Router Throughput

[eh2os]

How can I determine which router to purchase based on port density and throughput ? I need to terminate two 45mbps ethernet connections into the router. A primary and 2ndary connection. The ethernet connections connect our office with two data centers about 2 miles away from the office. I will be doing file transfers over the lines that will approach 40 mbps of utlization. What is the lowest end router I can purchase that has the processing power to pass this amount of data ? The lines are active standby so the router will only be passing data over one of the links at any given time. This is a copper connection through the Cox network. A Metro Ethernet type situation if you will.

Thanks.

[paolo bevilacqua]

What do you have currently?

Do you have or like a L3 switch as small as like an 8 port 3560 ?

[eh2os]

I have nothing. I am designing it. Cox is going to hand us an RJ45 connection that will plug into their network. Its a dedicated 45mbps connection over ethernet. Our data center and our office will be connected over this connection just as through they were on the same LAN. I need to buy a router that will do iBGP, can support at least 3 100mbps etherenet interfaces, and more importantly, support throughput of around 40mbps in terms of processing power. I will be have a simple access list on this machine. That is the only other "service" that will be running on it. Well.......BGP too, but I don't know how much that hits performance. Its iBGP to the routing tables won't be that large. There will be no other performance impacts on the router at this point. No VPNs, etc.

Make sense ? I can clearly see on the Cisco site where Firewall Throughput ceilings are outlined per model. However, I can't find anything similar to that with routers. So I am asking you guys or gals for some input with the assumption that no other services will be running on the router so to speak that would impact performance to the point where making a guess on throughput would be difficult due to performance issues introduced by VPNs etc.

[paolo bevilacqua]

Here is your reference document. As you can see, smaller routers also meet your requirement.

But, if you plan or need a L3 switch for the "inside part", you could do with it also for BGP. The L3 switches are nice because you never have to worry about performance they have.

Please rate post if it helps!

[paolo bevilacqua]

Whoops here it is. The advantage of using a router it's that is does so many other things that invariably at some point are needed. So best designs have both a L3 switch and a true router.

[eh2os]

Awesome. Thanks for that document. I can never find stuff like that on my own on the Cisco website for some reason. :) Thanks a lot.

[paolo bevilacqua]

The document is supposed to be reserved to partners. Just don't tell anyone you got it here :)

Thanks for the appreciation and good luck!

[sirdudesly]

I wouldn't worry about it mate, the information is on the cisco site in other places.