Cisco has developed an extensive portfolio of wireless networking devices and technologies engineered to provide anywhere, anytime connections to information and other resources and to promote teamwork among employees, partners, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless product families include Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of wireless access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless LAN Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consulting experts can help organizations of any size to deploy Cisco wireless technology to accommodate the new paradigm of BYOD networks by converging their wired/wireless environments to benefit from easy deployment, predictable performance, centralized management, uniform policy, high availability (HA), and advanced protection.
Cisco's Unified Wireless architecture can expand to as many as 18,000 access points with full Layer 3 mobility at central or remote locations like enterprise campuses, university lecture halls, branches, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's Wi-Fi APs and wireless controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the identical level of security, performance, and manageability for wireless networks that businesses demand in their wired ecosystem. This technology incorporates built-in mobility services such as IP voice, HD video, and secure guest access. Cisco's Unified Wireless architecture enables companies to create wireless ecosystems that streamline the way they do business and enhance output through a mobile and collaborative workforce.
Progent's Cisco-certified network infrastructure consulting services offers online or onsite support to assist your organization to plan, deploy, maintain, expand, and troubleshoot converged wired and wireless network infrastructure of any size and for any environment. In addition, Progent offers value-priced online and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to plan and install a Wi-Fi LAN with custom-designed wireless access point clusters optimized for your individual work area layout, building structure, and intended application.
Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of access points allow organizations to integrate wired and wireless infrastructure to provide the accessibility, capacity, performance, security and manageability needed to support practically any environment. These APs range from entry-level, single-band 802.11b/g/n devices with data rates of 300 Mb for very small businesses or telecommuters to 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) wireless access points suitable for handling hundreds of wireless clients per AP and delivering sustained data rates of more than 5 Gbps. Cisco's latest line of access points can be combined or clustered to deliver the capacity to handle wireless networks crowded with clients and with high usage rates of HD video applications.
Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Family of access points are Linux-powered devices designed as value-priced Wi-Fi solutions for small offices. Many models in the Cisco Small Business family of wireless access points work with Cisco's Single Point Setup technology, which makes it possible to set up, control and repair a group of access points from one device via a simple browser-based tool. All models support POE and feature QoS, rogue access point awareness, and bridge mode for wirelessly connecting to a second network.
Cisco's Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N AP is a wallmount, single-radio 2.4GHz device that can handle 16 802.11n wireless clients, has a 10/100 Ethernet port, allows up to 4 AP devices and 40 active wireless clients in a cluster, and supports sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps. The Cisco Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-radio 802.11n access point able to handle 16 active clients on each radio for a total of up to 32 clients, includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface, and delivers throughput of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 does not support AP clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 is a general-purpose Wave 1 dual-radio 802.11ac/n AP that features a 1xGE Power over Ethernet (PoE) port and can support 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps throughput for AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 supports 4 APs for each cluster.
Cisco's Small Business WAP321 Wireless-N Access Point is a wallmount single-band (either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) 802.11a/b/g/n unit with support for up to 80 active clients in an 8-AP cluster. The Cisco WAP321 has a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface and can deliver a data rate of 300 Mbps for the activated radio. The Cisco WAP351 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n access point with a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet interface and can handle 32 wireless clients per radio for a total of up to 64 clients, and support sustained throughput of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 access point does not allow clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP361 is a dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 access point that features a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet LAN switch, allows 32 active WLAN clients per radio, and delivers 867 Mbps throughput for wireless AC devices and 300 Mbps performance for 802.11n clients. The Cisco Small Business WAP361 supports 8 access points for each cluster. Cisco's wallmount WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-band AP that supports 802.11n as well as the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. The WAP371 includes a Gigabit Ethernet port, can handle up to 32 active wireless clients on each radio, and 8 access points per cluster.
Cisco's Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band AP includes one GE port and two concurrent radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that offer 450 Mbps throughput per radio, can handle 64 clients for each radio, and allow 16 access points for each cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is like the WAP 561 but has a single selectable band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz). The Cisco WAP571 and WAP571E (a weather-proof outdoor model) are dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11ac wireless access points that feature 2 x GE LAN interfaces with link aggregation (LAG), 3x3 MIMO, and up to 1.9 Gigabit/sec throughput with 1300 Mbps over 802.11ac and 600 Mbps over 11n. Both wireless access points support 32 clients per radio and 16 access points on each cluster.
The Cisco Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Wave 2 AP complies with the Wi-Fi 5 standard and features 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO technology to provide 2.8 Gbps throughput at 5 GHz and 0.6 Gbps at 2.4 GHz for an aggregate top data rate of 2.4 Gbps. The Small Business WAP581 includes a fixed 2.5G Ethernet interface and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface with 802.3at Power over Ethernet. Cisco's WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 access point can handle as many as 200 connective client users, up to 50 active users for each radio, 16 APs per cluster, and 960 active client users per cluster.
For details about Progent's consulting services for both current and legacy Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 series of wireless access points, see Cisco Small Business WiFi access points configuration and troubleshooting.
Cisco's Aironet Family of Wireless Access Points
The Aironet line of wireless access points has for years been the top-selling AP product. Aironet APs run the gamut from value priced devices to enterprise-class units. The Aironet series span several generations of models compliant with the evolving 802.11x Wi-Fi standard. The latest line of Aironet APs work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and come with 802.11ac support, which offers triple the performance as well as superior range and user density compared to the previous generation of APs. Cisco's current multi-band Aironet access points can accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that do not have 802.11ac radios.
The oldest Aironet access points are now legacy devices that have come to end-of-sale status and are not supported by Cisco. Progent continues to provide technical support for the entire Aironet line of access points and can assist your company to maintain your existing Aironet wireless environment or upgrade smoothly to the latest Aironet products. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Aironet access points, see Cisco Aironet APs consulting services.
Cisco's Meraki Wireless Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor access points include value-priced models for small businesses to advanced units supporting as high as 5.9 Gigabit per second throughput. Each Meraki indoor AP provides next-generation capabilities like self-configuring installation, advanced security, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, extensive traffic analysis, automatic web-based firmware updates, and unified cloud management via an intuitive dashboard. Each Cisco Meraki indoor AP also incorporates two high-power client-serving radios with boosted receive sensitivity plus a dedicated radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection.
Meraki outdoor APs are IP67 rated, built to withstand harsh outdoor environments, and able to resist dust particles, vibration and moisture. Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced features such as cloud management with network-wide visibility, 802.1X integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), 1-click guest access and guest isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with MIMO and beamforming. For details about Progent's consulting services for Meraki APs and cloud management, refer to Meraki access points consulting services.
Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 and W-Fi 6E Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 line of Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs are designed for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to high-density enterprise campuses. Cisco Catalyst 9100 APs are based on the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the previous 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Important enhancements supported by Catalyst 9100 Series APs include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better reliability, Target Wake Time for reduced power consumption in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, handle up to 400 clients per radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.
Cisco's Catalyst 9160 Series Wi-Fi 6E APs are the first Cisco access points to offer the option of being managed either on-site via Cisco DNA Center or through the cloud by using Meraki Dashboard management utilities. This allows businesses to transition to cloud-centric or hybrid deployments on their own schedule. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x APs meet the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless standards and include support for the 6-GHz band. Each device includes 5 radios and supports up to 400 clients on each radio. Every model also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating wireless interference, has a USB 2.0 port, and supports Bluetooth BLE. Cisco's entry-level Catalyst 9162 Series access point is suited for small businesses, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9164 Series access point is intended for small and mid-size enterprises, incorporates one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and features 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9166 Series access point is suited for large and mid-sized organizations, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The 9166 also has environmental sensors that track air quality, temperature, and humidity. For details about Progent's support for Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6/6E 802.11ax APs, refer to Wi-Fi 6/6E 802.11ax access points solution planning, deployment, and troubleshooting services.
Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless controllers allow you to manage advanced wireless networks that incorporate 802.11ax Wi-Fi access points. The 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, builds on prior generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) devices by providing lower latency and more reliable performance, supporting higher client user density, offering greater protection, conserving energy for battery-dependent mobile devices, and offering more flexibility for supporting new kinds of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Catalyst 9800 line Wi-Fi controllers feature always-on availability with seamless software updates, live fixes, and the ability to add Wi-Fi access points without service interruption. Advanced cybersecurity technologies include Cisco Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS), secure boot, and Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry permits you to track and understand infrastructure and endpoint health.
All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 line are based on Cisco's IOS XE Software and operate with Cisco's DNA Center or with Cisco Prime Infrastructure network management platforms. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 Series wireless LAN controllers can manage Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 Wi-Fi access points concurrently with Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless APs. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco 9800 line of 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless LAN controllers system planning, configuration, and troubleshooting consulting.
Cisco Wave 2 Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers enable fast data exchange, deployment, administration, monitoring and troubleshooting for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both physical and virtual wireless controllers for centralized management of WiFi environments, but networks with many wireless APs typically require hardware-based Wi-Fi controllers. Current generation Wi-Fi controller appliances from Cisco deliver major advantages over Wave 1 and earlier models such as greater throughput, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G interfaces, enhanced application visibility and control, and advanced, integrated protection.
Cisco's 3504 WiFi Controller is a value-priced device available in a desktop form factor and designed for smaller businesses. You can install the 3504 model in a centralized WLAN environment such as in small branch and home-based offices managed over the wide-area network with FlexConnect, or in mesh installations where Ethernet cabling is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller can handle up to 150 access points and 3,000 clients, delivers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 wireless controller includes a Cisco Multigigabit interface and four 1-GB Ethernet connections. APs can be attached to the controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features fast failover for APs and clients, which provides uninterrupted availability for applications. As with other current Wave 2 wireless controllers available from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated capability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.
The Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) package, is intended for larger organizations and campus environments and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 wireless controller can handle as many as 1,500 access points and 20,000 users, delivers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and features SSD storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.
The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2RU enclosure, is a top-of-the-line wireless controller intended to support enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 WiFi controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and can handle up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 users. The 8540 WiFi controller offers throughput as high as 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, backup fans, and rapid failover.
Wave 1 Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless network controllers cut the time and expense required to deploy, manage, and operate wireless networks by offering single-point control of functions such as setting up access points, applying consistent policies across converged wired and wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for voice and HD video, tracking and troubleshooting system health, activating intrusion prevention tools to guard against cyber break-ins and DDoS threats, and managing IPv6 clients. Cisco has designed wireless network controllers for businesses of all sizes and can provide desktop or rackmount controllers, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless controllers.
Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir tools to minimize signal interference and produce self-optimizing wireless networks for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and protection. Built-in Apple Bonjour Gateways allow discovery throughout the enterprise for Apple-based applications. For high availability (HA), Cisco wireless LAN controllers allow access point and client stateful switchover by enabling a standby HA wireless controller to synchronize with a primary controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller fails, thousands of APs and wireless clients can switchover at subsecond speeds to the secondary wireless LAN controller.
Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac support for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers deployed by smaller businesses and satellite offices. This affordable and expandable solution can support up to 200 wireless access points and up to 6000 wireless clients. (To find out about Progent's remote and on-premises consulting and troubleshooting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting services.)
Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branch offices and come with a built-in wireless network controller with the capability to handle up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and up to 25 wireless access points and 1000 clients per switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches intended for mid-size and large organizations and feature a built-in wireless controller with 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and the ability to handle up to 50 wireless access points and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include an integrated wireless controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and capable of 20 Gbps performance and able to handle up to 1000 APs and 15,000 wireless clients. (For information concerning Progent's consulting services for Cisco Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco Catalyst switches configuration and troubleshooting services.)
Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are economical desktop units that simplify the provisioning and management of Wi-Fi LANs for small to medium-sized enterprises and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless LAN controller supports from five to 75 wireless access points and 1000 wireless clients and can deliver sustained performance of up to 1 Gbps.
Cisco's 5500 Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU unit intended for medium-sized to large businesses and campus environments and can manage up to 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps performance. The Cisco 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage up to 1000 access points and 12,000 wireless clients and delivering throughput of 60 Gbps to handle high client densities and high amounts of media-rich applications.
The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is designed to enable centralized management of massive collections of wireless remote sites from a single location, avoiding the costs of a Wi-Fi controller at every branch. The 1RU Flex 7500 lets you establish a private cloud to deploy, monitor, maintain, and repair up to 6000 access points and 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed to monitor and manage wireless environments for large campuses or service providers and can scale to handle 6000 wireless points and up to 64,000 wireless clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.
To learn more about Cisco WiFi controllers, go to Cisco wireless controllers consulting and integration.
Legacy Cisco APs, LAN Bridges and Wireless Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the 802.11ac standard for Wi-Fi largely rendered obsolete all previous releases of Wi-Fi products for venues that have high numbers of clients and high incidence of HD video software applications. Even for organizations who do not currently require the performance of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a large number of Cisco wireless products have arrived at end-of-life status, which can pose significant service and regulatory compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer online and onsite support for a broad array of earlier-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can also assist organizations to evaluate the financial justification for updating legacy wireless technology and can assist in designing and executing cost-effective, seamless migrations. Below are a few of Cisco older-generation wireless products that Progent's consulting experts continue to support.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Access Points
Aironet 1000 or 1130AG family access points are designed for conventional workplaces and other sites which have minimal environmental variability. These devices have integrated antennas that offer dependable omnidirectional coverage patterns. The Cisco 1130G family WAP is offered for regulated domains that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz transmission.
Cisco Aironet 1230AG/1240AG Series access points are intended for more problematic radio frequency environments such as factories or above ceiling structures which typically require adjustable external antennas and ruggedized cases. The Aironet 1240G family access point is intended for controlled domains that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz transmission.
Aironet 1500 lightweight outside wireless mesh APs provide a cost-effective, scalable, protected outdoor wireless solution for campus areas and for public sites that need access for mobile phones or computers.
Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco wireless bridges offer a high-throughput and multi-featured technology for connecting numerous LANs in a metro area or public wireless network. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges provide a flexible, manageable solution that meets the protection needs of WAN professionals. These bridges manage both PTP and PTMP implementations with good range and the ability to handle traffic throughput up to 54 Mbps.
Cisco wireless bridges offer throughput significantly faster than E1/T1 links for far less cost, eliminating the requirement for expensive leased lines when linking separate offices. Since bridges have no periodic charges, savings on leased-line bills rapidly pay for the initial equipment costs. Private lines and even leased lines made of metal or optical cable can result in considerable initial costs if they are separated by obstacles like freeways, train tracks, or bodies of water. Cisco wireless bridges can be installed rapidly an offer a fast ROI.
Aironet 1300 outdoor access points/bridges can be implemented as independent access points, bridges, or workgroup bridges. These appliances have a durable cover and offer high-speed, affordable wireless interfaces between numerous stationary or mobile environments and users.
Cisco Aironet 1400 Series wireless bridges offer high-performance, reliable outside connections for LOS environments. They are housed in a ruggedized enclosure that can withstand severe outdoor conditions and function in wide temperature ranges.
Legacy Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wireless Controllers centralize the management of WLANs by simplifying the control of key functions including integrated IPS, real-time RF control, zero touch configuration, and full N+1 redundancy. Wireless LAN controllers operate with small APs to deliver enhanced throughput and advanced control capabilities.
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) offer the manageability, scalability, security, and dependability that network managers need to create secure, enterprise-scale wireless networks, from satellite offices to small businesses to main campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be configured together to provide accommodation for as many as 2400 WAPs for each roaming domain.
The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Module for Integrated Services (IS) Routers offers small-to medium businesses (SMBs) and large corporations an economical way to implement and manage protected wireless networks at satellite locations. These wireless controllers supervise as many as a dozen Cisco Aironet APs and are installable in 2800/3800 Routers and 3700 Series Routers. (To find out concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting support.)
How Progent's Consultants Can Help You with Cisco Wireless Products
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to assist you to plan, deploy, maintain and troubleshoot a converged wired and wireless environment incorporating a broad range of wireless products that provide the same protection, expandability, and manageability you demand from your wired environment. Progent can assist you to maintain legacy wireless products from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to current 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security professionals can show you how to build protection into your wireless network and your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can show you how to deploy the HA features incorporated into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged network delivers non-stop business value.
Progent's Wireless Site Survey assists you to design and deploy a state-of-the-art wireless network customized for your environment, offering a wireless solution that delivers seamless coverage, high performance and capacity, QoS to handle IP video, advanced security and compliance, and streamlined management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered remotely to cut time and expense, or onsite to deal with more complex situations.
For a more in-depth discussion of Progent's wireless consulting capabilities, see Progent's Wireless Consulting Services.
To learn more information about Progent's professional help for Cisco technology, select a subject: