Cisco Certified Expert Network Consulting

Cisco has developed a comprehensive catalog of wireless LAN devices and technologies intended to provide continual access to data and resources and to facilitate teamwork among employees, partners, suppliers, and customers. Cisco's wireless product families include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of access points (APs), plus Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consulting experts can enable businesses of any size to deploy Cisco wireless products to support the current paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) computing by converging their wired/wireless networks to achieve simplified configuration, consistent and fast performance, centralized management, enterprise-wide policy, high availability (HA), and advanced protection.

Cisco's Unified Wireless architecture can scale to as many as 18,000 APs with full Layer 3 mobility at central or offsite locations such as business headquarters, college auditoriums, branches, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's 802.11x APs and wireless controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to support the same degree of security, performance, and ease of management for wireless networks that companies expect in their wired infrastructure. This architecture incorporates built-in mobile services such as VoIP, IP video, and secure guest access. Cisco's Unified Wireless architecture allows companies to create wireless environments that improve the way they do business and improve output via a mobile and collaborative employee base.

Progent's Cisco-certified network infrastructure consulting services offers remote or on-premises expertise to help your organization to plan, configure, manage, upgrade, and troubleshoot converged wired/wireless network infrastructure of all sizes and for any venue. Also, Progent can provide value-priced online and on-premises Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to design and install a Wi-Fi network with custom-designed wireless access point clusters optimized for your specific work area layout, building characteristics, and intended application.

Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of wireless access points enable organizations to converge wired/wireless infrastructure to provide the coverage, capacity, performance, protection and ease of management needed to support practically any scenario. These APs start at bare bones, single-radio 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mbps for small businesses or home offices to 802.11ax access points capable of supporting hundreds of clients per AP and delivering sustained throughput of more than 5 Gb. Cisco's latest selection of wireless access points can be clustered to deliver the scale to handle environments crowded with clients and with a high incidence of HD video applications.

Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of Access Points
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs are Linux-powered units intended as entry-level wireless solutions for small offices. Most versions in the Cisco Small Business line of access points support Cisco's Single Point Setup technology, which makes it possible to configure, manage and troubleshoot a group of wireless access points from one device via an intuitive web browser interface. All versions support Power over Ethernet and feature Quality of Service (QoS), rogue AP detection, and bridge mode for connecting to a second Ethernet LAN.

The Cisco Small Business WAP121 AP is a wall-mountable, single-band 2.4GHz unit that can support 16 active 802.11n clients, has a 10/100 Ethernet port, allows up to four access pointss and 40 active clients per cluster, and supports sustained throughput of 300 Mbps. The Cisco WAP131 is a desktop dual-radio 802.11a/b/g/n access point able to handle 16 wireless clients on each radio for up to 32 wireless clients, includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, and can support sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 does not support AP clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 is a value-priced dual-radio AC/n access point that features a 1xGE Poe port and can handle up to 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps performance for AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 allows 4 APs per cluster.

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

Cisco's Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band wireless access point features one GE interface and dual 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 APs per cluster. Cisco's WAP551 is similar to Cisco's WAP 561 but features a single radio selectable band. The Cisco Small Business WAP571 and WAP571E (a weather-proof outside model) are dual-radio Wireless-AC/N wireless access points that feature two Gb Ethernet interfaces with link aggregation (LAG), and up to 1.9 Gigabit/sec performance with 1300 Mbps on 11ac and 600 Mbps over 11n. Both access points support 32 active WAN clients on each radio and 16 APs per cluster.

Cisco's Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Dual Radio Wave 2 AP complies with the Wi-Fi 5 standard and features 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 an aggregate max data rate of 2.4 Gbps. The WAP581 includes an integrated 2.5G Ethernet port and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface with 802.3at Power over Ethernet. The WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 AP supports as many as 200 connective client users, up to 50 active users for each radio, 16 access points per cluster, and 960 active users per cluster.

To find out more about Progent's consulting services for current and older Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 series of WiFi APs, see Cisco Small Business wireless APs configuration and troubleshooting.

The Aironet Line of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet portfolio of indoor and outdoor wireless access points has consistently been the leading AP solution. Aironet access points range from entry-level models to enterprise-class APs. The Aironet line cover several generations of devices supporting the evolving 802.11x Wi-Fi standard. The latest line of Aironet wireless access points support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and incorporate 802.11ac technology, which delivers triple the throughput as well as superior coverage and density than the previous generation of APs. The current multi-frequency Aironet APs can accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients without 802.11ac radios.

The oldest Aironet access points are now legacy devices that have come to end-of-sale status and are no longer supported by Cisco. Progent continues to provide technical support for the entire Aironet family of wireless access points and can assist you to manage and troubleshoot your current Aironet Wi-Fi environment or move efficiently to current Aironet technology. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for both current and outdated Aironet access points, see Aironet APs consulting.

Cisco's Meraki Wireless Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points include value-priced models for general use to advanced units supporting up to 5.9 Gigabit per second performance. Each Cisco Meraki indoor wireless access point provides next-generation capabilities such as plug-and-play deployment, advanced protection, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, extensive analytics, automatic web-based updates, and unified cloud management for multiple sites. Each Cisco Meraki indoor access point also incorporates dual high-power client-serving radios with enhanced receive sensitivity plus a separate radio that provides intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security for threat detection and deep packet inspection at line rate.

Meraki outdoor access points are IP67 certified, built to withstand rugged outdoor environments, and able to resist dust particles, shock and moisture. Cisco's Meraki outdoor APs include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities such as cloud management with network-wide visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), 1-click guest access and isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus auto-configuring mesh with MIMO. For details about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Meraki APs and management, refer to Cisco's Meraki wireless access points consulting services.

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6 APs
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 line of Wi-Fi 6 APs are designed for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded enterprise campuses. Catalyst 9100 access points are based on the 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Important enhancements incorporated in Catalyst 9100 Series access points include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for better dependability, increased device sleep time for reduced power usage in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 802.11ax access points can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), handle up to 200 client users per radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software. For details about Progent's support for Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs, refer to 802.11ax APs system planning, configuration, and debugging consulting.

Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless LAN controller appliances allow you to manage modern wireless networks that support 802.11ax Wi-Fi access points. The 802.11ax standard, popularly known as Wi-Fi 6, improves on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) devices by delivering lower latency and more reliable performance, allowing higher client density, providing enhanced protection, saving energy for battery-dependent mobile devices, and allowing more flexibility for supporting new types of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 line wireless controllers include always-on availability with transparent software updates, hot fixes, and the ability to connect additional wireless APs without service interruption. Advanced security features include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), secure boot, and Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry allows you to monitor and understand infrastructure and endpoint health.

All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and operate with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or Cisco Prime Infrastructure network management platforms. Catalyst 9800 wireless LAN controllers can support Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 wireless APs concurrently with Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax wireless APs. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, refer to Cisco Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6 wireless controllers system design, deployment, and debugging consulting.

Cisco Wi-Fi 5 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow realtime communication, configuration, management, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless devices and software services. Cisco has developed both physical and virtual Wi-Fi controllers for centralized administration of WiFi environments, but WLANs with a large number of Wi-Fi APs typically require hardware-based Wi-Fi controllers. New Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco deliver major benefits in comparison to Wave 1 and older models including higher throughput, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, built-in protection.

The Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is a value-priced device with a desktop enclosure and designed for small and medium-sized organizations. You can use the 3504 in a centralized network architecture such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered across the wide-area network with FlexConnect, or in bridge deployments where wiring is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller can handle as many as 150 access points and 3,000 users, offers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 controller features a multi-gigabit Ethernet interface (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. Access points can be connected directly to the WiFi controller through two PoE ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller offers fast failover for APs and users, which allows high availability for applications. As with other current Wave 2 wireless controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated ability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.

Cisco's 5520 WiFi Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) enclosure, is designed for larger organizations and campus networks and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller can handle as many as 1,500 Wi-Fi access points and 20,000 users, offers 20 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 wireless controller includes two 10 GE ports and incorporates solid-state storage, backup fans, optional redundant power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU form factor, is a high-end wireless controller intended to support enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 WiFi controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and supports up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 WiFi controller can deliver data rates up to 40 Gbps and supports 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 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers cut the effort and expense required to configure, manage, and operate Wi-Fi networks by offering single-point control of critical functions like setting up wireless access points, enforcing single-point policies across wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for IP voice and video, tracking and optimizing network performance, implementing wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) capabilities to guard against unauthorized access and Distributed Denial of Service threats, and handling IPv6 clients. Cisco has developed wireless network controllers for businesses of any size and can provide desktop or rackmount controllers, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and switches with integrated wireless network controllers.

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

Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides basic 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by small to medium-sized businesses and branches. This value-priced and scalable module can support from five to 200 wireless access points and as many as 6000 wireless clients. (For information concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and management consulting.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches designed for small to mid-size businesses and branches and have a built-in wireless network controller with the ability to handle 40 Gb of wireless capacity for each switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches designed for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and feature a built-in wireless LAN controller with up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and support for up to 50 APs and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include an integrated wireless LAN controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and capable of 20 Gbps throughput and able to handle 1000 wireless access points and as many as 15,000 wireless clients. (To find out concerning Progent's support for Cisco Catalyst switches, see Cisco switches configuration and management services.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are economical desktop appliances that streamline the deployment and management of Wi-Fi LANs for small and midsize businesses and branches. The Cisco 2500 wireless controller can manage from five to 75 wireless access points and 1000 clients and offers sustained performance of 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU unit intended for medium-sized to large enterprises and campus environments and can manage up to 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage 1000 APs and 12,000 wireless clients and providing throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high usage of media-rich applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is designed to manage thousands of wireless branches from one datacenter, avoiding the need for a wireless controller at every branch. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 allows you to establish a private cloud to deploy, track, maintain, and repair as many as 6000 access points and 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount device designed to monitor and control wireless environments for large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to support 6000 wireless points and 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.

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

Legacy Cisco Wireless Access Points, Bridges and Wireless Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac standard for wireless connectivity virtually made obsolete the prior releases of Wi-Fi devices for many venues that support high densities of clients and high usage of video-intensive software applications. Even for organizations who do not require the performance of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a large number of Cisco wireless devices have arrived at end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can pose significant service and regulatory compliance problems. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants provide remote and on-premises support for a broad range of earlier-generation Cisco wireless products. Progent can also assist companies to evaluate the financial justification for upgrading legacy wireless technology and can help in planning and carrying out affordable, non-disruptive upgrades. Below are a few of Cisco legacy wireless products that Progent's consulting experts still support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Access Points
Aironet 1000 or 1130AG family access points are designed for offices and similar venues which have minimal environmental instability. These access points include built-in antennas that provide predictable omnidirectional coverage profiles. The 1130G family product is available for regulated locations that do not permit 5GHz operation.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG/1240AG Series wireless access points are intended for more challenging radio frequency situations like manufacturing plants and warehouses or above suspended ceilings which typically require flexible protruding antennas and ruggedized enclosures. The Cisco Aironet 1240G Series access point is available for restricted locations that do not permit 5GHz operation.

Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outdoor mesh access points offer a cost-effective, expandable, protected outdoor Wi-Fi technology for campus areas and for public venues that require connectivity for mobile phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Bridges
Cisco wireless LAN bridges provide a high-performance and multi-featured technology for connecting multiple local area networks in a metro situation or public wireless network. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges offer a flexible, easy-to-use technology that satisfies the security requirements of public networking specialists. These bridges manage both point-to-point and PTMP implementations with good coverage and support for data rates as high as 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless bridges deliver data rates dramatically faster than E1/T1 connections for much lower expense, avoiding the need for expensive leased lines when connecting separate offices. Since bridges require no periodic costs, savings on leased-line bills rapidly pay for the startup equipment investment. Self-installed private lines and even leased lines using metal or fiber-optic cable can result in very expensive startup expenses when they are impeded by obstacles such as freeways, railroads, or lakes and rivers. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be deployed quickly an offer a fast ROI.

Cisco 1300 outside wireless access points/bridges can be implemented as stand-alone wireless access points, bridges, or workgroup bridges. These appliances have a tough enclosure and provide fast, economical wireless interfaces between numerous fixed or mobile environments and users.

Cisco Aironet 1400 Series wireless bridges provide fast, reliable outside bridging for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. These devices include a durable cover that can hold up to severe outdoor environments and can operate in wide temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers provide single-point management of WLANs by streamlining the control of common technologies such as integrated IPS, real-time RF control, zero touch configuration, and full N+1 redundancy. Wireless LAN controllers work with lightweight APs to deliver enhanced throughput and advanced administration functions.

Cisco WLAN Controllers (WLCs) offer the control, scalability, protection, and dependability that system managers require to create secure, enterprise-scale wireless networks, from branch locations to small companies to headquarter campuses. Cisco's legacy Wireless Controllers can be clustered to provide support for as many as 2400 WAPs per roaming domain.

The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Module for IS Routers offers small-to medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprises an economical solution to deploy and manage secure wireless networks at satellite offices. These wireless controllers supervise as many as a dozen Cisco access points and are supported on 2800/3800 IS Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Routers. (To learn concerning Progent's remote and on-premises consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and management consulting.)

How Progent Can Help Your Business with Cisco Wireless Devices
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified expert to help you to plan, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a converged wired/wireless infrastructure incorporating a wide range of wireless technologies that provide the identical protection, scalability, and ease of management you demand from a wired environment. Progent can assist you to manage early-generation Wi-Fi products from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 technology. Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security professionals can advise you about how to build protection into your wireless network and your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planners can show you how to configure the high availability (HA) technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged network delivers continuing return on investment.

Progent’s Wireless Site Survey assists you to design and deploy a robust wireless network customized for your facilities, providing a wireless ecosystem that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and capacity, Quality of Service features to accommodate IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and streamlined management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be delivered online to reduce time and costs, or onsite for more complex situations.

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

To learn more information about Progent's engineering assistance for Cisco technology, pick a subject:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Engineering Services
• Timely Online Help from a CCIE Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Integration and Troubleshooting Support
• ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Firepower Services: Integration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco ASA 5500 Series Firewall Upgrade. Migration Support
• PIX Firewall Management Services
• Cisco Routers Consulting Services
• Aironet Access Points Deployment Support
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Wireless Access Points System Design Help
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wireless APs Planning, Deployment and Debugging Expertise
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Support Services
• Meraki Wireless Access Points Engineering Services
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Configuration and Troubleshooting
• Cisco Voice over IP (VoIP) Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Consulting Services and Cisco Wireless VoIP Phone Integration
• Cisco Jabber Migration and Support Expertise
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Consulting and Support Expertise
• Nexus Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Meraki MS Switches Deployment Expertise
• Cisco VPN and Security Consulting Support
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP Trunks and CUBE Integration Consulting
• Design and Support for Cisco-powered Data Centers
• Data Center Design Services for Internet Service Providers
• Centralized Management Technologies for Cisco Environments