Cisco offers a comprehensive catalog of wireless networking devices and technologies designed to provide continual access to information and resources and to facilitate teamwork among workers, associates, vendors, and customers. Cisco's wireless product families include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of wireless access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless LAN Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consultants can help businesses of all sizes to utilize Cisco wireless solutions to accommodate the new model of BYOD computing by converging their wired and wireless environments to achieve simplified deployment, predictable throughput, single-point management, enterprise-wide policy, fault tolerance, and across-the-board security.
The Cisco Unified Wireless Network architecture can expand to up to 18,000 APs with full Layer 3 connectivity across local or remote venues such as business headquarters, college lecture halls, branch offices, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's Wi-Fi wireless access points and wireless controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the same level of protection, performance, and ease of management for wireless networks that businesses demand in their wired infrastructure. This architecture incorporates built-in mobility services like VoIP, IP video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless architecture enables organizations to create wireless ecosystems that improve the way they do business and enhance productivity through a mobile and connected workforce.
Progent's Cisco CCIE network consultants can provide online or onsite support to help your organization to plan, deploy, maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot converged wired and wireless network infrastructure of all sizes and for any venue. In addition, Progent offers affordable online and onsite wireless site surveys to assist your company to plan and install a Wi-Fi LAN with customized AP clusters optimized for your specific office layout, building characteristics, and intended application.
Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of APs enable you to integrate wired/wireless infrastructure to provide the coverage, density, performance, protection and ease of management needed for practically any scenario. These wireless access points start at entry-level, single-band 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mbps intended for very small companies or telecommuters to 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) wireless access points suitable for handling hundreds of clients on each access point and offering sustained data rates in excess of 5 Gigabits per second. Cisco's latest selection of APs can be combined or clustered to deliver the capacity to handle environments with high client density and with high usage rates of video-intense applications.
Cisco Small Business Series of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business Family of APs are Linux-based units engineered as entry-level Wi-Fi APs for light workloads. Many models in Cisco's Small Business portfolio of APs support Cisco's Single Point Setup technology, which allows you to set up, manage and repair a cluster of access points from one AP via a simple web browser tool. All models include Power over Ethernet (POE) and feature QoS, rogue access point awareness, and bridging for wirelessly connecting to another Ethernet LAN.
The Cisco Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N Access Point is a wall-mountable, single-band 2.4GHz unit able to handle 16 active 802.11b/g/n wireless clients, includes a Fast Ethernet interface, allows up to four AP devices and 40 active clients per cluster, and can handle sustained data rates of 300 Mbps. The Cisco Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n AP that can support 16 active wireless clients per radio for a total of up to 32 wireless clients, features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface, and delivers throughput of up to 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support AP clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 is an entry-level dual-radio AC/n access point that includes a 1xGE Power over Ethernet (PoE) port and can handle 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps performance for AC clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 allows 4 APs per cluster.
Cisco's Small Business WAP321 model is a wallmount single-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11n device that can handle 80 wireless clients in an 8-AP cluster. The Cisco WAP321 features a Gigabit Ethernet port and can deliver throughput of 300 Mbps for the activated radio. Cisco's WAP351 is a dual-radio 802.11a/b/g/n AP with a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and can support 32 active wireless clients per radio for up to 64 active clients, and deliver sustained throughput of 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP351 does not support clustering. Cisco's WAP361 is a dual-radio 802.11ac access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, allows 32 clients per radio, and offers 867 Mbps performance for wireless AC clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. The Cisco Small Business WAP361 allows 8 WAP361 access points for each cluster. Cisco's wall-mountable WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-radio device that supports 802.11a/b/g/n as well as the latest 802.11ac wireless networking standard. The WAP371 includes a GE interface, can support as many as 32 active clients per radio, and eight APs per cluster.
The Cisco WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band access point features one GE port and dual concurrent radios that offer 450 Mbps throughput for each radio, can handle 64 devices per radio, and allow up to 16 access points per cluster. Cisco's WAP551 is similar to the WAP 561 but has a single radio selectable band. The Cisco Small Business WAP571 and WAP571E (a weather-proof outdoor model) are dual-band Wireless-AC/N APs that feature two Gb Ethernet LAN interfaces with link aggregation, 3x3 MIMO, and as high as 1.9 Gbps throughput with 1300 Mbps over 11ac and 600 Mbps on 802.11n. Both access points support 32 clients per radio and 16 access points per cluster.
Cisco's Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Wave 2 AP complies with the 802.11ac standard and offers 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO to deliver 2.8 Gbps throughput on the 5.0-Ghz radio and 600 Mbps on the 2.4-GHz radio for a total max data rate of 2.4 Gbps. The WAP581 includes an integrated 2.5G Ethernet interface and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port with 802.3at PoE. Cisco's WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 access point can handle as many as 200 connective client users, up to 50 active client users for each radio, 16 access points for each cluster, and 960 active client users per cluster.
For more information about Progent's support for current and older Cisco Small Business family of WiFi access points, see Cisco Small Business wireless APs system design and troubleshooting.
The Aironet Family of Wireless Access Points
The Aironet family of indoor and outdoor wireless APs has consistently been the top-selling access point product. Aironet wireless access points range from value-priced entry-level devices to enterprise-class APs. Cisco's Aironet family span multiple generations of devices supporting the evolving Wi-Fi specification. The latest portfolio of Aironet wireless access points work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and incorporate 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, which delivers triple the performance plus superior coverage and user density than the prior generation of devices. The current multi-band Aironet APs continue to accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that do not have 802.11ac capability.
The earliest Aironet access points are legacy units that have reached end-of-sale status and are not fully supported by Cisco. Progent continues to support the complete Aironet line of wireless access points and can help you to maintain your current Aironet wireless environment or move cost effectively to the latest Aironet products. For details about Progent's support for current and outdated Cisco Aironet access points, see Cisco Aironet APs planning and support.
Meraki Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki dual-band 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points range from value-priced models for small businesses to enterprise-class products that offer as high as 5.9 Gigabit per second throughput. Each Cisco Meraki indoor AP offers high-end features like self-configuring plug-and-play deployment, in-depth protection, BYOD support, built-in analytics, automatic over-the-web updates, and consolidated cloud-based management for multiple sites. Each Meraki indoor AP also incorporates two powerful radios with boosted reception as well as a separate radio that provides (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.
Meraki outdoor wireless access points are IP67 certified, designed to withstand harsh outdoor environments, and able to withstand dust particles, vibration and moisture. Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points include a 1 x Gbit Ethernet port and offer advanced capabilities such as cloud management with network-wide visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan, 1-click guest access and guest isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus auto-configuring mesh with MIMO. For details about Progent's support for Cisco's Meraki wireless access points and cloud management, refer to Meraki wireless access points system design and troubleshooting.
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 and W-Fi 6E Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 family of Wi-Fi 6/6E access points are designed for environments ranging from telecommuter homes to high-density arenas. Cisco Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Important enhancements supported by Catalyst 9100 Series APs include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved dependability, increased device sleep time for conserving power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. Catalyst 9100 wireless access points support Cisco's EWC, accommodate up to 400 client users per radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.
Cisco's Catalyst 9160 Series Wi-Fi 6E access points are the first Cisco APs that have the option to be monitored and managed on-premises via Cisco DNA Center platform or through the cloud by deploying Meraki Dashboard management tools. This permits organizations to move to cloud-based or hybrid deployments at their own pace. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x access points meet the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless standards and fully support the 6-GHz band. Each device has 5 radios and supports a maximum of 400 clients per radio. Each AP model also contains a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, has a USB 2.0 port, and supports Bluetooth Low Energy. The entry-level Catalyst 9162 Series AP is intended for small organizations, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support.
Cisco's Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E access point is designed to withstand tough outside deployments such as campus environments or municipal Wi-Fi. The 9163E includes three client serving 2x2 radios, one IoT radio, and a tri-band scanning radio. Interfaces include 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet (RJ-45), a management console port (RJ-45), 4x N-Type Wi-Fi antenna connectors, and a GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The AP works with Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. The Catalyst 9164 Series AP is suited for small and mid-size organizations, incorporates one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9166 Series Wi-Fi access point is meant for large and medium-sized organizations, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet support. The 9166 also has environmental sensors that track air quality, temperature, and moisture. To find out more about Progent's support for Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6/6E 802.11ax Access Points, refer to Wi-Fi 6/6E 802.11ax APs system design, configuration, and debugging services.
Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless controllers allow you to automate and manage advanced Wi-Fi networks that incorporate 802.11ax APs. The 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, improves on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) devices by providing lower latency and more reliable performance, supporting higher client density, providing greater protection, saving energy for battery-powered mobile devices, and offering more flexibility for handling the latest kinds of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Catalyst 9800 line Wi-Fi controllers include high availability with seamless software updates, live fixes, and the ability to add wireless APs with zero service interruption. Advanced security technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), image signing, and Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry permits you to monitor and understand infrastructure and endpoint health.
All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 family are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or with Cisco Prime Infrastructure network management platforms. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless network controllers can support Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 wireless APs concurrently with Cisco Catalyst 9100 802.11ax access points. To find out more about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 wireless controller appliances system design, deployment, and management services.
Cisco Wave 2 802.11ac Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow fast data exchange, provisioning, control, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless devices and software services. Cisco has developed both physical and virtual Wi-Fi controllers for centralized management of wireless environments, but WLANs with many wireless APs typically require physical wireless controllers. Current generation wireless controller appliances from Cisco offer significant benefits over Wave 1 and earlier products including greater performance, simultaneous support for both 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control, and hardened, built-in protection.
The Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is a value-priced device available in a desktop enclosure and intended for small and medium-sized businesses. You can use the 3504 in a centralized network environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices managed across the wide-area network with FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where wiring is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller supports as many as 150 access points and 3,000 users, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 WiFi controller features a Cisco Multigigabit port and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Access points can be connected to the controller via two PoE ports. The 3504 wireless controller offers fast failover for access points and users, which allows high availability for applications. Like 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 Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.
The Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, available in a 1RU enclosure, is intended to support midsize to large enterprises and campus networks and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 users, delivers 20 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 wireless controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and incorporates solid-state storage, redundant fans, optional redundant power supplies, and rapid failover for uninterrupted availability.
Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2RU form factor, is a high-end WiFi controller designed to support enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 WiFi controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and supports as many as 6,000 APs and 64,000 client users. The 8540 WiFi controller offers data rates up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 comes with four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, backup fans, and rapid failover.
Wave 1 Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers reduce the effort and expense required to configure, manage, and operate wireless networks by offering single-point control of critical tasks such as setting up wireless access points, applying single-point policies across converged wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for IP voice and video, tracking and troubleshooting system performance, activating security capabilities to guard against unauthorized access and DDoS threats, and handling IPv6 clients. Cisco has designed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of any size and can provide desktop or rackmount controllers, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and switches with integrated wireless controllers.
Cisco's Wave 1 wireless controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to minimize signal interference and create self-healing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and protection. Integrated Apple Bonjour Gateways permit discovery across WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For high availability, Cisco wireless controllers allow access point and client stateful switchover by permitting a standby high-availability controller to synchronize with a primary wireless controller for AP license tabulation, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller stops working, thousands of wireless access points and clients can failover immediately to the backup wireless network controller.
Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 routers deployed by smaller businesses and branch offices. This affordable and expandable solution can handle from five to 200 wireless access points and as many as 6000 wireless clients. (To learn about Progent's online and onsite consulting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and management support.)
Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU form-factor switches intended for SMBs and branches and have an integrated wireless network controller with the capability to handle 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and 25 APs and 1000 wireless clients per switch or stack. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches designed for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and feature a built-in wireless controller with 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and support for up to 50 APs and up to 2000 wireless clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is a plug-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless LAN controller intended for mid-to-large size businesses and capable of 20 Gbps throughput and with support for up to 1000 APs and 15,000 wireless clients. (For information about Progent's consulting services for Catalyst switches, see Cisco switches configuration and troubleshooting services.)
Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are economical desktop units that simplify the provisioning and management of wireless networks for SMBs and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless LAN controller can handle 5 to 75 access points and up to 1000 wireless clients and offers sustained performance of up to 1 Gbps.
The Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance designed for mid-to-large sized enterprises and campuses and can support up to 500 access points and 7,000 clients while delivering 8 Gbps performance. Cisco's 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage 1000 APs and 12,000 clients and delivering performance of 60 Gbps to handle high client densities and high amounts of video-intensive applications.
The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is intended to manage massive collections of wireless remote sites from one location, eliminating the requirement for a Wi-Fi controller at every branch. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 allows you to establish a private cloud to deploy, track, maintain, and repair up to 6000 wireless access points and up to 64,000 wireless clients while handling 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance engineered to monitor and control wireless networks for large campuses or for service providers and can scale to handle 6000 APs and 64,000 wireless clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.
To learn more about Cisco wireless controllers, see Cisco Wi-Fi controllers consulting services.
Legacy Cisco APs, Bridges and Wireless Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac specification for wireless connectivity effectively rendered obsolete the previous generations of Wi-Fi products for venues that have high densities of wireless clients and high incidence of HD video software applications. Even for businesses who do not need the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, a large number of Cisco wireless products have arrived at end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can pose serious service and compliance problems. Progent's Cisco-certified consulting experts offer remote and onsite support for a wide range of earlier-generation Cisco wireless products. Progent can also assist companies to evaluate the potential ROI for upgrading legacy wireless infrastructure and can help in designing and carrying out affordable, non-disruptive upgrades. The following are a few of Cisco older-generation Wi-Fi devices that Progent's consulting experts continue to support.
Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Cisco Aironet 1000/1130AG family wireless access points are ideal for offices and other venues which have little environmental instability. These access points include built-in antennas that offer dependable radio coverage patterns. The Cisco Aironet 1130G Series access point is designed for controlled domains that do not permit 5GHz operation.
Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG family access points are intended for more challenging RF situations like manufacturing plants or above suspended ceilings which commonly require flexible protruding antennas and durable enclosures. The Cisco 1240G Series wireless access point is available for controlled domains that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz transmission.
Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outdoor mesh access points offer an affordable, scalable, secure outdoor wireless mechanism for campus areas and for public sites that require connectivity for portable devices.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges offer a high-performance and multi-featured solution for integrating multiple LANs in a metropolitan situation or public access environment. Cisco wireless LAN bridges provide a versatile, manageable solution that satisfies the security requirements of WAN specialists. These bridges manage both point-to-point and P2MP configurations with good coverage and the ability to handle traffic rates up to 54 Mbps.
Cisco wireless bridges offer data rates substantially higher than E1/T1 links for much lower cost, avoiding the requirement for expensive leased lines when connecting separate offices. Because bridges require no ongoing charges, savings on connection bills quickly pay for the initial equipment costs. Self-installed private lines and in some cases leased lines made of copper or fiber-optic cable often result in high startup costs when they are separated by obstacles such as freeways, train tracks, or bodies of water. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be installed quickly with a fast ROI.
Cisco 1300 Series outdoor wireless access points/bridges can be deployed as stand-alone wireless access points, wireless bridges, or wireless group bridges. These appliances have a tough enclosure and offer high-speed, cost-effective wireless connectivity between numerous fixed or mobile environments and clients.
Aironet 1400 family wireless bridges provide high-speed, dependable outside connections for line-of-sight environments. They are housed in a durable cover that can withstand severe outdoor conditions and can function in broad temperature ranges.
Legacy Cisco Wireless Controllers
Cisco Wireless Controllers centralize the management of WLANs by streamlining the handling of key technologies including integrated IPS, real-time RF control, automatic configuration, and N+1 redundancy. Wireless LAN controllers work with small access points to deliver superior performance and high-end administration capabilities.
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers offer the control, expandability, protection, and resilience that IT managers need to build safe, large-scale wireless environments, from branch locations to small companies to main campuses. Cisco's legacy WLCs can be configured together to provide support for as many as 2400 WAPs for each roaming domain.
Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Module for Integrated Services Routers provides small-to mid-size businesses and enterprises an affordable way to implement and manage protected WLANs at branch offices. These controllers supervise up to 12 Cisco access points and are installable in 2800/3800 Series Integrated Services Routers and 3700 IS Routers. (For information about Progent's remote and on-premises consulting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and troubleshooting services.)
How Progent's Consultants Can Assist Your Company with Cisco Wireless Solutions
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to help you to plan, deploy, maintain and repair a converged wired and wireless ecosystem incorporating a broad array of wireless products that offer the same protection, scalability, and ease of management you demand from your wired environment. Progent can assist you to support legacy wireless products from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can show you how to design protection into your wireless network and your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planners can show you how to configure the high availability (HA) features incorporated into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged infrastructure delivers non-stop return on investment.
Progent's Wireless Site Survey assists you to plan and implement a state-of-the-art wireless network customized for your environment, offering a wireless solution that provides seamless coverage, high speed and capacity, Quality of Service to support IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered remotely to cut time and expense, or on premises to deal with more challenging situations.
For a further look at Progent's wireless consulting services, see Progent's Wireless Network Help.
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