Cisco has developed a comprehensive line of wireless LAN products and technologies designed to provide continual connections to information and resources and to promote collaboration among workers, partners, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless products include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of access points (APs), plus Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and standalone devices. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless experts can enable organizations of all sizes to utilize Cisco wireless products to support the current paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device computing by integrating their wired and wireless networks to achieve simplified deployment, consistent and fast performance, single-point control, enterprise-wide policy enforcement, fault tolerance, and across-the-board security.
Cisco's Unified Wireless Network solution can scale to as many as 18,000 access points with Layer 3 connectivity across local or offsite locations like enterprise headquarters, college auditoriums, branch offices, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's 802.11x access points and controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the same level of protection, throughput, and ease of management for wireless networks that businesses demand in their wired networks. This technology incorporates built-in mobile services like VoIP, high-definition IP video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless solution enables organizations to build wireless ecosystems that streamline the way they do business and enhance productivity through a mobile and collaborative workforce.
Progent's Cisco-certified network infrastructure consultants can provide online or onsite support to assist your organization to plan, deploy, manage, expand, and repair converged wired and wireless network infrastructure of any size and for any venue. Also, Progent can provide value-priced remote and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to design and deploy a wireless LAN with custom-designed wireless access point clusters optimized for your individual work area layout, building characteristics, and intended application.
Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Access Points (APs)
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst lines of APs enable organizations to integrate wired and wireless networks to provide the coverage, density, throughput, security compliance and manageability required to support virtually any scenario. These wireless access points range from entry-level, single-band 802.11b/g/n devices with data rates of 300 Mbps for very small businesses or home offices to 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) APs suitable for supporting hundreds of clients on each AP and offering sustained throughput of more than 5 Gigabits per second. Cisco's current selection of access points can be combined or clustered to deliver the scale to support wireless networks with high client density and with a high incidence of video-intense apps.
Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business Series of wireless access points are Linux-based devices engineered as entry-level Wi-Fi APs for small offices. Most versions in Cisco's Small Business family of wireless access points support Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which makes it possible to configure, control and troubleshoot a group of wireless access points from a single device via a simple browser-based interface. All models support Power over Ethernet (POE) and provide Quality of Service (QoS), rogue access point detection, and bridge mode for wirelessly connecting to another Ethernet LAN.
The Cisco Small Business WAP121 Wireless-N AP is a wall-mountable, single-radio 2.4GHz unit that can handle 16 active 802.11n wireless clients, includes a Fast Ethernet port, permits up to 4 access pointss and 40 wireless clients in a cluster, and supports throughput of 300 Mbps. Cisco's Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-radio 802.11n access point able to support 16 active wireless clients per radio for a total of up to 32 wireless clients, includes a Gigabit Ethernet LAN interface, and delivers sustained data rates of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support clustering. Cisco's WAP150 is a general-purpose Wave 1 dual-radio AC/n wireless access point that includes a one Gbit Power over Ethernet port and can support up to 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps performance for AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 supports 4 access points for each cluster.
The Cisco Small Business WAP321 Access Point is a wallmount single-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11n device with support for 80 active clients in an 8-AP cluster. The Cisco WAP321 has a Gigabit Ethernet port and can deliver a sustained data rate of 300 Mbps for the activated radio. The Cisco WAP351 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n AP with a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet interface and can support 32 wireless clients per radio for up to 64 clients, and support a data rate of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 does not support clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP361 is a dual-radio Wireless-AC/N AP that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, can support 32 active WLAN clients per radio, and offers 867 Mbps throughput for wireless AC devices and 300 Mbps performance for 802.11n devices. The Cisco WAP361 supports 8 access points per cluster. Cisco's wall-mountable Small Business WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-band AP that works with 802.11a/b/g/n as well as the new 802.11ac IEEE Wi-Fi standard. The WAP371 Wireless-AC/N has a Gigabit Ethernet interface, can handle up to 32 active clients per radio, and 8 access points for each cluster.
Cisco's Small Business WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band wireless access point features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface and two radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that offer 450 Mbps performance for each radio, can handle 64 devices per radio, and allow up to 16 access points per cluster. Cisco's WAP551 is similar to Cisco's WAP 561 but has a single radio selectable band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz). Cisco's Small Business WAP571 and WAP571E (the ruggedized outdoor model) are dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 APs incorporating two Gb Ethernet ports with link aggregation, 3x3 MIMO, and up to 1.9 Gigabit/sec performance with 1300 Mbps over 11ac and 600 Mbps on 11n. Both access points support 32 active WAN clients on each radio and 16 APs per cluster.
Cisco's WAP581 Wireless-AC Wave 2 Wireless Access Point complies with the Wi-Fi 5 standard and offers 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO technology to provide 2.8 Gbps data rates on the 5.0-Ghz radio and 0.6 Gbps at 2.4 GHz for a total maximum throughput of 2.4 Gbps. The WAP581 includes a fixed 2.5G Ethernet interface and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface with 802.3at Power over Ethernet (PoE). Cisco's WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 AP can handle as many as 200 connective users, a maximum of 50 active client users per radio, 16 access points for each cluster, and 960 active users for each cluster.
To find out more about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 series of WiFi APs, see Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi APs system design and troubleshooting.
The Aironet Line of Wireless Access Points
The Aironet portfolio of indoor and outdoor wireless APs has for years been the market leading access point solution. Aironet wireless access points range from value-priced entry-level models to advanced APs. Cisco's Aironet series cover multiple generations of devices supporting the continually improving Wi-Fi specification. Cisco's current portfolio of Aironet wireless access points work with Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and come with 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, which delivers triple the performance as well as superior distance and user density compared to the previous generation of APs. The latest dual-band Aironet APs continue to accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients without 802.11ac radios.
The earliest Aironet access points are now legacy devices that have come to end-of-sale status and are no longer supported by Cisco. Progent continues to support the entire Aironet line of APs and can assist your company to manage and troubleshoot your current Aironet wireless environment or move cost effectively to current Aironet technology. For more information about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Cisco Aironet wireless access points, see Aironet APs consulting services.
Meraki Access Points
Cisco's portfolio of Meraki dual-band indoor wireless access points range from budget-friendly models for small businesses to enterprise-class units that offer as high as 5.9 Gbit/sec performance. Every Meraki indoor wireless access point offers next-generation features like self-configuring deployment, in-depth security, BYOD support, extensive traffic analysis, zero-touch over-the-web firmware updates, and unified cloud management for multiple sites. Each Meraki indoor AP also incorporates two powerful radios with enhanced reception plus a dedicated radio that offers intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security for threat detection and deep packet inspection.
Cisco's Meraki outdoor APs are IP67 rated, built to withstand harsh outdoor environments, and tested to withstand dust particles, vibration and moisture. Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and offer advanced capabilities that include cloud management with network-wide visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan, single-click secure guest access and isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with beamforming. For details about Progent's support for Cisco's Meraki APs and management tools, see Meraki APs system design and troubleshooting.
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6 and W-Fi 6E APs
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 family of 802.11ax wireless APs are intended for deployments ranging from home offices to crowded arenas. Cisco Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Important enhancements incorporated in Catalyst 9100 Series APs include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for better dependability, TWT for reduced power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points can run Cisco's EWC, accommodate up to 400 client users per Wi-Fi radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.
Cisco's Catalyst 916x Series Wi-Fi 6E APs are the first Cisco access points to offer the option to be managed either on-premises with Cisco DNA Center or from the cloud using Meraki Dashboard management tools. This permits organizations to move to cloud-based or hybrid deployments on their own timetable. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x access points meet the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E Wi-Fi standards and fully support the new 6-GHz band. Each device includes 5 radios and supports a maximum of 400 clients on each radio. Every model also contains a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, includes a USB 2.0 port, and supports Bluetooth BLE. Cisco's small-footprint Catalyst 9162 Series access point is meant for small organizations, has three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series AP is meant for small and middle-size organizations, has one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet. The Catalyst 9166 Series Wi-Fi access point is designed for large and mid-sized organizations, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet support. The 9166 also has environmental sensors that track air quality, temperature, and humidity. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for Catalyst 9100 Line of Wireless APs, refer to Wi-Fi 6/6E APs system planning, deployment, and debugging consulting.
Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless LAN controller appliances help you manage modern Wi-Fi networks that incorporate 802.11ax access points. 802.11ax, popularly known as Wi-Fi 6, builds on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) appliances by providing less latency and more reliable performance, allowing higher client density, offering enhanced protection, saving energy for battery-powered mobile devices, and offering more flexibility for handling the latest kinds of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Catalyst 9800 family Wi-Fi controllers feature always-on availability with transparent software upgrades, live patching, and the ability to add wireless APs with zero disruption of service. Enhanced security technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), secure boot, and Software-Defined Access. Streaming telemetry permits you to monitor and understand infrastructure and endpoint health.
All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center or Prime Infrastructure network management platforms. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 wireless network controllers can manage Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 wireless APs concurrently with Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi access points. For details about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless controllers system design, configuration, and troubleshooting consulting.
Cisco Wave 2 802.11ac Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow fast data exchange, provisioning, control, monitoring and troubleshooting for Cisco Wi-Fi appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and software-based Wi-Fi controllers for unified administration of wireless environments, but networks with a large number of wireless access points typically require hardware-based wireless controllers. Current generation wireless controller devices from Cisco deliver major advantages over Wave 1 and earlier products such as higher performance, concurrent support for 1G and 10G interfaces, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and advanced, integrated protection.
The Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is an entry-level device with a desktop body and intended for small and medium-sized businesses. You can install the 3504 in a centralized network environment such as in small branch and home-based offices administered over the wide-area network via FlexConnect, or in bridge deployments where wiring is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller supports up to 150 wireless APs and 3,000 users, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 wireless controller features a multi-gigabit Ethernet port and four 1-GB Ethernet ports. Access points can be attached to the WiFi controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 wireless controller features 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 integrated ability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.
The Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit (RU) package, is designed to support midsize to large organizations and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 wireless controller can handle up to 1,500 Wi-Fi access points and 20,000 users, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 model controller includes two 10 GE interfaces and incorporates SSD storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and subsecond failover for uninterrupted availability.
Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2 rack unit enclosure, is a high-end WiFi controller intended to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 WiFi controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and can handle as many as 6,000 APs and 64,000 client users. The 8540 WiFi controller can deliver throughput up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller includes four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, backup power supplies, redundant fans, and rapid failover.
Wave 1 Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers reduce the time and cost needed to deploy, manage, and operate Wi-Fi networks by offering single-point control of critical tasks like setting up access points, applying consistent policies across wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for IP voice and HD video, monitoring and optimizing network health, implementing wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) tools to defend against unauthorized access and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for businesses of all sizes and offers desktop or rackmount 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 include Cisco CleanAir technology to minimize signal interference and create self-healing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Built-in Apple Bonjour Gateways enable discovery throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For high availability (HA), Cisco wireless LAN controllers allow AP and client stateful failover by enabling a backup HA wireless controller to synchronize with a primary controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller goes down, thousands of APs and wireless clients can failover in less than a second to the backup wireless controller.
Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E provides entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers deployed by small to medium-sized organizations and branch offices. This affordable and expandable solution can support from five to 200 wireless access points and up to 6000 wireless clients. (To find out concerning Progent's remote and on-premises consulting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and management services.)
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches designed for small to mid-size businesses and branch offices and features a built-in wireless network controller with the capability to support 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients per switch. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches intended for midsize and large organizations and include a built-in wireless controller with up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity per switch and support for up to 50 APs and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is an add-in blade for Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless network controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and capable of 20 Gbps performance and with support for 1000 APs and 15,000 clients. (To learn concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting support for Cisco switches, refer to Catalyst switches configuration and troubleshooting consulting.)
Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop devices that simplify the provisioning and operation of wireless networks for SMBs and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless controller supports from five to 75 APs and 1000 clients and can deliver throughput of 1 Gbps.
The Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU unit intended for mid-to-large sized organizations and campus environments and can manage up to 500 wireless access points and 7,000 wireless clients while delivering 8 Gbps performance. The Cisco 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device intended for mid-to-large campuses with the ability to manage 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 clients and offering throughput of 60 Gbps to handle high client densities and high usage of media-rich applications.
Cisco's Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of massive collections of wireless branches from a single datacenter, eliminating the need for a Wi-Fi controller at each remote site. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 appliance allows you to build a private cloud to deploy, monitor, manage, and troubleshoot up to 6000 wireless access points and up to 64,000 wireless clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance designed to manage Wi-Fi networks for very large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to support 6000 access points and up to 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.
To find out more about Cisco WiFi controllers, go to Cisco Wi-Fi controllers consulting services.
Legacy Cisco Access Points, Bridges and Wireless Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the 802.11ac standard for Wi-Fi virtually made obsolete all previous releases of Wi-Fi products for venues that support high numbers of wireless clients and high usage of HD video software applications. Even for businesses who do not currently need the performance of 802.11ac, a large number of Cisco wireless products have reached end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can present significant maintenance and compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer remote and on-premises support for a wide array of earlier-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can also assist organizations to evaluate the potential ROI for upgrading up-of-date wireless technology and can help in planning and executing affordable, non-disruptive upgrades. The following are a sample of Cisco legacy wireless products that Progent's consulting experts continue to support.
Legacy Cisco Aironet APs
Aironet 1000/1130AG Series wireless access points are designed for offices and other locations which have little environmental variability. These products include integrated antennas that provide dependable omnidirectional coverage patterns. The Aironet 1130G Series access point is designed for restricted locations that do not permit 5GHz transmission.
Cisco Aironet 1230AG/1240AG family wireless access points are designed for more challenging RF environments such as factories and warehouses or above ceiling structures which tend to require adjustable external antennas and durable cases. The 1240G family AP is intended for controlled domains that do not permit 802.11a/5GHz operation.
Cisco Aironet 1500 lightweight outdoor mesh access points provide an affordable, expandable, secure outdoor wireless technology for campus areas and for public venues that need connectivity for mobile phones or computers.
Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges provide a high-performance and multi-featured technology for integrating multiple local area networks in a metropolitan situation or public access network. Cisco Aironet wireless bridges provide a versatile, easy-to-use technology that meets the protection requirements of wide-area networking professionals. These devices manage both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint implementations with excellent coverage and the ability to handle data rates up to 54 Mbps.
Cisco wireless LAN bridges offer throughput dramatically faster than E1/T1 lines for much lower expense, avoiding the necessity of expensive leased lines when connecting separate buildings. Because wireless bridges have no recurring costs, savings on connection bills rapidly cover the startup equipment costs. Private lines and even leased lines utilizing metal or fiber-optic cable often require considerable startup expenses if they are impeded by obstacles such as freeways, train tracks, or bodies of water. Cisco wireless LAN bridges can be deployed rapidly with a fast ROI.
Aironet 1300 family outside access points/bridges can be implemented as stand-alone wireless access points, bridges, or workgroup bridges. These products have a tough cover and offer high-speed, economical wireless connectivity between numerous fixed or mobile environments and clients.
Cisco 1400 family wireless bridges offer high-performance, dependable outside bridging for line-of-sight applications. They include an all-weather cover that can withstand severe outside environments and can operate in broad temperature ranges.
Legacy Cisco WLAN Controllers
Cisco WLAN Controllers provide single-point management of wireless LANs by simplifying the control of common functions such as integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS), real-time RF control, zero touch deployment, and N+1 redundancy. Cisco Wireless controllers operate with lightweight access points to deliver superior performance and advanced control functions.
Wireless LAN Controllers provide the manageability, expandability, security, and resilience that IT managers need to create secure, large-scale wireless environments, from branch locations to small companies to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be configured together to offer support for up to 2400 wireless access points per roaming domain.
Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Module for Integrated Services Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses and enterprises an economical way to deploy and manage secure WLANs at satellite locations. These wireless LAN controllers supervise up to a dozen Cisco APs and are installable in Cisco 2800/3800 Series Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Integrated Services Routers. (To learn concerning Progent's remote and on-premises support for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and management services.)
How Progent Can Assist You with Cisco Wireless Solutions
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to help your business to design, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a converged wired/wireless ecosystem integrating a wide range of wireless technologies that provide the identical security, scalability, and manageability you demand from a wired environment. Progent can help you to support legacy Wi-Fi products from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to current 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 technology. Progent's CISM and CISSP security specialists can show you how to build protection into your WLAN and your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can assist you to deploy the HA technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged network delivers continuing business value.
Progent's Wireless Site Survey helps you to plan and implement a state-of-the-art wireless network customized for your facilities, providing a wireless ecosystem that provides seamless coverage, high speed and capacity, Quality of Service features 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 costs, or onsite for more difficult situations.
For a further discussion of Progent's wireless integration capabilities, visit Progent's Wireless Network Expertise.
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