Last updated September 19th 2008

Portable Product Sheets Routing Performance

Router Switching Performance in Packets Per Second (PPS)
Numbers are given with 64 byte packet size, IP only, and are only an indication of raw switching performance.
These are testing numbers, usually with FE to FE or POS to POS, no services enabled. As you add ACL's,
encryption, compression, etc - performance will decline significantly from the given numbers, unless it is a
hardware-assisted platform, such as the 7600 or 12000, which process QoS, ACL's, and other features in
hardware (or when a hardware assist is installed, for instance an AIM-VPN in a 3745 will offload the encryption
from the CPU). Every situation is different - please simulate the true environment to get applicable performance
values.
Knowing the performance for a specific router platform is not a good indication of how well a specific feature will
perform. If a feature is supported in the CEF path, for instance, and we know the feature-free CEF throughput in a
specific configuration, then we only know the platform's "never-to-exceed" performance but we do not know the
actual performance of any given feature, which will always be less.
All numbers are for IP packets only - no IPX/AT/DEC, etc. - Mbps calculated by pps * 64bytes * 8bits/byte; except
for 12000 (Engines 0, 1, 2, 3 & 5) where these numbers represent the maximum mbps forwarding rates when packets are
greater than 64 bytes. Please see inserted comments in this field.

Table 1. Router Performance Matrix

Process Switching

Fast/CEF Switching

Platform

EOS?
PPS

801,805
806
830
850
860
870
880
14xx
160x(-R)
1701
1710
1711-1712
1720
1721
1750
1751
1760
ISR 1801-1812
ISR 1841
ISR 1861
2500
261X
262X

Mbps

PPS

Mbps

7,000
8,500
10,000
25,000
25,000
50,000
4,000
4,000
12,000
7,000
13,500
8,500
12,000
8,500
12,000
16,00
70,000
75,000
146,142
4,400
15,000
25,000

0.51
3.58
4.35
5.12
12.80
12.80
25.60
2.05
2.05
6.14
3.58
6.91
4.35
6.14
4.35
6.14
8.19
35.84
38.40
74.82
2.25
7.68
12.80

1,000

600
600
1,700
1,300
1,700
1,400
1,700
1,400
1,500
1,700

0.3072
0.3072
0.8704
0.6656
0.8704
0.7168
0.8704
0.7168
0.768
0.8704

800
1,500
1,500

0.4096
0.768
0.768

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15-Apr-07
No
5-Jul-06
No
No
No
No
31-Aug-00
28-Feb-03
27-Mar-07
30-Jul-04
27-Mar-07
1-Aug-03
27-Mar-07
31-May-02
27-Mar-07
27-Mar-07
No
No
No
30-Apr-02
26-Apr-03
26-Apr-03

Process Switching

Fast/CEF Switching

Platform

EOS?
Mbps

PPS

Mbps

1.024
0.768
0.768
1.024
3.7888
1.536
1.536
5.888
7.68
1.024
2.048
6.144
2.048

37,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
70,000
90,000
120,000
170,000
220,000
20,000 40,000
50,000 70,000
100 - 120,000
50 70,000
100 120,000
225 250,000
8,000
15,000
350,000
500,000
15,000
14,000
45,000
75,000
175,000
300,000
100,000
150,000
177,848
200,000
233,170
353,000
420,000
1,018,000
2,000,000

18.94
10.24
15.36
20.48
35.84
46.08
61.44
87.04
112.64
10 - 20
25.6 36
51.2 61.4
25.6 36
51.2 61.4
115.2 128
4.10
7.68
179.20
256.00
7.68
7.17
23.04
38.40
89.60
153.60
51.20
76.80
91.06
102.40
119.38
180.74
215.04
521.22
1,024.00

26-Apr-03
27-Mar-07
27-Mar-07
27-Mar-07
27-Mar-07
No
No
No
No
31-Dec-03
31-Dec-03
31-Dec-03
2-Aug-04
27-Mar-07
27-Mar-07
14-Dec-01
13-Dec-02
No
No
No
10-Jul-98
25-Nov-00
25-Nov-00
30-Nov-01
30-Nov-01
30-Apr-00
30-Apr-00
15-Jul-00
1-Jan-02
23-Jul-07
31-Dec-01
No
No
No

300,000(RP)

153.6

2-Mar-04

7304-NSE-100

3,500,000(PXF)
450,000(RP)

1,792
230.4

31-Mar-08

7304-NSE-150

3,500,000(PXF)
800,000(RP)
1,099,000
1,018,000

1,792
409.6
562.69
521.22

No

265X
261X(XM)
262X(XM)
265X(XM)
2691
ISR 2801
ISR 2811
ISR 2821
ISR 2851
3620
3640/3640A
3660
3631
3725
3745
MC3810
MC3810-V3
ISR 3825
ISR 3845
IAD2400
4000
4500
4700
7120
7140
7200-NPE100
7200-NPE150
7200-NPE175
7200-NPE200
7200-NPE225
7200-NPE300
7200-NPE400
7200-NPE-G1
7200-NPE-G2
7200-NSE-1

7304-NPE-G100
7301

PPS

2,000
1,500
1,500
2,000
7,400
3,000
3,000
11,500
15,000
2,000
4,000
12,000
4,000

2,000
3,000
25,000
35,000
3,000
1,800
3,500
4,600
13,000
20,000
7,000
10,000
9,000
13,000
13,000
20,000
20,000
79,000

1.024
1.536
12.8
17.92
1.536
0.9216
1.792
2.3552
6.656
10.24
3.584
5.12
4.608
6.656
6.656
10.24
10.24
40.448

20,000

10.24

79,000

40.448

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No
No

Process Switching

Fast/CEF Switching

Platform

EOS?

7401
7000-RP
7500-RSP2
7500-RSP4/4+
7500-RSP8
7500-RSP16
7500-VIP2/40
7500-VIP2/50
7500-VIP4/50
7500-VIP4/80
7500-VIP6/80
7600-MSFC2(Sup2)

PPS

20,000

Mbps

PPS

Mbps

10.24

300,000
(Also has PXF)
30,000
220,000
345,000
470,000
530,000
60,000 95,000
90,000 140,000
90,000 140,000
140,000 210,000
140,000 219,000
30,000,000 for central
forwarding of non-DFC traffic 15,000,000 for central
forwarding on non-DFC traffic
2
with classic line cards
15,000,0002
30,000,000 for central
forwarding of non-DFC traffic
15,000,000 for central
forwarding on non-DFC traffic
with classic line cards2
15,000,000 per slot2
24,000,000 per slot2
24,000,000 per slot2
48,000,000 per slot2
2,800,000 (Also has 2xPXF)
6,200,000 (Also has a 4xPXF)
9,500,000 (Also has a 4xPXF)
2,000,000 (Also has a 2xPXF)
400,000
700,000
4,000,000
4,000,000
25,000,000
16,000,000
50,000,000
80,000,000

153.6

30-Dec-04

15.36
112.64
176.64
240.64
271.36
30.7 48.6
46.1 71.7
46.1 71.7
71.7 107.5
71.7 112.1

31-Jul-97
16-Feb-03
15-Dec-07
15-Dec-07
15-Dec-07
30-Apr-04
15-May-03
15-Dec-07
15-Dec-07
15-Dec-07

15,360.00
or
7,680.00

1-Mar-07

7,680.00

No

15,360.00
or
7,680.00

No

7,680.00
12,288.00
12,288.00
24,576.00
1,433.60
3,174.40
4,864.00
1,024.00
622.00
2,500.00
2,500.00
2,500.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
20,000.00
40,960.00

No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

2,500
1.28
5,000
2.56
8,000
4.096
22,000
11.264
29,000
14.848
1
Punts to RSP
Punts to RSP1
Punts to RSP1
Punts to RSP1
Punts to RSP1
20,000 (500,000 for
software-switched
CEF)

10.24
(256.00)

7600-MSFC2A(Sup32)
7600-MSFC3(Sup720)

20,000 (500,000 for

software switched
CEF)

7600-CEF256
7600-dCEF256 (6816)
7600-dCEF720(6724)
7600-dCEF720(67xx)
10000-PRE1
10000-PRE2
10000-PRE3
10720
12000 (Engine 0)
12000 (Engine 1)
12000 (Engine 2)
12000 (Engine 3)
12000 (Engine 4/4+)
12000 (Engine 5)
12000 (Engine 6)
CRS-1 LC

50,000

10.24
(256.00)

25.6

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"Punts to RSP" means that when a VIP cannot process the packets in a distributed manner (for
instance, when doing MLPPP across different PA's instead of keeping the bundles on the same
PA), it must push that forwarding
decision and packet flow to the RSP. In these cases, use the
RSP switching numbers.

The 7600 only slows centralized forwarding when a classic line card is installed, and then only
for flows that must be centrally forwarded. For instance, a system with a Sup720 with two 6748
DFC3A equipped cards has a legacy gigabit switching module installed - the 6148-GE-TX, for
instance. Flows going to or originating from that card operate at 15Mpps, but flows going between
the 6748's operate at full 48Mpps per slot. Therefore, distributed forwarding is unaffected by the
insertion of a legacy card.

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