What Is the ASR-920-24TZ-M? Port Types, Industrial Use, and Deployment Scenarios

Core Role of ASR-920-24TZ-M

The ​​ASR-920-24TZ-M​​ is a ​​24-port copper aggregation router​​ from Cisco’s ASR 900 Series, purpose-built for ​​industrial and outdoor deployments​​. Its hardened design supports environments with extreme temperatures, vibration, and electromagnetic interference (EMI), making it suitable for utilities, transportation, and manufacturing networks.

Technical Specifications and Capabilities

• ​​Ports​​: ​​24x RJ-45 10/100/1000BASE-T​​ ports with ​​4x SFP+ uplinks​​ (10G/1G), enabling hybrid copper-fiber topologies.
• ​​Power Resilience​​: Dual ​​-48V DC or 110/220V AC inputs​​ with N+1 redundancy, critical for mission-critical industrial sites.
• ​​Environmental Tolerance​​: Operates in ​​-40°C to 70°C​​ and withstands ​​IEC 60068-2-6 vibration standards​​.
• ​​Software​​: Cisco IOS XE with ​​Layer 3 routing​​, ​​MACsec encryption​​, and ​​Precision Time Protocol (PTP)​​ support.

Key User Questions Answered

​​Q: Can the ASR-920-24TZ-M replace older Cisco ME switches in substations?​​
Yes. Its ​​industrial-grade hardening​​ and Layer 3 capabilities make it a modern successor for legacy substation networks requiring IP/MPLS or QoS.

​​Q: Are the copper ports PoE-enabled?​​
No. The ​​RJ-45 ports​​ provide data-only connectivity. For PoE, external injectors or midspans are required.

​​Q: Is Layer 3 routing included by default?​​
No. The ​​Network Advantage license​​ must be activated for OSPF, BGP, or MPLS features. Base software supports only Layer 2 switching.

Sourcing Authentic Hardware

Non-Cisco sellers often supply incompatible or counterfeit units lacking proper EMI shielding. For verified ASR-920-24TZ-M routers, purchase via [“ASR-920-24TZ-M” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/).

Field Deployment Insights

In a rail signaling project, the ASR-920-24TZ-M’s vibration resistance prevented micro-reboots caused by passing trains—a flaw that crippled non-hardened routers. However, its lack of native PoE forced costly external power solutions for edge sensors. Always map power and data requirements holistically; over-relying on copper without PoE can derail IoT deployments.