Cisco Wi-Fi controllers streamline the administration of Wi-Fi environments by centralizing the deployment and management of Wi-Fi APs, maximizing Wi-Fi throughput by minimizing the effects of radio congestion, improving Wi-Fi availability with fast auto-failover, and tightening protection by uncovering cyber threats and filtering traffic content based on user ID and location.

Cisco WiFi controllers integrate with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure platform, an architecture that can support up to 6,000 wireless APs and 64,000 clients. Cisco's family of Wi-Fi controllers are available at price points and with capabilities appropriate for networks that run from small or home offices to service provider networks, multi-site enterprises, and large campus environments. Cisco's Wave 2 WiFi controllers and Wi-Fi access points are designed to deliver the same standard of security, speed and reliability that users are accustomed to in their wired environments. Cisco's technology incorporates built-in mobility support like Voice over IP, HD video, and safe guest access. Cisco's Prime Infrastructure platform allows businesses to implement environments that combine wired and wireless networks into a unified ecosystem that provides a seamless and productive work environment.

Progent's certified wireless experts can help your organization to assess the business benefits of deploying Cisco wireless controllers to administer WiFi environments of any scale. Progent can help your business to maintain and troubleshoot your current Cisco-based Wi-Fi ecosystem or help you to design and carry out a smooth upgrade from older wireless controllers to modern models to get enhanced performance and security and to streamline administration.

Cisco Wireless Controller Consultants

Cisco's new model wireless controllers have the performance to support 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi

Progent's Cisco-certified network infrastructure consultants can provide affordable remote consulting and support services throughout the U.S. to assist businesses to create and refine Wi-Fi solutions. Progent also offers on-premises consulting in larger metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. and in Toronto, Canada. In addition, Progent offers economical remote and onsite Wi-Fi Site surveys to help your company to design a Wi-Fi network with wireless access points located and configured optimally for your specific office layout, application workloads, and user density.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ax Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers enable fast data exchange, configuration, administration, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both physical and virtual wireless controllers for centralized management of wireless networks, but networks with a large number of wireless APs are better served by hardware-based wireless controllers. New wireless controller devices from Cisco offer major benefits over Wave 1 and earlier models including higher throughput, concurrent support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control, and advanced, built-in security.

Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller Integration ConsultantsThe Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is an entry-level device available in a desktop body and designed for small and medium-sized businesses. You can install the 3504 in a centralized network architecture such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered across the WAN with Cisco FlexConnect, or in mesh deployments where Ethernet cabling is sparse. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller can handle up to 150 WiFi access points and 3,000 clients, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 controller includes a Cisco Multigigabit port (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. Access points can be attached to the controller through two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 wireless controller features subsecond failover for access points and clients, which allows uninterrupted availability for applications. Like other Wave 2 wireless controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated ability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WiFi controllers.

Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller Configuration ConsultingThe Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit package, is designed to support midsize to large organizations and campus networks and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 1,500 APs and 20,000 client users, offers 20 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 wireless controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and features SSD storage, redundant fans, optional redundant power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco 8540 Wi-Fi Controller Configuration ConsultingThe Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU enclosure, is a top-of-the-line wireless controller intended to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 WiFi controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and can handle as many as 6,000 wireless APs and 64,000 clients. The 8540 WiFi controller can deliver data rates as high as 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features SSD storage, redundant power supplies, redundant fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Wireless Network Controllers ConsultantsCisco wireless controllers cut the time and cost required to deploy, monitor, and operate Wi-Fi networks by offering single-point control of critical functions such as provisioning APs, applying consistent policies across wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for voice and HD video, tracking and optimizing network health, implementing intrusion prevention capabilities to defend against unauthorized access and Denial of Service threats, and handling IPv6 clients. Cisco has designed wireless LAN controllers for businesses of all sizes and offers standalone desktop controllers, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco routers and Catalyst switches, and switches with integrated wireless network controllers.

Cisco Wireless Network Controller Module Consulting ServicesCisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to avoid signal interference and produce self-healing and self-optimizing wireless LANs for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Integrated Apple Bonjour Gateways enable discovery, advertisement and policy across WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple-based applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless LAN controllers support access point and client stateful failover by permitting a standby HA wireless controller to synchronize with a main wireless controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. If the primary wireless controller stops working, thousands of APs and wireless clients can switchover immediately to the backup wireless network controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E offers basic 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 routers deployed by small to medium-sized organizations and branch offices. This affordable and scalable solution can handle from five to 200 APs and as many as 6000 wireless clients. (To learn about Progent's online and on-premises consulting and troubleshooting support for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and management services.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and satellite offices and have a built-in wireless LAN controller with the capability to handle up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients per switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches intended for mid-size and large organizations and feature an integrated wireless controller with 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and support for up to 50 wireless access points and up to 2000 wireless clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is a plug-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless controller intended for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and with support for 1000 access points and up to 15,000 clients. (For information about Progent's support for Cisco Catalyst switches, see Catalyst switches deployment and troubleshooting support.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are entry-level desktop appliances that streamline the deployment and management of wireless LANs for small and midsize businesses and satellite offices. The 2500 Series wireless network controller can handle from five to 75 APs and 1000 wireless clients and offers throughput of 1 Gbps.

Cisco Wireless Controllers Consulting ServicesCisco's 5500 Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU unit designed for mid-to-large sized businesses and campuses and can support up to 500 wireless access points and 7,000 clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed for mid-to-large campuses with the ability to manage up to 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 wireless clients and delivering performance of 60 Gbps to handle high wireless client densities and high amounts of video-intensive mobile applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is designed to manage thousands of wireless branches from one datacenter, eliminating the costs of a Wi-Fi controller at every remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 appliance allows you to build a private cloud to configure, monitor, manage, and repair up to 6000 access points and 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount appliance designed to monitor and manage Wi-Fi environments for very large campuses or service providers and can scale to support 6000 wireless points and 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.

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Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Cisco Wi-Fi Controllers
To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Cisco wireless controllers, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

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