
<PAGE>   1

     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission November 30, 1999

                                                      Registration No. 333-_____

================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           The Securities Act of 1933

                                   ----------

                               CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           CALIFORNIA                                     77-0059951
  (State or other jurisdiction                 (IRS Employer Identification No.)
 of incorporation or organization)

             170 WEST TASMAN DRIVE, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95134-1706
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                                   ----------

                       CERENT CORPORATION 1997 STOCK PLAN

                          -----------------------------
                            (Full title of the Plan)

                                   ----------

                                JOHN T. CHAMBERS
                 PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND DIRECTOR
                               CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.
             170 WEST TASMAN DRIVE, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95134-1706
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (408) 526-4000
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
==============================================================================================================
                                                                Proposed         Proposed
              Title of                                          Maximum          Maximum
             Securities                       Amount            Offering         Aggregate         Amount of
                to be                         to be              Price           Offering         Registration
             Registered                   Registered(1)       per Share(2)       Price(2)             Fee
             ----------                   -------------       ------------       ---------        ------------
<S>                                     <C>                   <C>              <C>                <C>
Cerent Corporation. 1997 Stock Plan     1,821,683 Shares         $37.32        $67,985,209.56      $17,948.10
Common Stock (par value $0.01)

==============================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)  This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of
     Registrant's Common Stock which become issuable under the Cerent
     Corporation 1997 Stock Plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split,
     recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without the
     Registrant's receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the
     number of the Registrant's outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(2)  Calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the
     Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on the basis of the weighted average
     exercise price of the outstanding options.




<PAGE>   2



                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference

        Cisco Systems, Inc. (the "Registrant") hereby incorporates by reference
into this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"):

        (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
             ended July 31, 1999, filed with the Commission on September 28,
             1999, pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of
             1934, as amended (the " 1934 Act");

        (b)  The Registrant's Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the
             Commission on August 13, 1999, as amended on Form 8-K/A filed with
             the Commission on August 16, 1999, September 27, 1999, October
             20, 1999, November 4, 1999 and November 17, 1999.

        (c)  The Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-18225 on Form 8-A
             filed with the Commission on January 11, 1990, together with
             Amendment No. 1 on Form 8-A/A filed with the Commission on February
             15, 1990, and including any other amendments or reports filed for
             the purpose of updating such description, in which there is
             described the terms, rights and provisions applicable to the
             Registrant's Common Stock, and;

        (d)  The Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-18225 on Form 8-A
             filed with the Commission on June 11, 1998, including any
             amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
             description, in which there is described the terms, rights and
             provisions applicable to the Registrant's Preferred Stock Purchase
             Rights.

             All reports and definitive proxy or information statements filed
pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the date of
this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or
which de-registers all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained in a
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be
deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement
to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed
document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or
supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall
not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this
Registration Statement.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

             Not Applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

             Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

             Section 317 of the California Corporations Code authorizes a court
to award, or a corporation's Board of Directors to grant indemnity to directors
and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit indemnification (including
reimbursement of expenses incurred) under certain circumstances for liabilities
arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "1933 Act"). The
Registrant's Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and
Restated Bylaws provide for indemnification of its directors, officers,
employees and other agents to the maximum extent permitted by the California
Corporations Code. In addition, the Registrant has entered into Indemnification
Agreements with each of its directors and officers.


                                      II-1
<PAGE>   3

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

             Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number    Exhibit
--------------    -------
<S>               <C>
   4              Instruments Defining the Rights of Stockholders.
                  Reference is made to Registrant's Registration
                  Statements No. 000-18225 on Form 8-A, together with
                  the amendments and exhibits thereto, which are
                  incorporated herein by reference pursuant to
                  Items 3(c) and 3(d).
   5              Opinion and consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.
   23.1           Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Accountants.
   23.2           Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in
                  Exhibit 5.
   24             Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-3 of this
                  Registration Statement.
   99.1           Cerent Corporation 1997 Stock Plan.
   99.2           Cerent Corporation - Form of Stock Option Agreement.
   99.3           Form of Option Assumption Agreement.
</TABLE>

Item 9.  Undertakings

             A. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes: (1) to file,
during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective
amendment to this Registration Statement: (i) to include any prospectus required
by Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act, (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts
or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or
the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this
Registration Statement and (iii) to include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this
Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this
Registration Statement; provided, however, that clauses (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall
not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
amendment by those clauses is contained in periodic reports filed by the
Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that are
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement; (2) that for the
purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act each such post-effective
amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and (3) to remove
from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities
being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the Cerent
Corporation 1997 Stock Plan.

             B. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each filing of the Registrant's
annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that is
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

             C. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
1933 Act may be permitted to directors, officers or controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the indemnification provisions summarized in Item 6 or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the
Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.



                                      II-2
<PAGE>   4

                                   SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of San Jose, State of California on this 30th day
of November, 1999.

                                        CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.


                                        By: /s/John T. Chambers
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            John T. Chambers
                                            President, Chief Executive Officer
                                            and Director

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints John T. Chambers and Larry R. Carter, and
each of them, as such person's true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents,
with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person and in such
person's name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement,
and to file same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might
or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons on
behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Signature                              Title                                            Date
---------                              -----                                            ----
<S>                                    <C>                                        <C>

/s/John T. Chambers                    President, Chief Executive                 November 30, 1999
---------------------------------      Officer and Director
John T. Chambers                       (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/Larry R. Carter                     Senior Vice President, Finance             November 30, 1999
---------------------------------      and Administration, Chief Financial
Larry R. Carter                        Officer and Secretary
                                       (Principal Financial and Accounting
                                       Officer)

/s/John P. Morgridge                   Chairman of the Board and                  November 30, 1999
---------------------------------      Director
John P. Morgridge

/s/Donald T. Valentine                 Vice Chairman of the Board and             November 30, 1999
---------------------------------      Director
Donald T. Valentine
</TABLE>


                                      II-3
<PAGE>   5


<TABLE>
<S>                                    <C>                                        <C>

/s/James F. Gibbons                    Director                                   November 30, 1999
---------------------------------
James F. Gibbons

/s/Steven M. West                      Director                                   November 30, 1999
---------------------------------
Steven M. West

/s/Edward R. Kozel                     Director                                   November 30, 1999
---------------------------------
Edward R. Kozel

/s/Carol A. Bartz                      Director                                   November 30, 1999
---------------------------------
Carol A. Bartz

/s/James C. Morgan                     Director                                   November 30, 1999
---------------------------------
James C. Morgan

/s/Mary Cirillo                        Director                                   November 30, 1999
---------------------------------
Mary Cirillo

/s/Arun Sarin                          Director                                   November 30, 1999
---------------------------------
Arun Sarin
</TABLE>




                                      II-4
<PAGE>   6







                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    EXHIBITS

                                       TO

                                    FORM S-8

                                      UNDER

                             SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                               CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.



<PAGE>   7



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number     Exhibit
--------------     -------
<S>                <C>
   4               Instruments Defining the Rights of Stockholders.
                   Reference is made to Registrant's Registration
                   Statements No. 000-18225 on Form 8-A, together with
                   the amendments and exhibits thereto, which are
                   incorporated herein by reference pursuant to Items
                   3(c) and 3(d).
   5               Opinion and consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.
   23.1            Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Accountants.
   23.2            Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in
                   Exhibit 5.
   24              Power of Attorney.  Reference is made to page II-3 of this
                   Registration Statement.
   99.1            Cerent Corporation 1997  Stock Plan.
   99.2            Cerent Corporation - Form of Stock Option Agreement.
   99.3            Form of Option Assumption Agreement.
</TABLE>



