The single-port Cisco Gigabit Ethernet HWIC provides Gigabit Ethernet optical and copper connectivity in a compact form factor for Cisco Integrated Service Routers (ISRs). The Gigabit Ethernet HWIC enables branch offices to cost-effectively use high-speed uplinks in numerous environments. The enhanced performance of Gigabit Ethernet in Cisco ISRs to enable new applications and services, as well as provide greater capacity for existing inter-VLAN routing and bridging capabilities. Additionally, branch offices can now connect to metropolitan-area networks (MANs).