Wireless Consulting Expertise

Catalyst Wi-Fi controllers simplify the management of Wi-Fi networks by unifying the configuration and management of Wi-Fi access points, optimizing wireless throughput by mitigating the effects of RF congestion, improving wireless uptime with fast zero-touch failover, and tightening security by identifying threats and filtering content based on user class and location.

Catalyst wireless controllers operate with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure platform, which can support up to Wi-Fi 18,000 Wi-Fi access points and 64,000 clients. Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi controllers are offered at price points and with feature sets appropriate for environments ranging from branch offices to enterprises and school campuses. Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers and access points are designed to deliver the same degree of security, throughput and management ease that companies expect in their wired networks. Cisco wireless controller technology includes integrated mobility functions such as Voice over IP, HD video, and safe access for guest clients. Cisco's Prime Infrastructure allows organizations to build networks that combine wired and wireless resources into a unified connectivity solution that produces maximum business value.

Progent's certified Wi-Fi consultants can help you to evaluate the advantages of using Catalyst Wi-Fi controllers to manage wireless deployments of any scale. Progent can assist you to support and debug your current Wi-Fi network or help you design and carry out a smooth migration from legacy wireless controllers to current solutions.

Progent's Cisco-certified Wi-Fi network experts offer affordable remote consulting across the U.S. and Canada to help you to create and manage wireless solutions. Progent can also provide onsite support in major metro areas in the U.S. and in Toronto, Canada. In addition, Progent offers low-cost remote and on-premises Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to plan and implement a Wi-Fi network with optimal AP selection and placement to align with your specific office layout, building structure, user concentration, and application workloads.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ac WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers enable fast data exchange, deployment, management, monitoring and troubleshooting for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and software-based wireless controllers for unified management of WiFi networks, but networks with a large number of Wi-Fi access points are better served by physical Wi-Fi controllers. Current generation wireless controller devices from Cisco deliver significant advantages over Wave 1 and earlier products such as greater throughput, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, integrated security.

The Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level device with a desktop body and designed for smaller organizations. You can install the 3504 in a centralized WLAN architecture such as in lean branch and remote offices managed over the WAN via Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where wiring is limited. The 3504 wireless controller can handle as many as 150 wireless APs and 3,000 client users, delivers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 WiFi controller features a Cisco Multigigabit interface and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected directly to the WiFi controller via two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 wireless controller features subsecond failover for access points and users, which provides uninterrupted availability for apps. As with other Wave 2 wireless controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated capability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.

Cisco's 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1 rack unit enclosure, is designed to support larger enterprises and campus networks and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller can handle up to 1,500 access points and 20,000 users, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller includes two 10 GE ports and incorporates SSD storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and rapid failover for high availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit (RU) enclosure, is a top-of-the-line wireless controller designed to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 WiFi controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and supports up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 client users. The 8540 Wireless controller can deliver throughput up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 comes with four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features SSD storage, backup power supplies, redundant fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers cut the time and cost required to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by offering single-point control of critical tasks such as setting up APs, applying single-point policies throughout converged wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for voice and video, tracking and troubleshooting system health, activating intrusion prevention capabilities to guard against cyber break-ins and Distributed Denial of Service threats, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has designed wireless network controllers for organizations of all sizes and can provide desktop or rackmount controllers, modular add-on wireless controllers for Cisco routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with built-in wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 wireless controllers include Cisco CleanAir tools to minimize signal interference and create self-healing and self-optimizing wireless networks for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and security. Built-in Bonjour Gateways allow discovery, advertisement and policy across the enterprise for Apple-based applications. For high availability, Cisco wireless network controllers allow wireless access point and client stateful failover by permitting a backup high-availability controller to synchronize with a main controller for access point license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and AP CAPWAP state. If the main controller fails, thousands of access points and wireless clients can failover in less than a second to the backup wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 routers deployed by smaller businesses and satellite offices. This affordable and expandable solution can support from five to 200 access points and up to 6000 clients. (To find out concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branch offices and features a built-in wireless LAN controller with the capability to support up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch or stack. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches designed for midsize businesses and large enterprises and feature an integrated wireless controller with 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and support for up to 50 access points and 2000 wireless clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with an integrated wireless controller intended for mid-to-large size enterprises and capable of 20 Gbps throughput and able to handle 1000 wireless access points and as many as 15,000 wireless clients. (To find out concerning Progent's support for Catalyst switches, refer to Catalyst switches deployment and management support.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop devices that simplify the deployment and operation of wireless LANs for small to medium-sized enterprises and branch offices. The Cisco 2500 wireless network controller can handle 5 to 75 APs and 1000 clients and offers throughput of up to 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance designed for mid-to-large sized enterprises and campus environments and can manage up to 500 access points and 7,000 clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device intended for mid-to-large campuses with support for up to 1000 access points and 12,000 wireless clients and offering throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high amounts of video-intensive applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is designed to manage thousands of wireless branches from one datacenter, eliminating the costs of a Wi-Fi controller at every branch. The 1RU Flex 7500 allows you to create a private cloud to deploy, track, manage, and troubleshoot as many as 6000 wireless access points and up to 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. Cisco's 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed to monitor and manage wireless environments for very large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to support up to 6000 APs and up to 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Controllers
Cisco Wireless Controllers provide single-point management of wireless LANs by streamlining the handling of common technologies including intrusion prevention, real-time RF control, automatic deployment, and N+1 redundancy. Cisco WLAN controllers operate with small wireless access points to offer superior throughput and advanced management functions.

Cisco WLAN Controllers offer the control, expandability, security, and resilience that network managers require to create safe, enterprise-scale wireless environments, from branch offices to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be clustered to provide support for up to 2400 access points per roaming domain.

Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Controller Module for Integrated Services (IS) Routers provides small-to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and large corporations a cost effective solution to deploy and control secure wireless LANs at satellite locations. These controllers supervise as many as 12 Cisco access points and are installable in 2800/3800 IS Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Integrated Services Routers. (To learn about Progent's remote and on-premises consulting services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and management consulting.)

How Progent's Consultants Can Help You with Cisco Catalyst Wireless Controllers
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to assist you to plan, install, maintain and repair a converged wired and wireless infrastructure incorporating a wide array of wireless products that provide the identical protection, extensibility, and manageability you expect from a wired network. Progent can assist you to maintain early-generation Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to current 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology. Progent's CISM and CISSP security consultants can show you how to build protection into your wireless network and into your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planning consultants can assist you to deploy the high availability technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged infrastructure provides significant return on investment.

Progent’s Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and deploy a robust wireless network optimized for your facilities, providing a wireless ecosystem that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and capacity, Quality of Service to accommodate IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed remotely to cut time and expense, or onsite for more complex facilities.

For a further discussion of Progent's wireless integration capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless Support.

For more information about Progent's consulting expertise for other Cisco network infrastructure technology, select a topic:

• Overview of Cisco Consulting Services
• Fast Online Assistance from a CCIE Consultant
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewalls: Integration and Management Expertise
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewall with Firepower Services: Setup and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco ASA 5500 Firewalls Integration Expertise
• Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall Engineering Help
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco Wireless Network Design Expertise
• Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points Deployment Expertise
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi APs Deployment Services
• Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax Wireless APs Planning, Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Consultants
• Cisco Meraki Wireless APs Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Integration and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP (VoIP) Phones and IP Video Phones Consulting and Wireless IP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber Integration Services
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Nexus Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco Meraki Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Cisco Security and VPN Setup and Troubleshooting Services
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunking and Cisco CUBE Integration Consulting
• Design Solutions for Cisco-based Data Centers
• Data Center Optimization Services for Service Providers
• Centralized Management Techniques for Cisco-based Infrastructure
• NetApp and Cisco FlexPod Private Cloud Architecture Consulting Services