The Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series targets medium to large enterprise branches — the tier above the compact 8200 — delivering significantly higher throughput (9.3 Gbps IPsec vs 1 Gbps on the 8200) with a 12-core processor, expanded modular connectivity, 5G readiness, and optional redundant power supplies. The C8300-2N2S-6T is the primary large-branch configuration with 6 built-in ports and full modular expansion capability.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (formerly Viptela) is the software platform running on the 8300, providing enterprise SD-WAN with application-aware routing, intelligent WAN path selection across up to 8 concurrent WAN links, automated failover with sub-second convergence, and cloud-on-ramp for direct, optimised access to major public cloud platforms and SaaS applications.
For enterprises with existing Cisco infrastructure, the Catalyst 8300 provides native integration across the Cisco WAN portfolio: ThousandEyes for application performance monitoring across the WAN, Cisco Umbrella for cloud-delivered security without additional on-premise hardware, Cisco DNA Center for network automation, and Meraki for hybrid on-premise/cloud management — all accessible through a unified Cisco portfolio without vendor integration complexity.