Cisco Router ISR 1100

About the Cisco ISR 1100 Series

The Cisco ISR 1100 Series is the entry point of Cisco's Integrated Services Router family — the small-branch router that a shop, a clinic, a bank branch or a remote office deploys when it needs real routing, real security features and real manageability in a fanless desktop box. It is the class of device that terminates the WAN circuit, runs the branch firewall and VPN, and hands the local network off to a switch.

The distinguishing feature of the ISR 1100 range is how many variations exist for what is physically almost the same router. Cisco sells it in dual-Ethernet form, in LTE form, in WiFi form, in combinations of all three, and — because LTE bands and WiFi channels are regulated per country — in a different region code for each market. That is why this page lists ninety-odd part numbers for a product family with only a handful of hardware platforms.

Reading the part number is therefore the essential skill for this range. Take C1111-8PLTEEAWE and break it:

• C1111 — the platform. C1101, C1109, C1111, C1112, C1113, C1116, C1117, C1118, C1121, C1127X and C1161 are separate platforms within the range, differing in port count, generation and the local-access technology they are built around.
• 8P — the number of Gigabit Ethernet ports (4 or 8).
• LTE — the router carries an integrated LTE Advanced modem with SMS and GPS support. A part number without LTE has WAN routing only and needs an external modem.
• EA — the LTE region. EA covers EMEA and North America, LA covers LATAM and APAC. Some SKUs use a carrier code instead — GB, US or VZ — which locks the modem to a specific operator's bands.
• W followed by a letter — an 802.11ac WiFi radio, with the trailing letter being the regulatory domain (A, B, D, E, F, H, N, Q, R, S, X, Z). The radio is identical; the permitted channels differ by domain.

Two of these suffixes cannot be changed after delivery: the LTE region code and the WiFi domain. A router ordered with the wrong region code will power up, but the modem will not register on the local network, and the WiFi radio will not transmit on the channels your market permits. Both mistakes are expensive, and both are entirely avoidable at the ordering stage.

How to Choose an ISR 1100

1. Decide first whether the WAN is wired or cellular

This is the fork that determines everything else, and it is a site decision rather than a technical one:

• Dual-Ethernet models (for example C1111-4P, C1121-4P) — no modem inside. The router terminates a fibre, DSL or Ethernet handoff from the provider. Cheaper, and the right answer wherever a reliable fixed line exists.
• LTE models (for example C1111-4PLTEEA) — an integrated LTE Advanced modem with SMS and GPS. Choose these where the branch has no fixed line, where the fixed line is not trusted, or where the LTE link is the backup path for a primary circuit.

A common and sensible design is to buy the LTE model and use it as the failover path behind a fixed line, so the branch keeps working when the fibre is cut. Buying a dual-Ethernet model and adding a USB modem later is the false economy here — it is not the same integration, and it is not the same manageability.

2. Get the region code right — this is the one unfixable choice

LTE bands are allocated by national regulators, so a modem built for one market will not operate in another:

• EA — EMEA and North America. The most widely ordered variant.
• LA — LATAM and APAC.
• GB / US / VZ — carrier-specific builds for the UK, the United States and Verizon respectively. These are banded to a particular operator; they are the right choice only where the SIM is from that operator and no roaming flexibility is wanted.

Tell us the country of installation and the operator. Getting this wrong produces a router that looks perfectly healthy and never connects.

3. Add WiFi only with the domain in mind

The WiFi variants add an 802.11ac radio, which is genuinely useful in a small branch where the router can also serve as the access point and there is no separate controller. But the trailing domain letter is a regulatory constraint, not a preference — the radio is hardware-identical across the letters and only the permitted channel set differs. Order the domain that matches the country of use.

Note also that WiFi combinations exist in both the four-port and the eight-port platforms, and combined with LTE in several variants. Where a branch needs cellular WAN and wireless access from one box, that combination exists — but it narrows the region options, so confirm availability for your market before specifying it.

4. Size the port count against the LAN, not the WAN

The four-port and eight-port platforms differ in the local side of the router rather than the WAN side: both present dual Gigabit WAN ports, and the eight-port models add local-access switch ports. A branch with three or four devices can be served directly by the router; anything larger should be planned with a separate access switch, in which case the four-port model plus a switch is usually better value than buying ports you will not patch.

5. Check the local-access technology on the platform you choose

The platform number is not cosmetic. The C1112 range, for example, is built around G.FAST local access with Gigabit SFP — an entirely different access technology from the Ethernet platforms. If your site is fed by a technology other than conventional Ethernet or LTE, confirm the platform supports it before comparing prices on port count alone.

6. Expect to order the regional matrix by quotation

Because the region and WiFi domain multiply the SKU count, we hold firm listed pricing for the base models and the most commonly ordered LTE variants — the eighteen models priced in the tables below — and quote the full regional and wireless matrix on request. Around seventy-six further ISR 1100 part numbers are catalogued on this page without a standing price; most are region-specific builds. Give us the country, the operator and the desired feature set and we will return a firm price on the exact SKU rather than a nearest equivalent.

ISR 1100 Model Comparison — Dual Ethernet (no modem)

These are the wired-WAN models. The spread from $647 to $980 across seven part numbers with similar port counts reflects the platform generation and the local-access design — not a difference in routing capability, which is broadly consistent across the range.

ISR 1100 Model Comparison — LTE Models

Note the two C1111 LTE lines at the bottom. The four-port C1111-4PLTEEA is priced above the otherwise more capable eight-port C1111-8PLTEEA on this page. That inversion is a reflection of live stock and sourcing on the older four-port LTE build rather than of the hardware, and it is worth checking with us before ordering: if the eight-port model already covers your port requirement, it is the better value of the two today.

ISR 1100 Regional and Wireless Matrix

The remaining seventy-six ISR 1100 part numbers catalogued on this page — covering the C1109 carrier builds, the C1112 G.FAST platform, the C1113, C1116 and C1117 platforms, and the full WiFi domain matrix across the C1111 and C1121 ranges — are quoted to order. They are held as a catalogue so that the exact SKU you need can be identified and priced rather than substituted.

To quote one of these, tell us:

• the platform and the port count you need;
• the country of installation — this determines the LTE region code;
• the operator, if a carrier-specific build (GB, US, VZ) is required; and
• whether an integrated WiFi radio is wanted, and if so for which market domain.

With those four answers we will return a firm price on the exact part number. Buying the nearest equivalent because it is listed on this page is how the region-code mistake is made — and unlike a port count, it cannot be corrected later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the letters in an ISR 1100 part number mean?

Taking C1111-8PLTEEAWE: C1111 is the platform, 8P is the number of Gigabit Ethernet ports, LTE means an integrated LTE Advanced modem with SMS and GPS, EA is the LTE region (EMEA and North America), W denotes an 802.11ac WiFi radio and the final E is that radio's regulatory domain.

Which LTE region code should I order?

The one that matches the country of installation and, where relevant, the operator. EA covers EMEA and North America, LA covers LATAM and APAC, and GB, US and VZ are operator-specific builds. A router with the wrong region code powers up normally and fails to register on the local network — it cannot be corrected by configuration, so this must be right at the ordering stage.

Can I add a WiFi radio to a router that does not have one?

The WiFi variants are separate part numbers with the radio fitted at build. Adding wireless to a non-WiFi unit is not a field upgrade, so if wireless access from the router itself is required, order a W SKU from the outset — and choose the domain letter for the country of use.

What is the difference between the four-port and eight-port models?

The local side. Both present dual Gigabit WAN ports, and the eight-port models add local-access switch ports for devices patched directly into the router. If the branch has more than a handful of wired devices, plan on a separate access switch and treat the four-port model as sufficient.

Should I choose LTE or a dual-Ethernet model?

It depends on the WAN at the site. A reliable fixed line calls for a dual-Ethernet model, which is cheaper. Where the branch has no fixed line, or where it needs a cellular failover path behind one, the LTE models provide the integrated modem and the manageability that an external modem does not.

Why do most ISR 1100 part numbers on this page show no price?

Because the range multiplies into regional and wireless variants whose availability and cost move with sourcing. Rather than publish a misleading placeholder price, we quote those seventy- six SKUs to order. Send the country, operator, port count and radio requirement and we will price the exact part number.

Why is the C1111-4PLTEEA more expensive than the eight-port C1111-8PLTEEA?

Live stock and sourcing on that particular older four-port LTE build, not a difference in capability that favours the four-port unit. Always compare the two against each other before ordering — if the eight-port model meets your port requirement, it is the better value today.

Do these routers include the power supply and mounting kit?

The ISR 1100 is a desktop, fanless design with its power arrangement part of the unit. Confirm the rack or shelf arrangement for the installation if the branch has an equipment cabinet, and tell us if a specific mounting arrangement is required.