Cisco CISCO2951-HSEC+/K9
VPN ISM module HSEC bundles for 2951 ISR platform
Product Highlights
What's Included
256MB Flash (1x MEM-CF-256MB)
(1) PWR-2921-51-AC
(1) AC Power Cord
(1) Rackmount Kit (ACS-2900-RM-19)
(1) ISM-VPN-29
Branch offices demand secure, high-performance connectivity — but CPU-intensive VPN encryption can cripple a router that's also handling routing, firewall, and voice services. The CISCO2951-HSEC+/K9 solves this by bundling the Cisco 2951 Integrated Services Router with the ISM-VPN-29 VPN Internal Service Module pre-installed, delivering a turnkey platform for hardware-accelerated IPsec VPN at the branch edge.
As part of the Cisco ISR Generation 2 (ISR G2) family, the Cisco 2951 provides three integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports, four EHWIC expansion slots, two service module slots, and three PVDM slots — all in a rack-mountable 2RU chassis. The included VPN ISM module features a dedicated multicore processor that operates independently of the router's main CPU, offloading encryption workloads so that routing, firewall, and unified communications services maintain full performance.
The HSEC+ designation indicates this bundle ships with the enhanced security license and hardware required for high-performance encrypted throughput. The ISM-VPN-29 supports IPsec, DMVPN, GETVPN, and SSL VPN technologies with encryption standards including AES (128/192/256-bit), 3DES, and NSA Suite B cryptography. This makes the CISCO2951-HSEC+/K9 an ideal choice for enterprises, retail chains, and financial institutions that need to secure multi-site WAN traffic without sacrificing application performance.
Features & Benefits
Dedicated VPN Acceleration
The included ISM-VPN-29 module features a multicore processor that handles IPsec encryption independently of the router CPU. This offloading architecture ensures that VPN tunnels run at hardware-accelerated speeds while the main processor remains available for routing, firewall, voice, and other concurrent services — eliminating the performance trade-offs common with software-based encryption.
Advanced Cryptography Standards
The VPN ISM supports a comprehensive range of encryption algorithms including AES-CBC and AES-GCM (128-, 192-, and 256-bit), 3DES, DES, as well as hashing algorithms MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-2. It also supports NSA-regulated Suite B Cryptography, making it suitable for government and regulated-industry deployments that require the strongest available encryption standards.
Modular Expandability
The Cisco 2951 platform provides 4 EHWIC slots, 2 service module slots, 3 PVDM slots, and 1 SFP port alongside its three onboard Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. This modular architecture lets you add WAN interfaces (T1/E1, xDSL, fiber), EtherSwitch modules for Layer 2/3 switching, DSP modules for voice/video, and wireless controllers — all within a single chassis.
Integrated Services Platform
Beyond VPN, the Cisco 2951 ISR G2 supports optional firewall (Cisco IOS Zone-Based Firewall), intrusion prevention (IOS IPS), content filtering, unified communications (SRST/CCME with up to 250 sessions), and application services. Consolidating these functions into one device reduces branch-office hardware sprawl, lowers power consumption, and simplifies management.
Turnkey HSEC Bundle
This bundle ships complete with the Cisco 2951 router, ISM-VPN-29 module pre-installed, 512 MB DRAM, 256 MB CompactFlash, AC power supply, power cord, and 19-inch rack mount kit. The HSEC+ licensing removes export-restricted encryption limitations, enabling full-strength cryptographic performance immediately upon deployment.
Deployment Scenarios
Multi-Site Enterprise WAN with IPsec VPN
Deploy the CISCO2951-HSEC+/K9 at branch offices to establish hardware-accelerated IPsec or DMVPN tunnels back to headquarters and data centers. The dedicated VPN ISM module offloads encryption from the router CPU, ensuring that concurrent services like routing, QoS, and firewall inspection are not degraded — even under heavy encrypted traffic loads.
Retail or Financial Branch Security
Organizations in regulated industries such as retail (PCI DSS) and finance can leverage the Suite B cryptography and AES-256 encryption capabilities to secure point-of-sale and transactional data across WAN links. The integrated security services — firewall, IPS, and VPN — consolidate compliance-critical functions into a single managed device at each branch.
Branch Office Services Consolidation
Replace multiple standalone appliances (router, VPN concentrator, firewall, voice gateway) with a single Cisco 2951 ISR G2. The modular slot architecture supports EtherSwitch modules for local LAN switching, PVDM modules for voice/video DSP, and the pre-installed VPN ISM for encryption — reducing rack space, power draw, and operational complexity.
General
Interfaces & Expansion
Memory
VPN ISM Module (ISM-VPN-29)
Power
Physical
Environmental
Voice (Optional, with PVDM modules)
Compatibility Notes
Platform Compatibility: The ISM-VPN-29 module included in this bundle is designed for Cisco 2900 Series ISR G2 routers (Cisco 2901, 2911, 2921, 2951).
Minimum IOS Version: Cisco IOS 15.2(1)T1 or later is required for VPN ISM functionality.
Memory: Ships with 512 MB DDR2 ECC DRAM (expandable to 2 GB max) and 256 MB CompactFlash in Slot 0 (expandable to 4 GB per slot, two slots available).
Power Supply: Includes PWR-2921-51-AC power supply. Compatible with optional Cisco RPS 2300 for external redundancy.
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| CISCO2951/K9 | Cisco 2951 ISR (Base) | Base 2951 router without the ISM-VPN-29 module or HSEC+ license — requires separate VPN module purchase for hardware-accelerated encryption. |
| CISCO2921-HSEC+/K9 | Cisco 2921 VPN ISM HSEC Bundle | Lower-tier 2921 platform with VPN ISM; fewer expansion slots (no double-wide SM slot) and lower VPN throughput (up to 700 Mbps with 1400B packets). |
| CISCO2911-HSEC+/K9 | Cisco 2911 VPN ISM HSEC Bundle | Mid-range 2911 ISR with VPN ISM; lower VPN throughput (up to 600 Mbps with 1400B packets) and fewer PVDM/SM slots than the 2951. |
| CISCO3925-HSEC+/K9 | Cisco 3925 VPN ISM HSEC Bundle | Higher-performance 3900 Series platform with ISM-VPN-39 module; supports up to 1100 Mbps IPsec throughput for larger branch or campus deployments. |
