Cisco Systems' mammoth core router is rolling downhill toward end users, and as it does, it's crossing competitors' gear that's on its way up.

Last week the company introduced a smaller version of the CRS-1 core router it originally introduced in 2004. The previous version of the product had a per-chassis capacity of 640 Gb/s and could scale — grouped with others — to 94 Tb/s. But the new four-slot version — with 40 Gb/s per slot — has a per-chassis capacity of 320 Gb/s.

The four-slot CRS-1, available in November at a list price of $160,000, can be deployed in regional points of presence where the initial version of the router wouldn't fit. In particular, its depth was set at 800 millimeters, meeting the international standards for such spaces.

At the same time Cisco is shrinking its core router to 320 Gb/s, Juniper Networks is increasing its broadband services router to the same capacity. When Juniper introduced its E320 router a year ago, it promised a total capacity of 100 Gb/s that would grow, in later releases, to its namesake 320. Last week Juniper revealed the true 320 Gb/s broadband services router will be available this month.

Cisco is quick to point out that the two are different types of products for two different types of networks. But since their similar capacities mean they fight in the same weight division, they may very well meet in the ring.

“Those two boxes will directly compete,” said Ray Mota, chief strategist with Synergy Research Group. “There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. They will compete with each other whether Cisco tells you so or not.”

For a core router, Cisco does spend a lot of time talking about video service when listing the attributes of the new CRS-1 — even underlining its multicasting capabilities for video distribution. As time goes on, this core router may end up taking on even more of the work that broadband services routers do now.

“Being able to add things — perhaps some kind of content applications, with video — that's going to make that a neat box,” said Deb Mielke, president of Treillage Network Strategies.

As Cisco attempts to move the CRS-1 downstream, Mielke said the company has the right approach to make a convincing case to carriers. “The CRS-1 is really built for speed,” she said. “Juniper's more of a process engine. I don't think that's where things are going. I think it's all about capacity now; it's all about throwing this [traffic] through fast.”

Ultimately, with carriers already sold on MPLS as the ideal core network technology and Cisco and Juniper the leaders of that market, both will be sitting pretty as video traffic places more burden on core network gear. “Cisco and Juniper are golden right now,” Mota said.