Abstract

Tolly Group Report #202151 (October 2002) evaluates ADTRAN’s NetVanta 3200 T1 access router versus Cisco’s 1720/1751V in zero-loss bidirectional Frame Relay T1 tests covering baseline Layer-3 forwarding, stateful firewall, and NAT performance. The test methodology required error-free delivery (≤0.001% packet loss) across 64- to 1,518-byte packets.

Baseline throughput. In plain routing, NetVanta forwarded 99% of theoretical bandwidth for 64-byte frames, compared with Cisco’s 96%, and both reached 100% at 512- and 1,500-byte frames.

Security-feature impact. With a 10-rule firewall and NAT enabled, NetVanta achieved 60% of line rate at 64-byte frames for up to 500 sessions, while Cisco managed 39%. At 512- and 1,500-byte frames the ADTRAN unit held wire-speed (100%) regardless of session count; Cisco dipped to 99% under heavier loads. Overall, NetVanta delivered 54% higher small-packet firewall throughput and roughly 20% more baseline routing throughput.

Latency and cost. Both platforms stayed well below the ITU-T 150 ms threshold. NetVanta posted 0.5 ms latency for 1,500-byte packets under firewall load, versus Cisco’s 0.3 ms. Pricing favors ADTRAN: a NetVanta 3200 with firewall lists at $995, less than half the Cisco 1720’s $2,195 plus $900 firewall license.

Taken together, NetVanta offers near-line-rate routing, superior small-packet firewall performance, sub-millisecond latency, and a much lower acquisition cost, making it the stronger choice for branch offices that need high-performance security without sacrificing link capacity.