Cisco Wireless Technology Consultants

Cisco Wi-Fi controllers simplify the administration of Wi-Fi networks by centralizing the configuration and control of Wi-Fi APs, optimizing wireless performance by minimizing the effects of radio congestion, improving Wi-Fi availability with rapid auto-failover, and hardening security by uncovering cyber threats and filtering content based on user type and location.

Cisco's wireless controllers work with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNA Center (DNAC) network management tools and are able to support as many as 6,000 Wi-Fi access points and 64,000 client users. Cisco's line of wireless controllers are available at prices and with feature sets appropriate for venues ranging from small or home offices to service provider systems, enterprises, and dense campus deployments. Cisco's 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 controllers and Wi-Fi access points are designed to deliver the high standard of protection, performance and robustness that companies expect in their wired network. Cisco's technology incorporates integrated mobility support such as Voice over IP, HD video, and protected guest access. Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNAC platforms allow organizations to implement environments that integrate wired and Wi-Fi networks into a centrally managed ecosystem that ensures a consistent and productive work environment.

Progent's certified Wi-Fi experts can assist your organization to determine the business value of deploying Cisco Wi-Fi controllers to manage WiFi environments of any size. Progent can help you to manage and debug your current Cisco wireless ecosystem or assist you to design and carry out an efficient upgrade from older Wi-Fi controllers to modern models to get enhanced performance and security and to streamline management.

Progent's Cisco-certified network consultants can provide affordable remote consulting and support services across the U.S. and Canada to assist you to create and enhance Wi-Fi networks. Progent also offers on-premises consulting in larger metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. and in Toronto, Canada. In addition, Progent offers remote predictive and on-premises Wi-Fi Site Surveys to assist you to design a Wi-Fi network with wireless access points located and set up optimally for your particular site environment, application workloads, and client density.

Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless LAN controller appliances allow you to automate and manage modern wireless environments that incorporate 802.11ax wireless APs. The 802.11ax standard, also called Wi-Fi 6, improves on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) appliances by providing lower latency and more reliable performance, supporting higher client user density, providing enhanced security, conserving energy for battery-dependent handheld devices, and offering more versatility for supporting the latest types of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Catalyst 9800 line Wi-Fi controllers feature always-on availability with seamless software updates, hot fixes, and the ability to connect additional wireless APs without downtime. Advanced cybersecurity technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), secure boot, and Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry permits you to monitor and analyze network and endpoint health. All devices in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and operate with Cisco's DNA Center or Prime Infrastructure network management tools. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 wireless network controllers can manage Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 access points concurrently with Catalyst 9100 802.11ax APs.

The Cisco 9800-L Wi-Fi 6 Controller is a value-priced appliance with a half-width 1RU body that permits side-by-side installation in a standard 19-in rack. Intended for smaller wireless networks, the controller offers enhanced speed and scale if you purchase a Performance license. The 9800-L can handle 250 access points and 5,000 clients (500 access points and 10,00 users if you have Cisco's Performance license). The appliance delivers 5 Gbps throughput (10 Gbps with a Performance license), and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Deployment options include Centralized, Cisco FlexConnect for branch office installations, and fabric. Fixed uplinks include four 2.5G/1G ports and 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 management, a USB 3.0 interface for adding external RAM memory, an RJ-45 service port, 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) package, is intended to support midsize campus deployments. The 9800-40 supports 2,000 APs and 32,000 clients. The 9800-40 offers 40 Gbps data rates and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Deployment modes include Centralized, FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless (SD-Access). Fixed ports include four GE SFP/10 GE SFP+ or SFP ports and an SFP Gigabit Ethernet redundancy port. Additional fixed ports include RJ-45 and USB 3.0 console interfaces, an RJ-45 management port, an RJ-45 redundancy port for SSO, and two USB 3.0 ports for adding external RAM memory.

Cisco's Catalyst 9800-80 Wi-Fi 6 Controller, offered in a 2RU form factor, is a modular, high-end wireless controller designed to manage large campus and service provider environments. The 9800-80 can handle 60,00 access points and 64,000 users. The 9800-80 delivers a maximum of 80 Gbps data rates and supports 4,096 VLANs. Deployment modes include Centralized, FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless. Fixed uplink interfaces include eight 10G SFP+ interfaces or six 10G interfaces plus two 1G ports. Optional hot swappable uplink add-in modules provide 18 1GE interfaces, 10 10GE ports, a 40GE port, two 40GE ports, or a 100GE interface. Other integrated interfaces include RJ-45 and USB 3.0 console interfaces, an RJ-45 management port, an SFP Gigabit Ethernet redundancy interface used for stateful switchover (SSO), an RJ-45 redundancy interface for SSO, and two USB 3.0 interfaces for plugging in external RAM.

Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 wireless controllers enable fast communication, provisioning, administration, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless devices and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and virtual Wi-Fi controllers for unified management of WiFi networks, but networks with a large number of Wi-Fi APs are better served by physical wireless controllers. Wave 2 wireless controller devices from Cisco offer significant advantages over Wave 1 and older products such as higher throughput, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, built-in security.

The Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is an entry-level device available in a desktop enclosure and designed for smaller organizations. You can install the 3504 model in a centralized WLAN environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered across the WAN with FlexConnect, or in bridge deployments where wiring is sparse. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 150 access points and 3,000 users, delivers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 wireless controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet port and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. APs can be attached to the WiFi controller through two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 wireless controller offers fast failover for APs and clients, which provides high availability for apps. Like 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 wireless controllers.

The Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, available in a 1RU form factor, is intended to support larger organizations and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 wireless controller can handle as many as 1,500 access points and 20,000 client users, delivers 20 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 model controller features two 10 GE ports and incorporates solid-state storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2RU form factor, is a top-of-the-line WiFi 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 Wi-Fi access points and 64,000 users. The 8540 Wireless controller can deliver throughput up to 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, backup power supplies, backup fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers cut the effort and cost required to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by centralizing control of critical functions such as setting up wireless access points, applying consistent policies across converged LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for voice and video, tracking and optimizing network health, activating intrusion prevention capabilities to guard against cyber break-ins and DDoS threats, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless network controllers for organizations of all sizes and offers standalone desktop appliances, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to minimize signal interference and produce self-healing wireless networks for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Built-in Apple Bonjour Gateways allow discovery throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple-based applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless controllers allow wireless access point and client stateful switchover by permitting a standby high-availability wireless controller to synchronize with a primary wireless controller for AP license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the primary controller fails, thousands of APs and wireless clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the secondary wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by smaller organizations and branches. This affordable and scalable module can support from five to 200 APs and up to 6000 wireless clients. (To find out concerning Progent's remote and on-premises consulting and troubleshooting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and management services.)

Cisco Legacy Wi-Fi Network Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branches and features an integrated wireless LAN controller with the capability to support up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity for each switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 clients on each switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches intended for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and include an integrated wireless controller with 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and support for 50 access points and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is an add-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include an integrated wireless LAN controller intended for mid-to-large size enterprises and able to deliver 20 Gbps performance and with support for 1000 APs and up to 15,000 clients. (For information concerning Progent's support for Cisco Catalyst switches, refer to Catalyst switches configuration and management consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are entry-level desktop units that streamline the provisioning and operation of Wi-Fi networks for small and midsize businesses and branch offices. The Cisco 2500 wireless network controller can handle 5 to 75 APs and 1000 wireless clients and offers throughput of up to 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU appliance designed for medium-sized to large businesses and campuses and can manage up to 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed for mid-to-large campuses with the ability to manage up to 1000 access points and 12,000 clients and offering throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high amounts of media-rich mobile applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless branches from one datacenter, eliminating the requirement for a Wi-Fi controller at every remote site. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 appliance lets you build a private cloud to configure, track, maintain, and repair as many as 6000 APs and 64,000 wireless clients while handling 1 Gbps performance. Cisco's 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount device engineered to monitor and manage Wi-Fi networks for very large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to handle 6000 APs and 64,000 wireless clients while offering 10 Gbps performance.

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