Cisco Certified Expert Network Consulting and Support

Cisco has developed an extensive catalog of wireless networking devices and technologies that enable continual access to data and resources and to promote collaboration among workers, associates, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless offerings include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of access points (APs), as well as Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consultants can enable organizations of all sizes to utilize Cisco wireless products to support the current paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) computing by integrating their wired/wireless networks to benefit from simplified configuration, predictable performance, single-point management, enterprise-wide policy enforcement, high availability, and advanced security.

The Cisco Unified Wireless solution can expand to as many as 18,000 access points with full Layer 3 connectivity at central or remote venues such as enterprise headquarters, college auditoriums, branch offices, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's Wi-Fi APs and controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the identical level of security, performance, and manageability for wireless LANs that companies demand in their wired networks. This architecture includes built-in mobility services such as IP voice, IP video, and safe guest access. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture allows organizations to build wireless ecosystems that streamline the way they work and improve output via a dynamic and connected workforce.

Progent's Cisco CCIE network consulting services can provide remote or onsite support to help you to design, configure, maintain, upgrade, and repair converged wired/wireless network infrastructure of any size and for any venue. Also, Progent offers affordable online and on-premises Wi-Fi site surveys to assist your company to design and install a wireless LAN with customized access point clustering optimized for your individual work area layout, building structure, and application workloads.

Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst lines of access points allow businesses to converge wired/wireless networks to deliver the accessibility, capacity, performance, protection and manageability required for practically any scenario. Cisco's APs start at bare bones, single-band 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mb for small businesses or telecommuters to Wi-Fi 6 access points capable of handling hundreds of clients per AP and delivering sustained throughput of more than 5 Gb. Cisco's latest selection of access points can be clustered to provide the scale to support sites with high client density and with high usage rates of HD video application software.

Cisco Small Business Family of APs
Cisco's Small Business Series of wireless access points are Linux-powered devices intended as value-priced Wi-Fi solutions for small offices. Most versions in the Cisco Small Business family of access points support Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which allows you to configure, control and repair a group of access points from a single AP via a simple browser-based interface. All of the models support POE and provide Quality of Service (QoS), rogue access point detection, and bridging for connecting to a second Ethernet LAN.

The Cisco Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N AP is a wall-mountable, single-band 2.4GHz unit able to handle 16 active 802.11b/g/n clients, has a Fast Ethernet port, permits up to four access pointss and 40 active wireless clients per cluster, and supports throughput of up to 300 Mbps. Cisco's WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n access point that can handle 16 active clients on each radio for up to 32 clients, includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, and delivers throughput of up to 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 does not support AP clustering. The Cisco WAP150 is a value-priced dual-radio 802.11ac/n access point that includes a one Gbit Power over Ethernet port and can handle 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps performance for AC clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 allows 4 access points for each cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP321 model is a wall-mountable single-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11a/b/g/n unit with support for 80 active clients sharing an 8-AP cluster. The Cisco WAP321 includes a GE 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 support 32 active wireless clients on each radio for up to 64 clients, and deliver throughput of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 does not support clustering. The Cisco WAP361 is a dual-radio 802.11ac wireless access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet LAN switch, allows 32 active WLAN clients per radio, and delivers 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. The Cisco Small Business 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 new 802.11ac IEEE specification. The WAP371 Wireless-AC/N has a GE port, can support up to 32 active wireless clients per radio, and eight access points for each cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP561 802.11n Selectable Band AP features one 10/100/1000 Ethernet port and two concurrent radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that offer 450 Mbps performance for each radio, support 64 devices per radio, and allow up to 16 access points per cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is similar to the WAP 561 but has a single radio selectable band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz). Cisco's Small Business WAP571 and WAP571E (the ruggedized outside version) are dual-band 802.11ac APs incorporating two Gb Ethernet ports with link aggregation (LAG), 3x3 MIMO, and as high as 1.9 Gigabit/sec performance with 1300 Mbps on 11ac and 600 Mbps over 802.11n. Both APs support 32 active WAN clients per radio and 16 APs per cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Wave 2 Access Point complies with the 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 standard and offers 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO technology to provide 2.8 Gbps throughput on the 5.0-Ghz radio and 0.6 Gbps at 2.4 GHz for a total top throughput of 2.4 Gbps. The Small Business WAP581 includes an integrated 2.5G Ethernet port and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface with 802.3at Power over Ethernet. Cisco's WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 AP supports as many as 200 connective client users, a maximum of 50 active client users per radio, 16 access points for each cluster, and 960 active client users for each cluster.

To learn more about Progent's support for current and legacy Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 series of wireless APs, see Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 wireless APs configuration and troubleshooting.

Cisco's Aironet Family of Access Points
Cisco's Aironet family of indoor and outdoor wireless APs has consistently been the top-selling AP solution. Aironet APs range from entry-level devices to enterprise-class APs. Cisco's Aironet line span multiple generations of devices compliant with the evolving Wi-Fi standard. Cisco's current line of Aironet wireless access points work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and incorporate 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, which delivers triple the performance plus superior coverage and density than the prior generation of devices. Cisco's current dual-band Aironet access points continue to handle 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for client devices that lack 802.11ac capability.

The oldest Aironet APs are legacy devices that have come to end-of-life status and are not fully supported by Cisco. Progent still offers support for the entire Aironet family of access points and can help your company to maintain your existing Aironet Wi-Fi environment or move cost effectively to the latest Aironet technology. For details about Progent's consulting services for current and outdated Cisco Aironet access points, see Aironet wireless access points consulting.

Cisco's Meraki Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki dual-band indoor APs range from value-priced models for general use to advanced units supporting as high as 5.9 Gigabit per second throughput. Every Meraki indoor wireless access point offers next-generation capabilities like plug-and-play installation, in-depth protection, BYOD support, built-in traffic analysis, automatic web-based updates, and unified cloud management for multiple sites. Every Cisco Meraki indoor access point also includes two high-power radios with enhanced receive sensitivity plus a dedicated radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for threat detection and deep packet inspection at line rate.

Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points are IP67 rated, built to operate in rugged outdoor conditions, and tested to resist dust, vibration and moisture. Meraki outdoor APs include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced features such as cloud management with multi-site control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan, 1-click guest access and isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with MIMO and beamforming. To find out more about Progent's support for Meraki APs and cloud management, see Meraki wireless access points system design and troubleshooting.

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs are designed for environments ranging from home offices to crowded stadiums. Catalyst 9100 APs are based on the 802.11ax specification, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Headline enhancements supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better reliability, Target Wake Time for conserving power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum utilization, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Catalyst 9100 wireless APs support Cisco's EWC, handle up to 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software. For details about Progent's consulting services for Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6 APs, refer to Wireless access points solution planning, deployment, and debugging services.

Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless controllers allow you to manage modern Wi-Fi networks that incorporate 802.11ax APs. The 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, builds on previous generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) devices by delivering lower latency and more predictable performance, supporting higher client user density, offering greater security, conserving energy for battery-powered handheld devices, and offering more flexibility for supporting the latest types of IoT endpoints. Catalyst 9800 line wireless controllers include high availability with seamless software upgrades, live fixes, and the ability to connect additional wireless APs with zero downtime. Advanced security technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), image signing, and Software-Defined Access. Streaming telemetry allows you to track and analyze infrastructure and endpoint health.

All controllers in the Catalyst 9800 line are based on Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or Cisco Prime Infrastructure management tools. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 wireless network controllers can support Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi 5 Wave 1 and Wave 2 APs as well as Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 wireless APs. For details about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, refer to Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless LAN controller appliances solution planning, deployment, and troubleshooting consulting.

Cisco Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers enable fast communication, provisioning, administration, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless devices and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and virtual wireless controllers for unified management of WiFi networks, but networks with many wireless access points typically require hardware-based wireless controllers. Current generation Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco deliver major benefits in comparison to Wave 1 and earlier models such as higher performance, concurrent support for 1G and 10G interfaces, enhanced application visibility and control, and hardened, built-in protection.

The Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level device with a desktop enclosure and designed for smaller businesses. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized network architecture such as in lean branch and home-based offices managed across the WAN via FlexConnect, or in mesh deployments where Ethernet cabling is limited. The 3504 wireless controller supports up to 150 WiFi access points and 3,000 client users, offers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 controller features a Cisco Multigigabit interface and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. Access points can be connected directly to the WiFi controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 wireless controller offers fast failover for APs and clients, which provides high availability for applications. Like 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.

The Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1RU package, is designed for larger enterprises and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 wireless controller can handle up to 1,500 APs and 20,000 client users, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 wireless controller features two 10 GE interfaces and incorporates solid-state storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and subsecond failover for high availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU enclosure, is a high-end WiFi controller intended to support enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 Wireless controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and supports as many as 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 WiFi controller offers 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, redundant power supplies, redundant fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the effort and cost required to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot wireless networks by centralizing control of critical functions such as setting up access points, enforcing single-point policies across wired/wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for IP voice and HD video, monitoring and troubleshooting system health, activating wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) tools to defend against unauthorized access and DDoS attacks, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of all sizes and can provide desktop or rackmount appliances, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco ISR routers and switches, and Catalyst switches with built-in wireless controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 wireless LAN controllers include Cisco CleanAir technology to avoid signal interference and create self-healing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and security. Integrated Apple Bonjour Gateways permit discovery throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For high availability, Cisco wireless LAN controllers allow AP and client stateful switchover by enabling a standby HA controller to synch with a primary controller for AP license tabulation, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller fails, thousands of access points and wireless clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the secondary wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac support for 2900 and 3900 Series routers deployed by small to medium-sized businesses and satellite offices. This affordable and expandable module can handle up to 200 access points and up to 6000 clients. (For information concerning Progent's online and on-premises consulting and troubleshooting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and management support.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branch offices and have an integrated wireless controller with the capability to support 40 Gb of wireless capacity for each switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 clients on each switch. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches designed for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and feature an integrated wireless LAN controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and the ability to handle up to 50 wireless access points and up to 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless LAN controller intended for mid-to-large size enterprises and able to deliver 20 Gbps performance and able to handle up to 1000 access points and up to 15,000 clients. (To learn concerning Progent's consulting services for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco switches deployment and management consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are economical desktop devices that streamline the deployment and operation of wireless LANs for small and midsize businesses and branch offices. The 2500 Series wireless LAN controller can handle 5 to 75 access points and 1000 wireless clients and can deliver sustained performance of up to 1 Gbps.

Cisco's 5500 Series Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU unit intended for medium-sized to large enterprises and campus environments and can manage up to 500 wireless access points and 7,000 wireless clients while delivering 8 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device intended for mid-to-large campus environments with support for up to 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 wireless clients and delivering throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high amounts of video-intensive applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is designed to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless branches from one location, eliminating the need for a wireless controller at each remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 allows you to build a private cloud to configure, monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot as many as 6000 wireless access points and 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount device designed to manage Wi-Fi networks for large campuses or for service providers and can scale to support up to 6000 wireless points and 64,000 wireless clients while offering 10 Gbps throughput.

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

Legacy Cisco Access Points, Bridges and Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the IEEE 802.11ac standard for wireless connectivity effectively rendered obsolete all prior generations of Wi-Fi products for venues that support high numbers of wireless clients and high usage of video-intensive applications. Even for businesses who do not currently require the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, many of Cisco wireless products have arrived at end-of-life status, which can present serious service and regulatory compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consulting experts provide online and onsite support services for a broad array of earlier-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can in addition help organizations to evaluate the business case for upgrading up-of-date wireless technology and can help in designing and carrying out cost-effective, non-disruptive upgrades. Below are a sample of Cisco older-generation wireless devices that Progent's consulting experts still support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Access Points
Aironet 1000/1130AG family APs are ideal for offices and similar locations which have minimal environmental variability. These devices include built-in antennas that offer dependable radio range patterns. The Cisco Aironet 1130G Series product is designed for controlled domains that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz operation.

Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG family APs are intended for more challenging radio frequency environments like factories or above suspended ceilings which often require flexible protruding antennas and ruggedized enclosures. The Cisco Aironet 1240G Series wireless access point is designed for controlled domains that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz transmission.

Cisco Aironet 1500 lightweight outdoor mesh access points offer an affordable, scalable, secure outdoor wireless network technology for campus areas and for public sites that require connectivity for mobile phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges offer a high-speed and feature-rich solution for connecting numerous LANs in a metro situation or public access environment. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges provide a versatile, easy-to-use technology that meets the protection requirements of wide-area networking specialists. They handle both point-to-point and P2MP deployments with good coverage and support for data rates as high as 54 Mbps.

Cisco wireless LAN bridges deliver data rates substantially faster than E1/T1 connections for a fraction of the cost, doing away with the need for costly leased lines when connecting separate buildings. Since bridges have no ongoing costs, the expenses saved on connection bills quickly pay for the startup equipment investment. Self-installed private lines and in some cases leased lines using copper or fiber-optic cable often result in high startup expenses in cases where they are impeded by obstacles such as freeways, railroads, or bodies of water. Cisco wireless LAN bridges can be deployed quickly with a fast ROI.

Aironet 1300 family outside wireless access points/bridges can be implemented as independent access points, wireless bridges, or wireless group bridges. These devices have a durable enclosure and offer high-speed, economical wireless connectivity between numerous stationary or mobile networks and clients.

Cisco 1400 family wireless bridges provide high-speed, reliable outside wireless bridging for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. These devices are housed in a ruggedized enclosure that is optimized for harsh outdoor environments and operate in wide temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless Controllers centralize the management of WLANs by streamlining the control of common technologies such as integrated IPS, fast RF control, automatic configuration, and full N+1 redundancy. These controllers operate with small wireless access points to deliver superior performance and advanced administration capabilities.

Cisco WLAN Controllers (WLCs) offer the manageability, expandability, protection, and dependability that IT managers require to build safe, large-scale wireless environments, from satellite locations to small companies to headquarter campuses. Cisco's legacy Wireless Network Controllers can be configured together to offer accommodation for up to 2400 access points for each roaming domain.

The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Wireless LAN Controller Module for IS Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and large corporations an economical solution to implement and control secure wireless networks at branch locations. These controllers manage as many as twelve Cisco Aironet access points and are supported on Cisco 2800/3800 Series Integrated Services Routers and Cisco 3700 Series IS Routers. (For information about Progent's online and onsite support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting support.)

How Progent Can Help Your Company with Cisco Wireless Devices
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consulting professional to assist you to plan, deploy, manage and repair a converged wired/wireless environment integrating a wide array of wireless products that provide the same protection, extensibility, and ease of management you expect from a wired environment. Progent can help you to support legacy Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to the latest 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISA and ISSAP security specialists can show you how to design security into your wireless network and your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planners can assist you to set up the HA technology incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged network delivers significant business value.

Progent’s Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and implement a robust wireless network customized for your facilities, providing a Wi-Fi ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high performance and density, Quality of Service to handle IP voice and video, advanced security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be delivered online to reduce time and costs, or on premises for more complex environments.

For a further look at Progent's wireless integration capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless LAN Support Services.

To find out more information about Progent's professional expertise for Cisco products, choose a subject:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Engineering Services
• Fast Remote Help from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Configuration and Management Expertise
• ASA 5500-X Series Firewall with Firepower Services: Configuration and Management Support
• Cisco ASA 5500 Firewall Management Help
• Cisco PIX 500 Firewall Maintenance Support
• Cisco Routers Consulting Services
• Aironet Access Points Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi Access Points Consulting Services
• Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning, Configuration and Debugging Consulting
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Support Services
• Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Points Consulting Support
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Integration and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP Phones and IP Video Phones Consulting Services and Wireless VoIP Phone Configuration
• Cisco Jabber Migration and Support Expertise
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Engineering Services
• Nexus Switches Deployment Expertise
• Cisco Meraki Switches Deployment Expertise
• Cisco Security and VPN Consulting Services
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP Trunking and CUBE Integration Expertise
• Design Expertise for Cisco-based Datacenters
• Data Center Design Consulting for Service Providers
• Streamlined Network Management Solutions for Cisco-based Environments