Q&A

Cisco VDSL2 High-Speed WAN Interface Card for Cisco 1941, 2900,
and 3900 Cisco Integrated Services Routers Generation 2

Q. What is VDSL2?
A. Very-high-speed DSL 2 (VDSL2) is an access technology that exploits the existing infrastructure of copper wires
that were originally deployed for basic telephone services. You can deploy VDSL2 from central offices, from
fiber-fed cabinets located near the customer premises, or within buildings. The newest and most advanced
standard of DSL broadband wireline communications, VDSL2 is designed to support the wide deployment of
services such as voice, video, data, high-definition television (HDTV), and interactive gaming. It has been
standardized as ITU G.993.2.

Q. Which Cisco IOS® Software release and firmware are required?

A. Cisco IOS Software 15.0.1M1 with the default vdsl2 firmware version AvC011b is required. The firmware version
is subject to change and can be upgraded as newer firmware releases become available over time. For more
details and future updates on Cisco IOS Software release-to-DSL firmware version mapping, please go to:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/prod/collateral/routers/ps221/prod_bulletin0900aecd801d5c4c.html.

Q. What does Annex A and Annex B mean for VDSL2?

A. For ADSL/2/2+, ITU G.992.1, G.992.3, and G.992.5, Annex A refers to asymmetric DSL (ADSL) over basic
telephone service, and Annex B refers to ADSL over ISDN. For VDSL2, Annex A specifies band plans for the
North American region and enables VDSL2 to be deployed with traditional basic telephony or in an all-digital
mode. Annex B specifies band plans for Europe and enables VDSL2 deployment with underlying basic
telephone or ISDN services.

Q. Does the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL support both Annex A and Annex B?

A. Yes, it supports Annex A and Annex B with band plans 997 and 998. Only VDSL2 over basic telephone service
is supported. The all-digital and over-ISDN modes are not supported.

Q. Does the HWIC-1VDSL platform support both ATM and Ethernet Packet Transport Mode (PTM)?
A. No, it supports only PTM.

Q. What is the maximum data rate that the HWIC-1VDSL can support?
A. Please refer to Table 1 for the profiles the HWIC-1VDSL supports and the maximum data rate achievable by
each profile. VDSL2 profiles are defined to help simplify network equipment configuration tasks for different
regional deployment architectures such as central office, remote DSL access multiplexers (DSLAMs), digital
loop carriers, and multiple-dwelling units. The actual data rate negotiated during the line training process
depends on the profiles and band plans supported by the DSLAM, the distance of the customer premises
equipment (CPE) from the central office where the DSLAM is located, noise conditions, and other parameters
associated with line quality.

Table 1. Profiles Supported by the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL

Profile 8a 8b 8c 8d 12a 12b 17a

Maximum combined data rate 65 Mbps 65 Mbps 65 Mbps 65 Mbps 90 Mbps 90 Mbps 150 Mbps
(upstream and downstream)

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 Q&A

Q. Will the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL work with any DSLAM?

A. Refer to the product data sheet for the list of the supported DSLAMs.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10536/products_data_sheets_list.html

Q. What features does the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL support?

A. Refer to the product data sheet for the complete list of supported features.

● ITU G.993.2 VDSL2 over basic telephone service support; compatible with VDSL2 – G.993.2 (up to 17 MHz)
● Ethernet packet transfer mode
● IEEE802.1q support: VLAN tagged frames will be supported in Ethernet mode of VDSL2
● Training log collection for debugging interoperability problems
● LEDs: Carrier Detect, Loop-back, and OK
● Support for Double Ended Line Testing (DELT) capabilities
● Dying Gasp – VDSL2
● Long Reach – VDSL2
● Support for multiple HWICs per platform (maximum of 4 HWICs per platform)
Q. What features are not supported by the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL?
A. Dual latency in Ethernet mode is not supported, in addition to:

● Transparent rate adaptation, Short-Init (Fast-Init), and Dynamic Rate Repartitioning (DRR)
● Sealing current termination or generation
Q. What are the hardware external interfaces on the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL?
A. An RJ-11 connector is used to connect to the DSLAM, and a HWIC connector is used to connect to the Cisco
Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 (ISR G2).

The VDSL line is connected and uses the 2 center pins of the line (that is, pins 2 and 3 of a 4-wire RJ-11 plug,
or pins 3 and 4 of a 6-wire RJ-11 plug).

Q. What VDSL chipset is used in the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL ?

A. It uses Broadcom’s BCM6368 chipset.

Q. Does the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL also support ADSL/2/2+?

A. No. ADSL modes are not supported.

Q. Does the Cisco HWIC-1VDSL support the 30a profile?

A. No. Only profiles up to 17a (17 MHz) are supported.

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 Q&A

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