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Cisco ASR 9000 Series: A9K-4X100GE-TR – High-Performance 100G Port Adapter

Jun 11 , 2025 13

Cisco ASR 9000 Series: A9K-4X100GE-TR – High-Performance 100G Port Adapter

Product Overview

The Cisco A9K-4X100GE-TR is a high-density 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GE) port adapter designed for the Cisco ASR 9000 Series routers. It provides 4x 100G QSFP28 ports in a single slot, making it ideal for service provider edge, cloud peering, and data center interconnect (DCI) applications.

Key Features & Specifications

Feature	Specification
Port Configuration	4x 100G QSFP28 (breakout to 4x25G or 4x10G)
Forwarding Capacity	400Gbps (full duplex)
Supported Protocols	IPv4/IPv6, MPLS, VPLS, L2VPN, L3VPN
Encryption	MACsec (optional)
Power Consumption	~150W (typical)
Latency	<5μs (cut-through switching)
Compatibility	ASR 9901/9904/9906/9910/9912/9922

Use Cases

✔ Service Provider Edge – High-speed aggregation for 5G backhaul
✔ Cloud & Hyperscaler Interconnect – Low-latency 100G peering
✔ Enterprise Core Routing – High-performance WAN connectivity

Next-Generation Successor: A9K-4X100GE-SE

As networks evolve toward 400G and beyond, Cisco introduced the A9K-4X100GE-SE as the direct successor to the A9K-4X100GE-TR.

Key Upgrades & Improvements

Feature	A9K-4X100GE-TR	A9K-4X100GE-SE	Improvement
Port Flexibility	100G only	Supports 100G/400G (via QSFP-DD)	Future-proofing
Switching Capacity	400Gbps	800Gbps (with virtualization)	2x throughput
Power Efficiency	150W	100W	33% reduction
Latency	<5μs	<3μs	40% lower
Encryption	Optional MACsec	Hardware-accelerated MACsec (200Gbps)	4x faster
Protocol Support	MPLS, VPLS	Adds SRv6, EVPN, VXLAN	Cloud-ready

Why Upgrade to the -SE Model?

✔ 400G Readiness – Supports next-gen QSFP-DD optics
✔ Lower TCO – Reduced power and cooling costs
✔ Enhanced Security – Line-rate MACsec encryption
✔ Cloud & 5G Optimized – Supports Segment Routing (SRv6)

Migration Recommendations

New Deployments → Choose A9K-4X100GE-SE for future scalability.
Existing -TR Users → Upgrade during hardware refresh cycles.
Critical Networks → Prioritize -SE for low-latency & high-security needs.

"The A9K-4X100GE-SE isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a strategic leap toward next-gen networking."
**— Cisco ASR 9000 Product Manager**

Conclusion

The A9K-4X100GE-TR remains a solid choice for 100G deployments, but the A9K-4X100GE-SE delivers higher performance, efficiency, and future-proofing for 400G-ready networks.

Next Steps:
▸ Evaluate power/cooling requirements
▸ Test interoperability with existing optics
▸ Consult Cisco for trade-in options

Next: Cisco's Next-Gen 10G/25G Port Adapter: A9K-MPA-20X10GE-SE

Tags: linecard cisco A9K-4X100GE-TR

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