Cisco AIM-VPN/SSL-1
DES/3DES/AES/SSL VPN Encryption/Compression
Product Highlights
What's Included
Running VPN encryption in software places heavy demands on your router's CPU — degrading forwarding performance and limiting tunnel scalability. The Cisco AIM-VPN/SSL-1 solves this by moving IPSec and SSL VPN processing into dedicated hardware on the Cisco 1841 Integrated Services Router.
This Advanced Integration Module (AIM) provides hardware-accelerated DES, 3DES, and AES encryption alongside SSL VPN offload and Layer 3 IPPCP compression. It delivers IPSec throughput of up to 25 Mbps with Internet-mix traffic and up to 95 Mbps with 1400-byte packets, while supporting hardware-based SSL VPN at 5 Mbps for up to 50 concurrent users. The module scales to 800 simultaneous IPSec tunnels on the Cisco 1841 platform.
Designed for branch-office and small-enterprise deployments, the AIM-VPN/SSL-1 installs into any open AIM slot on the Cisco 1841 and requires Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(9)T or later. By offloading cryptographic operations from the main processor, it frees CPU headroom for routing, firewall, and other integrated services — making it an essential component for Cisco ISR security deployments where VPN performance matters.
Features & Benefits
Hardware-Based IPSec Encryption
The AIM-VPN/SSL-1 offloads IPSec encryption and decryption from the router's main CPU into a dedicated hardware engine. This eliminates the performance penalty of software-based crypto, delivering up to 95 Mbps of IPSec throughput and freeing processor resources for routing, QoS, and firewall functions.
SSL VPN Acceleration
In addition to IPSec, this module provides hardware-accelerated SSL VPN (Cisco IOS WebVPN) at up to 5 Mbps with support for up to 50 concurrent users. This enables secure clientless remote access for employees without requiring dedicated VPN client software on every endpoint.
Comprehensive Cipher Support
Supports DES, 3DES, and AES with key lengths of 128, 192, and 256 bits. Data integrity is ensured through SHA-1 and MD5 hashing. This broad cipher suite ensures compliance with a wide range of enterprise security policies and regulatory requirements.
Layer 3 IPPCP Compression
Built-in IPPCP (IP Payload Compression Protocol) compression reduces the size of encrypted payloads before they traverse the WAN. This lowers bandwidth consumption on VPN tunnels, improving effective throughput and reducing transport costs — especially valuable on bandwidth-constrained links.
Scalable Tunnel Capacity
The module supports up to 800 simultaneous IPSec tunnels on the Cisco 1841, enabling hub-and-spoke or mesh VPN topologies for multi-site branch connectivity. Certificate-based authentication via X.509v3 and IKE simplifies large-scale tunnel management.
Deployment Scenarios
Branch Office VPN Gateway
Deploy the AIM-VPN/SSL-1 in a Cisco 1841 at a branch office to establish site-to-site IPSec VPN tunnels back to headquarters or a data center. Hardware acceleration ensures consistent VPN performance without impacting the router's ability to handle routing, NAT, and firewall duties simultaneously.
Secure Remote Access for Small Enterprises
Use the SSL VPN capability to provide up to 50 remote workers with clientless, browser-based access to internal applications. This eliminates the need for dedicated VPN client software and simplifies IT management for distributed workforces.
Multi-Site Retail or Distributed Office Networks
With support for up to 800 IPSec tunnels, the AIM-VPN/SSL-1 enables a Cisco 1841 to serve as a small hub aggregating encrypted connections from dozens of remote sites — ideal for retail chains, medical offices, or franchise networks requiring PCI or HIPAA-compliant encrypted transport.
General
Performance
Encryption & Security
Software Requirements
Physical
Environmental
Compatibility Notes
Platform Compatibility
- Cisco 1841 Integrated Services Router (requires one open AIM slot)
Software Requirements
- Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(9)T or later
- Requires an IOS feature set that includes Advanced Security, Advanced IP Services, or SP Services
Important Notes
- Only one VPN encryption AIM module is supported per router
- The AIM-VPN/SSL-1 is specifically designed for the Cisco 1841; for the Cisco 2800 Series use AIM-VPN/SSL-2, and for the Cisco 3800 Series use AIM-VPN/SSL-3
- This product is part of the Cisco ISR Generation 1 (G1) module family, which reached End-of-Sale on December 2, 2011
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| AIM-VPN/SSL-2 | Cisco AIM-VPN/SSL-2 (2800 Series) | Designed for the Cisco 2800 Series ISR — supports up to 1,500 IPSec tunnels vs. 800 on the AIM-VPN/SSL-1 |
| AIM-VPN/SSL-3 | Cisco AIM-VPN/SSL-3 (3800 Series) | Designed for the Cisco 3800 Series ISR — supports up to 2,000 IPSec tunnels for larger-scale deployments |
| AIM-VPN/EPII-PLUS | Cisco AIM-VPN/EPII-PLUS | Enhanced-performance DES/3DES/AES VPN encryption AIM without SSL VPN offload — for IPSec-only deployments |
