Cisco offers a comprehensive catalog of wireless LAN devices and software tools intended to enable anywhere, anytime access to data and resources and to promote collaboration among employees, associates, suppliers, and customers. Cisco's wireless offerings include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of access points (APs), as well as Cisco's Wireless LAN Controller plug-ins and appliances. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consulting experts can enable businesses of all sizes to deploy Cisco wireless technology to accommodate the current paradigm of BYOD computing by integrating their wired and wireless ecosystems to achieve easy deployment, predictable throughput, single-point control, enterprise-wide policy, high availability, and advanced security.

Aironet Wireless Consulting Firm

Cisco's Security Technology for Bring-Your-Own-Device and Wired/Wireless Networking

Cisco's Unified Wireless Network solution can scale to as many as 18,000 wireless access points with Layer 3 mobility at central or remote locations such as business campuses, college lecture halls, branch offices, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's 802.11x APs and controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to deliver the identical level of security, throughput, and ease of management for WLANs that companies demand in their wired networks. This technology incorporates built-in mobility services such as IP voice, high-definition IP video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless technology enables organizations to build wireless environments that streamline the way they do business and improve output through a mobile and connected employee base.

Progent's Cisco CCIE network infrastructure consultants offers remote or onsite expertise to assist you to plan, deploy, maintain, expand, and repair converged wired and wireless network infrastructure of all sizes and for any environment. In addition, Progent offers affordable online and onsite wireless site surveys to help your company to design and deploy a wireless LAN with customized 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 Aironet and Meraki Access Points ConsultingCisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki families of APs allow you to converge wired and wireless infrastructure to deliver the coverage, density, performance, protection and ease of management needed to support virtually any scenario. Cisco's APs start at bare bones, single-band 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mb designed for very small companies or telecommuters to dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wireless access points suitable for supporting hundreds of wireless clients on each access point and offering sustained throughput as high as 1.9 Gigabits per second. Cisco's latest selection of access points can be clustered to deliver the scale to support sites crowded with clients and with high usage rates of HD video applications.

Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of Wireless Access Points
Cisco Small Business Access Points ConsultingCisco's Small Business Family of access points are Linux-based units engineered as entry-level wireless solutions for small offices. Many versions in the Cisco Small Business portfolio of APs support Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which allows you to set up, control and troubleshoot a group of access points from a single AP via an intuitive browser-based interface. All models support Power over Ethernet and provide QoS, rogue AP detection, and bridging for connecting to another Ethernet LAN.

The Cisco Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N Access Point is a wall-mountable, single-band 2.4GHz device that can support 16 802.11n wireless clients, includes a 10/100 Ethernet port, allows up to four access pointss and 40 active wireless clients per cluster, and can handle sustained data rates of 300 Mbps. Cisco's Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n access point that can support 16 wireless clients per radio for a total of up to 32 clients, features a GE interface, and can support sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support AP clustering. The Cisco WAP150 is a general-purpose Wave 1 dual-radio 802.11ac/n AP that features a 1xGE Poe port and can handle up to 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. The Cisco WAP1501 allows 4 access points per cluster.

Cisco's Small Business WAP321 Wireless-N Access Point is a wallmount single-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11n device with support for 80 wireless clients in an 8-AP cluster. The Cisco WAP321 has a Gigabit Ethernet interface and can support a data rate of 300 Mbps for the activated radio. The Cisco WAP351 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n AP with a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet interface and can handle 32 active wireless clients on each radio for up to 64 active clients, and deliver throughput of 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP351 access point does not support clustering. Cisco's WAP361 is a dual-band 802.11ac Wave 1 wireless access point that includes a 5 x Gb Ethernet LAN switch, can support 32 clients per radio, and delivers 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac devices and 300 Mbps performance for 802.11n devices. Cisco's WAP361 supports 8 access points per cluster. Cisco's wallmount WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-band AP that supports 802.11n and the new 802.11ac IEEE standard. The WAP371 Wireless-AC/N has a Gigabit Ethernet interface, can handle up to 32 wireless clients per radio, and eight APs per cluster.

The Cisco Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Dual Radio Selectable Band access point features a Gigabit Ethernet port and two radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps throughput for each radio, can handle 64 clients for each radio, and allow 16 access points for each cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is like Cisco's WAP 561 but features a single selectable band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz). Cisco's WAP571 and WAP571E (a weather-proof outside model) are dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 access points that feature 2 x GE interfaces with link aggregation, 3x3 MIMO, and as high as 1.9 Gigabit/sec throughput with 1300 Mbps on 802.11ac and 600 Mbps over 802.11n. Both devices support 32 clients on each radio and 16 WAP371 wireless access points on each cluster.

To find out more about Progent's support for current and legacy Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 series of WiFi APs, see Cisco Small Business wireless APs system design and troubleshooting.

The Aironet Family of Access Points
Cisco Aironet Access Point ConsultingMeraki Access Points ConsultantsCisco's Aironet line of wireless APs has for years been the leading access point product. Aironet wireless access points run the gamut from entry-level models to advanced units. Cisco's Aironet series span multiple generations of models compliant with the evolving 802 specification. The latest line of Aironet access points work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and incorporate 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, which delivers three times the performance plus greater distance and density compared to the previous generation of APs. Cisco's latest dual-frequency Aironet access points can handle 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that do not have 802.11ac capability.

The oldest Aironet access points are now legacy devices that have reached end-of-sale status and are no longer fully supported by Cisco. Progent continues to support the entire Aironet family of wireless access points and can assist your company to maintain your current Aironet wireless system or move smoothly to current Aironet products. To find out more about Progent's support for both current and legacy Aironet wireless access points, refer to Aironet APs planning and support.

Meraki Access Points
Meraki Access Point ConsultingCisco Meraki Wireless Access Point Integration ConsultantsCisco's family of Meraki dual-band 2.4/5 GHz indoor APs include value-priced models for small businesses to enterprise-class products supporting up to 2.5 Gbit/sec throughput. Every Cisco Meraki indoor AP offers next-generation capabilities such as self-configuring plug-and-play deployment, advanced protection, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, built-in traffic analysis, zero-touch web-based updates, and centralized cloud-based management via an intuitive dashboard. Every Meraki indoor access point also includes dual powerful client-serving radios with boosted receive sensitivity as well as a dedicated radio that offers intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.

Meraki outdoor wireless access points are IP67 certified, built to operate in harsh outdoor environments, and able to resist dust particles, shock and moisture. Meraki outdoor wireless access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced features that include cloud management with multi-site control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), 1-click secure guest access and guest isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with MIMO and beamforming. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Meraki APs and management tools, see Meraki wireless access points system design and troubleshooting.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ax WiFi LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow fast data exchange, provisioning, administration, analysis and debugging for Cisco Wi-Fi devices and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and software-based Wi-Fi controllers for centralized management of WiFi networks, but WLANs with a large number of wireless access points typically require physical Wi-Fi controllers. New wireless controller devices from Cisco offer significant advantages over Wave 1 and earlier products such as higher performance, simultaneous support for both 1G and 10G interfaces, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, built-in protection.

Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller Setup and Troubleshooting ConsultingCisco's 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level device available in a desktop enclosure and designed for small and medium-sized businesses. You can use the 3504 in a centralized WLAN architecture such as in lean branch and remote offices managed across the WAN via Cisco FlexConnect, or in mesh installations where Ethernet cabling is sparse. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports as many as 150 APs and 3,000 users, offers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 wireless controller features a Cisco Multigigabit interface and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected directly to the WiFi controller through two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features subsecond failover for APs and clients, which provides nonstop availability for applications. Like other current Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 model has the integrated capability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.

Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller Integration ConsultingThe Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) form factor, is designed for midsize to large organizations and campus environments and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 wireless controller supports as many as 1,500 APs and 20,000 client users, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller includes two 10 GE ports and features solid-state storage, backup fans, optional backup power supplies, and subsecond failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Setup and Troubleshooting ConsultingCisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, offered 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 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 throughput as high as 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller includes four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, backup power supplies, backup fans, and rapid failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi Network Controllers
Wireless Network Controllers Consulting ServicesCisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the effort and expense required to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot wireless networks by centralizing control of critical functions like setting up APs, applying consistent policies throughout converged networks, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for voice and video, monitoring and troubleshooting network health, implementing intrusion prevention tools to guard against cyber break-ins and Distributed Denial of Service threats, and managing IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless network controllers for organizations of all sizes and can provide desktop or rackmount appliances, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Module Consulting ServicesCisco's Wave 1 wireless controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir tools to minimize signal interference and create self-healing wireless networks for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and security. Built-in Bonjour Gateways allow discovery across WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple-based applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless LAN controllers allow wireless access point and client stateful failover by permitting a standby HA wireless controller to synch with a primary wireless controller for AP license tabulation, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller goes down, thousands of wireless access points and wireless clients can failover immediately to the secondary 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 2900 and 3900 Series routers deployed by smaller businesses and satellite offices. This value-priced and expandable module can handle from five to 200 APs and as many as 6000 clients. (To learn about Progent's remote and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and management support.)

Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches designed for small to mid-size businesses and branches and have a built-in wireless LAN controller with the capability to support up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 clients per switch. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches intended for midsize businesses and large enterprises and feature a built-in wireless LAN controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and support for up to 50 APs and up to 2000 clients. The WiSM2 is a plug-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless controller intended for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps throughput and with support for up to 1000 wireless access points and 15,000 wireless clients. (To learn about Progent's consulting services for Cisco Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco switches deployment and troubleshooting services.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are economical desktop devices that streamline the deployment and operation of wireless LANs for small and midsize businesses and satellite offices. The 2500 Series wireless controller can manage from five to 75 wireless access points and 1000 wireless clients and can deliver throughput of 1 Gbps.

Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers ConsultantsCisco's 5500 Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU unit designed for medium-sized to large organizations and campuses and can manage 500 APs 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 campus environments with the ability to manage up to 1000 APs and 12,000 wireless clients and delivering throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high client densities and high amounts of media-rich applications.

Cisco's Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is intended to manage thousands of wireless remote sites from one datacenter, eliminating the costs of a wireless controller at each branch. The 1RU Flex 7500 appliance lets you establish a private cloud to configure, track, manage, and troubleshoot as many as 6000 APs and up to 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. Cisco's 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed to monitor and control Wi-Fi environments for very large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to handle up to 6000 wireless points and up to 64,000 wireless clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.

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

Legacy Cisco APs, LAN Bridges and Wireless Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the 802.11ac specification for Wi-Fi effectively rendered obsolete the previous releases of Wi-Fi devices for many venues that support high densities of clients and high incidence of video-intensive software applications. Even for organizations who do not currently need the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, a large number of Cisco wireless devices have reached end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can pose significant maintenance and compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants provide remote and onsite support for a broad array of older-generation Cisco wireless products. Progent can in addition assist companies to evaluate the business case for updating legacy wireless technology and can assist in designing and carrying out affordable, seamless migrations. The following are a sample of Cisco older-generation Wi-Fi products that Progent's consultants continue to support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Aironet 1000/1130AG family wireless access points are intended for conventional workplaces and similar sites which have little environmental variability. These access points have integrated antennas that provide predictable omnidirectional range patterns. The 1130G family device is offered for restricted domains that do not permit 5GHz transmission.

Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series wireless access points are designed for more challenging radio frequency situations such as factories or above suspended ceilings which typically call for adjustable external antennas and ruggedized cases. The Cisco 1240G family device is designed for restricted locations that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz operation.

Aironet 1500 family lightweight outdoor wireless mesh APs offer a cost-effective, scalable, protected outdoor Wi-Fi mechanism for campus areas and for public sites that need access for mobile phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges Consulting FirmCisco wireless LAN bridges provide a high-throughput and multi-featured technology for connecting multiple local area networks in a metro situation or public wireless environment. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges provide a flexible, manageable solution that meets the protection demands of wide-area networking specialists. These devices manage both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint deployments with good coverage and support for traffic throughput up to 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless bridges deliver data rates substantially higher than E1/T1 links for a fraction of the expense, eliminating the necessity of expensive leased lines when connecting different offices. Because wireless bridges carry no periodic charges, the expenses saved on leased-line services rapidly pay for the startup equipment investment. Self-installed private lines and in some cases leased lines utilizing copper or fiber-optic cable can require considerable startup costs in cases where they are impeded by barriers like freeways, train tracks, or bodies of water. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be deployed rapidly with a fast ROI.

Cisco 1300 family outdoor access points/bridges can be deployed as stand-alone wireless access points, wireless bridges, or wireless group bridges. These appliances have a tough cover and offer fast, affordable wireless connectivity between numerous stationary or mobile networks and users.

Aironet 1400 family wireless bridges provide high-speed, reliable outdoor connections for line-of-sight (LOS) environments. These devices are housed in a durable enclosure that is optimized for harsh outdoor environments and function within broad temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco WLAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers Consulting ServicesCisco Wireless Controllers provide single-point management of wireless LANs by simplifying the handling of common functions including integrated IPS, fast RF control, automatic configuration, and full N+1 redundancy. Cisco Wireless Network controllers work with lightweight wireless access points to deliver enhanced performance and high-end management functions.

Cisco WLAN Controllers offer the control, scalability, security, and dependability that network managers require to create secure, large-scale wireless networks, from branch locations to small businesses to main campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be clustered to provide accommodation for as many as 2400 access points for each roaming domain.

Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Module for Integrated Services Routers provides small-to medium businesses and large corporations an affordable solution to deploy and manage secure wireless networks at satellite offices. These devices manage up to 12 Cisco access points and are supported on 2800/3800 IS Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Routers. (To find out about Progent's online and on-premises support for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and management services.)

How Progent Can Help You with Cisco Wireless Products
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consultant to help your business to plan, install, maintain and repair a converged wired/wireless ecosystem incorporating a broad range of wireless products that provide the same security, extensibility, and ease of management you expect from your wired network. Progent can help you to manage early-generation Wi-Fi solutions from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current 802.11ac-comaptible products. Progent's CISM and CISSP security specialists can advise you about how to build security into your wireless network and your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planners can help you to set up the HA features built into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged infrastructure provides non-stop business value.

Progent’s Wireless Site Survey helps you to plan and deploy a state-of-the-art WLAN optimized for your environment, providing a wireless ecosystem that provides seamless coverage, high speed and density, QoS to support IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and streamlined management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered remotely to cut time and costs, or onsite to deal with more difficult facilities.

For a more in-depth discussion of Progent's wireless consulting capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless LAN Expertise.

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