Cisco NIM-2GE-CU-SFP Full Official Technical Specification Document

1. Product Overview

Official Full Designation

Core Definition

SKU Naming Breakdown

1. NIM: Network Interface Module, standard single-wide expansion form factor exclusive to Cisco ISR 4000 Series routers
2. 2GE: Two independent groups of Gigabit Ethernet routed interfaces
3. CU: Combo Universal dual-media interface design (RJ45 copper port paired with SFP fiber slot per port group)
4. SFP: Supports hot-pluggable Small Form-Factor Pluggable Gigabit transceivers compliant with SFP MSA standards
5. =: Standard spare part suffix for brand-new standalone replacement kits (NIM-2GE-CU-SFP=)
6. -RF: Cisco Refresh certified refurbished spare SKU variant (NIM-2GE-CU-SFP-RF)

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2015
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Status: Discontinued; Cisco permanently ceased production of brand-new NIM-2GE-CU-SFP hardware units
• Direct Upgrade Replacement Models: Next-generation C-NIM Ethernet modules for Catalyst 8000 edge routers, NIM-4GE-CU-SFP four-port combo Gigabit NIM for high-density multi-WAN branch deployments
• Minimum Supported IOS XE Software Version: Cisco IOS XE Release 3.15S or later; Catalyst 8200/8300 edge routers utilize separate C-NIM hardware and are incompatible with this ISR 4000 NIM model
• Software Maintenance Status: Only critical security vulnerability patches are released for customers holding active Cisco DNA Services contracts; no new Ethernet interface feature enhancements will be developed
• Legacy Status: End-of-sale legacy hardware; certified refurbished spare modules, validated IOS XE firmware images and 24×7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support remain available through authorized Cisco distribution partners

Supported Router Platform Compatibility

1. Cisco ISR 4300 Series: ISR4321, ISR4331, ISR4351
2. Cisco ISR 4400 Series: ISR4431, ISR4451, ISR4451-X, ISR4461

Deployment Restrictions

1. OIR operational requirement: Online Insertion and Removal hot-swap functionality operates fully only when the router runs the minimum required IOS XE release (3.15S or newer); older IOS XE versions require a full chassis power cycle for module installation or replacement.
2. Mutually exclusive media ports per group: Each RJ45 copper port and its paired SFP fiber slot cannot operate simultaneously; administrators must manually select the active media interface per port group via IOS XE CLI configuration.
3. No PoE capability: This module does not support IEEE 802.3af/at Power over Ethernet; it cannot supply power to IP phones, wireless access points or other PoE-powered end devices.
4. Layer 3 routed-only limitation: No internal Layer 2 switching between any of the four onboard interfaces (2×RJ45, 2×SFP); all traffic passing through this NIM must be fully processed by the host router’s main Layer 3 forwarding plane.
5. Thermal field notice caveat: Certain early hardware revisions of the NIM-2GE-CU-SFP exhibited overheating risks under full line-rate traffic load, potentially causing packet loss or module offline faults; Cisco issued Field Notice FN-64096 for affected units with hardware replacement programs available through authorized support channelsCisco.
6. Minimum platform memory requirements: The host ISR 4000 router must have a minimum of 16MB onboard flash memory to fully support this NIM module’s complete feature set.

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

1. NIM-2GE-CU-SFP dual-combo Gigabit Ethernet NIM expansion card with front-panel dual RJ45 copper ports, dual SFP transceiver slots and dedicated status LED indicators for each port group plus a global module enable LED
2. Anti-static ESD handling storage bag and protective foam packaging
3. Quick-start hardware installation guide covering ESD static protection protocols, NIM slot OIR insertion/removal procedures, CAT5e/6 copper cabling specifications, Cisco-certified SFP transceiver compatibility rules and IOS XE active media port selection configuration command examples
4. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

1. Dual Independent Combo Gigabit Ethernet Media Port Groups: Single module delivers two fully separated routed Gigabit WAN connections, each with dual-media flexibility. Every port group includes an auto-sensing 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 copper port and a hot-pluggable SFP slot compatible with all Cisco-qualified 1000BASE-X SFP transceivers (GLC-SX-MMD multimode fiber, GLC-LH-SMD single-mode fiber, GLC-T copper SFP). Network administrators select the active media interface per port group independently via IOS XE software to match site copper or fiber cabling infrastructure, enabling dual redundant WAN links with mixed media types (one copper internet link + one fiber private line) on a single NIM slot.
2. Full IEEE Gigabit Ethernet Standard Compliance: Native hardware support for IEEE 802.3ab (1000BASE-T copper), IEEE 802.3z (1000BASE-X fiber), IEEE 802.3x full-duplex flow control, IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging and trunking for multi-VLAN WAN transport, plus Auto-MDIX automatic cable polarity correction for RJ45 copper ports.
3. Complete Layer 3 WAN Feature Parity: Full functional parity with the ISR 4000 router’s built-in embedded Gigabit WAN ports, supporting all core enterprise edge routing and security workloads: static/dynamic IP routing (RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, BGP), policy-based routing (PBR), NAT/PAT address translation, zone-based IOS firewall, IPSec site-to-site VPN tunneling, GRE/VXLAN overlay encapsulation for SD-WAN deployments, differentiated services QoS traffic prioritization and LLQ low-latency queuing for voice and video media streams.
4. OIR Hot-Swap Maintenance Support: Compliant with Cisco Online Insertion and Removal specifications, enabling field technicians to replace or upgrade the NIM combo Gigabit module without powering down the entire ISR 4000 router chassis, minimizing enterprise dual-WAN service outage windows during hardware failure replacement or capacity expansion maintenance operations.
5. Hardware Packet Processing Offload Capabilities: Integrated Ethernet controller supports IPv4/IPv6 header checksum offload, TCP/UDP segmentation offload and hardware-assisted IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tag insertion/removal to reduce forwarding CPU utilization on the host router, maintaining consistent line-rate Gigabit forwarding throughput under high dual-WAN mixed traffic load.
6. Comprehensive Interface Diagnostics & Real-Time Monitoring Toolset: Built-in IOS XE diagnostic suite for Ethernet link troubleshooting: real-time link up/down status reporting, bidirectional ingress/egress traffic counter statistics, error frame logging (CRC, alignment, collision errors), copper cable length detection and link quality monitoring for RJ45 ports, plus SFP transceiver Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) support for fiber links to track real-time transmit/receive optical power, module temperature and supply voltage telemetry metrics.
7. SNMP MIB Remote Network Monitoring Support: Implements standard Cisco Ethernet interface SNMP MIBs for remote network monitoring of NIM module hardware operational status, physical link up/down state for all four interfaces, aggregate ingress/egress dual-WAN throughput statistics, packet error counters, SFP DOM optical telemetry and hardware fault alarm reporting, with SNMP trap generation triggered for all critical link failure and module hardware fault conditions.

2. Hardware & Performance Specifications

Core Gigabit Ethernet Interface Technical Specifications

RJ45 Copper Port (10/100/1000BASE-T)

• Auto-negotiation: Automatic speed and duplex detection (10M/100M/1000M, half/full duplex)
• Auto-MDIX: Automatic cable polarity correction, eliminating cross-over cable requirements
• Cabling requirement: Category 5e, Category 6 or Category 6a UTP/STP copper twisted-pair cable
• Maximum copper cable transmission distance: 100 meters (328 feet)
• Connector type: Standard 8P8C RJ45 female port
• Surge protection: 1500V isolation against power surges, compliant with IEC 61000-4-5 surge immunity standards

SFP Fiber/Copper Slot (1000BASE-X)

• Transceiver compatibility: All Cisco-qualified Gigabit SFP transceivers (GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-LH-SMD, GLC-ZX-SMD, GLC-T copper SFP)
• SFP mechanical interface: LC duplex fiber connector for optical transceivers
• Hot-plug capability: SFP transceivers can be inserted or removed without powering off the NIM module or host router chassis
• Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM): Native support for real-time SFP optical power, module temperature and supply voltage telemetry accessible via IOS XE CLI

Universal Layer 3 Routing Performance Metrics

• Maximum line-rate throughput per port: Full 1Gbps bidirectional non-oversubscribed Gigabit Ethernet forwarding per independent port group
• Hardware offload processing: IPv4/IPv6 header checksum offload, TCP segmentation offload, IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tag insertion/removal
• Supported WAN encapsulations: Raw IP, 802.1Q VLAN trunking, GRE, VXLAN, IPSec tunnel mode
• Supported QoS mechanisms: Class-based weighted fair queuing (CBWFQ), low-latency queuing (LLQ), weighted random early detection (WRED), DSCP/802.1p marking and re-marking

Front Panel LED Indicator Definitions

1. EN LED (Global Module Hardware Status)
   • Off: No power supplied to the NIM module, improperly seated module or critical hardware failure rendering the module non-functional
   • Solid Green: NIM module powered, detected and fully operational; all Ethernet controller hardware and port groups online and available for traffic forwarding
   • Blinking Green: Module undergoing IOS XE hardware initialization during router boot sequence
   • Solid Amber: NIM hardware fault detected, or active port group link failure alarm triggered
2. RJ45-0 LINK/ACT LED (First Port Group Copper Port)
   • Off: No valid copper link detected, no connected remote network device or copper cable fault
   • Solid Green: Stable full-duplex Gigabit copper link established with remote switch/end device
   • Blinking Green: Active bidirectional data traffic transmitting/receiving over this copper port link
3. SFP-0 LINK/ACT LED (First Port Group SFP Slot)
   • Off: No SFP transceiver inserted, no valid fiber optical link or optical signal loss detected
   • Solid Green: Stable Gigabit fiber link established between local SFP transceiver and remote optical network equipment
   • Blinking Green: Active bidirectional data traffic transmitting/receiving over this fiber SFP link
4. RJ45-1 LINK/ACT LED (Second Port Group Copper Port)
   • Off: No valid copper link detected, no connected remote network device or copper cable fault
   • Solid Green: Stable full-duplex Gigabit copper link established with remote switch/end device
   • Blinking Green: Active bidirectional data traffic transmitting/receiving over this copper port link
5. SFP-1 LINK/ACT LED (Second Port Group SFP Slot)
   • Off: No SFP transceiver inserted, no valid fiber optical link or optical signal loss detected
   • Solid Green: Stable Gigabit fiber link established between local SFP transceiver and remote optical network equipment
   • Blinking Green: Active bidirectional data traffic transmitting/receiving over this fiber SFP link

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical operating power draw under medium dual-WAN mixed Gigabit traffic load (one active media port per port group): ~5.8 Watts typical total module power dissipation
• Maximum full-load power consumption at simultaneous 1Gbps line-rate bidirectional traffic on both active port groups, with SFP DOM monitoring continuously enabled: ≤7.0 Watts maximum full-load thermal dissipation
• Power Delivery: Powered exclusively through the ISR 4000 router chassis NIM slot internal backplane bus; no external power supply connectors mounted on the NIM module hardware

Thermal & Environmental Operating Parameters

• Certified Continuous Operating Temperature Range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) standard enterprise branch datacenter equipment room environment
• Extended Short-Term Operating Temperature Range: -5°C to 70°C (23°F to 158°F) for commercial wide-temperature deployments
• Non-operating Storage Temperature Range: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F)
• Operating Relative Humidity: 10% to 85% RH, non-condensing operating environment
• Storage Relative Humidity: 5% to 95% RH, non-condensing non-operating storage
• 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 thermal dissipation architecture with integrated aluminum heatsink, no onboard rotating cooling fans; cooling airflow supplied by the host ISR 4000 router’s internal chassis fan assembly
• Airflow Direction: Horizontal chassis airflow passing over the NIM module PCB and integrated heatsink for continuous thermal dissipation under dual-port full Gigabit line-rate traffic load

Physical Form Factor & Weight

• Form Factor: Standard single-wide NIM network interface module expansion card form factor, designed exclusively for NIM dedicated expansion slots of Cisco ISR 4300/4400 Series multiservice integrated services routers
• Bare NIM Module Net Weight (without SFP transceivers, copper twisted-pair cables and accessory packaging): Approximately 270 grams (0.27 kg)
• Physical Dimensions (H × W × D): 32 × 89 × 184 mm (1.25 × 3.50 × 7.24 inches)

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 electromagnetic immunity standards
3. Ethernet & Optical Transceiver Compliance: IEEE 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3z, SFP MSA Multi-Source Agreement specification for hot-pluggable Gigabit transceivers
4. Environmental Directive: EU RoHS hazardous substance restriction compliance, WEEE electronic waste recycling directive compliant

4. Core Deployment Advantages

1. Dual Independent Combo Port Group Architecture Delivers Maximum WAN Deployment Flexibility: The NIM-2GE-CU-SFP integrates two fully separated Gigabit port groups with dual-media copper/fiber options on a single NIM expansion slot, eliminating the need to deploy two separate single-port NIM-1GE-CU-SFP modules for dual redundant WAN link architectures. Network operators can independently select copper or fiber media for each WAN link, supporting mixed-media redundant deployments such as a CAT5e copper internet broadband link paired with a single-mode fiber private Metro Ethernet line, drastically reducing hardware SKU inventory overhead and spare part stocking costs for global multi-site enterprise branch networks while conserving limited router chassis NIM expansion slot resources.
2. Complete Layer 3 WAN Feature Parity Matches Native Router Embedded Ports: This dual-combo Gigabit NIM module provides full functional parity with the ISR 4000 router’s built-in Gigabit WAN interfaces, supporting all critical enterprise edge routing, security, VPN and SD-WAN workloads without feature limitations. Enterprises can deploy two independent high-speed routed WAN links for redundant internet access, multi-carrier private line interconnection, SD-WAN overlay transport and multi-segment inter-VLAN core routing, fully extending the router’s native edge networking capabilities without performance compromises or missing advanced feature support.
3. OIR Hot-Swap Support Minimizes Dual-WAN Enterprise Branch Maintenance Downtime: Native Online Insertion and Removal hot-swap functionality allows field technicians to replace or upgrade the NIM dual-combo Gigabit module without powering down the entire ISR 4000 router chassis. This eliminates extended branch dual-WAN internet and private line service outages required for full chassis power cycles during hardware failure replacement or capacity expansion maintenance operations, drastically improving business-critical enterprise internet, SD-WAN and inter-site private line network availability for distributed multi-WAN branch deployments.
4. Integrated Hardware Packet Processing Offload Reduces Host Router CPU Utilization: Built-in Ethernet controller hardware accelerates IPv4/IPv6 checksum validation, TCP segmentation and VLAN tag insertion/removal, offloading resource-intensive packet manipulation tasks from the host router’s main route processor CPU. This preserves valuable CPU processing capacity for critical core enterprise network workloads including dynamic IP routing, stateful zone-based firewall inspection, NAT/PAT address translation, IPSec VPN encryption and SD-WAN overlay orchestration, preventing high-volume dual-port Gigabit WAN traffic from starving other essential data network services of CPU resources.
5. Passive Fanless Thermal Heatsink Design Delivers High Long-Term Hardware Reliability and Low Maintenance Costs: The NIM-2GE-CU-SFP module utilizes a fully passive thermal dissipation architecture with a solid integrated aluminum heatsink, containing no onboard rotating cooling fans. This eliminates all mechanical hardware failure risks associated with fan motor wear, dust accumulation, fan power supply faults and fan blockages, enabling stable 24/7 continuous unattended operation in remote unmanned enterprise branch datacenter equipment closets, retail store IT rooms and off-grid branch office locations 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 over multi-year hardware service lifecycles.
6. Unified IOS XE Feature Suite Compatibility for All Converged Dual-WAN Branch Workloads: The NIM-2GE-CU-SFP dual-combo Gigabit Ethernet module natively integrates with the complete portfolio of core Cisco IOS XE enterprise edge router features: IP routing, stateful zone-based firewall, NAT/PAT address translation, IPSec site-to-site VPN tunneling, SD-WAN overlay encapsulation, differentiated services QoS traffic prioritization, ACL security filtering, AAA user authentication and encrypted remote network management. All Gigabit WAN interface configuration, active media port selection per group, VLAN trunking, QoS policy and security rule management is centralized within a single consistent IOS XE command-line interface, eliminating disjointed separate management systems for branch data routing and multi-WAN transport infrastructure.

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

K9 Security Compliance Note

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms