer ACL traffic filtering, QoS traffic classification and marking
• Leased-line ISDN support: Operate in permanent ISDN leased-line mode for always-on low-bandwidth inter-site data connectivity, alongside switched dial-on-demand routing (DDR)

2. Hardware & Performance Specifications

Core ISDN BRI Transmission Performance

• Interface Standard: ITU-T ISDN BRI S/T bus two-wire user-side interface
• Channel Composition: 2×64 kbps B-channels, 1×16 kbps D-channel
• Maximum Aggregate Throughput: 128 kbps bidirectional when both B-channels are bundled via ML-PPP multilink
• Supported ISDN Signaling Protocols: Q.921, Q.931, ETSI ISDN switch types, AT&T, Nortel, National ISDN variants
• Link Layer Encapsulations: HDLC, PPP, Multilink PPP (ML-PPP), Frame Relay over ISDN
• Physical Port Connector: RJ-45 / RJ-48C front-panel port for ISDN S/T bus cabling

Front Panel LED Indicator Definitions

1. B1 LED: Solid green = B-channel 1 active link; blinking green = data transmit/receive activity on B1
2. B2 LED: Solid green = B-channel 2 active link; blinking green = data transmit/receive activity on B2
3. D LED: Solid green = D-channel signaling layer synchronized with ISDN switch; blinking green = active call signaling traffic

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical operating power draw under idle standby mode: ~9 Watts
• Maximum full-load power consumption under dual-B-channel continuous data transmission: ~14 Watts
• Power Delivery: Powered exclusively through the router chassis network module 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 compatible with W0/W1 sub-slots of supported mixed-media network modules
• Bare WIC Net Weight (without ISDN line cords and accessory hardware): Approximately 68 grams (2.4 oz)
• Physical Dimensions: Height 0.8 in, Width 3.1 in, Depth 4.4 in

3. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications

1. Safety Standards: UL 1950, 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 B, VCCI Class A, EN55022 Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, ICES003 Class A
3. ISDN Telecommunications Compliance: FCC Part 68, ETSI TBR3, global country-specific ISDN loop interface certification standards
4. Environmental Directive: EU RoHS hazardous substance restriction compliance

4. Core Deployment Advantages

1. Dedicated ISDN BRI S/T Bus Interface for Global Deployments: The S/T bus design caters to regions requiring separate external NT1 termination hardware, offering flexible ISDN deployment options alongside U-interface WIC-1B-U cards with integrated NT1 chips. Network operators may select the appropriate card variant matching local telecom infrastructure standards.
2. Dual B-Channel Bandwidth Aggregation via ML-PPP Multilink Bundling: The two independent 64 kbps B-channels support multilink PPP bundling to combine bandwidth up to 128 kbps bidirectional throughput, enabling higher-speed inter-site data transmission for branch office backup connectivity.
3. Converged Voice-and-Data Single-Circuit Operation: The ISDN BRI interface simultaneously supports real-time VoIP voice trunking and IP routing data services over a single ISDN line, eliminating the need for separate telephone and data circuits and reducing monthly telecom subscription costs for remote unmanned branch sites.
4. Automated ISDN Dial Backup for Mission-Critical Branch Network Uptime: Natively integrated with Cisco IOS dialer backup and DDR dial-on-demand routing features, the WIC-1B-S/T triggers fully automatic ISDN dial connectivity without manual administrator intervention when primary Ethernet, DSL or serial leased-line links fail, ensuring uninterrupted remote access to critical branch internal business systems during outages.
5. Independent ISDN Out-of-Band Remote Router Troubleshooting and Administration: The ISDN dial-up interface provides isolated out-of-band management access fully separated from the primary data network. Network engineers can dial into the router remotely via SSH/Telnet to diagnose faults, adjust configurations or reboot unresponsive branch devices even when all primary LAN and WAN connectivity is completely lost.
6. Fanless Passive Cooling High-Reliability Low-Maintenance Architecture: The card utilizes a fanless passive heat dissipation design with zero moving mechanical fan components, eliminating mechanical failure risks and enabling stable 24/7 continuous unattended operation in remote unmanned equipment closets with minimal long-term maintenance requirements. Low power consumption reduces overall router energy draw and site cooling operational costs.

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

K9 Security Compliance Note

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms