2600/3600/3700 Modular Routers: The best known of the Cisco modular routers are the 2600/2600XM 1U (ie 2621XM), 3600 (ie 3640) 1U/2U/6U and 3700 (ie 3725 and 3745) 2U/3U modular router lines. These routers have different combinations of built-in features as well as expansion capabilities and are capable being configured for network routing, trunk line traffic processing (OCX, DS3, E1, T1, and fractional lines, plus ISDN, cable, and modem - among others), security services (including VPN, encryption, and firewall), and content services (like VOIP, data/dialup, media-over-ip, and voicemail) and a variety of other services. Expansion of these routers is accomplished by using larger "NM" modules, smaller "WIC" modules, as well as internal "AIM" modules. Click here for more information on 2600/3600/3700 Cisco modular routers.  
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Integrated Services Routers - 1800/2800/3800: Cisco's most recent line - the Integrated Services Router Line (ISR) line, brings together routing, content, VOIP, security, VPN, and switching in is comprised of the 800, 1800, 2800 (ie 2801, 2851), and 3800 (ie 3825 and 3845) series, and is targeted towards small businesses and offices wanting to combine integrated routing, trunk processing, routing, switching, and security services in a single router. They continue the trend of the 2600/3600/3700 routers in providing routing, gateway, and switching functions through expansion cards (including some new types of expansion cards) with some major advances in supporting firewall and security features. While not always appropriate for specialized, dedicated services the ISR line is an excellent value in providing smaller-scale, integrated solutions for small to midsize organizations. ISRs can also be configured with a variety of NM-Type, WIC-Type, and AIM modules. Click here for more information on ISR series routers.  
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Cisco's 7000 line, including the popular 7206VXR is a popular, high-end, and powerful modular router that maximizes flexibility and capabilities. It targets high-performance routing, and is often used in VOIP networks where routing efficiency is paramount. 7000 series routers are fully modular - users select a CPU card (called the NPE in the 7200 series and RSP in the 7500 series) as well as an I/O card for handling the IOS and basic input/output, and from a variety of trunk cards to handle the needed routing. Click here for more ISPTrader information on Cisco 7200 line routers. Cisco's 7301 and 7401 1U routers provide a great deal of value and some expandability using the same hardware platform as the 7206VXR routers - read on below.

7300/7400/7500/7600 Series: Cisco makes a variety of other small and large modular routers in the 7000 series, all of which use can use the port adaptor cards (PA cards) used in the 7200 line. The Cisco 7301 is basically a 1U 7206VXR with integrated NPE-G1/G2 type gigabit CPU and IO card, with built-in power supply, and 1 port adaptor slot - and provides substantial price savings over an equivalent 7206VXR. On the upscale side - the 7300 (including the 7304) and 7600 (including the 7606) provide a more powerful line of modular routers based on the same hardware. The 7600 series also bridges the gap with larger Cisco switches - a number of switch boards and processing engines used in the 7600 are interchangeable with Cisco 6500 switch series components. An older but extremely modular and flexible router series - the Cisco 7500 - is quite large, but extremely economical and uses many of the expansion cards used in the 7200 line. 
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VOIP and Dialup Gateways: Cisco dominated the market for VOIP/MOIP gateways - click here for an in depth overview of gateways. The best known VOIP gateways from Cisco are the AS5XXX line (AS5300, AS5350, AS5400, AS5850, including HPX and XM extended versions). These gateways are designed for dedicated VOIP and dialup services. Click here for more information on the AS5 line. Lucent's VOIP gateways include the Max 6000, TNT, and APX 8000/8001, which are significantly less expensive than the Cisco lines. Click here for more information on Lucent Gateways. Integrated SS7: Cantata's IMG1010 is an interesting alternative to Cisco gateways and is the first line to integrate SS7 functionality with SIP and H323 in a single device.

Cisco modular routers can be also be configured for VOIP. FXS/FXO cards can be installed in Cisco routers to create a VOIP gateway using ordinary phone lines (or, as described below, in a dedicated FXS VOIP router). Alternately, an NM-HDV (voice NM card) with 12 port voice DSPs (PVDM-12) with either a T1 or E1 VWIC card could be installed.  In routers having an internal AIM card slot, an AIM voice card can be substituted for the NM-HDV card, while some modular and ISR routers have slots for dedicated PVDM2 voice modules (such as the PVDM2-32). Click here for more information on using Cisco modular routers as VOIP gateways.

FXO/FXO VOIP gateways are routers that use ordinary phone lines, telephones, and other office equipment to create a VOIP/MOIP (media over IP) gateway, including fax as well as voice. The Cisco IAD2400 series  (Integrated Access Device) is one such device that contains only FXS ports. For example an IAD2421-16 contains 16 FXS ports. In addition any of the Cisco modular routers (2600, 3600, 3700 and ISR) can be configured with FXS/FXO ports. Click here for more information on FXS/FXO gateways.

Dialup gateways don't process voice traffic - they normally enable end-user access to the internet using a modem. In addition to voice traffic, the Cisco AS5300, AS5350, AS5400, and Lucent Max can all be configured for dialup/data traffic. In addition, the 3Com Total Control 1000 provides a high-quality, low-cost, modular dialup gateway - scalable from 1 to 14PRIs (E1 or T1). Click here for information on the Total Control 1000 and here for more information on the Lucent Max.

These gateways all require PRI lines (bundles of digital phone lines). However, ordinary, analog dialup phone lines can also be used to create a dialup gateway. These are typically for only a small number of lines - usually not more than 24. For example, a Cisco modular router (2600, 3600, etc) could be configured with NM-8AM or NM-16AM analog modem modules to create an integrated dialup access server.  Click here for more information on analog dialup gateways. 
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In terms of dedicated firewalls - Cisco's main lines are the PIX series and the ASA5500 series. The PIX series, which also can provide dedicated VPN service, include the 501, 506, 515, 520, and 525 - as well as newer "E" (enhanced) versions, and are extremely flexible in terms of the number of ethernet ports installed. Cisco's ASA5500 series, including the ASA5505, ASA5510, and ASA5520 (plus larger routers) combine a number of security-oriented features, including firewall, VPN, anti-spam, malware, anti-virus, and other security features in a single router. The ASA550 line builds-in 10/100/1000 (gigabit) ethernet capabilities.
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·VPN Routers and Concentrators: Cisco also offers a line of specialized virtual private network concentrators in the VPN 3000 Series Concentrators, sometimes referred  to as the "CVPN 3000" series. Where the PIX line creates VPN tunnels for dedicated locations outside the local network or intranet, the VPN 3000 concentrators are servers designed to handle incoming VPN client connections - for example from organization personnel needing to access the organization intranet from their homes or other remote location over the internet, or to link together physically separate networks into one logical network.  
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