Cisco 8500 Series

Cisco 8500 Series is a high-performance secure routing family designed for enterprise WAN aggregation, data-center connectivity, colocation environments, and large encrypted network edges. Cisco currently markets these platforms as Cisco 8500 Series Secure Routers, combining large routing scale, hardware-accelerated encryption, Catalyst SD-WAN, and centralized management in a compact 1RU design.

Unlike branch-focused platforms, Cisco 8500 Routers are built for locations that aggregate traffic from many sites or connect high-capacity data-center and cloud networks. Choosing the correct model depends mainly on interface density, required 100G connectivity, forwarding and IPsec demand, software mode, and subscription level.

Series Highlights

• Enterprise WAN aggregation and data-center edge routing
• Up to 190 Gbps forwarding performance
• Up to 63 Gbps IPsec performance
• 10G, 40G, and 100G interface options
• Up to 10,000 IPsec tunnels
• Catalyst SD-WAN and autonomous routing support
• Extra Large platform-based licensing
• Hardware-accelerated QFP networking and cryptography

Cisco 8500 Series At a glance

What it is: High-capacity secure WAN aggregation router family

Product family: Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers

Typical use: Data centers, colocation facilities, enterprise WAN aggregation, secure interconnects, and large SD-WAN environments

Software: Cisco IOS XE

Platform class: Extra Large

License options: Routing OS Essentials, Routing Advantage, WAN Essentials, and WAN Advantage

Ordering scope: Router model, interface capacity, software mode, license tier, power, storage, optics, and support

Series Overview

Cisco currently offers two Cisco 8500 Secure Routers. C8550-G2 provides twelve 1/10GE SFP+ interfaces and supports up to 115 Gbps forwarding and 48 Gbps IPsec. C8570-G2 adds two 40GE and two 40/100GE interfaces, with up to 190 Gbps forwarding and 63 Gbps IPsec performance.

Both platforms support up to 8 million IPv4/IPv6 routes, 10,000 IPsec tunnels, 16 million NAT sessions, and 8,000 VRFs. This makes the family suitable where a central router must aggregate many branch, cloud, or data-center connections without moving to a large modular chassis.

Licensing and Part Number Guidance

C8550-G2 and C8570-G2 use Cisco’s platform-based licensing model and belong to the Extra Large platform class within the Cisco Router License category. Licensing is no longer selected by bandwidth tier; instead, the subscription follows the device class and required operating mode. Eligible licenses can also move between devices in the same platform class.

Cisco Routing OS Essentials is included with the hardware and provides fundamental routing capabilities. Routing Advantage supports more advanced traditional routing requirements, while WAN Essentials and WAN Advantage are used for SD-Routing and Catalyst SD-WAN deployments. Extra Large license PIDs include LIC-ROS-XL-A, LIC-CSWAN-XL-E, and LIC-CSWAN-XL-A.

A separate HSEC/HSECK9 entitlement is not required for the current Cisco 8000 Series Secure Router licensing model.

Common Use Cases

Models, Licenses, and Ordering Scope

What to Check Before Requesting a Quote

Start with the router’s role in the architecture. Confirm expected aggregate WAN traffic, IPsec volume, number of tunnels, routing-table scale, required 10G/40G/100G interfaces, and whether the router will operate as a traditional routing platform or Catalyst SD-WAN hub. For an existing environment, include the current router model, IOS XE release, Smart Account details, optics, power requirements, and expected growth. C8570-G2 should generally be considered when 100G interfaces or significantly higher forwarding capacity are required.

Activation and Delivery Notes

Both current models require Cisco IOS XE 17.15.4 or later and are supported with Catalyst SD-WAN Manager 20.15.4 or later. Cisco Smart Account and Virtual Account information should be available before subscription assignment. SD-WAN and SD-Routing licenses are managed through Catalyst SD-WAN Manager. From IOS XE 17.18.1a, Cisco also applies Day-0 license enforcement across the 8000 Series Secure Router family, making correct entitlement assignment important before deployment or upgrade.