Cisco 76-ES+XT-4TG3C
7600 ES+XT, LAN/WAN PHY, OTN/G.709, 4x10GE, XFP, DFC3C
Product Highlights
As service provider and enterprise networks scale, maintaining wire-speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet performance across LAN, WAN, and optical transport domains becomes critical. The Cisco 76-ES+XT-4TG3C is a high-performance Ethernet Services Plus Extended Transport (ES+XT) line card designed for the Cisco 7600 Series router platform.
Equipped with four 10 Gigabit Ethernet XFP ports and an integrated DFC3C (Distributed Forwarding Card 3C), this line card delivers up to 40 Gbps of full-duplex bandwidth with distributed, line-rate Layer 2/3/4 forwarding. The ES+XT architecture supports both LAN and WAN PHY modes as well as OTN/G.709 framing with Forward Error Correction (FEC), enabling seamless IP-over-DWDM integration for metro Ethernet and long-haul optical transport deployments.
The 76-ES+XT-4TG3C features programmable interface processors that provide advanced QoS, MPLS support, and carrier-grade traffic management — all without taxing the router's central supervisor engine. Whether deployed at the service provider edge, enterprise core, or in data center interconnect scenarios, this line card delivers the density, flexibility, and service intelligence that demanding networks require. Note: The Cisco 7600 Series platform has reached End-of-Life status; this line card is ideal for sustaining and extending existing 7600 deployments.
Features & Benefits
High-Density 10 Gigabit Ethernet
The 76-ES+XT-4TG3C provides four 10GE XFP ports supporting up to 40 Gbps of aggregate bandwidth per slot. This density enables efficient traffic aggregation and high-throughput uplinks without consuming multiple chassis slots, maximizing the return on your Cisco 7600 investment.
Integrated Distributed Forwarding (DFC3C)
The onboard DFC3C enables line-rate forwarding decisions locally on the line card, offloading the central Supervisor Engine 720. This distributed architecture dramatically improves system-wide scalability and ensures consistent performance even under heavy traffic loads.
LAN/WAN PHY & OTN/G.709 Support
Unlike standard ES+ line cards, the ES+XT variant supports LAN PHY, WAN PHY, and Optical Transport Network (OTN) G.709 framing with Forward Error Correction (FEC). This flexibility allows a single line card to serve campus LAN uplinks, WAN circuits, and DWDM optical transport — simplifying sparing and reducing inventory costs.
Carrier-Grade Service Intelligence
Advanced QoS, hierarchical scheduling, MPLS, and Layer 2/3/4 processing are handled at wire speed by programmable interface processors. Service providers benefit from service prioritization for voice, video, data, and wireless mobility traffic on a single platform.
Programmable & Extensible Architecture
The ES+XT line card family uses programmable interface processors that can be updated via software to support new features and protocols. This extensible design protects your network investment and reduces total cost of ownership over the life of the deployment.
Deployment Scenarios
Service Provider Edge / PE Router
Deploy the 76-ES+XT-4TG3C in Cisco 7600 routers at the provider edge to deliver high-bandwidth Carrier Ethernet services. G.709/OTN support enables direct connection to DWDM transport infrastructure, eliminating the need for external transponders and reducing operational complexity.
Enterprise Core / WAN Aggregation
Use the 4x10GE density to aggregate campus distribution uplinks or WAN circuits at the enterprise core. The integrated DFC3C ensures that routing and QoS decisions are made at line rate, maintaining low latency for latency-sensitive applications like voice and video.
Metro Ethernet / Data Center Interconnect (DCI)
The LAN/WAN PHY flexibility and OTN framing make this line card well-suited for metro Ethernet rings and data center interconnect links over DWDM networks. FEC extends optical reach, enabling longer spans without signal regeneration.
Legacy 7600 Network Sustainment
For organizations maintaining existing Cisco 7600 Series infrastructure past its End-of-Life date, the 76-ES+XT-4TG3C provides a cost-effective way to add or replace 10GE capacity. Pre-owned and refurbished units extend the useful life of proven deployments while migration plans are finalized.
General
Interfaces
Performance
Software Compatibility
Compatibility
Compatibility Notes
Supported Platforms:
- Cisco 7600 Series Routers
- Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches (subset of features; refer to Cisco documentation for specific feature support)
Supervisor Engine Requirements:
- Supervisor Engine 720-3B, 720-3BXL, or RSP720 (and later)
Minimum Software:
- Cisco IOS Release 12.2(33)SRD1 or later
Optics:
- 4x XFP slots (XFP transceivers sold separately)
Licensing:
- 76-ES+BASIC-LIC (Basic license, including IPv6)
- 76-ES+ADVIP-LIC (Advanced IP license — required for additional advanced features)
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 76-ES+XT-4TG3CXL | 7600 ES+XT 4x10GE with DFC3CXL | Same 4x10GE XFP port count and OTN/G.709 support but with the higher-capacity DFC3CXL for larger forwarding tables and enhanced scalability. |
| 76-ES+XT-2TG3C | 7600 ES+XT 2x10GE with DFC3C | 2-port 10GE variant with DFC3C — lower density and bandwidth (20 Gbps) at a reduced cost for smaller deployments. |
| 7600-ES+4TG3C | 7600 ES+ 4x10GE with DFC3C | Standard ES+ 4x10GE line card without the Extended Transport (XT) LAN/WAN PHY and OTN/G.709 capabilities. |
| 76-ES+XT-2TG3CXL | 7600 ES+XT 2x10GE with DFC3CXL | 2-port 10GE XT variant with the higher-capacity DFC3CXL — ideal when fewer ports are needed but maximum forwarding scale is required. |