Grandstream GCC6021 Router, PBX, Switch and Firewall

The Grandstream GCC6021 is the large convergence system: a VPN router, a next-generation firewall, an IP PBX and a proper switch — sixteen Gigabit ports, eight 2.5 Gigabit ports and four 10 Gigabit SFP+ uplinks — in one box.

At this port count the switch stops being a convenience and becomes the actual access layer for a floor. A site can plug desks, phones, cameras and access points straight into it, take fibre out on the SFP+ uplinks, and have the router, firewall and phone system already inside the same chassis.

The firewall is a real one: anti-virus, layer 3-7 IDS/IPS, deep packet inspection and SSL detection. It supports hot standby high availability and multi-WAN with load balancing and failover — both of which matter more here, because more of the business depends on the one box.

Key features

• Four products in one — VPN router, firewall, IP PBX and switch
• 16 Gigabit, 8 × 2.5 Gigabit and 4 × 10 Gigabit SFP+ ports
• Built-in IP PBX — voice and video with collaboration features
• Next-generation firewall — anti-virus, layer 3-7 IDS/IPS, DPI, SSL detection
• Multi-WAN — load balancing and failover across several connections
• Hot standby high availability
• Built-in VPN router — link sites without extra hardware
• One web interface for all of it

Works with

• GCC6020 — the smaller model, 4 Gigabit ports
• GCC6011 — the entry series
• Grandstream IP phones — the extensions on the built-in PBX
• Grandstream GWN access points
• Grandstream GWN switches — to extend beyond the built-in ports

Frequently asked questions

Can it really be my only network device?

For a floor, often yes — sixteen Gigabit ports plus eight at 2.5G covers a lot of desks, and the SFP+ uplinks take fibre out. Beyond that, put GWN switches behind it. The honest caveat is that one box carrying everything is one box to lose, which is what hot standby is for.

Does the built-in switch supply PoE?

Check the datasheet against your device list before assuming it. If phones, cameras and access points all need power, budget for a PoE switch behind it rather than discovering the shortfall on installation day.

Is the firewall a real firewall?

Yes — anti-virus, layer 3-7 intrusion detection and prevention, deep packet inspection and SSL detection. That is a different category from the NAT firewall in a consumer router.

Is the PBX as capable as a UCM?

It is a full IP PBX with voice, video and collaboration. If you need the very largest call capacities or many analogue ports, a dedicated UCM is still the right answer — tell us the extension and call counts.

What does hot standby give me?

A second unit ready to take over if the first fails. On a device carrying the phones, the internet, the firewall and the switching, that is worth costing properly rather than hoping.

Do I still need a SIP provider?

Yes. The built-in PBX is the phone system, not the phone lines.

Consolidating a comms cupboard? Call 0333 242 1314 or email sales@clisecure.com — tell us what is in there now, the port count and the PoE draw, and we will work out whether one box genuinely covers it.