Cisco 881G User Manual

© 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 1 of 9

Data Sheet

Cisco 880G Series 3G Wireless Integrated
Services Router

The Cisco® 880G Series Integrated Services Router with the third-generation (3G)
wireless WAN (WWAN) option provides secure high-speed wireless WAN connectivity
to small businesses, enterprise small branch offices, and teleworker sites (Figure 1).
Transparently integrated into the enterprise-class feature set available on the Cisco
880 Series, 3G wireless connectivity allows rapid installation, deployment flexibility,
and resilient WAN backup.

Product Overview

Cisco 880 Series Integrated Services Routers are the next generation of fixed-configuration routers that provide
collaborative business solutions for secure data communication to small businesses and enterprise teleworkers.
The 3G wireless option available on these routers offers a cost-effective, rapidly deployable, reliable, and secure
backup solution. With data rates approaching T1 speeds, 3G wireless can be used for primary WAN connectivity in
locations where wireline services such as DSL and ISDN are not available or are too expensive to deploy.

The Cisco 880G Series Integrated Services Routers support the latest 3G standards (High-Speed Packet Access
[HSPA] and EV-DO Rev A) and are backward-compatible with Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service
(UMTS), Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and EV-DO
Rev 0/1xRTT. The Cisco 880G Series has two variants (refer to Table 1 for part numbers):

●

Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and UMTS models are based on 3GPP, and they support
HSPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) and High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)),
UMTS, EDGE, and GPRS.

●

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) models are based on 3GPP2, and they support EV-DO Rev A/Rev 0
and 1xRTT.

In addition to 3G wireless WAN, the Cisco 880G Series offers additional WAN options such as xDSL and Fast
Ethernet WAN interface, a 4-port 10/100 Fast Ethernet managed switch with VLAN support and the latest 802.11n
WLAN capability. The Cisco 880 Series provides the performance required for concurrent services, including
firewall, intrusion prevention, content filtering, and encryption for VPNs; and quality-of-service (QoS) features for
optimizing voice and video applications. In addition, Cisco Configuration Professional is a web-based configuration
tool that simplifies setup and deployment. Centralized management capabilities give network managers visibility
and control of the network configurations at the remote site.

Businesses are looking for ways to reduce costs, increase revenue, and improve business continuity. Third­generation wireless connectivity allows a small enterprise branch office or remote office to set up in a matter of
hours, without worrying about availability of broadband services and the need for laying down the lines. Wireless
carriers offer flexible, usage-based data plans that can be catered to meet the needs and price points of the
business customer. As a WAN backup alternative, 3G wireless offers greater WAN diversity and resiliency because

© 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 9

it is independent of the local terrestrial infrastructure. It enables businesses to stay productive during service
provider downtime or a network failure.

Figure 1. Cisco 880G Series 3G Wireless Integrated Services Routers

With enhanced data rates and improved latency (below 100 milliseconds), WWAN services are an ideal way to
supplement traditional wire line services. 3G WWAN data services offered today have average data rates well in
excess of ISDN speeds, with theoretical limits in excess of 7 Mbps on the downlink and 5 Mbps on the uplink. The
3G WWAN can be use as a primary link for sites with lower bandwidth requirements and for mobile applications.
The 3G WWAN data services can also be use as a cost-effective alternative in areas where broadband services
are either not available or very expensive. Cisco is building on these performance milestones and adding support
for wireless to our wide variety of WAN interface alternatives.

Key Business Benefits

Applications

The Cisco 880G Series is ideal for deployment by small businesses, retail locations, small branch offices that are
part of a large enterprise network, and a host of other deployments that need high-speed wireless connectivity and
secure data, voice, and wireless services.

Small Remote Office

The Cisco 880G Series connects users in small remote offices, such as those for insurance agents, lawyers, or
sales, to the main office. You can use the integrated 3G wireless backup option for added reliability when the
primary broadband link fails, or as the primary connection for deployments that are portable, such as insurance
adjustment, mobile banking, and mobile retail. When connecting to the main office, VPN encryption and integrated
security features such as firewall and intrusion prevention protect the network at every perimeter. IT managers can
centrally manage the remote site to quickly troubleshoot network problems. Integrated secure unified WLAN
connectivity simplifies the deployment and management of devices at the remote site.

Virtual Office

The Cisco 880G Series is ideal for corporate teleworkers, who might have a mix of broadband connection types
such as DS, 3G and Ethernet. The Cisco 880G Series provides a secure virtual office with all the collaborative
services such as data, voice, and video. Redundant WAN links help ensure business continuity. QoS features in
the Cisco 880 Series allow an IP phone to be connected to the router, giving voice traffic precedence over data
applications. Integrated WLAN support in the Cisco 880 Series helps ensure that if wireless connectivity is to be
used, the connection will be secure. (Refer to Cisco Business-Ready Teleworker Solutions for more information,

http://www.cisco.com/go/cvo)

© 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 9

Retail VPN

Retail stores migrating from dialup connections for point-of-sale transactions can use the 3G wireless option on the
Cisco 880G Series for low-cost broadband access with the required security to comply with payment-card-industry
(PCI) and other data security requirements. Multiple devices and applications can then be added to the store
network to take advantage of the increased bandwidth and also incorporate optional WLAN support to enable
secure mobility and enhance productivity.

Managed Services

Service providers and value-added resellers can use the Cisco 880G Series as a platform to offer differentiated
business-class security and WLAN services for small to medium-sized business customers. Superior management
capabilities such as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) support with 3G MIB and Cisco Configuration
Professional make remote management and provisioning easier.

Key Features and Benefits

●

Integrated 3G WWAN broadband: With the 3G WWAN modem integrated into the router, you gain the
benefit of simplified installation and management. In addition, the Cisco 3G WWAN are tightly integrated
with Cisco integrated services routers, which run the industry-leading Cisco IOS® Software, giving you
access to all the advanced features of Cisco IOS Software such as quality of service (QoS), intelligent
network queuing, and robust security.

●

Short installation time: Businesses sometimes wait for weeks or months to get data circuits installed at
new locations. For temporary or seasonal sites, wireless data services allow instant connectivity anywhere
there is cellular coverage, and rapid deployment allows you to quickly set up networks with WAN
connectivity.

●

Network resiliency through WAN diversity: WAN connectivity is crucial to the functioning of your
business, and any downtime means a loss of productivity and lost opportunity. Staying connected and
operational during a network outage can be vital. A wireless connection for backup to a remote site provides
protection against line outages and an additional level of redundancy because the 3G WWAN infrastructure
is often served by separate facilities, providing redundancy for the entire local loop.

●

Reduced cost: The emerging 3G WWAN cellular data service plans are competitively priced with existing
wireline services (ISDN, DSL, and cable). 3G WWAN solutions also allow you to consolidate your service
providers across large geographical areas instead of having service contracts with multiple service
providers.

●

Portability: Cisco 880 with 3G WWAN can be easily relocate wherever coverage is available.

●

Performance: With increasing data usage and the proliferation of web-based applications at remote sites,
there is an increasing need for high-speed (broadband) data connections to run mission-critical applications
at these sites. 3G WWAN services promise low-latency links at speeds approaching T1 connections,
allowing you to send and receive more mission-critical data across the WAN in backup scenarios.