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Router Vendors Comparison Chart

How Cisco stacks up to the routing competition

See how Cisco outperforms HPE MSR Series and Huawei NetEngine AR6000 series.

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Cisco

HPE MSR Series

Huawei NetEngine AR6000 series

Advanced Security

End-to-end secure architecture	Application-aware/enterprise firewall, IPS/IDS, VRFs, and SASE-capable with Secure Internet Gateway.	Embedded enterprise firewall and VPNs.	Embedded enterprise firewall and VPNs.
	Application-aware/enterprise firewall, IPS/IDS, VRFs, and SASE-capable with Secure Internet Gateway.	Embedded enterprise firewall and VPNs.	Embedded enterprise firewall and VPNs.
Threat defense for encrypted and unencrypted traffic	Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA) identifies malicious traffic patterns through analysis of intraflow metadata of encrypted traffic, detecting potential threats.
	Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA) identifies malicious traffic patterns through analysis of intraflow metadata of encrypted traffic, detecting potential threats.
Support next-generation encryption	Supports encryption standards such as AES-256-GCM and AES-256-CBC with ESP authentication types.	Supports DES, 3DES, and AES 128/192/256 encryption, and MD5 and SHA-1 authentication.	Supports DES, 3DES, and AES 128/192/256 encryption and MD5 and SHA-1 authentication.
	Supports encryption standards such as AES-256-GCM and AES-256-CBC with ESP authentication types.	Supports DES, 3DES, and AES 128/192/256 encryption, and MD5 and SHA-1 authentication.	Supports DES, 3DES, and AES 128/192/256 encryption and MD5 and SHA-1 authentication.
Line-rate encryption for MACsec for high-speed links	Built-in support for LAN and WAN MACsec.
	Built-in support for LAN and WAN MACsec.

Edge Intelligence

Higher WAN throughput for hardware acceleration	QuickAssist Technology (QAT) engine enables crypto hardware acceleration. All data plane services (NAT, firewall, etc.) are efficiently implemented in hardware.	Uses crypto engines for hardware acceleration.	Uses built-in NPU hardware acceleration engines.
	QuickAssist Technology (QAT) engine enables crypto hardware acceleration. All data plane services (NAT, firewall, etc.) are efficiently implemented in hardware.	Uses crypto engines for hardware acceleration.	Uses built-in NPU hardware acceleration engines.
Flexible core allocation with system-on-a-chip architecture for scalable network services	Dynamic core allocation architecture can leverage data plane cores for forwarding functions and service plane cores for application hosting, as desired.
	Dynamic core allocation architecture can leverage data plane cores for forwarding functions and service plane cores for application hosting, as desired.
Investment protection supported with traditional routing and VPN services or migration to SD-WAN	Easy upgrade, as needed, is possible from traditional routing deployment to SD-WAN architecture, using single image.	Not upgradable.	Can be upgraded to SD-WAN.
	Easy upgrade, as needed, is possible from traditional routing deployment to SD-WAN architecture, using single image.	Not upgradable.	Can be upgraded to SD-WAN.
Last-mile network resilience for seamless backup connectivity	Seamless 4G/5G connectivity for flexible backup or primary high-speed cellular connectivity. Built-in modules and extended cellular gateways available.	Supports up to 4G cellular.	Supports up to 5G cellular.
	Seamless 4G/5G connectivity for flexible backup or primary high-speed cellular connectivity. Built-in modules and extended cellular gateways available.	Supports up to 4G cellular.	Supports up to 5G cellular.
Integrated unified communications services to simplify branch router deployments	Support Cisco IOS XE voice use cases such as Cisco Unified Border Element, Session Border Controller (SBC), Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST), ISDN, and voice over IP.	Integration of voice services.	Integration of voice services.
	Support Cisco IOS XE voice use cases such as Cisco Unified Border Element, Session Border Controller (SBC), Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST), ISDN, and voice over IP.	Integration of voice services.	Integration of voice services.

Application Visibility and Control

Intelligent path control for application-aware routing	Performance Routing (PfR) monitors path performance and applies what is learned to select the best network path for a given application. Effectively load-balance across paths while delivering ideal application-level SLAs.	Supports basic routing metrics and load balancing.	Huawei offers basic policy-based routing, which is static routing policy per application. The technology is not based on an application-level SLA.
	Performance Routing (PfR) monitors path performance and applies what is learned to select the best network path for a given application. Effectively load-balance across paths while delivering ideal application-level SLAs.	Supports basic routing metrics and load balancing.	Huawei offers basic policy-based routing, which is static routing policy per application. The technology is not based on an application-level SLA.
360-degree view of WAN across cloud, SaaS and the internet	Enhances application experience by extending network observability and visibility with Cisco ThousandEyes technology.
	Enhances application experience by extending network observability and visibility with Cisco ThousandEyes technology.
Deep packet inspection and Flexible NetFlow	Leverages NBAR with deep packet inspection (DPI) to identify and classify data and applications in real time. Analyzes data from Layer 2 to Layer 7.	Limited router and network performance monitoring, primarily with sFlow.	Application monitoring through NetStream supports the NetFlow v9 export format. NetStream is Layer 4 flow-based and not true DPI technology.
	Leverages NBAR with deep packet inspection (DPI) to identify and classify data and applications in real time. Analyzes data from Layer 2 to Layer 7.	Limited router and network performance monitoring, primarily with sFlow.	Application monitoring through NetStream supports the NetFlow v9 export format. NetStream is Layer 4 flow-based and not true DPI technology.
Multiple flow caches for different use cases	Delivers detailed flow records using multiple flow caches according to the use cases, such as source and destination IP/MAC addresses or source and destination TCP/User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports or type of service (ToS) or packet and byte counts or input and output interface numbers.	Limited router and network performance monitoring, primarily with sFlow.	Application monitoring through NetStream supports the NetFlow v9 export format. NetStream is Layer 4 flow-based and not true DPI technology.
	Delivers detailed flow records using multiple flow caches according to the use cases, such as source and destination IP/MAC addresses or source and destination TCP/User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports or type of service (ToS) or packet and byte counts or input and output interface numbers.	Limited router and network performance monitoring, primarily with sFlow.	Application monitoring through NetStream supports the NetFlow v9 export format. NetStream is Layer 4 flow-based and not true DPI technology.

Virtualization

Enterprise network functions virtualization	Supports compute, storage, networking infrastructure, and management and assurance capabilities to run network functions virtualization (NFV) services.	Supports compute, storage, networking infrastructure, and management capabilities to run NFV services.	Huawei offers virtual machines or virtual network functions (VNFs), but it uses basic supervisor hardware. Its capability is limited to the chassis.
	Supports compute, storage, networking infrastructure, and management and assurance capabilities to run network functions virtualization (NFV) services.	Supports compute, storage, networking infrastructure, and management capabilities to run NFV services.	Huawei offers virtual machines or virtual network functions (VNFs), but it uses basic supervisor hardware. Its capability is limited to the chassis.
Automated control and management through Guest Shell	Uses Guest Shell to automate the workflows to install, update, and operate third-party Linux applications.
	Uses Guest Shell to automate the workflows to install, update, and operate third-party Linux applications.

Cloud

IP mobility and Layer 2 extension	By configuring the LISP Layer 2 extension and secure IPsec tunnel, Catalyst 8000V extends networks in the private data center to a public cloud to achieve host reachability and supports the migration of application workloads between the data center and the public cloud.
	By configuring the LISP Layer 2 extension and secure IPsec tunnel, Catalyst 8000V extends networks in the private data center to a public cloud to achieve host reachability and supports the migration of application workloads between the data center and the public cloud.
Extend Layer 2 connectivity across IP/MPLS transport	With the OTV and VPLS features of the Catalyst 8000V, enterprises can extend VLAN segments from on-premises to private cloud for server backup, disaster recovery, and compute scale.	Uses Ethernet Virtual Interconnect (EVI) to extend Layer 2 connectivity, but only between geographically dispersed on-premises sites.	Uses Layer 2 Protocol Transparent Transmission to extend Layer 2 connectivity, but only between geographically dispersed on-premises sites.
	With the OTV and VPLS features of the Catalyst 8000V, enterprises can extend VLAN segments from on-premises to private cloud for server backup, disaster recovery, and compute scale.	Uses Ethernet Virtual Interconnect (EVI) to extend Layer 2 connectivity, but only between geographically dispersed on-premises sites.	Uses Layer 2 Protocol Transparent Transmission to extend Layer 2 connectivity, but only between geographically dispersed on-premises sites.

Management

Management plane protection	Uses management plane protection (MPP) to restrict management packets to designated interfaces, providing greater control over management and security for that device.	Provides basic management access through modem port and terminal interface.	Uses SSL for authentication between CPE and ACS. SSL encrypts application-layer protocols for all the data transmitted.
	Uses management plane protection (MPP) to restrict management packets to designated interfaces, providing greater control over management and security for that device.	Provides basic management access through modem port and terminal interface.	Uses SSL for authentication between CPE and ACS. SSL encrypts application-layer protocols for all the data transmitted.
Centralized management	Centralized management through Cisco Catalyst Center.	Centralized management through HPE Intelligent Management Center.	Uses a CWMP network model, wherein ACS are used to manage and maintain CPEs on the network.
	Centralized management through Cisco Catalyst Center.	Centralized management through HPE Intelligent Management Center.	Uses a CWMP network model, wherein ACS are used to manage and maintain CPEs on the network.

Updated August - 2022, based on public information.

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