Cisco offers an extensive line of wireless networking devices and software tools designed to enable anywhere, anytime access to information and resources and to promote teamwork among employees, partners, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless product families include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consultants can enable organizations of any size to deploy Cisco wireless technology to accommodate the current model of BYOD computing by converging their tethered and untethered networks to benefit from simplified deployment, predictable performance, single-point management, enterprise-wide policy enforcement, high availability (HA), and advanced security.
Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture can expand to as many as 18,000 APs with full Layer 3 connectivity at local or offsite locations like business campuses, university lecture halls, branch offices, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's Wi-Fi access points and wireless controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to support the same degree of protection, performance, and ease of management for WLANs that companies expect in their wired infrastructure. This technology includes integrated mobile services like IP voice, high-definition IP video, and secure guest access. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network technology enables organizations to create wireless ecosystems that streamline the way they do business and improve productivity through a mobile and connected workforce.
Progent's Cisco CCIE network consultants offers online or onsite support to assist you to design, deploy, manage, expand, and troubleshoot converged wired/wireless network infrastructure of all sizes and for any venue. Also, Progent can provide affordable remote and onsite wireless site surveys to assist your company to design and install a wireless network with custom-designed AP clusters optimized for your individual work area layout, building structure, and application workloads.
Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of access points enable organizations to converge wired and wireless infrastructure to provide the accessibility, capacity, performance, security and ease of management needed to support virtually any environment. Cisco's wireless access points start at bare bones, single-band 802.11b/g/n devices with throughput of 300 Mb for very small businesses or home offices to Wi-Fi 6 APs suitable for handling hundreds of clients on each AP and offering sustained data rates in excess of 5 Gigabits per second. Cisco's latest selection of APs can be clustered to deliver the scale to support sites crowded with clients and with high usage rates of video-intense applications.
Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Family of wireless access points are Linux-based devices engineered as value-priced wireless solutions for small offices. Most models in Cisco's Small Business line of access points work with Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which allows you to set up, manage and troubleshoot a group of access points from one AP through a simple browser-based interface. All models support Power over Ethernet (POE) and provide QoS, rogue AP detection, and bridging for connecting to another network.
Cisco's Small Business WAP121 AP is a wall-mountable, single-radio 2.4GHz unit able to support 16 active 802.11n wireless clients, includes a Fast Ethernet interface, allows up to four AP devices and 40 wireless clients in a cluster, and can handle throughput of 300 Mbps. The Cisco Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n AP able to handle 16 active wireless clients on each radio for up to 32 wireless clients, features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface, and delivers sustained data rates of 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 is a value-priced Wave 1 dual-radio AC/n wireless access point that features a 1xGE Poe port and can support 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. The Cisco Small Business WAP150 allows 4 access points per cluster.
The Cisco Small Business WAP321 model is a wallmount single-band (either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) 802.11n device with support for up to 80 active wireless clients sharing an 8-AP cluster. The Cisco WAP321 has a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port and can support a sustained data rate of 300 Mbps for the selected radio. The Cisco Small Business WAP351 is a dual-radio 802.11a/b/g/n access point with a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet interface and can support 32 active clients on each radio for a total of up to 64 active clients, and support sustained throughput of 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP351 access point does not allow clustering. The Cisco WAP361 is a dual-band 802.11ac Wave 1 access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet LAN switch, allows 32 active WLAN clients on each radio, and offers 867 Mbps throughput for wireless AC clients and 300 Mbps performance for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 supports eight access points per cluster. Cisco's wall-mountable WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-radio device that works with 802.11n and the latest 802.11ac IEEE Wi-Fi standard. The WAP371 includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, can handle as many as 32 active clients per radio, and 8 APs for each cluster.
Cisco's Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Dual Radio Selectable Band wireless access point features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface and dual radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps performance per radio, support 64 devices for each radio, and allow 16 APs for each cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is like Cisco's WAP 561 but has a single selectable band. Cisco's WAP571 and WAP571E (a ruggedized outdoor version) are dual-band 802.11ac wireless access points that feature 2 x GE LAN interfaces with link aggregation (LAG), and up to 1.9 Gigabit/sec throughput with 1300 Mbps on 802.11ac and 600 Mbps on 11n. Both access points support 32 clients per radio and 16 APs per cluster.
The Cisco WAP581 Wireless-AC Wave 2 Access Point complies with the Wi-Fi 5 standard and offers 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO technology to deliver 2.8 Gbps throughput at 5 GHz and 600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz for an aggregate maximum throughput of 2.4 Gbps. The Small Business WAP581 includes a fixed 2.5G Ethernet LAN interface and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface with 802.3at PoE. The WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 access point supports up to 200 connective users, up to 50 active users for each radio, 16 access points per cluster, and 960 active client users for each cluster.
For more information about Progent's support for current and older Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 series of wireless access points, refer to Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi access points configuration and troubleshooting.
Cisco's Aironet Line of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet family of wireless access points has consistently been the top-selling access point solution. Aironet APs range from value-priced entry-level devices to advanced units. Cisco's Aironet series span several generations of devices supporting the evolving 802 standard. Cisco's latest portfolio of Aironet wireless access points work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and include 802.11ac support, which offers three times the speed as well as greater distance and density than the previous generation of devices. Cisco's latest dual-band Aironet APs continue to accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for client devices without 802.11ac capability.
The earliest Aironet access points are now legacy units that have reached end-of-life status and are not fully supported by Cisco. Progent continues to provide technical support for the entire Aironet family of wireless access points and can assist your company to manage and troubleshoot your current Aironet Wi-Fi system or move efficiently to the latest Aironet products. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Aironet access points, refer to Aironet APs consulting services.
Meraki Wireless Access Points
Cisco's portfolio of Meraki dual-band 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points include budget-friendly devices for small businesses to advanced products that offer up to 5.9 Gigabit per second throughput. Every Meraki indoor access point offers next-generation capabilities like self-configuring installation, in-depth protection, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, extensive traffic analysis, zero-touch over-the-web updates, and unified cloud-based management via an intuitive dashboard. Each Cisco Meraki indoor wireless access point also incorporates dual high-power client-serving radios with boosted reception plus a separate radio that offers intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.
Meraki outdoor access points are IP67 rated, designed to operate in rugged outdoor environments, and tested to withstand dust particles, shock and humidity. Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and offer advanced features that include cloud-based management with multi-site visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), 1-click guest access and guest isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus auto-configuring mesh with MIMO. For details about Progent's consulting services for Meraki APs and cloud management, see Meraki wireless access points consulting services.
Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 line of Wi-Fi 6 APs are intended for environments ranging from home offices to high-density stadiums. Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Important enhancements supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved reliability, Target Wake Time for reduced power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax APs support Cisco's EWC, accommodate as many as 200 clients per radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of 802.11ax APs, see Wi-Fi 6 access points solution planning, configuration, and debugging consulting.
Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless LAN controllers allow you to automate and manage modern wireless networks that support 802.11ax APs. 802.11ax, also called Wi-Fi 6, builds on prior generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) devices by providing lower latency and more predictable performance, supporting higher client density, providing enhanced protection, conserving energy for battery-powered handheld devices, and offering more versatility for handling new types of IoT endpoints. Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi controllers include always-on availability with seamless software upgrades, hot fixes, and the ability to connect additional Wi-Fi access points with zero downtime. Enhanced cybersecurity technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), secure boot, and Software-Defined Access. Streaming telemetry permits you to track and understand infrastructure and endpoint health.
All controllers in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and operate with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or 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 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi access points. To learn more about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, refer to Cisco Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 wireless controllers solution planning, configuration, and troubleshooting services.
Cisco Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers enable fast data exchange, provisioning, administration, analysis and debugging for Cisco Wi-Fi appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both physical and software-based Wi-Fi controllers for centralized management of wireless environments, but networks with many Wi-Fi access points are better served by physical Wi-Fi controllers. Current generation wireless controller appliances from Cisco offer significant advantages in comparison to Wave 1 and older products such as higher throughput, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G Ethernet, improved application visibility and control, and hardened, built-in security.
Cisco's 3504 WiFi Controller is a value-priced device available in a desktop body and intended for smaller organizations. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized WLAN architecture such as in small branch and home-based offices managed over the WAN with Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where wiring is limited. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports as many as 150 access points and 3,000 client users, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 WiFi controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet port and four 1-GB Ethernet connections. Access points can be connected to the controller through two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features subsecond failover for APs and users, which provides high availability for apps. As with other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers available from Cisco, the 3504 model has the integrated capability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.
The Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit (RU) form factor, is designed for midsize to large enterprises and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 wireless controller can handle as many as 1,500 Wi-Fi access points and 20,000 users, delivers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller features two 10 GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, backup fans, optional backup power supplies, and subsecond failover for nonstop availability.
Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU package, 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 up to 6,000 wireless APs and 64,000 users. The 8540 WiFi controller can deliver data rates up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller includes four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, redundant power supplies, redundant fans, and rapid failover.
Wave 1 Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless network controllers cut the time and expense needed to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by centralizing control of critical functions like provisioning APs, applying single-point policies across converged wired and wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for voice and HD video, tracking and troubleshooting network health, activating intrusion prevention tools to guard against cyber break-ins and DDoS threats, and managing IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has designed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of any size and offers desktop or rackmount appliances, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco routers and switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless controllers.
Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi controllers include Cisco CleanAir tools to avoid signal interference and create self-healing and self-optimizing wireless networks for top 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and protection. Built-in Bonjour Gateways enable discovery across WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For high availability (HA), Cisco wireless LAN controllers support access point and client stateful switchover by enabling a standby HA controller to synch with a primary controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller stops working, thousands of wireless access points and wireless clients can switchover immediately to the backup wireless controller.
Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides basic 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by small to medium-sized organizations and branch offices. This value-priced and scalable solution can support up to 200 APs and as many as 6000 wireless clients. (For information about Progent's remote and on-premises consulting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting consulting.)
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for SMBs and satellite offices and come with an integrated wireless controller with the capability to support 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and up to 25 APs and 1000 clients per switch or stack. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches designed for midsize businesses and large enterprises and feature an integrated wireless LAN controller with up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and support for 50 access points and up to 2000 wireless clients. The WiSM2 is an add-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and with support for 1000 APs and as many as 15,000 clients. (To learn concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting support for Cisco switches, refer to Catalyst switches deployment and management services.)
Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are economical desktop appliances that streamline the provisioning and operation of wireless networks for small and midsize businesses and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless network controller can manage 5 to 75 wireless access points and up to 1000 wireless clients and offers throughput of 1 Gbps.
Cisco's 5500 Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large sized organizations and campuses and can support up to 500 wireless access points and 7,000 clients while providing 8 Gbps performance. The Cisco 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large campuses with the ability to manage 1000 access points and 12,000 clients and delivering throughput of 60 Gbps to handle high wireless client densities and high usage of media-rich mobile applications.
The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is intended to manage massive collections of wireless remote sites from one datacenter, eliminating the requirement for a wireless controller at each branch. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 appliance allows you to build a private cloud to configure, monitor, maintain, and repair as many as 6000 APs and up to 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount appliance engineered to monitor and control Wi-Fi environments for very large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to handle 6000 wireless points and 64,000 wireless clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.
To find out more about Cisco WiFi controllers, visit Cisco wireless controllers consulting services.
Legacy Cisco Wireless Access Points, Bridges and Wireless Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the 802.11ac specification for wireless connectivity largely made obsolete the earlier releases of Wi-Fi products for environments that support high densities of wireless clients and high incidence of video-intensive applications. Even for businesses who do not currently require the performance of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, many of Cisco wireless devices have reached end-of-life status, which can present significant maintenance and regulatory compliance problems. Progent's Cisco-certified consulting experts offer online and onsite support services for a broad range of older-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can in addition assist organizations to assess the business case for upgrading legacy wireless infrastructure and can assist in designing and executing affordable, seamless migrations. The following are a sample of Cisco legacy Wi-Fi devices that Progent's consulting experts continue to support.
Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Aironet 1000/1130AG Series wireless access points are intended for offices and other sites which have little environmental variability. These devices have built-in antennas that provide predictable omnidirectional range profiles. The Aironet 1130G Series WAP is offered for regulated domains that do not allow 802.11a transmission.
Cisco Aironet 1230AG/1240AG family APs are intended for more problematic RF situations like manufacturing plants and warehouses or above suspended ceilings which often require adjustable protruding antennas and ruggedized cases. The Aironet 1240G Series product is intended for regulatory locations that do not allow 802.11a operation.
Cisco Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outside wireless mesh APs offer an affordable, expandable, protected outdoor wireless technology for enterprise campuses and for public venues that require access for portable phones or computers.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges
Cisco wireless bridges provide a high-throughput and feature-rich technology for integrating multiple LANs in a metropolitan situation or public access network. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges provide a flexible, easy-to-use solution that meets the protection needs of WAN specialists. These devices handle both PTP and PMP configurations with good range and the ability to handle traffic throughput up to 54 Mbps.
Cisco wireless bridges deliver data rates several times faster than E1/T1 connections for much lower expense, eliminating the requirement for expensive leased lines when connecting separate offices. Because wireless bridges require no ongoing costs, the expenses saved on leased-line services rapidly pay for the startup equipment costs. Self-installed private lines and even leased lines utilizing copper or optical cable can result in high initial expenses when they are impeded by barriers like freeways, railroads, or lakes and rivers. Cisco wireless LAN bridges can be installed rapidly with a fast ROI.
Aironet 1300 family outside wireless access points/bridges can be implemented as independent wireless access points, bridges, or wireless group bridges. These devices have a ruggedized cover and offer high-speed, economical wireless interfaces between numerous stationary or mobile networks and clients.
Cisco 1400 family wireless bridges offer high-speed, dependable outside wireless bridging for LOS environments. They include a durable enclosure that can hold up to harsh outside environments and operate in wide temperature ranges.
Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless Controllers centralize the management of WLANs by simplifying the handling of common technologies including integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS), fast RF management, zero touch configuration, and full N+1 redundancy. WLAN controllers work with lightweight access points to offer superior performance and advanced management capabilities.
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers offer the control, expandability, security, and reliability that IT managers need to build secure, large-scale wireless environments, from satellite locations to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Controllers can be clustered to provide accommodation for up to 2400 wireless access points per roaming domain.
The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Controller Module for Integrated Services Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and large corporations an economical way to implement and control secure wireless LANs at branch locations. These devices supervise as many as 12 Aironet APs and are supported on Cisco 2800/3800 Series IS Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Routers. (For information about Progent's remote and onsite support for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and troubleshooting support.)
How Progent's Engineers Can Help Your Company with Cisco Wireless Products
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consulting professional to help your business to design, deploy, maintain and troubleshoot a converged wired/wireless infrastructure incorporating a wide array of wireless devices that offer the identical protection, scalability, and ease of management you demand from your wired environment. Progent can help you to manage legacy Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to the latest 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can show you how to build security into your wireless network and into your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planners can assist you to set up the high availability (HA) features built into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged network provides non-stop business value.
Progent’s Wireless Site Survey assists you to plan and deploy a robust WLAN optimized for your facilities, offering a wireless ecosystem that provides seamless coverage, high speed and capacity, QoS features to support IP voice and video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed online to cut time and expense, or onsite for more complex environments.
For a further discussion of Progent's wireless consulting services, see Progent's Wireless Network Consulting Services.
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