Cisco Wireless Solutions Experts

Cisco Wi-Fi controllers simplify the management of Wi-Fi environments by centralizing the configuration and management of wireless APs, optimizing Wi-Fi performance by minimizing the impact of radio interference, improving Wi-Fi uptime with fast auto-failover, and tightening protection by uncovering cyber threats and filtering traffic content based on user ID and location.

Cisco's wireless controllers integrate with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNA Center management solutions and can support as many as 6,000 Wi-Fi access points and 64,000 client users. Cisco's family of wireless controllers are offered at price points and with capabilities suitable for venues ranging from small or home offices to service provider networks, multi-site enterprises, and large campus deployments. Cisco's 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 controllers and access points are engineered to deliver the same level of security, performance and robustness that users are accustomed to in their wired environments. Cisco's technology includes built-in mobility support like IP voice, HD video, and secure guest access. Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNAC platforms allow businesses to implement systems that integrate wired and wireless networks into a centrally managed ecosystem that delivers a seamless and productive user experience.

Progent's certified Wi-Fi consultants can help your organization to determine the business benefits of installing Cisco wireless controllers to manage WiFi networks of any size. Progent can assist you to manage and troubleshoot your current Cisco-based wireless solution or assist you to design and implement an efficient migration from older Wi-Fi controllers to current products to deliver enhanced functionality and protection and to simplify management.

Progent's Cisco-certified network consultants can provide affordable remote consulting expertise throughout the U.S. and Canada to assist businesses to build and enhance Wi-Fi networks. Progent also offers on-premises consulting and troubleshooting in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States and in Toronto, Canada. In addition, Progent offers remote predictive and on-premises Wi-Fi Site Surveys to assist your company to design a Wi-Fi network with access points placed and set up optimally for your specific site layout, application workloads, and user density.

Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless LAN controllers help you automate and manage advanced Wi-Fi networks that support 802.11ax access points. 802.11ax, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, improves on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) devices by delivering lower latency and more predictable performance, supporting higher client user density, offering greater protection, saving energy for battery-dependent mobile devices, and offering more versatility for supporting the latest kinds of IoT endpoints. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family Wi-Fi controllers include high availability with transparent software updates, hot fixes, and the ability to add Wi-Fi access points with zero downtime. Advanced cybersecurity features include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), secure boot, and Software-Defined Access. Streaming telemetry permits you to track and analyze infrastructure and endpoint health. All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 family are based on Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or Cisco Prime Infrastructure network management tools. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 Series wireless network controllers can support Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi 5 Wave 1 and Wave 2 access points concurrently with Cisco Catalyst 9100 802.11ax access points.

Cisco's 9800-L Wi-Fi 6 Controller is a value-priced appliance available in a half-width 1RU enclosure that allows side-by-side installation in a 19-in rack. Intended for smaller businesses, the controller delivers enhanced speed and scale for customers with a Performance license. The 9800-L can handle 250 wireless APs and 5,000 users (500 APs and 10,00 client users if you have Cisco's Performance license). The appliance offers 5 Gbps throughput (10 Gbps with a Performance license), and supports 4,096 VLANs. Deployment options include Centralized, FlexConnect for remote office deployments, and fabric. Fixed uplinks include four 2.5G/1G ports plus either two 10G/Multigigabit copper (Catalyst 9800-L-C) or two 10G/Multigigabit fiber ports (Catalyst 9800-L-F). Additional interfaces include an RJ-45 console interface and a Micro USB console interface for out-of-band management, a USB 3.0 interface for plugging in external RAM, an RJ-45 service interface, and an RJ-45 high-availability redundancy interface for SSO.

Cisco's Catalyst 9800-40 Wi-Fi 6 Controller, available in a 1RU enclosure, is intended to support midsize campus environments. The 9800-40 can handle 2,000 access points and 32,000 users. The 9800-40 offers 40 Gbps throughput and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Deployment options include Centralized, Cisco FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless. Fixed interfaces 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 ports, an RJ-45 management port, an RJ-45 redundancy port for stateful switchover (SSO), and two USB 3.0 ports for adding external RAM.

Cisco's Catalyst 9800-80 802.11ax Wireless Controller, offered in a 2 rack unit package, is a modular, top-of-the-line wireless controller designed to manage large campus and service provider environments. The 9800-80 can handle 60,00 APs and 64,000 clients. The 9800-80 offers up to 80 Gbps data rates and supports 4,096 VLANs. Deployment options include Centralized, Cisco FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless (SD-Access). Integrated uplink ports include eight 10G SFP+ ports or six 10G ports plus two 1G ports. Optional uplink modules can add 18 1GE ports, 10 10GE interfaces, a 40GE interface, two 40GE interfaces, or one 100GE port. Additional integrated ports include RJ-45 and USB 3.0 console interfaces, an RJ-45 management port, an SFP Gigabit Ethernet redundancy port used for stateful switchover, an RJ-45 redundancy port used for stateful switchover, and two USB 3.0 ports for adding external RAM memory.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 wireless controllers allow fast communication, configuration, control, monitoring and troubleshooting for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco offers both hardware and software-based Wi-Fi controllers for unified administration of wireless networks, but WLANs with a large number of Wi-Fi access points typically require hardware-based wireless controllers. Wave 2 Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco offer significant advantages in comparison to Wave 1 and older products such as higher performance, concurrent support for 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, integrated protection.

Cisco's 3504 Wireless Controller is a value-priced device available in a desktop enclosure and designed for smaller organizations. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized network environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered over the wide-area network via Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where wiring is sparse. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller can handle up to 150 wireless APs and 3,000 client users, offers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 controller includes a Cisco Multigigabit port (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected to the WiFi controller via two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features subsecond failover for APs and users, which allows uninterrupted availability for apps. Like other current Wave 2 wireless controllers from Cisco, the 3504 model has the integrated capability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WiFi controllers.

Cisco's 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit package, is intended for larger organizations and campus networks and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 wireless controller can handle up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 clients, delivers 20 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller features two 10 GE interfaces and features SSD storage, redundant fans, optional backup power supplies, and rapid failover for uninterrupted availability.

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

Wave 1 Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the effort and cost needed to configure, manage, and operate wireless networks by offering single-point control of functions such as setting up APs, applying single-point policies throughout converged wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for IP voice and video, monitoring and optimizing system performance, implementing security capabilities to guard against cyber break-ins and DDoS attacks, and managing IPv6 clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for businesses of any size and offers desktop or rackmount controllers, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco routers and switches, and switches with integrated wireless controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers include Cisco CleanAir tools to avoid signal interference and create self-optimizing wireless networks for top 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and protection. Built-in Bonjour Gateways permit discovery, advertisement and policy across WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple-based applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless controllers support access point and client stateful failover by enabling a standby high-availability wireless controller to synch with a main controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the main controller fails, thousands of wireless access points and wireless clients can switchover in less than a second to the backup wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac support for Cisco 2900 and 3900 routers used by smaller businesses and branch offices. This affordable and expandable module can support up to 200 wireless access points and as many as 6000 clients. (For information concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting support services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and management support.)

Cisco Legacy Wi-Fi Network Controllers
Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and satellite offices and have a built-in wireless network controller with the ability to handle up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches designed for mid-size and large organizations and feature a built-in wireless LAN controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and the ability to handle up to 50 APs and up to 2000 clients. The WiSM2 is an add-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless network controller intended for mid-to-large size enterprises and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and able to handle up to 1000 wireless access points and 15,000 clients. (To find out concerning Progent's consulting services for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco Catalyst switches configuration and troubleshooting support.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are economical desktop devices that simplify the deployment and operation of Wi-Fi networks for SMBs and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless network controller can handle 5 to 75 access points and up to 1000 clients and offers sustained performance of 1 Gbps.

Cisco's 5500 Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance designed for medium-sized to large enterprises and campuses and can manage 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while delivering 8 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 wireless clients and offering performance of 60 Gbps to handle high client densities and high usage of video-intensive applications.

Cisco's Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is intended to manage massive collections of wireless remote sites from one location, eliminating the costs of a Wi-Fi controller at each branch. The 1RU Flex 7500 lets you build a private cloud to configure, track, manage, and troubleshoot as many as 6000 APs and 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed to monitor and manage Wi-Fi environments for large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to handle 6000 wireless points and 64,000 wireless clients while offering 10 Gbps throughput.

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