Cisco Router
(C8500-20X6C)
The Cisco Catalyst C8500-20X6C is a high-performance enterprise edge and SD-WAN router designed for large campuses, data center edge deployments, WAN aggregation, and cloud connectivity. It is part of the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms, providing high-speed routing, advanced security, and application-aware SD-WAN capabilities.
C8500-20X6C Specifications
| Model | C8500-20X6C |
| Form Factor | 3RU |
| 1/10GbE Ports | 20 × SFP+ |
| 40/100GbE Ports | 6 × QSFP28 |
| Processor | Cisco QuantumFlow Processor (QFP 3.0) |
| Default DRAM | 64 GB |
| Storage | 480 GB SSD (default) |
| Operating System | Cisco IOS XE |
| Typical Use Cases |
Enterprise WAN edge Cisco SD-WAN hubs5 Data center edge routing Internet peering Large campus aggregation High-speed VPN/IPsec gateways Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) deployments Cloud connectivity (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) |
| Key Benefits |
Delivers very high routing performance for modern enterprise networks. Supports high-density 10G, 40G, and 100G interfaces in a single platform. Provides hardware-accelerated encryption for secure, high-throughput WAN connectivity. Simplifies branch and campus connectivity with Cisco SD-WAN. Offers automation and programmability for modern network operations. Designed for scalability as bandwidth demands grow. |
| Key Features |
20 × 1/10 Gigabit Ethernet (SFP+) ports 6 × 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet (QSFP28) ports Supports all ports simultaneously without oversubscription Up to 500 Gbps Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) aggregate throughput Powered by the 3rd Generation Cisco QuantumFlow Processor (QFP 3.0) for hardware-accelerated packet processing and encryption Integrated Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN support Built-in IPsec and MACsec hardware encryptioncc Programmable APIs for automation and integration |