Cisco Wi-Fi controllers simplify the management of Wi-Fi environments by unifying the configuration and control of Wi-Fi access points, optimizing wireless throughput by reducing the impact of RF interference, enhancing Wi-Fi uptime with rapid auto-failover, and hardening protection by detecting threats and filtering traffic content based on user ID and location.

Cisco wireless controllers integrate with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure platform, which can support as many as 6,000 wireless access points and 64,000 users. Cisco's line of wireless controllers are offered at prices and with feature sets appropriate for venues that run from branch offices to service provider networks, enterprises, and dense campus environments. Cisco's Wave 2 WiFi controllers and wireless access points are designed to provide the same level of protection, performance and reliability that companies expect from their wired environments. Cisco's technology includes built-in mobility services like IP voice, HD video, and secure guest access. Cisco's Prime Infrastructure architecture allows organizations to build systems that combine wired and wireless networks into a unified ecosystem that provides a consistent and productive work environment.

Progent's certified wireless experts can assist your organization to determine the business benefits of installing Cisco wireless controllers to manage WiFi networks of any size. Progent can assist you to support and troubleshoot your current Cisco-based wireless solution or help you to design and carry out an efficient upgrade from older Wi-Fi controllers to modern models to get improved functionality and protection and to streamline management.

Cisco Wireless Controller Experts

Cisco's latest generation wireless controllers deliver the performance to support 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi

Progent's Cisco-certified network consultants offer affordable remote consulting services across the U.S. and Canada to assist you to create and enhance Wi-Fi solutions. Progent can also provide on-premises consulting and troubleshooting in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States and in Toronto, Canada. In addition, Progent can provide economical online and onsite wireless Site surveys to help you to design a Wi-Fi network with wireless access points placed and configured efficiently for your particular site environment, application workloads, and client density.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ac Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers enable realtime data exchange, provisioning, administration, analysis and debugging for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and software-based Wi-Fi controllers for unified management of WiFi environments, but networks with many Wi-Fi access points typically require physical wireless controllers. New wireless controller appliances from Cisco deliver significant advantages in comparison to Wave 1 and earlier models including greater performance, concurrent support for both 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control (AVC), and advanced, built-in security.

Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller Setup and Troubleshooting ConsultingThe Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level appliance available in a desktop enclosure and designed for small and medium-sized organizations. You can install the 3504 in a centralized WLAN environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered across the WAN via Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where Ethernet cabling is limited. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller can handle up to 150 wireless APs and 3,000 clients, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 WiFi controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet interface and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. APs can be attached directly to the WiFi controller via two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features fast failover for access points and clients, which provides high availability for apps. Like other current Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers available from Cisco, the 3504 model has the built-in capability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.

Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller Setup and Troubleshooting ConsultingThe Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, available in a 1 rack unit package, is intended to support midsize to large organizations and campus environments and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 wireless controller supports as many as 1,500 APs and 20,000 client users, delivers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller features two 10 GE interfaces and incorporates SSD storage, redundant fans, optional dual power supplies, and subsecond failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Configuration ConsultantsCisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU package, is a high-end WiFi controller designed to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 Wireless controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and can handle up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 client users. The 8540 Wireless controller offers throughput up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller comes with four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features SSD storage, redundant power supplies, backup fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi LAN Controllers
Wireless LAN Controllers ConsultantsCisco wireless controllers cut the time and cost required to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot wireless networks by offering single-point control of functions such as setting up wireless access points, applying consistent policies throughout converged wired/wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for voice and video, tracking and optimizing system health, activating intrusion prevention tools to guard against unauthorized access and Denial of Service attacks, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has designed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of any size and offers standalone desktop appliances, modular add-on controllers for Cisco ISR routers and switches, and switches with integrated wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Module Consulting ServicesCisco's Wave 1 WiFi controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir tools to minimize signal interference and create self-optimizing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Integrated Bonjour Gateways enable discovery and policy throughout the enterprise for Apple applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless controllers allow access point and client stateful switchover by permitting a backup high-availability wireless controller to synch with a main wireless controller for AP license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the main controller stops working, thousands of APs and wireless clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the secondary 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 Series routers used by smaller businesses and satellite offices. This affordable and scalable module can handle up to 200 APs and up to 6000 wireless clients. (For information about Progent's online and on-premises consulting and troubleshooting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches designed for SMBs and branch offices and come with a built-in wireless network controller with the ability to support 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and up to 25 wireless access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches designed for mid-size and large organizations and include a built-in wireless controller with 40 Gb of wireless throughput on each switch and support for 50 wireless access points and up to 2000 wireless clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is an add-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless network controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps performance and able to handle 1000 APs and up to 15,000 wireless clients. (For information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco switches, refer to Cisco switches configuration and troubleshooting support.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop units that streamline the provisioning and management of Wi-Fi LANs for SMBs and branches. The 2500 Series wireless controller can handle 5 to 75 wireless access points and 1000 wireless clients and can deliver throughput of up to 1 Gbps.

Cisco Wireless Network Controllers Consulting ServicesCisco's 5500 Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance designed for mid-to-large sized organizations and campus environments and can manage 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage 1000 APs and 12,000 wireless clients and offering performance of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high amounts of video-intensive mobile applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is designed to enable centralized management of massive collections of wireless branches from one datacenter, eliminating the need for a wireless controller at each remote site. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 appliance allows you to build a private cloud to configure, monitor, maintain, and repair as many as 6000 wireless access points and 64,000 wireless clients while handling 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed to monitor and control wireless networks for very large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to support up to 6000 wireless points and up to 64,000 wireless clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.

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Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Cisco Wi-Fi Controllers
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