Cisco Certified Network Consultants

Cisco offers a comprehensive portfolio of wireless networking products and technologies engineered to enable anywhere, anytime connections to information and other resources and to promote teamwork among employees, associates, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless offerings include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of access points (APs), plus Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and appliances. Progent's certified wireless experts can help organizations of all sizes to deploy Cisco wireless technology to accommodate the new paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) computing by integrating their tethered and untethered ecosystems to benefit from simplified deployment, consistent and fast throughput, centralized management, uniform policy, high availability, and advanced protection.

The Cisco Unified Wireless Network solution can scale to up to 18,000 wireless access points with Layer 3 connectivity at local or remote locations such as business campuses, college auditoriums, branch offices, and home offices. Cisco's Wi-Fi access points and controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the identical level of security, performance, and ease of management for wireless networks that businesses demand in their wired networks. This architecture includes built-in mobile services such as Voice over IP, HD video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network solution allows companies to build wireless environments that streamline the way they do business and improve output via a dynamic and collaborative workforce.

Progent's Cisco CCIE network infrastructure consulting services can provide remote or onsite support to help you to plan, deploy, maintain, expand, and repair converged wired/wireless networks of all sizes and for any environment. In addition, Progent offers affordable online and onsite wireless site surveys to help your company to design and deploy a wireless LAN with customized wireless access point clustering optimized for your specific office layout, building characteristics, and intended application.

Cisco Small Business, Aironet and Meraki Wireless Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of access points allow businesses to integrate wired/wireless networks to deliver the accessibility, capacity, performance, security compliance and manageability required to support virtually any environment. Cisco's access points start at entry-level, single-band 802.11b/g/n devices with throughput of 300 Mb for small companies or telecommuters to dual-radio 802.11a/b/g/n/ac access points suitable for handling 200 or more wireless clients per access point and delivering sustained throughput of up to 1.9 Gb. Cisco's latest line of APs can be clustered to deliver the capacity to support environments crowded with clients and with a high incidence of video-intense applications.

Small Business Series of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Family of wireless access points are Linux-based devices designed as entry-level Wi-Fi solutions for small offices. Most versions in the Cisco Small Business family of APs support Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which makes it possible to set up, manage and troubleshoot a cluster of access points from one device through an intuitive web browser interface. All versions support Power over Ethernet (POE) and feature QoS, rogue access point detection, and bridging for wirelessly connecting to another network.

The Cisco Small Business WAP121 Access Point is a wall-mountable, single-radio 2.4GHz device that can support 16 active 802.11b/g/n clients, includes a 10/100 Ethernet interface, allows up to four access pointss and 40 wireless clients in a cluster, and supports sustained throughput of up to 300 Mbps. The Cisco WAP131 is a desktop dual-radio 802.11a/b/g/n access point that can handle 16 active clients on each radio for a total of up to 32 wireless clients, includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface, and can support sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 does not allow AP clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP150 is a value-priced Wave 1 dual-radio AC/n wireless access point that features a 1xGE Power over Ethernet port and can handle 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. The Cisco Small Business WAP150 supports four APs for each cluster.

Cisco's Small Business WAP321 Access Point is a wall-mountable single-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11a/b/g/n unit that can handle 80 active wireless clients sharing an 8-device cluster. The WAP321 has a Gigabit Ethernet port and can support a data rate of 300 Mbps for the selected radio. Cisco's Small Business WAP351 is a dual-band 802.11n AP with a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and can handle 32 active clients per radio for a total of up to 64 clients, and support throughput of 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP351 AP does not allow clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 is a dual-radio 802.11ac access point that features a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, allows 32 active WLAN clients on each radio, and delivers 867 Mbps throughput for wireless AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. The Cisco WAP361 supports 8 WAP361 access points for each cluster. Cisco's wallmount WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-band device that works with 802.11a/b/g/n and the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. The WAP371 includes a Gigabit Ethernet port, can handle as many as 32 wireless clients on each radio, and 8 access points for each cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band access point includes one 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface and dual radios that deliver 450 Mbps throughput per radio, support 64 clients for each radio, and allow up to 16 access points for each cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is similar to the WAP 561 but has a single radio selectable band. The Cisco WAP571 and WAP571E (the ruggedized outdoor version) are dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 access points incorporating two Gb Ethernet interfaces with link aggregation (LAG), and up to 1.9 Gbps performance with 1300 Mbps over 802.11ac and 600 Mbps on 802.11n. Both wireless access points support 32 clients on each radio and 16 access points on each cluster.

For more information about Progent's consulting services for both current and older Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 family of wireless APs, see Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi access points consulting.

The Aironet Family of Wireless Access Points
The Aironet family of wireless APs has consistently been the top-selling AP solution. Aironet wireless access points range from value-priced entry-level devices to advanced APs. The Aironet series span multiple generations of models supporting the evolving 802 standard. The current line of Aironet APs work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and include 802.11ac support, which offers three times the performance plus superior coverage and user density in comparison to the prior generation of devices. Cisco's latest multi-band Aironet access points continue to support 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients without 802.11ac capability.

The earliest Aironet APs are now legacy devices that have reached end-of-sale status and are not fully supported by Cisco. Progent still offers support for the entire Aironet line of access points and can assist you to manage and troubleshoot your existing Aironet wireless system or upgrade efficiently to the latest Aironet products. For more information about Progent's consulting services for both current and outdated Aironet access points, see Cisco Aironet wireless access points planning and support.

Meraki Access Points
Cisco's portfolio of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor access points include budget-friendly devices for general use to enterprise-class units supporting as high as 2.5 Gbit/sec performance. Each Meraki indoor access point offers high-end capabilities like self-configuring plug-and-play deployment, advanced security, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, built-in traffic analysis, zero-touch web-based firmware updates, and consolidated cloud-based management for multiple sites. Every Cisco Meraki indoor access point also incorporates two high-power client-serving radios with boosted reception plus a dedicated radio that provides intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security for threat detection and deep packet inspection.

Meraki outdoor APs are IP67 certified, built to operate in rugged outdoor conditions, and able to resist dust particles, shock and humidity. Meraki outdoor wireless access points include a 1 x Gbit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities that include cloud-based management with multi-site visibility and control, 802.1X integration, built-in antivirus scan, 1-click guest access and guest isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus auto-configuring mesh with MIMO. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Meraki APs and management, refer to Cisco's Meraki access points planning and support.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ax Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow realtime data exchange, configuration, administration, analysis and troubleshooting for Cisco wireless appliances and services. Cisco offers both hardware and virtual wireless controllers for centralized management of wireless environments, but WLANs with many wireless access points typically require physical wireless controllers. New wireless controller devices from Cisco deliver major advantages over Wave 1 and older products such as greater performance, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, built-in protection.

The Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is an entry-level device available in a desktop form factor and designed for smaller businesses. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized network environment such as in small branch and home-based offices administered across the wide-area network via Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where Ethernet cabling is sparse. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller can handle as many as 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 interface (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. APs can be attached directly to the WiFi controller via two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller offers fast failover for access points and users, which provides nonstop availability for apps. As with other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated capability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.

Cisco's 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1RU form factor, is designed to support larger organizations and campus networks and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 client users, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller includes two 10 GE ports and incorporates solid-state storage, redundant fans, optional backup power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit package, is a high-end wireless controller intended to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 Wireless controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and supports up to 6,000 wireless APs and 64,000 users. The 8540 Wireless controller offers data rates up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features SSD storage, backup power supplies, backup fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers cut the time and expense needed to deploy, manage, and operate wireless networks by centralizing control of critical functions such as setting up access points, applying consistent policies across converged LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for voice and HD video, tracking and optimizing system health, implementing wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) capabilities to guard against cyber break-ins and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless network controllers for organizations of any size and offers desktop or rackmount appliances, modular add-on controllers for Cisco ISR routers and switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi LAN 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 security. Built-in Bonjour Gateways enable discovery throughout the enterprise for Apple applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless LAN controllers support AP and client stateful switchover by permitting a backup high-availability controller to synchronize with a primary controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the main wireless controller stops working, thousands of wireless access points and wireless clients can failover immediately to the secondary wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E offers basic 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by smaller organizations and satellite offices. This value-priced and scalable solution can handle up to 200 wireless access points and as many as 6000 clients. (To learn concerning Progent's remote and onsite consulting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting support.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branches and have an integrated wireless network controller with the capability to handle 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and 25 wireless access points and 1000 clients per switch. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches designed for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and include an integrated wireless network controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and support for 50 wireless access points and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is an add-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless LAN controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and with support for 1000 APs and 15,000 clients. (To find out concerning Progent's consulting services for Cisco Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco Catalyst switches configuration and management support.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop appliances that streamline the deployment and operation of wireless networks for SMBs and branches. The 2500 Series wireless controller can manage from five to 75 access points and up to 1000 wireless clients and offers throughput of up to 1 Gbps.

Cisco's 5500 Series Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large sized businesses and campus environments and can support 500 APs and 7,000 clients while delivering 8 Gbps performance. Cisco's 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large campus environments with support for up to 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 clients and providing performance of 60 Gbps to handle high client densities and high usage of video-intensive applications.

Cisco's Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is designed to manage massive collections of wireless branches from one location, avoiding the costs of a Wi-Fi controller at every remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 lets you build a private cloud to configure, track, manage, and troubleshoot up to 6000 APs and up to 64,000 wireless clients while handling 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount device engineered to monitor and control Wi-Fi networks for large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to support 6000 access points and 64,000 wireless clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.

To find out more about Cisco WiFi controllers, go to Cisco wireless controllers consulting services.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Access Points, LAN Bridges and Wi-Fi Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the 802.11ac specification for Wi-Fi largely rendered obsolete the prior generations of Wi-Fi products for many environments that support high densities of wireless clients and high usage of video-intensive applications. Even for businesses who do not currently need the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, many of Cisco wireless devices have reached end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can represent serious maintenance and compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer online and on-premises support for a wide 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 help in planning and executing cost-effective, non-disruptive upgrades. Below are a sample of Cisco legacy Wi-Fi products that Progent's consultants continue to support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Cisco Aironet 1000 or 1130AG family access points are designed for offices and similar sites which have little environmental variability. These products have integrated antennas that offer predictable omnidirectional range profiles. The 1130G family wireless access point is available for controlled locations that do not allow 5GHz transmission.

Aironet 1230AG/1240AG Series access points are designed for more problematic RF environments like manufacturing plants and warehouses or above ceiling structures which commonly call for flexible external antennas and ruggedized enclosures. The Cisco Aironet 1240G family AP is intended for restricted domains that do not permit 5GHz operation.

Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outdoor wireless mesh APs deliver an economical, expandable, protected outdoor wireless technology for campus areas and for public sites that need access for portable phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco wireless bridges provide a high-throughput and multi-featured solution for connecting numerous local area networks in a metropolitan situation or public wireless environment. Cisco Aironet bridges provide a versatile, manageable solution that meets the security requirements of public networking specialists. These bridges manage both PTP and PTMP configurations with excellent range and support for traffic rates up to 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless bridges offer throughput significantly higher than E1/T1 connections for much lower cost, eliminating the requirement for costly leased lines when linking different offices. Since wireless bridges have no ongoing charges, the expenses saved on leased-line services quickly pay for the initial equipment costs. Private lines and in some cases leased lines made of copper or optical cable often result in considerable up-front expenses when they are impeded by obstacles like highways, train tracks, or lakes and rivers. Cisco wireless bridges can be deployed quickly an offer a fast ROI.

Cisco Aironet 1300 outdoor wireless access points/bridges can be implemented as independent access points, bridges, or wireless group bridges. These appliances have a ruggedized cover and provide fast, economical wireless connectivity between multiple stationary or mobile environments and users.

Aironet 1400 wireless bridges offer high-performance, reliable outdoor connections for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. They include an all-weather enclosure that can withstand harsh outside environments and function within wide temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco WLAN Controllers
Cisco WLAN Controllers centralize the management of wireless networks by simplifying the control of common technologies such as intrusion prevention, real-time RF control, automatic deployment, and full N+1 redundancy. Cisco WLAN controllers operate with small wireless access points to deliver enhanced throughput and advanced administration functions.

Wireless LAN Controllers offer the control, scalability, protection, and fault tolerance that IT managers require to create secure, enterprise-scale wireless networks, from branch offices to small companies to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be configured together to offer support for as many as 2400 access points per roaming domain.

Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Wireless LAN Controller Module for IS Routers provides small-to medium businesses and enterprises a cost effective way to deploy and manage protected wireless networks at satellite offices. These devices manage as many as 12 Cisco Aironet access points and are supported on Cisco 2800/3800 Series Routers and 3700 Integrated Services Routers. (To learn about Progent's remote and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting support.)

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Company with Cisco Wireless Technology
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to assist you to design, install, maintain and troubleshoot a converged wired and wireless environment incorporating a broad array of wireless devices that provide the same protection, scalability, and manageability you expect from your wired environment. Progent can assist you to maintain legacy Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or migrate efficiently to the latest 802.11ac-comaptible products. Progent's CISA and ISSAP security consultants can advise you about how to design protection into your WLAN and your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planning consultants can help you to deploy the high availability technology incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged infrastructure provides significant business value.

Progent’s Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and deploy a state-of-the-art WLAN customized for your environment, providing a wireless solution that delivers comprehensive coverage, high speed and density, QoS to support IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and streamlined management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be delivered remotely to cut time and expense, or on premises to deal with more difficult facilities.

For a further discussion of Progent's wireless integration services, visit Progent's Wireless Support Services.

To see more details concerning Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco networking products, select a topic:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Network Support
• Fast Remote Assistance from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Consultant
• Cisco Firepower Firewalls: Integration and Troubleshooting Support
• ASA 5500-X Firewall with Cisco Firepower Services: Configuration and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco ASA 5500 Series Firewall Management Assistance
• PIX 500 Series Firewall Maintenance Help
• Cisco Routers Engineering Expertise
• Aironet Access Points Deployment Support
• Cisco Small Business WiFi APs Consulting Support
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Support Services
• Meraki APs Design Help
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Integration and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Expertise and Wireless VoIP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber Consulting and Support Services
• Catalyst Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Meraki Switches Support and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco VPN and Network Security Engineering Services
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Design Expertise for Cisco-powered Datacenters and Colocation Centers
• Network Optimization Consulting for ISPs
• Centralized Management Technologies for Cisco-based Environments