Enterprises with a host of branch offices and SMBs alike need a robust routing platform that can support services such as VoIP, video and wireless on a whim and that is ready for future services to be rolled in.

The 2600/2800 from Cisco took home the top prize in our Product Leadership Awards branch router category, scoring highest in each of eight criteria.

More than 90% of Cisco 2600/2800 users praised the router's network integration and compatibility, and 85% liked the ease of installing, configuring and administering the product. The routers' breadth of services and breadth of WAN interfaces were favored by more than 83% of users, and a whopping 91% praised their reliability. The Cisco 2600/2800 series routers also took top marks in ease of supporting multiple services, vendor service and support, and investment ROI, with 77% saying they're getting their money's worth.

Wayne Homer, manager of network support for National Exchange Carrier Association, said he's been using 2600s since 2001.

"I find them extremely reliable," he said. "They just work. No reboots. They run for years."

The 2600/2800s, according to Cisco, are ideal for SMBs and enterprise branches.

They're compact and designed for wire-speed delivery of highly secure concurrent services, and they can accommodate multiple T1/E1 connections for services such as data, security, voice, video and wireless.

While the 2600 is no longer available, the 2800, which is part of the networking giant's widely popular Integrated Services Router (ISR) series, is following in its footsteps with very similar functionality. The Cisco 2800 comes with built-in security; Cisco Router and Security Device Manager (SDM) for ease of management; a modular platform with a broad range of interface options; up to two 10/100/1000 Mbps built-in router ports; up to 64 10/1000 Mbps switch ports, with optional Power over Ethernet to power devices such as IP phones; and up to 1,500 VPN tunnels. The 2800 also has support for Cisco Call Manager processing for up to 96 IP phone users, wireless LAN standards 802.11a/b/g, a small form-factor pluggable port for Gigabit Ethernet, and a built-in redundant power supply.

"I like all the different WIC cards you can use and the fact you can add features by upgrading IOS or just use a basic IOS for pure routing functionality," Homer continued. "The new 2800 seems to be much in the same mold -- very reliable and stable."

He said he can't remember a hardware problem with either the 2600 or 2800 series.

"The 2800 is flexible," Homer said. "You can do almost anything with these. From the network modules with advance services for IP telephony functionality in the IOS, the 2800 can do so much. It is particularly good in the branch office where space is limited. To have the ability to combine multiple functions into one platform is extremely useful in that environment."

Homer said that security, another of his main concerns, is tackled by the 2800, which also fills a massive void in small branch office environments.

"The security features in the 2800 are also very nice," he said. " There is very little you can't do with these routers."

Andrew R. Hickey, Senior News Writer