Cisco provides a diverse portfolio of wireless networking products engineered to increase employee productivity, simplify collaboration, and sharpen interactions among employees, associates, and customers. This technology allows real-time strategic applications and establishes a secure, mobile, productive environment so that organizations can go beyond customer expectations, stay ahead of their competitors, and realize a measurable payback on investment in information technology. Cisco wireless products supported by Progent include wireless access points, wireless bridges, LAN controllers, and client devices.

The Cisco Unified Wireless Network solution offers economical wireless technology for business-critical mobility. Cisco's solutions support the identical level of protection, expandability, and ease of management for wireless networks that organizations expect in their wired environments. This includes built-in enterprise-class protection that identifies, blocks, and adapts to familiar and new security attacks. Cisco's wireless portfolio includes unified mobility services such as voice, location services, guest access, and enhanced protection. Cisco technology has the flexibility and scalability to meet the requirements of networks of any size, from small businesses to global corporations, within wireless LAN campus deployments or branch offices. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network technology allows companies to exploit the wireless environment to improve the way they do business and improve productivity through a mobile and connected workforce. Cisco's wireless products lower operational expenses and simplify network deployment, management, and maintenance.

Aironet Access Points
Aironet wireless access points (WAPs) provide secure, manageable, and dependable network links with exceptional coverage and efficiency. Lightweight access points work together with Cisco's wireless network controllers and Wireless Control System. Cisco provides wireless access points equipped with either single WiFi transceiver for as high as 54 Mbps of capacity or dual 802.11g wireless transceiver access points handling both 802.11g and 802.11a for as much as 108 Mbps of throughput. The Aironet series features wireless access points designed for offices and ordinary indoor facilities, for challenging RF environments such as manufacturing plants and warehouses, and for outside areas. These appliances can be installed on desktops, on walls, on or above ceilings, and on top of towers. Aironet Wireless Mesh devices enable cost-effective, scalable installation of secure outdoor wireless networks utilizing Mesh technology.

All Cisco Aironet wireless LAN access points accommodate the Cisco Structured Wireless-Aware Network (SWAN), an architecture for wired/wireless interfacing that provides high levels of protection, manageability, and important services.

Cisco Aironet 1000/1130AG Series access points are designed for conventional workplaces and similar locations which have minimal environmental variability. These products have integrated antennas that provide predictable radio coverage profiles. The 1130G family wireless access point is available for regulatory locations that do not permit 5GHz transmission.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG/1240AG family access points are ideal for more difficult RF environments such as manufacturing plants and warehouses or above suspended ceilings which tend to call for flexible protruding antennas and rugged metal enclosures. The Cisco 1240G family product is intended for controlled locations that do not permit 802.11a operation.

Cisco Aironet 1500 lightweight outside wireless mesh access points deliver an economical, expandable, secure outdoor wireless mechanism for outdoor campus areas and public connectivity for portable devices in outdoor environments.

Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges offer a high-throughput and multi-featured technology for integrating numerous LANs in a metropolitan area or public wireless environment. Cisco wireless bridges provide a versatile, easy-to-use solution that meets the security needs of public networking specialists. These bridges manage both point-to-point and PMP configurations with excellent coverage and the ability to handle traffic throughput as high as 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless bridges deliver throughput several times faster than E1/T1 lines for much lower expense, doing away with the requirement for expensive leased lines when linking different offices. Because wireless bridges have no recurring charges, savings on connection services quickly pay for the startup equipment investment. Private lines and in some cases leased lines using metal or fiber-optic cable can require high startup costs when they are impeded by obstacles like freeways, train tracks, or lakes and rivers. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges can be deployed quickly with an excellent ROI.

Cisco Aironet 1300 Series outdoor wireless access points/bridges can be implemented as independent access points, bridges, or wireless group bridges. These appliances have a tough cover and provide fast, economical wireless connectivity between numerous stationary or mobile environments and users.

Aironet 1400 bridges provide fast, reliable outdoor connections for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. They include a ruggedized cover that can withstand harsh outdoor conditions and function in wide temperature extremes.

Cisco Wireless Client Cards
Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Client cards attach a variety of products to a wireless network either in ad hoc client-to-client mode or in infrastructure mode with wireless LAN access points. Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters are compatible with Cisco Aironet network devices to offer transparent wireless LAN implementations.

Available in CardBus, PCMCIA and PCI packages, Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters quickly interface PC and portable computing devices to the wireless network in 802.11x-compatible environments. Thanks to Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Adapters, companies can instantly connect additional workers to a system, create ad hoc workgroups, or enable web connectivity in conference areas.

Capable of a full 100 mW of transmit power and the top reception available, the Cisco Aironet 350 LAN Client cards offer the best coverage and highest dependability available for wireless clients. Sophisticated signal processing in the Cisco Aironet 350 Series Wireless LAN Client Adapters helps manage the phase shifting often present in busy offices. Smart filtering addresses RF noise that can decrease system throughput.

The Aironet 350 Wireless LAN Client cards offer outstanding performance so workers can enjoy practically the same access they gain from wire-line interfaces. Based on direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) engineering and operating in the 2.4-gigahertz spectrum, the Cisco 350 Series wireless LAN Adapters adhere to the 802.11b specification, which supports compatibility with all other compliant WLAN products.

WLAN Controllers
Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) are designed to manage centralized wireless LAN functions, including integrated IPS, fast RF control, automatic configuration, and N+1 redundancy. Wireless LAN controllers work with lightweight access points and a management mechanism to deliver enhanced throughput and high-end administration capabilities.

WLAN Controllers (WLCs) provide the control, scalability, security, and resilience that network managers require to create secure, large-scale wireless solutions, from satellite locations, to small companies, to main campuses. Cisco WLCs can be configured together to offer accommodation for as many as 2400 wireless access points for each roaming domain.

Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Wireless LAN Controller Module for Integrated Services (IS) Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses and large corporations an affordable solution to deploy and manage protected wireless networks at satellite offices. These products manage as many as 12 Cisco lightweight WAPs and are supported on Cisco 2800/3800 Series IS Routers and 3700 Series IS Routers.

The Cisco 2106 Series Wireless LAN Controller works. operates in conjunction with Aironet lightweight access points and the Cisco Wireless Control System to provide systemwide WLAN functions. Cisco's 2106 WLC supports as many as six Cisco Aironet lightweight WAPs, representing an economical solution for multi-controller architectures typical of large corporation branch office deployments. Cisco's 2106 Series Wireless LAN Controller can also be used for single controller installations for small and medium-sized business systems. Cisco's 2106 Series WLC provides eight 10BASET Ethernet ports, two of which can supply power directly to Aironet lightweight wireless access points.

Cisco's 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controller offers systemwide wireless LAN services for mid-size to large-sized facilities. The Cisco 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controller operates together with Cisco Aironet lightweight WAPs, the Cisco's Wireless Control System (WCS), and the Cisco Wireless Location Appliance to support vital wireless mixed media applications. The Cisco 4400 Series WLC provides real-time communication between Cisco lightweight WAPs and other wireless controllers to offer centralized security policies, wireless intrusion prevention system (IPS) functions, outstanding RF management, quality of service (QoS), and mobility.

How Progent's Consultants Can Help You with Cisco Wireless Devices
Progent can provide a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) or Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) to help you to develop a comprehensive wireless network design and implementation strategy that integrates a broad range of wireless products and technologies and offers the same protection, scalability, and ease of management you demand from a wired network. Progent can assist you to achieve seamless integration between Cisco wireless products and wireless devices and software from other suppliers to give your company the features you require as well as the most protected, reliable, and economical wireless networking system possible. Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security consultants can show you how to design security into your wireless network and your company's processes.

For a further discussion of Progent's wireless consulting capabilities, see Progent's Wireless LAN Expertise.

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