Cisco Certified Network Consulting

Cisco has developed a comprehensive portfolio of wireless LAN devices and software tools that enable anywhere, anytime access to data and other resources and to promote collaboration among workers, associates, suppliers, and customers. Cisco's wireless products include Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of wireless access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless Network Controller plug-ins and standalone devices. Progent's certified wireless experts can enable businesses of any size to deploy Cisco wireless products to accommodate the current model of Bring-Your-Own-Device computing by integrating their wired and wireless networks to benefit from simplified deployment, predictable throughput, centralized management, enterprise-wide policy enforcement, fault tolerance, and across-the-board protection.

The Cisco Unified Wireless solution can expand to up to 18,000 APs with full Layer 3 connectivity at central or offsite venues such as enterprise campuses, college auditoriums, branch offices, and home offices. Cisco's 802.11x access points and controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to deliver the same degree of protection, performance, and ease of management for WLANs that businesses demand in their wired ecosystem. This technology includes built-in mobile services such as IP voice, HD video, and safe guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network technology allows organizations to create Wi-Fi ecosystems that improve the way they do business and improve productivity through a dynamic and connected employee base.

Progent's Cisco CCIE network consulting services offers remote or on-premises support to help your organization to design, deploy, maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot converged wired and wireless network infrastructure of any size and for any environment. Also, Progent can provide economical remote and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys to help your company to plan and install a wireless network with custom-designed access point clustering optimized for your individual office layout, building structure, and intended application.

Cisco Small Business, Aironet and Meraki Wireless Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki families of wireless access points allow you to converge wired/wireless networks to deliver the accessibility, density, performance, security compliance and manageability required for practically any scenario. Cisco's APs range from bare bones, single-radio 802.11b/g/n units with data rates of 300 Mbps designed for very small companies or home offices to dual-radio 802.11ac APs capable of supporting 200 or more clients on each AP and offering sustained data rates as high as 1.9 Gb. Cisco's latest line of APs can be combined or clustered to provide the scale to support wireless networks with high client density and with high usage rates of HD video applications.

Small Business Family of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs are Linux-powered units engineered as entry-level wireless solutions for small offices. Many models in the Cisco Small Business line of APs support Cisco's Single Point Setup technology, which makes it possible to configure, manage and repair a cluster of wireless access points from one device via a simple web browser tool. All models include Power over Ethernet and provide Quality of Service (QoS), rogue AP detection, and bridging for connecting to a second network.

Cisco's Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N AP is a wall-mountable, single-band 2.4GHz device able to support 16 802.11n clients, includes a Fast Ethernet interface, allows up to four access pointss and 40 wireless clients per cluster, and can handle sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps. Cisco's Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n AP that can handle 16 wireless clients on each radio for up to 32 wireless clients, includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, and delivers throughput of up to 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not allow AP clustering. Cisco's WAP150 is a value-priced Wave 1 dual-radio 802.11ac/n AP that features a 1xGE Power over Ethernet (PoE) port and can support 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps performance for AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 supports 4 APs for each cluster.

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

The Cisco Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Dual Radio Selectable Band AP includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port and dual radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps performance per radio, support 64 clients per radio, and allow 16 APs for each cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is similar to Cisco's WAP 561 but features a single selectable band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz). The Cisco WAP571 and WAP571E (the weather-proof outdoor version) are dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 APs that feature two Gb Ethernet ports with link aggregation, 3x3 MIMO, and up to 1.9 Gigabit/sec throughput with 1300 Mbps over 11ac and 600 Mbps on 11n. Both units can handle 32 active WAN clients on each radio and 16 access points on each cluster.

To learn more about Progent's support for current and legacy Cisco Small Business family of wireless APs, see Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 wireless access points consulting services.

The Aironet Line of Access Points
The Aironet portfolio of indoor and outdoor wireless access points has for years been the market leading access point product. Aironet wireless access points run the gamut from value-priced entry-level devices to enterprise-class APs. Cisco's Aironet series cover multiple generations of devices supporting the continually improving 802.11x Wi-Fi standard. Cisco's current portfolio of Aironet APs work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and incorporate 802.11ac support, which offers triple the performance plus greater range and user density in comparison to the prior generation of devices. The latest dual-band Aironet APs continue to accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that do not have 802.11ac radios.

The earliest Aironet access points are outdated units that have come to end-of-sale status and are not supported by Cisco. Progent continues to provide technical support for the entire Aironet family of access points and can help you to manage and troubleshoot your current Aironet wireless environment or move smoothly to current Aironet technology. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for current and outdated Aironet wireless access points, see Aironet APs consulting services.

Cisco's Meraki Access Points
Cisco's portfolio of Meraki dual-band 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points range from budget-friendly models for small businesses to advanced products that offer up to 2.5 Gigabit per second performance. Each Cisco Meraki indoor AP offers high-end capabilities such as plug-and-play installation, advanced protection, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, built-in traffic analysis, automatic over-the-web updates, and centralized cloud-based management via an intuitive dashboard. Each Meraki indoor wireless access point also incorporates dual powerful radios with boosted receive sensitivity as well as a dedicated radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.

Meraki outdoor access points are IP67 certified, designed to operate in harsh outdoor conditions, and able to withstand dust particles, shock and humidity. Meraki outdoor APs include a 1 x Gbit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities that include cloud-based management with multi-site visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), 1-click secure guest access and isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with beamforming. For details about Progent's support for Cisco's Meraki wireless access points and cloud management, see Cisco's Meraki access points consulting.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ax Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow realtime data exchange, provisioning, administration, analysis and troubleshooting for Cisco Wi-Fi devices and services. Cisco has developed both physical and virtual wireless controllers for centralized administration of wireless environments, but networks with many wireless access points are better served by hardware-based Wi-Fi controllers. New Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco deliver significant benefits in comparison to Wave 1 and earlier products including higher throughput, concurrent support for both 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and advanced, integrated protection.

Cisco's 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level device with a desktop form factor and intended for smaller businesses. You can install the 3504 in a centralized WLAN environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered over the wide-area network via Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where Ethernet cabling is limited. The 3504 wireless controller supports as many as 150 wireless APs and 3,000 client users, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 wireless controller includes a Cisco Multigigabit port (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. Access points can be connected to the controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller offers fast failover for access points and clients, which allows high availability for apps. As with other current Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated ability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WiFi controllers.

The Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) enclosure, is intended to support larger organizations and campus networks and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 wireless controller supports as many as 1,500 APs and 20,000 users, offers 20 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and incorporates SSD storage, redundant fans, optional redundant power supplies, and subsecond failover for uninterrupted availability.

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU form factor, is a high-end WiFi controller designed to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 WiFi controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and supports up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 client users. The 8540 WiFi controller offers throughput as high as 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, redundant power supplies, backup fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers reduce the time and cost required to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by centralizing control of tasks like provisioning wireless access points, enforcing single-point policies across wired/wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for IP voice and video, tracking and troubleshooting system health, activating intrusion prevention capabilities to defend against cyber break-ins and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and managing IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has designed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of all sizes and offers standalone desktop controllers, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco routers and Catalyst switches, and switches with built-in wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 wireless LAN controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to minimize RF interference and produce self-healing wireless networks for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and security. Integrated Bonjour Gateways enable discovery and policy across the enterprise for Apple applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless LAN controllers support AP and client stateful failover by permitting a standby HA controller to synchronize with a main wireless controller for access point license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the main controller fails, thousands of wireless access points and wireless clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the backup wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 routers used by small to medium-sized organizations and branch offices. This value-priced and expandable module can support up to 200 APs and up to 6000 wireless clients. (For information concerning Progent's remote and onsite consulting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and management support.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for SMBs and branches and come with a built-in wireless controller with the capability to support 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch or stack. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches intended for midsize businesses and large enterprises and feature a built-in wireless controller with up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and support for 50 APs and 2000 wireless clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with an integrated wireless controller intended for mid-to-large size enterprises and capable of 20 Gbps performance and with support for up to 1000 wireless access points and 15,000 wireless clients. (To learn concerning Progent's consulting services for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco switches configuration and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are entry-level desktop appliances that simplify the provisioning and management of Wi-Fi LANs for SMBs and branch offices. The Cisco 2500 wireless controller can manage 5 to 75 access points and up to 1000 wireless clients and can deliver sustained data rates of up to 1 Gbps.

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

The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is intended to manage massive collections of wireless branches from a single location, avoiding the requirement for a wireless controller at each branch. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 appliance lets you create a private cloud to deploy, monitor, manage, and troubleshoot as many as 6000 wireless access points and up to 64,000 wireless clients while supporting 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed to monitor and control wireless networks for very large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to support up to 6000 access points and 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.

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

Legacy Cisco APs, LAN Bridges and Wireless Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac specification for wireless connectivity largely made obsolete all previous releases of Wi-Fi products for environments that support high numbers of clients and high usage of video-intensive applications. Even for organizations who do not require the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, many of Cisco wireless products have reached end-of-life status, which can present serious service and compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer online and onsite support services for a broad array of older-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can in addition assist organizations to assess the business case for upgrading up-of-date wireless infrastructure and can assist in planning and carrying out affordable, seamless migrations. The following are a few of Cisco older-generation wireless products that Progent's consulting experts still support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Access Points
Aironet 1000/1130AG Series access points are intended for offices and similar venues which have minimal environmental instability. These products include built-in antennas that provide dependable omnidirectional coverage patterns. The 1130G Series device is designed for restricted locations that do not permit 5GHz transmission.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series wireless access points are designed for more difficult radio frequency situations like factories or above suspended ceilings which often call for adjustable external antennas and durable cases. The 1240G Series device is designed for regulatory domains that do not permit 5GHz transmission.

Aironet 1500 lightweight outdoor wireless mesh APs provide an economical, scalable, protected outdoor Wi-Fi technology for enterprise campuses and for public sites that need connectivity for mobile phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges offer a high-performance and multi-featured solution for connecting numerous LANs in a metro area or public wireless environment. Cisco wireless LAN bridges provide a versatile, manageable technology that meets the protection demands of public networking professionals. These devices handle both P2P and P2MP deployments with excellent range and the ability to handle data throughput as high as 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless bridges offer throughput dramatically faster than E1/T1 connections for far less cost, eliminating the requirement for expensive leased lines when connecting different buildings. Because wireless bridges carry no periodic charges, savings on connection services quickly pay for the initial hardware investment. Self-installed private lines and even leased lines utilizing metal or fiber-optic cable can require high up-front costs in cases where they are impeded by obstacles like freeways, train tracks, or bodies of water. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges can be deployed rapidly an offer a fast ROI.

Aironet 1300 family outside access points/bridges can be deployed as stand-alone wireless access points, bridges, or workgroup bridges. These appliances have a ruggedized enclosure and offer fast, economical wireless interfaces between multiple stationary or mobile environments and users.

Aironet 1400 family wireless bridges offer fast, dependable outside bridging for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. They include a ruggedized enclosure that can withstand harsh outside conditions and function within broad temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers provide single-point management of wireless LANs by simplifying the handling of common technologies such as integrated IPS, real-time RF control, automatic configuration, and full N+1 redundancy. Cisco Wireless controllers operate with small APs to deliver enhanced throughput and advanced administration functions.

WLAN Controllers (WLCs) provide the manageability, expandability, security, and reliability that system managers need to build secure, large-scale wireless networks, from branch offices to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be configured together to offer accommodation for as many as 2400 WAPs for each roaming domain.

The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Controller Module for Integrated Services Routers provides small-to medium businesses (SMBs) and large corporations a cost effective way to implement and control protected wireless LANs at satellite offices. These wireless LAN controllers manage as many as a dozen Cisco access points and are supported on 2800/3800 Integrated Services Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Integrated Services Routers. (To learn concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting support for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and troubleshooting support.)

How Progent's Engineers Can Help Your Business with Cisco Wireless Solutions
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified consulting professional to assist you to plan, install, manage and repair a converged wired/wireless environment integrating a broad array of wireless technologies that offer the identical security, scalability, and manageability you expect from a wired environment. Progent can assist you to maintain legacy Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology. Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can show you how to build protection into your WLAN and into your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planners can assist you to set up the high availability technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged network delivers significant return on investment.

Progent’s Wireless Site Survey helps you to design and deploy a robust wireless network customized for your environment, offering a Wi-Fi ecosystem that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and capacity, Quality of Service to accommodate IP voice and video, enterprise-class security, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed online to reduce time and expense, or on premises for more challenging environments.

For a more in-depth look at Progent's wireless consulting capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless Network Consulting Services.

To see additional details about Progent's professional expertise for Cisco networking products, select a subject:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Engineering Services
• Timely Online Access to a CCIE Consultant
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewalls: Integration and Management Support
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Cisco Firepower Services: Consulting and Troubleshooting Services
• ASA 5500 Firewall Upgrade. Migration Services
• Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall Maintenance Services
• Cisco Routers Engineering Support
• Aironet Wireless APs Engineering Help
• Cisco Small Business WiFi APs Engineering Services
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Consulting
• Meraki APs Engineering Help
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Configuration and Troubleshooting
• Cisco VoIP Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Expertise and Wireless IP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber and Management Services
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Nexus Switches Deployment Services
• Cisco Meraki MS Switches Configuration and Maintenance Services
• Cisco VPN and Security Integration Assistance
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunking and CUBE Integration Expertise
• Design and Support for Cisco-powered Data Centers
• Network Design Expertise for Internet Service Providers
• Centralized Management Techniques for Cisco-powered Environments