Cisco Certified Network Consulting

Cisco has developed a comprehensive catalog of wireless LAN products and technologies designed to provide continual access to data and other resources and to promote teamwork among workers, associates, suppliers, and clients. Cisco's wireless offerings include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of wireless access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless LAN Controller plug-ins and appliances. Progent's certified wireless experts can enable businesses of all sizes to utilize Cisco wireless technology to support the current paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device networks by converging their wired and wireless networks to benefit from easy deployment, consistent and fast performance, single-point management, enterprise-wide policy, high availability (HA), and advanced protection.

Cisco's Unified Wireless Network solution can scale to as many as 18,000 APs with Layer 3 mobility at local or offsite venues such as enterprise headquarters, university lecture halls, branches, and home offices. Cisco's 802.11x wireless access points and controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the same degree of protection, performance, and ease of management for wireless LANs that companies expect in their wired ecosystem. Cisco's architecture incorporates built-in mobile services such as Voice over IP, IP video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network technology enables organizations to build wireless environments that improve the way they work and improve productivity through a mobile and connected workforce.

Progent's Cisco CCIE network infrastructure consultants can provide remote or on-premises expertise to assist your organization to plan, deploy, maintain, upgrade, and repair converged wired and wireless networks of all sizes and for any environment. In addition, Progent offers economical remote and onsite wireless site surveys to help your company to plan and deploy a Wi-Fi LAN with custom-designed AP clusters optimized for your specific work area layout, building structure, and intended application.

Small Business, Aironet and Meraki Wireless Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki families of APs enable businesses to converge wired and wireless infrastructure to provide the accessibility, capacity, throughput, security and manageability needed for practically any environment. Cisco's APs start at entry-level, single-radio 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mbps designed for very small businesses or telecommuters to dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wireless access points capable of supporting hundreds of clients per access point and offering sustained throughput as high as 1.9 Gb. Cisco's latest line of access points can be combined or clustered to provide the capacity to support environments crowded with clients and with a high incidence of HD video applications.

Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business Family of access points are Linux-based devices engineered as entry-level Wi-Fi APs for light workloads. Many versions in the Cisco Small Business portfolio of access points work with Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which makes it possible to set up, control and troubleshoot a cluster of wireless access points from one AP via a simple web browser interface. All models support Power over Ethernet and feature Quality of Service (QoS), rogue access point awareness, and bridge mode for wirelessly connecting to another network.

The Cisco Small Business WAP121 AP is a wall-mountable, single-band 2.4GHz unit able to support 16 802.11b/g/n wireless clients, has a Fast Ethernet interface, allows up to 4 AP devices and 40 wireless clients per cluster, and supports throughput of up to 300 Mbps. The Cisco WAP131 is a desktop dual-radio 802.11a/b/g/n wireless access point able to handle 16 active wireless clients per radio for a total of up to 32 clients, includes a GE interface, and delivers throughput of up to 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support AP clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP150 is a general-purpose dual-radio 802.11ac/n AP that includes a 1xGE Power over Ethernet port and can support 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps performance for AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 allows four access points per cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP321 AP is a wallmount single-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11a/b/g/n device that can handle up to 80 wireless clients in an 8-AP cluster. The WAP321 features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface and can support sustained throughput of 300 Mbps for the selected radio. Cisco's Small Business WAP351 is a dual-radio 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and can handle 32 active clients per radio for up to 64 clients, and deliver a data rate of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 access point does not support clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 is a dual-band 802.11ac Wave 1 access point that includes a 5 x Gb Ethernet switch, can support 32 clients on each radio, and offers 867 Mbps performance for wireless AC clients and 300 Mbps performance for 802.11n devices. The Cisco Small Business WAP361 supports 8 WAP361 access points for each cluster. Cisco's wallmount Small Business WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-radio AP that supports 802.11a/b/g/n and the latest 802.11ac IEEE specification. The WAP371 includes a GE port, can support as many as 32 active wireless clients per radio, and eight APs per cluster.

The Cisco WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band access point features a GE LAN interface and dual concurrent radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps throughput for each radio, can handle 64 clients per radio, and allow 16 APs for each cluster. Cisco's WAP551 is like Cisco's WAP 561 but has a single radio selectable band. Cisco's WAP571 and WAP571E (the weather-proof outdoor version) are dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wireless-AC/N APs that feature two Gb Ethernet interfaces with link aggregation (LAG), 3x3 MIMO, and up to 1.9 Gigabit/sec performance with 1300 Mbps on 11ac and 600 Mbps over 11n. Both wireless access points can handle 32 active WAN clients on each radio and 16 wireless access points per cluster.

To learn more about Progent's support for current and older Cisco Small Business family of WiFi access points, refer to Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi access points configuration and troubleshooting.

Cisco's Aironet Family of Access Points
The Aironet portfolio of wireless APs has consistently been the top-selling AP product. Aironet wireless access points run the gamut from entry-level devices to advanced units. Cisco's Aironet line span multiple generations of models compliant with the evolving Wi-Fi specification. The current portfolio of Aironet wireless access points work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and include 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, which delivers triple the speed as well as greater distance and user density in comparison to the previous generation of devices. The current multi-band Aironet APs can accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for client devices that lack 802.11ac radios.

The earliest Aironet APs are now outdated units that have come to end-of-life status and are no longer supported by Cisco. Progent still offers support for the entire Aironet family of access points and can help your company to maintain your current Aironet Wi-Fi environment or move efficiently to current Aironet products. For more information about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Aironet wireless access points, refer to Aironet access points planning and support.

Cisco's Meraki Wireless Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki dual-band indoor wireless access points include value-priced models for general use to enterprise-class products supporting up to 2.5 Gigabit per second throughput. Every Meraki indoor AP provides next-generation features like self-configuring deployment, advanced protection, BYOD support, built-in traffic analysis, zero-touch web-based firmware updates, and unified cloud-based management for multiple sites. Every Meraki indoor access point also incorporates dual powerful client-serving radios with enhanced receive sensitivity as well as a separate radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection.

Cisco's Meraki outdoor wireless access points are IP67 certified, designed to withstand rugged outdoor environments, and tested to withstand dust, shock and humidity. Meraki outdoor APs include a 1 x Gbit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities that include cloud-based management with network-wide control, 802.1X integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), single-click guest access and guest isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with MIMO. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Meraki APs and management tools, see Cisco's Meraki APs system design and troubleshooting.

Cisco Wave 2 WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers allow fast communication, provisioning, administration, analysis and debugging for Cisco wireless devices and software services. Cisco has developed both physical and virtual wireless controllers for unified management of wireless networks, but systems with many Wi-Fi APs typically require physical Wi-Fi controllers. New Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco deliver major advantages over Wave 1 and older models such as greater throughput, concurrent support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control (AVC), and advanced, built-in security.

The Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is a value-priced appliance with a desktop enclosure and designed for small and medium-sized businesses. You can install the 3504 in a centralized WLAN architecture such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered over the WAN with FlexConnect, or in bridge deployments where wiring is limited. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 150 wireless APs and 3,000 users, delivers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 WiFi controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet port and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet connections. APs can be attached directly to the controller via two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 wireless controller offers subsecond failover for APs and clients, which provides uninterrupted availability for apps. As with other current Wave 2 wireless controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated capability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.

Cisco's 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit (RU) package, is intended to support larger enterprises and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 users, offers 20 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and features SSD storage, backup fans, optional backup power supplies, and subsecond failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2 rack unit (RU) form factor, is a top-of-the-line WiFi controller designed to support enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 Wireless controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and supports as many as 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 WiFi controller can deliver data rates as high as 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, redundant fans, and rapid failover.

Wave 1 Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers cut the time and expense needed to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot wireless networks by offering single-point control of critical tasks like provisioning access points, applying single-point policies throughout converged networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for IP voice and video, tracking and optimizing system performance, activating security tools to guard against cyber break-ins and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and managing IPv6 clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of all sizes and can provide standalone desktop controllers, modular add-on wireless controllers for Cisco routers and switches, and switches with built-in wireless network controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to minimize signal interference and create self-healing and self-optimizing wireless LANs for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Integrated Apple Bonjour Gateways enable discovery and policy throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple-based applications. For high availability, Cisco wireless network controllers allow wireless access point and client stateful switchover by enabling a backup high-availability controller to synch with a main wireless controller for AP license count, CAPWAP keys, and access point CAPWAP state. If the main controller fails, thousands of access points and clients can switchover in less than a second to the backup controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E offers basic 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by smaller businesses and satellite offices. This value-priced and scalable module can support up to 200 wireless access points and up to 6000 clients. (To learn concerning Progent's online and on-premises consulting support services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and management consulting.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches designed for SMBs and satellite offices and come with a built-in wireless controller with the capability to support 40 Gb of wireless capacity for each switch and up to 25 wireless access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch or stack. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches intended for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and feature a built-in wireless controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and the ability to handle up to 50 wireless access points and up to 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is an add-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless network controller intended for mid-to-large size businesses and capable of 20 Gbps throughput and able to handle 1000 access points and as many as 15,000 clients. (To learn about Progent's online and onsite consulting support for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco switches configuration and management consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are economical desktop units that simplify the deployment and operation of Wi-Fi networks for small to medium-sized enterprises and branch offices. The 2500 Series wireless network controller can handle 5 to 75 wireless access points and 1000 wireless clients and can deliver sustained data rates of 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU unit intended for mid-to-large sized businesses and campus environments and can support 500 access points and 7,000 clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage 1000 access points and 12,000 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 Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless branches from one datacenter, avoiding the costs of a Wi-Fi controller at every remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 appliance allows you to build a private cloud to configure, monitor, maintain, and repair as many as 6000 APs and 64,000 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 up to 6000 APs and 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.

For more information about Cisco wireless controllers, go to Cisco Wi-Fi controllers consulting services.

Legacy Cisco APs, Bridges and Wi-Fi Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac standard for wireless connectivity largely rendered obsolete all earlier generations of Wi-Fi devices for many venues that support high numbers of wireless clients and high usage of video-intensive software applications. Even for businesses who do not currently require the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, a large number of Cisco wireless devices have arrived at end-of-life status, which can pose significant service and compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer online and onsite support for a wide range of earlier-generation Cisco wireless products. Progent can also help companies to assess the potential ROI for upgrading legacy wireless technology and can assist in designing and executing affordable, seamless upgrades. The following are a sample of Cisco legacy Wi-Fi devices that Progent's consultants continue to support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Aironet 1000 or 1130AG Series APs are intended for offices and other locations which have minimal environmental instability. These access points include built-in antennas that provide predictable omnidirectional coverage profiles. The Cisco 1130G family wireless access point is designed for restricted domains that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz transmission.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series wireless access points are ideal for more problematic RF situations like manufacturing plants and warehouses or above ceiling structures which commonly require flexible external antennas and ruggedized enclosures. The Aironet 1240G Series wireless access point is designed for controlled locations that do not permit 5GHz operation.

Cisco Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outside mesh access points deliver an affordable, expandable, protected outdoor Wi-Fi mechanism for enterprise campuses and for public venues that require access for portable phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges provide a high-throughput and feature-rich solution for integrating multiple LANs in a metropolitan situation or public access environment. Cisco wireless bridges provide a versatile, manageable solution that satisfies the security needs of public networking specialists. They support both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint implementations with good coverage and support for data rates as high as 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges offer data rates several times higher than E1/T1 links for far less cost, erasing the necessity of expensive leased lines when connecting different offices. Since bridges require no periodic costs, savings on connection services quickly cover the startup hardware costs. Private lines and even leased lines utilizing metal or optical cable often require considerable startup costs in cases where they are separated by barriers like highways, train tracks, or lakes and rivers. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be installed quickly with a fast return on investment.

Aironet 1300 Series outdoor access points/bridges can be deployed as independent wireless access points, wireless bridges, or workgroup bridges. These devices have a tough enclosure and provide fast, cost-effective wireless interfaces between numerous fixed or mobile networks and clients.

Cisco Aironet 1400 Series wireless bridges offer fast, dependable outside connections for LOS applications. They are housed in a ruggedized cover that is optimized for harsh outside environments and operate within broad temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco WLAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless Network Controllers centralize the management of WLANs by streamlining the handling of key functions including integrated IPS, fast RF control, zero touch configuration, and N+1 redundancy. Wireless LAN controllers operate with small wireless access points to offer superior throughput and advanced control capabilities.

Cisco WLAN Controllers (WLCs) provide the control, expandability, protection, and resilience that IT managers need to create secure, enterprise-scale wireless networks, from satellite offices to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Controllers can be clustered to offer accommodation for up to 2400 access points per roaming domain.

Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Wireless LAN Controller Module for IS Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and enterprises an economical way to deploy and manage protected WLANs at branch offices. These products supervise as many as twelve Cisco access points and are supported on 2800/3800 Integrated Services Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Routers. (For information about Progent's remote and on-premises support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and management consulting.)

How Progent's Consultants Can Assist You with Cisco Wireless Solutions
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to help you to plan, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a converged wired/wireless infrastructure incorporating a broad array of wireless technologies that offer the same security, extensibility, and ease of management you demand from your wired environment. Progent can assist you to support legacy wireless solutions from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to current 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology. Progent's CISM and CISSP security consultants can show you how to build protection into your WLAN and into your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planners can help you to deploy the HA features incorporated into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged network provides non-stop business value.

Progent’s Wi-Fi Site Survey helps you to design and deploy a state-of-the-art WLAN optimized for your facilities, providing a wireless ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high performance and density, Quality of Service to accommodate IP video, advanced security and compliance, and easy management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed online to cut time and expense, or onsite for more complex facilities.

For a further discussion of Progent's wireless consulting capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless LAN Consulting.

To learn additional information about Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco solutions, choose a topic:

• Introduction to Cisco Expertise
• Timely Online Support from a CCIE Consultant
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Series Firewalls: Integration and Management Support
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewall with Firepower: Setup and Troubleshooting Support
• ASA 5500 Firewall Integration Help
• PIX Series Firewall Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco Routers Engineering Services
• Aironet APs Deployment Support
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi APs Deployment Expertise
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Integration Consulting
• Meraki Wireless Access Points Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Configuration and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Expertise and Wireless VoIP Phone Integration
• Cisco Jabber Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Catalyst Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Cisco Nexus Switches Deployment Expertise
• Meraki MS Switches Configuration and Maintenance Services
• Cisco VPN and Network Security Consulting Services
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP Trunking and Cisco CUBE Integration Consulting
• Design and Support for Cisco-based Datacenters
• Infrastructure Design Services for Internet Service Providers
• Remote Network Management Solutions for Cisco-based Environments