Cisco HWIC-4T Full Official Product Description
1. Part Number & Naming Definition
Official Full Name
Cisco 4-Port Synchronous / Asynchronous Serial High-Speed WAN Interface Card
Spare SKU:HWIC-4T=
Naming Breakdown
-
HWIC: High-Speed WAN Interface Card
-
4T: Four synchronous/asynchronous serial ports
Core Product Positioning
The Cisco HWIC-4T is a pluggable high-density serial WAN interface card designed for Cisco Integrated Services Routers. It delivers four independent serial interfaces to terminate leased-line WAN services, legacy industrial communication circuits, backup inter-site connections and SNA/SDLC mainframe links. Built on the enhanced HWIC bus architecture, it offers improved throughput compared to legacy WIC modules. Multiple physical serial standards are supported by deploying separate Smart Serial cables, delivering flexible connectivity for hybrid modern and legacy network environments.
2. Hardware Compatibility & Supported IOS Releases
Supported Router Platforms
-
Cisco 2800 Series: 2801, 2811, 2821, 2851
-
Cisco 2900 Series: 2901, 2911, 2921, 2951
-
Cisco 3800 Series: 3825, 3845
-
Cisco 3900 Series: 3925, 3945
Unsupported Platforms
1700/2600/3600 legacy ISR routers, Cisco 1841, ISR 4000/9000 series, Catalyst Ethernet switches
Supported IOS Firmware
Minimum IOS Release: 12.4(11)T; Fully validated releases: 12.4T, 15.0, 15.1, 15.2(4)M and subsequent mainline IOS versions
3. Physical & Electrical Technical Specifications
Form Factor
Single-wide HWIC plug-in module, occupies one HWIC expansion slot on host router
Front Panel Interfaces
-
4 × DB-60 Smart Serial connectors
-
Independent LINK status LED indicators for each serial port
Port Speed Performance
-
Synchronous mode: Up to 8 Mbps per port
-
Asynchronous mode: Up to 230.4 kbps per port
Supported Serial Electrical Standards
Compatible with Smart Serial cables to support: V.35, EIA/TIA-232, EIA/TIA-449, EIA/TIA-530, EIA/TIA-530A, X.21
Clock Operation
Configurable DTE or DCE clock mode; clock source determined by cable type and router IOS configuration
Power Consumption
Typical power draw: 7.0 W
Environmental Operating Parameters
-
Operating temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32°F – 104°F)
-
Storage temperature: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F – 158°F)
-
Relative Humidity: 5% – 85% non-condensing
4. Key Protocol & Networking Feature Set
WAN Data Link Encapsulations
HDLC, PPP, Multilink PPP, Frame Relay, LAPB, SDLC, Bisync, X.25 for mainframe and industrial legacy workloads
Routing Protocols
Static routing, RIP, EIGRP, OSPF operable over serial interfaces
Traffic & Diagnostic Functions
Interface keepalives, traffic policing and shaping, serial QoS queuing, local loopback testing, BERT bit error rate testing
Management Capabilities
Real-time interface statistics, syslog event reporting, SNMP monitoring, full IOS CLI configuration access
5. Typical Enterprise Deployment Use Cases
-
Multi-circuit serial leased-line aggregation connecting headquarters and multiple remote branch offices
-
Redundant backup WAN links for enterprise internet and inter-site disaster recovery architecture
-
Industrial communication infrastructure for power substations and factory automation control systems
-
Legacy IBM mainframe SNA/SDLC protocol aggregation and access
-
Metro-area point-to-point Frame Relay service multi-circuit termination
6. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications
-
Safety Standards: UL 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No.60950-1, IEC/EN 60950-1
-
EMC & EMI Compliance: CE Mark, FCC Part 15 Class A, ICES-003 Class A, VCCI Class A, EN 61000 series
-
Environmental Directives: EU RoHS 2.0 compliant, EU WEEE compliant
7. Standard Factory Package Contents
-
Cisco HWIC-4T four-port serial HWIC module
-
Hardware installation guide
-
Safety and regulatory documentation
Important Note: Smart Serial interface cables are sold separately and not included.
End-of-Life Status Note
Cisco HWIC-4T has reached Cisco End-of-Sale (EoS). Official Cisco firmware maintenance and new hardware production are discontinued. Recommended migration replacement: NIM-4T for ISR 4000 series routers.
UNSPSC Classification Code
43222608 – Cisco HWIC-4T four-port synchronous/asynchronous serial High-Speed WAN Interface Card for Cisco ISR 2800/2900/3800/3900 integrated services routers, supporting multiple serial physical standards, HDLC/PPP/Frame Relay encapsulations for multi-circuit leased-line WAN, industrial and legacy serial networking deployments.
Standard Hardware Warranty
Brand-new modules include a 1-year limited factory hardware warranty covering manufacturing defects. Refurbished inventory follows supplier warranty terms.
|
