<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001199683-03-000015
<TYPE>3
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030513
<FILING-DATE>20030527
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>POWELL DENNIS D
<CIK>0001231878
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>3
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-18225
<FILM-NUMBER>03718941
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>170 WEST TASMAN DR
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95134
<PHONE>4085264000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>CISCO SYSTEMS INC
<CIK>0000858877
<ASSIGNED-SIC>3576
<IRS-NUMBER>770059951
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>CA
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>0731
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>170 WEST TASMAN DR
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95134-1706
<PHONE>4085264000
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>225 WEST TASMAN DR
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95134-1706
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>3
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgardoc.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-05-13</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000858877</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CISCO SYSTEMS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CSCO</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

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            <rptOwnerName>POWELL DENNIS D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>SVP,Corporate Finance</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Common Stock</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>4746</value>
            </transactionShares>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </nonDerivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
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        <exerciseDate>
            <value>1998-04-04</value>
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        <expirationDate>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
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            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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    <derivativeSecurity>
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    <derivativeSecurity>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
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            <underlyingSecurityShares>
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        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
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    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
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            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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            </underlyingSecurityShares>
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        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
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        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
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        <expirationDate>
            <value>2011-05-10</value>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>71250</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
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        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
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        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2001-09-21</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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        <expirationDate>
            <value>2010-08-21</value>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>100000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>16.15</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2003-04-05</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
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        <expirationDate>
            <value>2011-04-05</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>100000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>17.26</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2002-11-02</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2010-11-02</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>71250</value>
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        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
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        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>18.57</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2001-06-14</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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        <expirationDate>
            <value>2010-05-14</value>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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            <underlyingSecurityShares>
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        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>18.74</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2002-07-13</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
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        <expirationDate>
            <value>2010-07-13</value>
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        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
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            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>100000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>20.53</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2003-01-07</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2011-01-07</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>205333</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>28.6094</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2000-04-05</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2008-04-05</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>90000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>50.375</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2001-11-13</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2009-11-13</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>240000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>54.5313</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2001-01-24</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2009-01-24</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>20000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The Option Shares shall vest for twenty-five percent (25%) of the total shares granted on the one (1) year anniversary date, while the remaining seventy-five percent (75%) vests in thirty-six (36) successive equal monthly installments.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The Option Shares shall vest for twenty percent (20%) of the total shares granted on the one (1) year anniversary date, while the remaining eighty percent (80%) vests in forty eight (48) successive equal monthly installments.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The Option will become exercisable for one-sixtieth (1/60th) of the option shares each month over a sixty (60) month period, commencing on the date shown in the table (i.e., one (1) month following the date of grant) upon the reporting person's continuation in service with the issuer through the end of each such month.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Dennis Powell</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-23</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
