HWIC-16A Cisco HWIC with 16 EIA-232 ports

Cisco HWIC-16A - Overview

The HWIC-16A belongs to Cisco’s High-Speed WAN Interface Card family, designed for the Cisco 2800 and 3800 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR). It delivers high-density asynchronous connectivity in a compact form factor, making it ideal for console management, modem aggregation, and legacy serial applications.

🔧 Key Specifications

• Form Factor: High-Speed WAN Interface Card (HWIC)
• Interfaces:
  • 16 asynchronous serial ports (RJ45)
  • RS-232 signaling
• Speed: Up to 230.4 kbps per port
• Cabling: Uses Cisco CAB-HD8-ASYNC octal cables (1 cable = 8 ports, so 2 cables for 16 ports)
• Compatibility:
  • Cisco 2800 Series ISR
  • Cisco 3800 Series ISR
• Functions:
  • Terminal server / console server
  • Dial access server (modem aggregation)
  • Transport for legacy protocols
  • Low-density WAN aggregation

🧩 Ideal Use Cases

• Console server: Manage multiple network devices (switches, firewalls, routers) via serial console ports
• Dial access server: Aggregate modem connections for remote access
• Legacy protocol support: Transport older serial-based protocols in modern networks
• Branch/remote sites: Provide flexible, high-density async connectivity in a single ISR chassis