Cisco Network Consulting

Cisco offers a comprehensive portfolio of wireless LAN devices and technologies engineered to provide anywhere, anytime connections to data and other resources and to facilitate teamwork among employees, partners, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless products include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of wireless access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's certified wireless experts can help organizations of any size to deploy Cisco wireless products to support the new paradigm of BYOD computing by integrating their tethered and untethered ecosystems to achieve simplified deployment, consistent and fast performance, centralized control, uniform policy enforcement, fault tolerance, and advanced security.

The Cisco Unified Wireless Network solution can scale to up to 18,000 access points with full Layer 3 connectivity at local or remote venues like business campuses, college auditoriums, branch offices, and home offices. Cisco's 802.11x APs and wireless controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the same degree of security, throughput, and ease of management for wireless LANs that businesses demand in their wired ecosystem. This architecture incorporates built-in mobile services like IP voice, HD video, and safe guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture enables organizations to build Wi-Fi environments that streamline the way they work and enhance output via a mobile and connected workforce.

Progent's Cisco-certified network infrastructure consulting services offers remote or onsite expertise to help you to design, configure, manage, upgrade, and repair converged wired/wireless networks of all sizes and for any venue. In addition, Progent offers value-priced remote and on-premises Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to design and install a Wi-Fi LAN with custom-designed wireless access point clusters optimized for your specific work area layout, building structure, and application workloads.

Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of access points enable organizations to converge wired and wireless infrastructure to deliver the accessibility, capacity, throughput, security compliance and manageability needed to support practically any scenario. These access points range from entry-level, single-band 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mb for small businesses or home offices to Wi-Fi 6 APs suitable for handling hundreds of clients per access point and delivering data rates in excess of 5 Gigabits per second. Cisco's latest line of wireless access points can be combined or clustered to deliver the capacity to handle wireless networks crowded with clients and with a high incidence of HD video applications.

Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Family of wireless access points are Linux-based units engineered as value-priced Wi-Fi APs for small offices. Most versions in the Cisco Small Business family of wireless 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 a single device via a simple browser-based tool. All of the versions support Power over Ethernet and feature QoS, rogue access point awareness, and bridge mode for connecting to a second Ethernet LAN.

Cisco's Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N Access Point is a wallmount, single-band 2.4GHz device able to support 16 active 802.11n clients, has a 10/100 Ethernet interface, permits up to four access pointss and 40 active wireless clients in a cluster, and supports throughput of 300 Mbps. The Cisco Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-radio 802.11n access point able to support 16 wireless clients on each radio for a total of up to 32 wireless clients, includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface, and delivers sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 does not support AP clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP150 is a value-priced dual-radio 802.11ac/n wireless access point that features a 1xGE Power over Ethernet port and can handle 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps performance for 802.11ac clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. The Cisco WAP1501 allows 4 access points for each cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP321 Wireless-N Access Point is a wallmount selectable-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11a/b/g/n device that can handle up to 80 wireless clients in an 8-device cluster. The Cisco WAP321 has a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface and can support a sustained data rate of 300 Mbps for the activated radio. The Cisco WAP351 is a dual-radio 802.11a/b/g/n access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet interface and can support 32 active wireless clients per radio for up to 64 clients, and support throughput of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 AP does not allow clustering. Cisco's WAP361 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wireless-AC/N wireless access point that features a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet LAN switch, allows 32 active WLAN clients per radio, and delivers 867 Mbps throughput for wireless AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. Cisco's WAP361 allows 8 access points per cluster. Cisco's wallmount WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-band device that supports 802.11n and the latest 802.11ac wireless networking standard. The WAP371 Wireless-AC/N has a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface, can handle up to 32 active wireless clients per radio, and 8 access points for each cluster.

Cisco's Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Dual Radio Selectable Band wireless access point features one 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface and dual concurrent radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps performance per radio, can handle 64 clients for each radio, and allow 16 access points per cluster. Cisco's WAP551 is like Cisco's WAP 561 but features a single radio selectable band. The Cisco Small Business WAP571 and WAP571E (a weather-proof outside version) are dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11ac wireless access points incorporating 2 x GE interfaces with link aggregation (LAG), and up to 1.9 Gigabit/sec throughput with 1300 Mbps on 802.11ac and 600 Mbps on 802.11n. Both APs can handle 32 clients per radio and 16 wireless access points per cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Dual Radio Wave 2 AP supports the 802.11ac standard and offers 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO to provide 2.8 Gbps throughput at 5 GHz and 0.6 Gbps on the 2.4-GHz radio for a total max data rate of 2.4 Gbps. The Small Business WAP581 includes a fixed 2.5G Ethernet port and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface with 802.3at PoE. Cisco's WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 AP can handle as many as 200 connective users, a maximum of 50 active users for each radio, 16 APs per cluster, and 960 active client users per cluster.

For more information about Progent's consulting services for both current and legacy Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 family of WiFi access points, see Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi APs consulting.

Cisco's Aironet Line of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet line of wireless access points has consistently been the leading access point product. Aironet wireless access points run the gamut from entry-level models to advanced APs. Cisco's Aironet family cover multiple generations of devices supporting the evolving 11x specification. The current portfolio of Aironet access points support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and come with 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, which delivers triple the performance plus superior coverage and density compared to the previous generation of devices. Cisco's current dual-band Aironet APs can handle 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that do not have 802.11ac capability.

The oldest Aironet APs are outdated devices that have come to end-of-life status and are not supported by Cisco. Progent still offers support for the complete Aironet line of APs and can help your company to maintain your existing Aironet wireless environment or upgrade smoothly to the latest Aironet technology. To find out more about Progent's support for both current and outdated Aironet wireless access points, see Cisco Aironet wireless access points consulting services.

Cisco's Meraki Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points range from value-priced devices for small businesses to enterprise-class units supporting as high as 5.9 Gbit/sec throughput. Each Meraki indoor access point provides next-generation capabilities like self-configuring deployment, in-depth protection, BYOD support, extensive traffic analysis, zero-touch web-based updates, and consolidated cloud-based management via an intuitive dashboard. Each Meraki indoor AP also incorporates dual powerful radios with boosted reception as well as a dedicated radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection.

Meraki outdoor APs are IP67 rated, built to operate in harsh outdoor environments, and tested to resist dust particles, vibration and humidity. Cisco's Meraki outdoor wireless access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities that include cloud-based management with multi-site control, 802.1X and native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), single-click secure guest access and isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with MIMO and beamforming. For details about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Meraki APs and cloud management, see Meraki access points consulting services.

Catalyst 9100 Line of Wi-Fi 6 APs
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 line of Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax access points are intended for deployments ranging from home offices to crowded arenas. Catalyst 9100 access points are based on the 802.11ax standard, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the previous 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 APs include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved reliability, Target Wake Time for reduced power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum use, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series wireless APs can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), handle as many as 200 clients per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax Access Points, see Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs solution planning, deployment, and management services.

Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless LAN controllers allow you to automate and manage advanced Wi-Fi networks that support 802.11ax wireless APs. 802.11ax, aka Wi-Fi 6, builds on previous generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) appliances by providing lower latency and more reliable performance, allowing higher client density, offering greater protection, conserving energy for battery-dependent handheld devices, and offering more versatility for supporting the latest kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 Series wireless controllers include always-on availability with seamless software upgrades, hot patching, and the ability to add wireless APs without service interruption. Enhanced cybersecurity features include Cisco Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS), image signing, and Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry allows you to monitor and understand network and endpoint health.

All devices in the Catalyst 9800 family are based on Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or with Prime Infrastructure management tools. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 Series wireless network controllers can support Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi 5 Wave 1 and Wave 2 APs as well as Catalyst 9100 802.11ax access points. For more information about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Cisco Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6 wireless LAN controller appliances solution design, configuration, and management services.

Cisco Wave 2 Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers enable realtime communication, provisioning, management, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless appliances and software services. Cisco offers both physical and virtual Wi-Fi controllers for centralized management of WiFi networks, but networks with many Wi-Fi access points typically require physical Wi-Fi controllers. Current generation Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco offer major benefits in comparison to Wave 1 and earlier products including greater throughput, concurrent support for 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, integrated protection.

Cisco's 3504 WiFi Controller is an entry-level device with a desktop form factor and designed for smaller businesses. You can use the 3504 in a centralized WLAN architecture such as in lean branch and home-based offices managed over the wide-area network via Cisco FlexConnect, or in mesh deployments where Ethernet cabling is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller supports up to 150 WiFi access points and 3,000 users, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 wireless controller includes a Cisco Multigigabit interface and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected to the controller through two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 wireless controller offers fast failover for APs and clients, which allows high availability for applications. As with other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers available from Cisco, the 3504 model has the built-in ability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, 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 architectures. The 5520 wireless controller can handle up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 clients, delivers 20 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 model controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and subsecond failover for high availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit (RU) package, is a high-end wireless controller designed to support enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 Wireless controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and can handle as many as 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 Wireless controller offers throughput as high as 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller includes 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 wireless networks by offering single-point control of tasks such as provisioning APs, enforcing consistent policies across converged networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for IP voice and HD video, monitoring and troubleshooting network health, implementing security capabilities to guard against cyber break-ins and DDoS threats, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of any size and offers standalone desktop controllers, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco ISR routers and switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to avoid signal interference and create self-healing wireless LANs for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and security. Built-in Bonjour Gateways allow discovery, advertisement and policy across the enterprise for Apple-based applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless network controllers allow wireless access point and client stateful failover by enabling a standby HA wireless controller to synchronize with a main controller for AP license tabulation, CAPWAP keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller goes down, thousands of access points and wireless clients can switchover at subsecond speeds to the backup wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E offers basic 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 routers used by smaller organizations and branches. This value-priced and expandable module can handle up to 200 wireless access points and up to 6000 clients. (To find out concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and management support.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches designed for SMBs and branch offices and come with a built-in wireless network controller with the capability to support up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 clients on each switch. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches intended for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and include an integrated wireless LAN controller supporting 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and support for 50 wireless access points and up to 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is an add-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless LAN controller designed for mid-to-large size enterprises and able to deliver 20 Gbps performance and with support for 1000 access points and up to 15,000 clients. (For information concerning Progent's consulting services for Cisco Catalyst switches, refer to Catalyst switches deployment and management support.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop appliances that simplify the provisioning and operation of wireless networks for small and midsize businesses and branches. The 2500 Series wireless LAN controller supports 5 to 75 APs and up to 1000 wireless clients and offers sustained performance of 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU appliance designed for medium-sized to large organizations and campuses and can manage 500 wireless access points and 7,000 wireless clients while delivering 8 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device designed for mid-to-large campuses with support for up to 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 clients and delivering performance of 60 Gbps to accommodate high client densities and high usage of video-intensive mobile applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is designed to enable centralized management of massive collections of wireless remote sites from one location, eliminating the need for a Wi-Fi controller at each remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 appliance allows you to build a private cloud to deploy, track, maintain, and repair as many as 6000 wireless access points and up to 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device engineered to monitor and control Wi-Fi networks for large campuses or for service providers and can scale to handle up to 6000 APs and up to 64,000 wireless clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.

To learn more about Cisco wireless controllers, go to Cisco Wi-Fi controllers consulting services.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Access Points, LAN Bridges and Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac standard for Wi-Fi largely rendered obsolete the prior generations of Wi-Fi products for venues that have high densities of wireless clients and high usage of video-intensive applications. Even for organizations who do not currently need the performance of 802.11ac, many of Cisco wireless products have arrived at end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can represent serious service and regulatory compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer online and onsite support services for a broad array of earlier-generation Cisco wireless products. Progent can also help organizations to evaluate the financial justification for upgrading legacy wireless infrastructure and can assist in designing and executing cost-effective, seamless upgrades. The following are a sample of Cisco older-generation Wi-Fi devices that Progent's consultants continue to support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Cisco Aironet 1000/1130AG family access points are intended for offices and similar locations which have minimal environmental instability. These devices include integrated antennas that offer dependable radio coverage profiles. The Cisco 1130G Series wireless access point is available for controlled domains that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz operation.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG/1240AG Series access points are intended for more difficult radio frequency situations like factories and warehouses or above suspended ceilings which tend to call for flexible protruding antennas and durable enclosures. The Aironet 1240G family product is designed for restricted domains that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz transmission.

Aironet 1500 family lightweight outdoor wireless mesh APs deliver a cost-effective, scalable, protected outdoor wireless solution for enterprise campuses and for public sites that need access for portable phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges
Cisco wireless bridges provide a high-speed and multi-featured solution for integrating multiple local area networks in a metro area or public access environment. Cisco bridges provide a flexible, easy-to-use solution that meets the security needs of WAN specialists. These bridges support both PTP and P2MP implementations with excellent range and the ability to handle data rates up to 54 Mbps.

Cisco wireless bridges offer throughput dramatically faster than E1/T1 links for far less cost, eliminating the requirement for costly leased lines when linking separate offices. Since bridges carry no recurring costs, the expenses saved on leased-line bills quickly cover the startup equipment investment. Private lines and even leased lines made of copper or optical cable often require considerable startup costs in cases where they are impeded by obstacles like highways, railroads, or bodies of water. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be installed rapidly with a fast ROI.

Cisco Aironet 1300 outside access points/bridges can be deployed as independent access points, bridges, or workgroup bridges. These devices have a durable cover and provide fast, affordable wireless interfaces between multiple stationary or mobile environments and users.

Aironet 1400 bridges offer fast, dependable outdoor bridging for LOS applications. They include an all-weather cover that is optimized for harsh outdoor environments and operate in broad temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Controllers
Cisco Wireless Network Controllers provide single-point management of wireless networks by streamlining the control of key functions such as integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS), fast RF management, zero touch deployment, and full N+1 redundancy. Cisco WLAN controllers operate with small APs to offer enhanced performance and advanced management functions.

WLAN Controllers (WLCs) provide the manageability, expandability, protection, and resilience that network managers need to build secure, large-scale wireless solutions, from branch offices to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's legacy Wireless Network Controllers can be clustered to offer accommodation for up to 2400 access points per roaming domain.

Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Module for Integrated Services (IS) Routers offers small-to medium businesses and large corporations an affordable way to deploy and control protected WLANs at branch locations. These wireless controllers manage as many as twelve Cisco Aironet APs and are supported on 2800/3800 Series IS Routers and 3700 Series Routers. (For information concerning Progent's remote and on-premises consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting consulting.)

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Company with Cisco Wireless Solutions
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to help your business to plan, deploy, manage and repair a converged wired and wireless environment integrating a broad array of wireless devices that offer the identical protection, extensibility, and ease of management you expect from a wired environment. Progent can assist you to maintain legacy Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to the latest 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISM and CISSP security specialists can show you how to design protection into your WLAN and your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can assist you to set up the HA technology incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged infrastructure delivers continuing business value.

Progent’s Wireless Site Survey helps you to design and implement a robust wireless network customized for your facilities, providing a wireless ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high performance and capacity, Quality of Service to handle IP video, enterprise-class security, and easy management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered online to reduce time and costs, or onsite for more complex environments.

For a more in-depth look at Progent's wireless integration services, visit Progent's Wireless Expertise.

For more information concerning Progent's professional assistance for Cisco solutions, pick a subject:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Support
• Timely Remote Help from a CCIE Consultant
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewalls: Integration and Management Support
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Firepower Services: Consulting and Troubleshooting Expertise
• ASA 5500 Firewall Upgrade. Migration Expertise
• PIX Series Firewall Maintenance Services
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco Aironet APs Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi Access Points Engineering Support
• Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning, Deployment and Debugging Support
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Support Services
• Meraki APs Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Integration and Technical Support
• Cisco VoIP Phones and IP Video Phones Expertise and Wireless VoIP Phone Integration
• Cisco Jabber Deployment Expertise
• Catalyst Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Expertise
• Cisco Meraki Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco VPN Consulting Help
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Design and Support for Cisco-powered Datacenters
• Data Center Design Consulting for ISPs
• Streamlined Network Management Solutions for Cisco-based Infrastructure