Wireless Consulting Services

Cisco Wi-Fi controllers streamline the management of Wi-Fi networks by unifying the configuration and administration of wireless APs, optimizing wireless performance by minimizing the effects of RF congestion, enhancing Wi-Fi availability with rapid and automatic failover, and tightening protection by uncovering threats and filtering traffic content based on client type and location.

Cisco's Wi-Fi controllers integrate with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNA Center management tools and are able to support up to 6,000 wireless access points and 64,000 users. Cisco's family of wireless controllers are available at prices and with capabilities appropriate for venues that run from small offices to service provider networks, enterprises, and large campus deployments. Cisco's 802.11ax and 802.11ac controllers and access points are engineered to deliver the high level of security, speed and reliability that users are accustomed to in their wired network. Cisco's technology includes built-in mobility services like Voice over IP, HD video, and secure guest access. Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNA Center platforms make it possible for organizations to implement systems that combine wired and Wi-Fi networks into a centrally managed ecosystem that provides a consistent and productive work environment.

Progent's seasoned Wi-Fi experts can assist you to determine the business value of deploying Cisco wireless controllers to manage WiFi networks of any size. Progent can assist your business to support and debug your current Cisco-based wireless ecosystem or assist you to design and implement an efficient upgrade from older Wi-Fi controllers to modern products to get enhanced performance and security and to simplify management.

Progent's Cisco-certified integration consultants can provide affordable online consulting and support services across the U.S. to assist businesses to create and enhance Wi-Fi networks. Progent can also provide on-premises support in larger metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. and in Toronto, Canada. In addition, Progent can provide remote predictive and on-premises Wi-Fi Site Surveys to help you to plan a Wi-Fi network with access points placed and set up efficiently for your particular office environment, traffic volume, and client density.

Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless controller appliances allow you to automate and manage advanced wireless environments that support 802.11ax wireless APs. 802.11ax, aka Wi-Fi 6, improves on previous generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) appliances by providing lower latency and more reliable performance, supporting higher client density, providing greater protection, saving energy for battery-dependent mobile devices, and offering more versatility for handling the latest kinds of IoT endpoints. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family Wi-Fi controllers include always-on availability with seamless software upgrades, hot fixes, and the ability to add Wi-Fi access points without service interruption. Enhanced security technologies include Cisco Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS), image signing, and Cisco Software-Defined Access. Streaming telemetry permits you to monitor and analyze network and endpoint health. All controllers in the Catalyst 9800 family are based on Cisco's IOS XE Software and operate with Cisco's DNA Center or with Cisco Prime Infrastructure network management tools. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 wireless network controllers can manage Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 wireless APs concurrently with Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 wireless APs.

The Cisco 9800-L 802.11ax Controller is an entry-level appliance available in a half-width 1RU enclosure that allows side-by-side installation in a standard 19-in rack. Designed for small and medium-sized organizations, the controller offers enhanced speed and capacity if you purchase Cisco's Performance license option. The 9800-L can handle 250 access points and 5,000 users (500 access points and 10,00 users with Cisco's Performance license). The 9800-L controller offers 5 Gbps data rates (10 Gbps with a Performance license), and supports 4,096 VLANs. Deployment scenarios include Centralized, FlexConnect for remote office installations, and fabric. Integrated uplinks include four 2.5G/1G ports plus two 10G/Multigigabit copper (Catalyst 9800-L-C) or two 10G/Multigigabit fiber ports (Catalyst 9800-L-F). Other interfaces include an RJ-45 console port and a Micro USB console interface for out-of-band management, a USB 3.0 port for adding external memory, an RJ-45 service interface, and an RJ-45 high-availability redundancy port for stateful switchover (SSO).

Cisco's Catalyst 9800-40 Wi-Fi 6 Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit (RU) form factor, is intended for midsize campus environments. The 9800-40 can handle 2,000 access points and 32,000 users. The 9800-40 offers 40 Gbps data rates and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Deployment modes include Centralized, FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless. Fixed ports include four GE SFP/10 GE SFP+ or SFP ports and an SFP Gigabit Ethernet redundancy port. Other fixed ports include RJ-45 and USB 3.0 console interfaces, an RJ-45 service interface, an RJ-45 redundancy port used for stateful switchover, and two USB 3.0 ports for adding external RAM memory.

The Cisco Catalyst 9800-80 802.11ax Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit (RU) package, is a modular, high-end wireless controller intended to manage large campus and service provider environments. The 9800-80 supports 60,00 APs and 64,000 users. The controller offers a maximum of 80 Gbps data rates and supports 4,096 VLANs. Deployment modes include Centralized, Cisco FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless. Integrated uplink interfaces include eight 10G SFP+ ports or six 10G ports plus two 1G interfaces. Available hot swappable uplink add-in modules provide 18 1GE ports, 10 10GE interfaces, a 40GE interface, two 40GE interfaces, or one 100GE port. Other integrated ports include RJ-45 and USB 3.0 console ports, an RJ-45 service interface, an SFP Gigabit Ethernet redundancy port used for SSO, an RJ-45 redundancy interface used for SSO, and two USB 3.0 interfaces for adding external RAM memory.

Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 controllers enable fast communication, provisioning, administration, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco offers both hardware and software-based wireless controllers for unified administration of wireless networks, but networks with a large number of wireless access points typically require hardware-based wireless controllers. Wave 2 wireless controller devices from Cisco deliver major advantages in comparison to Wave 1 and older products including greater performance, simultaneous support for both 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and advanced, integrated protection.

The Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is a value-priced appliance available in a desktop form factor and intended for small and medium-sized businesses. You can install the 3504 in a centralized WLAN architecture such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered over the WAN with Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge deployments where Ethernet cabling is limited. The 3504 wireless controller supports as many as 150 WiFi access points and 3,000 clients, delivers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet interface (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Access points can be connected directly to the WiFi controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller offers fast failover for access points and users, which provides nonstop availability for apps. As with other current Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the built-in ability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.

The Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) package, is designed for larger organizations and campus networks and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller can handle up to 1,500 Wi-Fi access points and 20,000 client users, delivers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller features two 10 GE ports and features solid-state storage, backup fans, optional backup power supplies, and subsecond failover for high availability.

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU enclosure, is a top-of-the-line wireless controller designed to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 Wireless controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and supports up to 6,000 APs and 64,000 clients. The 8540 Wireless controller offers data rates up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 comes with four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, redundant power supplies, redundant fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless network controllers cut the time and cost needed to configure, manage, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by centralizing control of critical functions such as provisioning wireless access points, applying single-point policies throughout converged LANs, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for IP voice and HD video, monitoring and troubleshooting system health, implementing security tools to defend against cyber break-ins and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless network controllers for organizations of all sizes and offers desktop or rackmount appliances, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco ISR routers and switches, and Catalyst switches with built-in wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 wireless controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir tools to minimize RF interference and create self-optimizing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and security. Integrated Apple Bonjour Gateways permit discovery, advertisement and policy across the enterprise for Apple-based applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless network controllers allow AP and client stateful failover by permitting a backup high-availability wireless controller to synch with a main wireless controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller fails, thousands of APs and clients can switchover in less than a second to the backup wireless LAN controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides basic 802.11n and 802.11ac support for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by small to medium-sized organizations and satellite offices. This value-priced and scalable module can handle up to 200 wireless access points and as many as 6000 clients. (For information about Progent's online and onsite consulting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and troubleshooting services.)

Cisco Legacy Wireless LAN Controllers
Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for SMBs and satellite offices and features a built-in wireless controller with the ability to support 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches intended for mid-size and large organizations and feature a built-in wireless controller with 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and the ability to handle up to 50 wireless access points and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless network controller designed for mid-to-large size enterprises and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and able to handle 1000 wireless access points and 15,000 clients. (For information concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting support for Cisco switches, refer to Catalyst switches configuration and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are entry-level desktop devices that streamline the deployment and management of Wi-Fi LANs for small to medium-sized enterprises and branch offices. The Cisco 2500 wireless LAN controller supports from five to 75 access points and 1000 wireless clients and offers sustained data rates of 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance intended for medium-sized to large organizations and campus environments and can manage 500 wireless access points and 7,000 wireless clients while delivering 8 Gbps performance. The Cisco 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage up to 1000 access points and 12,000 wireless clients and providing throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high amounts of media-rich applications.

Cisco's Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is designed to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless remote sites from one location, eliminating the requirement for a wireless controller at every remote site. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 allows you to establish a private cloud to configure, monitor, manage, and troubleshoot up to 6000 APs and 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount appliance engineered to monitor and control wireless environments for large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to handle 6000 APs and up to 64,000 wireless clients while offering 10 Gbps performance.

To learn additional details about Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco solutions, pick a topic:

• Overview of Progent's Cisco Expertise
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