Cisco Certified Network Consulting and Support

Cisco has developed an extensive line of wireless LAN products and software tools engineered to provide anywhere, anytime connections to information and other resources and to facilitate collaboration among employees, partners, vendors, and customers. Cisco's wireless product families include Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of access points (APs), as well as Cisco's Wireless Network Controller plug-ins and standalone devices. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consulting experts can help organizations of any size to utilize Cisco wireless products to support the current paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) networks by converging their wired/wireless ecosystems to achieve simplified deployment, consistently high throughput, single-point management, enterprise-wide policy enforcement, fault tolerance, and advanced security.

Cisco's Unified Wireless Network solution can scale to up to 18,000 access points with Layer 3 mobility at local or offsite locations such as enterprise headquarters, university lecture halls, branches, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's 802.11x wireless access points and controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to deliver the identical degree of protection, performance, and ease of management for wireless networks that businesses expect in their wired networks. Cisco's architecture incorporates integrated mobile services like Voice over IP, HD video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless solution allows companies to build wireless environments that streamline the way they do business and improve output through a dynamic and connected employee base.

Progent's Cisco-certified network consultants can provide online or onsite support to assist you to plan, deploy, maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot converged wired/wireless networks of all sizes and for any venue. Also, Progent offers value-priced online and on-premises wireless site surveys to assist your company to design and deploy a wireless LAN with customized AP clusters optimized for your specific office layout, building structure, and application workloads.

Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst lines of APs allow you to converge wired/wireless infrastructure to deliver the coverage, capacity, throughput, security and manageability required to support virtually any scenario. These APs range from entry-level, single-radio 802.11b/g/n devices with data rates of 300 Mb for small businesses or telecommuters to Wi-Fi 6 access points capable of handling hundreds of wireless clients on each AP and offering throughput in excess of 5 Gbps. Cisco's latest line of access points can be combined or clustered to provide the scale to support sites with high client density and with a high incidence of HD video applications.

Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs
Cisco's Small Business Family of wireless access points are Linux-powered units intended as value-priced Wi-Fi APs for light workloads. Most versions in the Cisco Small Business line of APs support Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which makes it possible to set up, manage and repair a cluster of access points from a single AP via an intuitive browser-based tool. All of the versions include Power over Ethernet (POE) and feature Quality of Service (QoS), rogue access point awareness, and bridging for wirelessly connecting to a second Ethernet LAN.

The Cisco Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N Access Point is a wall-mountable, single-band 2.4GHz device that can support 16 active 802.11b/g/n clients, has a Fast Ethernet port, allows up to four access pointss and 40 wireless clients per cluster, and can handle data rates of 300 Mbps. Cisco's Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n access point able to handle 16 wireless clients per radio for up to 32 wireless clients, includes a GE port, and can support sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not allow clustering. Cisco's WAP150 is a value-priced dual-radio 802.11ac/n AP that features a one Gbit Power over Ethernet (PoE) port and can handle up to 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's WAP1501 supports 4 APs for each cluster.

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

Cisco's Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band AP features one Gigabit Ethernet port and dual concurrent radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps performance per radio, can handle 64 clients per radio, and allow 16 access points for each cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is similar to the WAP 561 but features a single selectable band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz). Cisco's WAP571 and WAP571E (the weather-proof outside version) are dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 APs incorporating 2 x GE LAN interfaces with link aggregation, 3x3 MIMO, and up to 1.9 Gbps throughput with 1300 Mbps over 11ac and 600 Mbps over 11n. Both wireless access points support 32 active WAN clients per radio and 16 APs on each cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Wave 2 Access Point supports the Wi-Fi 5 specification and features 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO technology to provide 2.8 Gbps data rates at 5 GHz and 600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz for an aggregate max data rate of 2.4 Gbps. The Small Business WAP581 includes an integrated 2.5G Ethernet port and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port with 802.3at Power over Ethernet (PoE). The WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 AP supports up to 200 connective users, up to 50 active users for each radio, 16 access points per cluster, and 960 active client users for each cluster.

To find out more about Progent's consulting services for both current and older Cisco Small Business family of wireless access points, refer to Cisco Small Business WiFi access points consulting.

Cisco's Aironet Line of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet family of indoor and outdoor wireless APs has for years been the market leading AP solution. Aironet APs range from value priced models to enterprise-class units. Cisco's Aironet series cover multiple generations of models compliant with the evolving 11x specification. Cisco's latest portfolio of Aironet access points support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and include 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, which delivers triple the throughput plus greater distance and density than the previous generation of devices. The latest multi-frequency Aironet access points can handle 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that do not have 802.11ac capability.

The earliest Aironet APs 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 complete Aironet family of wireless access points and can assist your company to maintain your current Aironet wireless system or move smoothly to the latest Aironet technology. For details about Progent's consulting services for both current and outdated Cisco Aironet wireless access points, refer to Cisco Aironet APs system design and troubleshooting.

Cisco's Meraki Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki dual-band 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points include budget-friendly models for general use to enterprise-class units that offer up to 5.9 Gigabit per second performance. Every Meraki indoor wireless access point offers high-end features such as self-configuring plug-and-play installation, in-depth security, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, built-in traffic analysis, automatic web-based updates, and consolidated cloud-based management via an intuitive dashboard. Each Cisco Meraki indoor AP also incorporates dual powerful client-serving radios with boosted receive sensitivity as well as a dedicated radio that offers 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, vibration and moisture. Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and offer advanced features that include cloud management with network-wide visibility, 802.1X and native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan, 1-click guest access and isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with beamforming. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Meraki APs and management tools, refer to Cisco's Meraki APs planning and support.

Catalyst 9100 Family of 802.11ax Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 family of 802.11ax wireless access points are intended for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded stadiums. Cisco Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the previous 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. Important technologies incorporated in Catalyst 9100 Series APs include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for better dependability, Target Wake Time for reduced power usage in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series wireless APs can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, accommodate as many as 200 clients per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software. For more information about Progent's support for Catalyst 9100 Family of 802.11ax APs, refer to Wi-Fi 6 access points solution design, deployment, and troubleshooting consulting.

Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless controllers help you manage advanced wireless networks that support 802.11ax wireless APs. 802.11ax, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, improves on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) appliances by providing lower latency and more reliable performance, supporting higher client density, offering greater security, conserving energy for battery-dependent mobile devices, and allowing more versatility for handling the latest kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi controllers include always-on availability with transparent software updates, live patching, and the ability to connect additional APs without service interruption. Advanced cybersecurity features include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), secure boot, and Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry allows you to monitor and analyze infrastructure and client health.

All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center or with Cisco Prime Infrastructure management platforms. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless LAN controllers can support Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 access points concurrently with Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi access points. To learn more about Progent's consulting services for Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless controller appliances system design, deployment, and debugging services.

Cisco Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers allow realtime data exchange, provisioning, management, analysis and troubleshooting for Cisco Wi-Fi devices and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and software-based wireless controllers for centralized management of wireless environments, but systems with a large number of Wi-Fi access points are better served by physical Wi-Fi controllers. Current generation Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco offer major advantages over Wave 1 and earlier products such as higher performance, concurrent support for both 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control, and hardened, integrated protection.

Cisco's 3504 WiFi Controller is a value-priced appliance with a desktop form factor and designed for smaller organizations. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized WLAN environment such as in lean branch and remote offices administered across the WAN via Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge deployments where wiring is limited. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports as many as 150 WiFi access points and 3,000 client users, delivers 4 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 WiFi controller features a Cisco Multigigabit interface (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Access points can be attached to the WiFi controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 wireless controller features fast failover for APs and users, which allows nonstop availability for apps. As with other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers available from Cisco, the 3504 model has the integrated ability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.

Cisco's 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit package, is designed for larger enterprises and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 wireless controller can handle up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 users, delivers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 wireless controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and incorporates SSD storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and rapid failover for high availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2RU form factor, is a high-end wireless controller intended to support enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 Wireless controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and supports as many as 6,000 APs and 64,000 users. The 8540 WiFi controller offers throughput up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller comes with four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, backup fans, and rapid failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers cut the time and expense required to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by offering single-point control of critical tasks like setting up APs, enforcing consistent policies throughout converged wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for IP voice and HD video, monitoring and optimizing network health, implementing wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) capabilities to defend against cyber break-ins and DDoS threats, and managing IPv6 clients. Cisco has designed wireless network controllers for organizations of any size and offers desktop or rackmount controllers, modular add-on controllers for Cisco routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless network controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 wireless network controllers include Cisco CleanAir technology to minimize signal interference and produce self-healing wireless LANs for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and security. Integrated Apple Bonjour Gateways enable discovery and policy throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless network controllers support access point and client stateful switchover by enabling a standby HA wireless controller to synch with a primary controller for AP license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. If the primary wireless controller fails, thousands of APs and clients can failover in less than a second to the backup wireless LAN controller.

Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac support for 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by smaller organizations and branches. This affordable and scalable module can support from five to 200 wireless access points and as many as 6000 wireless clients. (To find out about Progent's online and on-premises consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and troubleshooting support.)

Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for SMBs and branch offices and come with a built-in wireless LAN controller with the capability to support 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and up to 25 APs and 1000 clients on each switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches designed for midsize and large organizations and include an integrated wireless network controller supporting 40 Gb of wireless throughput on each switch and support for 50 APs and up to 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include an integrated wireless network controller designed for mid-to-large size enterprises and able to deliver 20 Gbps performance and able to handle up to 1000 APs and 15,000 clients. (For information about Progent's support for Catalyst switches, see Catalyst switches deployment and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are economical desktop appliances that simplify the deployment and management of Wi-Fi networks for small to medium-sized enterprises and satellite offices. The 2500 Series wireless controller supports from five to 75 APs and 1000 wireless clients and can deliver sustained data rates of up to 1 Gbps.

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

The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is designed to manage thousands of wireless branches from one datacenter, eliminating the costs of a wireless controller at each branch. The 1RU Flex 7500 lets you build a private cloud to deploy, track, maintain, and repair up to 6000 access points and 64,000 wireless clients while supporting 1 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed to monitor and manage wireless networks for very large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to handle 6000 APs and 64,000 clients while offering 10 Gbps throughput.

For more information about Cisco WiFi controllers, see Cisco wireless controllers consulting and integration.

Legacy Cisco APs, LAN Bridges and Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac standard for wireless connectivity largely rendered obsolete the prior releases of Wi-Fi devices for many venues that have high densities of clients and high usage of video-intensive software applications. Even for businesses who do not need the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, many of Cisco wireless products have reached end-of-life status, which can represent serious service and compliance problems. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants provide online and on-premises support for a wide range of older-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can in addition help companies to evaluate the business case for updating legacy wireless infrastructure and can assist in planning and carrying out affordable, seamless upgrades. The following are a few of Cisco legacy Wi-Fi devices that Progent's consultants continue to support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Access Points
Aironet 1000 or 1130AG family access points are ideal for offices and similar venues which have minimal environmental instability. These devices have integrated antennas that provide predictable omnidirectional range profiles. The Cisco 1130G Series device is available for controlled domains that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz operation.

Aironet 1230AG/1240AG family APs are intended for more difficult radio frequency situations like manufacturing plants and warehouses or above ceiling structures which commonly require adjustable protruding antennas and rugged metal enclosures. The Cisco 1240G family AP is available for regulatory locations that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz operation.

Cisco Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outdoor mesh access points provide an affordable, scalable, secure outdoor wireless network technology for enterprise campuses and for public sites that require access for portable devices.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges provide a high-speed and feature-rich solution for connecting numerous local area networks in a metro situation or public wireless network. Cisco wireless bridges provide a versatile, manageable technology that meets the security requirements of WAN specialists. They support both P2P and PMP implementations with good coverage and the ability to handle traffic throughput as high as 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless bridges deliver data rates substantially higher than E1/T1 lines for much lower cost, eliminating the need for expensive leased lines when connecting different buildings. Since bridges require no ongoing costs, savings on connection services quickly cover the initial hardware costs. Self-installed private lines and even leased lines using metal or fiber-optic cable can result in high up-front expenses if they are separated by barriers such as highways, railroads, or lakes and rivers. Cisco wireless bridges can be deployed rapidly with a fast return on investment.

Aironet 1300 family outside access points/bridges can be implemented as stand-alone wireless access points, wireless bridges, or wireless group bridges. These appliances have a durable enclosure and provide fast, cost-effective wireless connectivity between numerous stationary or mobile environments and users.

Cisco 1400 bridges offer high-performance, reliable outdoor bridging for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. They include a ruggedized cover that can hold up to harsh outdoor conditions and operate within broad temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers centralize the management of wireless LANs by streamlining the handling of common functions including integrated IPS, real-time RF management, zero touch deployment, and N+1 redundancy. These controllers operate with lightweight APs to offer enhanced throughput and high-end management capabilities.

Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) offer the control, scalability, security, and resilience that system managers require to create safe, enterprise-scale wireless networks, from satellite offices to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's legacy WLCs can be configured together to provide accommodation for up to 2400 WAPs for each roaming domain.

The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Module for Integrated Services (IS) Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses (SMBs) and enterprises an economical way to implement and control protected wireless LANs at branch locations. These wireless LAN controllers supervise up to twelve Cisco APs and are supported on 2800/3800 Routers and 3700 Routers. (To find out concerning Progent's online and on-premises consulting services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and management consulting.)

How Progent's Engineers Can Help Your Company with Cisco Wireless Products
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified expert to assist you to plan, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a converged wired/wireless environment incorporating a wide range of wireless products that offer the same security, extensibility, and ease of management you expect from a wired network. Progent can help you to support legacy Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to current 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 technology. 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 planners can help you to deploy the high availability technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged network provides continuing return on investment.

Progent’s Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to design and implement a state-of-the-art WLAN optimized for your facilities, offering a wireless solution that delivers seamless coverage, high performance and density, QoS to handle IP voice and video, advanced security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed online to cut time and costs, or on premises for more challenging environments.

For a further look at Progent's wireless consulting capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless Support.

To learn more details about Progent's engineering assistance for Cisco solutions, pick a topic:

• Introduction to Cisco Network Support
• Fast Remote Support from a CCIE Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Series Firewalls: Configuration and Management Support
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Cisco Firepower: Integration and Management Services
• Cisco ASA 5500 Firewalls Upgrade. Migration Assistance
• Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall Maintenance Assistance
• Cisco Routers Engineering Support
• Cisco Aironet Access Points Design Services
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi APs Deployment Services
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning, Deployment and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Experts
• Cisco Meraki APs Deployment Support
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Consulting and Technical Support
• Cisco VoIP Phones and IP Video Phones Consulting Services and Cisco Wireless VoIP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber Consulting and Support Services
• Catalyst Switches Deployment Expertise
• Nexus Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Meraki MS Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco Security and VPN Setup and Troubleshooting Support
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunking and CUBE Integration Consulting
• Design Expertise for Cisco-powered Datacenters
• Network Optimization Consulting for ISPs
• Centralized Management Technologies for Cisco-based Environments