Cisco VWIC3-2MFT-T1/E1 Full Official Technical Specification Document

1. Product Overview

Official Full Designation

Core Definition

• T1 mode: 24 × 64 kbps DS0 payload timeslots
• E1 mode: 32 × 64 kbps DS0 timeslots (TS0 reserved for framing synchronization)
  Administrators can arbitrarily partition DS0 timeslots per port into fractional serial WAN data channel-groups or PRI packet voice pri-groups for mixed converged voice-data transport. Packet voice media processing relies on compatible PVDM3 digital signal processor modules mounted on the ISR G2 router motherboard, which supply voice compression, echo cancellation, fax relay and VoIP call processing resourcesCisco.

SKU Naming Breakdown

1. VWIC3: 3rd-Generation Voice/WAN Interface Card, EHWIC form factor with upgraded FPGA, independent per-port clocking, and built-in Drop-and-Insert TDM switching
2. 2: Two fully independent universal physical trunk ports, each configurable as T1 or E1
3. MFT: Multiflex Trunk, flexible arbitrary DS0 timeslot partitioning enabling simultaneous mixed voice and data services on a single trunk span
4. T1/E1: Universal dual-standard trunk support; each port software-selectable between ANSI T1 (1.544 Mbps) and ITU-T E1 (2.048 Mbps) operation without hardware modification
5. =: Optional suffix for standalone spare-only VWIC spare kits (VWIC3-2MFT-T1/E1=)

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2010
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Status: Discontinued; Cisco permanently ceased production of brand-new VWIC3-2MFT-T1/E1 hardware units
• Direct Upgrade Replacement Model: NIM-2MFT-T1/E1 dual-port multiflex trunk interface modules for Cisco 4000 Series ISR 4K routers
• Minimum Supported IOS Software Version: Cisco IOS 15.0(1)M3, IOS 15.1(1)T, IOS 15.1(2)T and all subsequent mainline M/T release trains
• 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 IOS firmware images and 24×7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support remain available through authorized Cisco distribution partners

Supported Router Platform Compatibility

1. Cisco 1900 Series ISR G2: 1921, 1941, 1941W
2. Cisco 2900 Series ISR G2: 2901, 2911, 2921, 2951
3. Cisco 3900 Series ISR G2: 3925, 3925E, 3945, 3945E

Deployment Restrictions

1. EHWIC slot exclusive requirement: The card cannot be physically installed into legacy WIC/VWIC slots of 1700/2600/3600/3700 series routers due to incompatible bus architecture and connector pinout design
2. DSP hardware dependency for voice services: Packet voice PRI trunking, VoIP compression and echo cancellation functions require PVDM3 DSP modules mounted on the router motherboard; standalone VWIC3 hardware only supports pure fractional T1/E1 data connectivity without voice processing resources
3. Voice slot installation rule: Voice trunk feature activation is only supported when the VWIC3 is inserted into motherboard-attached EHWIC slots of ISR G2 routers; auxiliary EHWIC slots on separate expansion blanks do not enable voice functionality
4. Channel-group limitation: Each individual trunk port supports a maximum of two independent data channel-groups for fractional T1/E1 serial WAN applications

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

1. VWIC3-2MFT-T1/E1 base third-gen universal dual-port T1/E1 multiflex trunk EHWIC card with two independent front-panel RJ-48C balanced trunk ports and dedicated per-port carrier detect/alarm status LED indicators
2. Anti-static ESD handling storage bag
3. Quick-start hardware installation guide covering EHWIC slot insertion/removal, dual T1/E1 trunk twisted-pair cabling, IOS T1/E1 port mode switching configuration, DS0 timeslot partitioning, Drop-and-Insert TDM cross-connect setup and basic IOS fractional trunk data / PRI voice configuration examples
4. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

1. Dual Fully Independent Universal Software-Configurable Trunk Ports: Two isolated physical RJ-48C ports; each port can be toggled via IOS command line between ANSI T1 (1.544 Mbps, 24 DS0) and ITU-T E1 (2.048 Mbps, 32 DS0) operation, eliminating separate T1-only and E1-only hardware inventory for global multi-region enterprise branch deployments
2. Per-Port Independent Integrated Managed CSU/DSU Hardware: Each trunk port features fully self-contained line termination CSU/DSU logic built into the VWIC3 card, removing the requirement for costly standalone external channel service unit devices at remote branch sites, simplifying rack cabling layouts and enabling centralized IOS remote trunk line diagnostics and loopback troubleshooting without dispatching on-site field technicians
3. Native Hardware Drop-and-Insert (D&I) TDM Cross-Connect: Embedded dedicated onboard TDM switching logic enables DS0 timeslot bridging between the two trunk ports natively on the VWIC3 card. Network operators eliminate expensive standalone third-party TDM drop-and-insert multiplexers for PBX trunk bypass, carrier circuit consolidation and inter-site voice circuit bridging use cases
4. Fully Independent Per-Port Clock Domain Separation for Voice and Data: Upgraded clocking architecture allows voice trunk media traffic and fractional data WAN traffic on each port to reference completely separate independent clock sources simultaneously, eliminating clock synchronization slip errors that degrade voice call audio quality and cause data frame loss on mixed converged voice-data dual-trunk deployments
5. Flexible Arbitrary DS0 Timeslot Partitioning Per Port: Administrators can split the full set of trunk DS0 timeslots into multiple independent groups via IOS configuration: fractional T1/E1 channel-groups for HDLC/PPP/Frame Relay leased-line data links, and pri-groups for T1/E1 PRI ISDN packet voice trunking to on-site PBX and carrier PSTN central office switches
6. Comprehensive Trunk Line Diagnostic and Loopback Toolset Per Port: Native support for all standard T1/E1 framing, line coding, local/remote line loopback activation, BER bit error rate testing, and real-time trunk alarm monitoring (Loss of Signal, Out of Frame, Alarm Indication Signal, Remote Alarm Indication)
7. Motherboard PVDM3 High-Performance Echo Cancellation Compatibility: Integrates seamlessly with router motherboard PVDM3 DSP modules to deliver industry-standard high-performance echo cancellation up to 128ms echo tail length for challenging long-loop voice trunk deployments
8. Field-Upgradable Onboard FPGA Firmware: Administrators can download updated FPGA firmware images and initiate a VWIC3 module reset directly from the IOS command line interface without requiring a full router chassis power cycle, streamlining trunk line homologation compliance updates, feature patch deployments and diagnostic firmware upgrades for remote unmanned branch equipment closets with minimal service disruption
9. Full IOS Feature Integration for Data Workloads: Static/dynamic routing (RIP, EIGRP, OSPF), zone-based IOS firewall, NAT/PAT, IPSec VPN tunneling, AAA identity authentication (PAP/CHAP/MS-CHAP, RADIUS/TACACS+), QoS traffic shaping and policing for fractional T1/E1 bandwidth control
10. Full IOS Voice Feature Integration (with PVDM3 DSP hardware): VoIP call routing, industry-standard voice compression codecs (G.711, G.729a, G.726), echo cancellation, call admission control, PRI trunk dial plan configuration, T.38 fax relay support
11. SNMP MIB Monitoring Compliance: Implements RFC 1406 standard CSU/DSU MIBs for remote SNMP network monitoring of trunk line status, performance counters and fault alarms

2. Hardware & Performance Specifications

Core Dual-Port Universal T1/E1 Trunk Transmission Performance

• Configurable Trunk Standards (per individual port):
  1. T1 Mode: ANSI T1.403, total line rate 1.544 Mbps; 24 × 64 kbps DS0 payload timeslots
  2. E1 Mode: ITU-T G.703 physical layer, G.704 channelized framing, total line rate 2.048 Mbps; 32 × 64 kbps DS0 timeslots (TS0 reserved for framing synchronization)
• Supported Framing Types:
  • T1: Super Frame (SF), Extended Super Frame (ESF)
  • E1: Non-CRC4 basic framing, CRC4 double-frame standard framing
• Supported Line Coding Formats:
  • T1: AMI, B8ZS binary eight-zero substitution
  • E1: HDB3 high-density bipolar three-zero substitution
• Physical Port Connectors: Dual independent RJ-48C female front-panel balanced twisted-pair trunk ports for connection to carrier CO or PBX trunk equipment
• Integrated CSU/DSU Core Functions (per port): Line clock recovery, loss-of-signal detection, AIS/RAI alarm generation, remote loopback activation, real-time BER performance counter tracking
• Maximum Independent Data Channel-Groups: 2 separate fractional T1/E1 serial data channel-groups per trunk port
• Supported Data Link Encapsulations for Fractional Trunk Channels: HDLC, PPP, Frame Relay

Front Panel LED Indicator Definitions (Per Individual T1/E1 Port)

1. CARRIER LED: Solid green = Valid synchronized T1/E1 physical layer link established with remote carrier/PBX equipment; off = No trunk signal detected or loss-of-signal alarm active
2. ALARM LED: Solid amber = Active trunk layer fault alarm (OOF, AIS, RAI, excessive BER); off = No active trunk fault conditions

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical operating power draw under dual-port idle trunk standby mode: ~13 Watts
• Maximum full-load power consumption under dual-port full timeslot concurrent voice + data traffic plus active Drop-and-Insert TDM cross-connect: ~19 Watts
• Power Delivery: Powered exclusively through the ISR G2 router EHWIC slot backplane bus; no external power supply connectors mounted on the VWIC3 card

Thermal & Environmental Operating Parameters

• Certified Continuous Operating Temperature Range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) standard enterprise branch 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: 5% to 85% 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 ISR G2 router’s internal chassis fan assembly
• Airflow Direction: Horizontal cross airflow passing through the router chassis EHWIC expansion slot bay

Physical Form Factor & Weight

• Form Factor: Standard single-wide low-profile EHWIC modular expansion card form factor exclusively for Cisco ISR G2 router EHWIC expansion slots
• Bare VWIC3 Net Weight (without T1/E1 trunk twisted-pair cables and accessory hardware): Approximately 86 grams (3.0 oz)
• Physical Dimensions: Height 0.8 in, Width 3.1 in, Depth 4.7 in

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 ITE, EN55022 Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, ICES-003 Class A, CISPR 24, EN 61000 series immunity standards
3. Trunk Telecommunications Compliance: FCC Part 68, ANSI T1.403, ITU-T G.703/G.704, ETSI TBR21 global T1/E1 trunk loop interface certification standards
4. Environmental Directive: EU RoHS hazardous substance restriction compliance

4. Core Deployment Advantages

1. Dual High-Density Universal T1/E1 Port Design Maximizes Router Slot Utilization: Two fully isolated universal T1/E1 trunk interfaces integrated within a single EHWIC expansion slot, eliminating the need to deploy two separate VWIC3-1MFT-T1/E1 single-port cards for dual-circuit T1/E1 deployments. This design drastically reduces router EHWIC slot occupation and overall hardware capital expenditure for dual-leased-line and multi-PBX trunk branch network deployments
2. Universal Software-Switchable T1/E1 Single Hardware Flexibility: The flagship universal dual-trunk design allows network operators to deploy a single hardware model globally, software-switching each port independently between North American T1 and European/global E1 trunk modes via IOS without purchasing separate dedicated T1-only and E1-only interface cards, drastically simplifying hardware inventory management and reducing spare part stocking costs for multi-region enterprise networks
3. Third-Generation Upgraded Hardware Architecture vs Legacy VWIC/VWIC2 Generations: Delivers multiple critical performance and feature enhancements over older first and second-generation trunk cards: native Drop-and-Insert multiplexing built into the card, fully independent per-port voice/data clock domains eliminating clock slip errors, motherboard PVDM3 high-performance long-tail echo cancellation, field-upgradable onboard FPGA firmware without router reboot, and improved EHWIC bus throughput for high-density converged voice-data dual-trunk workloads
4. Per-Port Integrated CSU/DSU Eliminates External Auxiliary Hardware: Each trunk port features fully self-contained line termination CSU/DSU logic, removing the need for costly standalone external channel service unit devices at remote branch sites. This reduces branch rack equipment footprint, simplifies twisted-pair trunk cabling layouts, and enables centralized IOS remote trunk line diagnostics and loopback troubleshooting without dispatching on-site field technicians
5. Onboard Hardware Drop-and-Insert TDM Cross-Connect Eliminates External Multiplexers: Embedded dedicated TDM switching hardware enables DS0 timeslot bridging between the two trunk circuits natively on the VWIC3 card. Network operators eliminate expensive standalone third-party TDM drop-and-insert multiplexers for PBX trunk bypass, carrier circuit consolidation and inter-site voice circuit bridging use cases, further cutting branch auxiliary hardware capital expenditure
6. Independent Per-Port Voice/Data Clock Separation Mitigates Trunk Clock Slip Errors: Upgraded clocking architecture allows voice trunk media traffic and fractional data WAN traffic on each port to reference fully separate independent clock sources simultaneously, eliminating clock synchronization slip errors that degrade voice call audio quality and cause data frame loss on mixed converged voice-data dual-trunk deployments
7. Flexible Converged Multiflex Voice-and-Data Timeslot Partitioning Per Port: The multiflex trunk architecture enables fully arbitrary division of all trunk DS0 timeslots between fractional serial WAN data channel-groups and PRI packet voice trunk pri-groups on each physical trunk circuit. Enterprises avoid purchasing separate dedicated trunk lines for data internet/leased-line traffic and separate PRI trunks for PBX telephony services, drastically reducing monthly recurring carrier trunk line subscription costs for remote branch locations
8. Field-Upgradable Onboard FPGA Firmware Simplifies Remote Maintenance Operations: Administrators can download updated FPGA firmware images and initiate a VWIC3 module reset directly from the IOS command line interface without requiring a full router chassis power cycle. This streamlines trunk line homologation compliance updates, feature patch deployments and diagnostic firmware upgrades for remote unmanned branch equipment closets with minimal service disruption
9. Unified IOS Feature Suite Compatibility for All Voice and Data Workloads: The VWIC3-2MFT-T1/E1 is fully integrated with the complete suite of core Cisco IOS routing, security, VPN, QoS, firewall and enterprise telephony feature sets. All fractional trunk WAN data and T1/E1 PRI VoIP voice trunk configurations are managed through a single consistent IOS command-line interface, eliminating separate disjointed management systems for data network and PBX telephony infrastructure at branch locations
10. 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 hardware failure risks and enabling stable 24/7 continuous unattended operation in remote unmanned branch equipment closets with minimal long-term on-site maintenance requirements. Low idle and full-load power consumption reduces overall router chassis energy draw and enterprise branch site cooling operational energy costs

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

K9 Security Compliance Note

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms