Cisco VIP2-40 enterprise networking (router/Catalyst switch/UCS families) Router Line Card

The Cisco VIP2-40 is a Versatile Interface Processor (VIP2 generation, model 40) for the Cisco 7500 series router, providing distributed packet forwarding for the port adapters fitted to it rather than relying solely on the chassis’s central Route Switch Processor. It works alongside an RSP card, such as the RSP2, in the 7500’s dual-bus architecture, handling interface-level switching so the RSP is freed to focus on routing-table computation and system control. The VIP2-40 sits in the mid-range of the VIP2 family (below the higher-throughput VIP2-50), distinguished by its onboard processor and buffer memory specification, and accepts a range of Cisco port adapters to match the interfaces a given deployment needs. Cisco 7500-series routers remain in service across many established WAN and service-provider core deployments, and a genuine spare such as this restores forwarding capacity after a card failure. Tech-Star (UK-based, shipped worldwide) stocks Cisco interface processors for engineers maintaining these platforms.