Description
Cisco 55A1 Router Chassis
The Cisco 55A1 Router Chassis stands as a modular cornerstone in the Cisco Network Convergence System family, engineered to meet the demands of service providers and large enterprises navigating the zettabyte era. Building on Cisco’s proven NCS lineage, the 55A1 chassis delivers scalable density, robust reliability, and seamless integration with Cisco software and network intelligence. It is designed to host a mix of line cards, fabric components, and supervisor modules to adapt to evolving traffic patterns, while providing the high-performance routing and aggregation required for carrier-grade networks, data-center interconnect, and edge aggregation. This chassis is positioned as a future‑ready backbone that can grow with your network—supporting incremental capacity additions, sophisticated traffic engineering, and a unified operations experience across your global footprint.
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Modular architecture for scalable performance
The Cisco 55A1 Router Chassis embraces a modular, scalable design that lets you mix and match line cards, supervisor modules, and fabric components to match your evolving network needs. Designed to support high-density deployments, it enables operators to add capacity incrementally as traffic grows, protecting your initial investment while delivering consistent, predictable performance across the network. With hot-swappable modules and straightforward field upgrades, you can tailor your chassis to precise use cases—whether you’re delivering metro Ethernet, IP/MPLS, or large-scale data-center interconnect.
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Carrier-grade reliability and availability
Built for 24x7 service, the 55A1 chassis emphasizes uptime with redundant power supplies, hot-swappable fans, and fault-tolerant components. Cisco's well-established hardware reliability practices are baked into the design, helping to minimize planned and unplanned downtime. The chassis supports hitless software upgrades, graceful failover, and robust environmental monitoring, so network operators can meet stringent service-level agreements while reducing operational risk in busy data centers and carrier networks.
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Advanced routing capabilities for modern networks
Engineered to handle the demands of the zettabyte era, the 55A1 chassis provides enhanced routing performance and MPLS readiness, enabling scalable IP/MPLS networks, VPN termination, EVPN/VXLAN overlays, and sophisticated QoS. The platform is designed to work with Cisco's routing stack and management tools, offering predictable latency, deterministic forwarding, and efficient use of network resources. It supports modular upgrading with new line cards and software features as routing requirements evolve, ensuring your network can adapt to changing traffic patterns and service commitments.
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Energy efficiency and optimized cooling
Sustainability and total cost of ownership are at the heart of Cisco’s hardware design. The 55A1 Router Chassis uses energy-efficient components and intelligent cooling strategies to minimize power consumption while maintaining optimal operating temperatures under load. Efficient power management reduces operational costs and helps data centers meet green initiatives, all without compromising performance or reliability. The design also emphasizes quiet operation and compact integration into standard data-center racks, enabling more effective space utilization in large-scale deployments.
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Seamless management and Cisco ecosystem integration
Managing a high-capacity router chassis requires powerful, intuitive tools. The 55A1 integrates with Cisco's management and orchestration ecosystem, including network automation, telemetry, and policy-based provisioning. This enables centralized monitoring, simplified configuration, and rapid rollout of services across distributed networks. With support for standard management protocols and open APIs, you can integrate the chassis into your existing operational workflows, enhancing visibility, control, and speed of service delivery while maintaining strong security posture and governance.
Technical Details of Cisco 55A1 Router Chassis
Technical specifications are not provided in this listing. For exact dimensions, weight, power requirements, redundancy features, and supported line cards or supervisor modules, please refer to the official product data sheet or the retailer’s specification sheet using the product’s UPC or SKU on ec.synnex.com or Cisco's official site. The information here emphasizes the chassis' role in a high-capacity, scalable network, rather than exact numeric figures.
How to Install Cisco 55A1 Router Chassis
Installation should be performed by qualified network engineers following Cisco installation guidelines and your organization's change-management processes. The steps below provide a high-level overview to help you prepare and implement a successful deployment:
- Verify compatibility and prerequisites: confirm that you have the correct chassis model, supervisor modules, line cards, and power supply options for your network design, along with the appropriate rack space and mounting hardware.
- Prepare the rack: ensure the rack is rated for the chassis weight, secured to the floor if necessary, and has adequate clearance for airflow and cable management.
- Power and environmental readiness: install redundant power supplies if required, connect to properly rated electrical circuits, and verify cooling and airflow are adequate for the chassis configuration.
- Component installation: install any required line cards, supervisor modules, fabric cards, and modules according to Cisco's installation guide. Ensure components are firmly seated, latched, and all connections are secure.
- Initial software and network readiness: connect management interfaces, console access, and basic connectivity to the network. Power on, verify POST, and perform initial software loading or upgrade per Cisco's recommended procedures. Validate chassis health indicators, fan operation, temperature sensors, and power status before proceeding with full-scale service activation.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Cisco 55A1 Router Chassis? A modular router chassis designed for Cisco's Network Convergence System family, built to support high-capacity, scalable service-provider and large enterprise networks.
- Is the 55A1 compatible with NCS 5501 formats? The chassis is part of the Cisco NCS family and is designed to work within the NCS architecture, with suitable line cards and modules as specified by Cisco for your deployment.
- What are the power and cooling requirements? Power and cooling vary by configuration; consult the official data sheets for your exact model, and ensure redundant power and adequate cooling in your data center or colocation facility.
- Where can I find exact specifications? Use the product’s UPC or SKU to locate the official specification sheet on ec.synnex.com or Cisco's product pages for precise figures on dimensions, weight, power, and supported options.
- How can I get support? Contact the vendor or Cisco support channels for hardware warranty, RMA policies, and ongoing technical assistance.
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