Cisco offers an extensive catalog of wireless networking devices and technologies engineered to enable anywhere, anytime access to information and other resources and to promote collaboration among workers, partners, suppliers, and customers. Cisco's wireless offerings include the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of wireless access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless Network Controller modules and appliances. Progent's Cisco-certified wireless consultants can enable organizations of all sizes to utilize Cisco wireless products to accommodate the new paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) networks by converging their tethered and untethered networks to achieve simplified deployment, consistently high throughput, centralized control, uniform policy, fault tolerance, and advanced security.

Aironet Wireless Consulting Firm

Cisco Converged Solution for Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) and Wired/Wireless Access

Cisco's Unified Wireless solution can scale to up to 18,000 wireless access points with Layer 3 connectivity at central or remote venues like business headquarters, college auditoriums, branch offices, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's 802.11x APs and wireless controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to deliver the identical level of security, performance, and manageability for wireless networks that companies demand in their wired ecosystem. This technology incorporates built-in mobility services like Voice over IP, high-definition IP video, and safe guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless solution enables organizations to create Wi-Fi environments that streamline the way they do business and enhance output through a dynamic and collaborative employee base.

Progent's Cisco CCIE network infrastructure consultants offers remote or on-premises support to assist you to design, configure, manage, expand, and troubleshoot converged wired/wireless network infrastructure of all sizes and for any venue. Also, Progent offers economical online and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to plan and deploy a Wi-Fi network with customized wireless access point clustering optimized for your specific work area layout, building characteristics, and application workloads.

Cisco Small Business, Aironet and Meraki Wireless Access Points (APs)
Cisco and Meraki Access Points Consulting ServicesCisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki families of access points allow you to integrate wired/wireless networks to provide the accessibility, density, performance, security and manageability needed to support virtually any environment. Cisco's access points range from entry-level, single-radio 802.11b/g/n devices with data rates of 300 Mb designed for small businesses or home offices to dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac access points capable of handling hundreds of clients per access point and delivering data rates as high as 1.9 Gb. Cisco's latest selection 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 video-intense apps.

Small Business Series of Wireless Access Points
Cisco Small Business Access Points Online SupportCisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs are Linux-based units engineered as entry-level 802.11n wireless solutions for small offices. Most models in the Cisco Small Business line of APs support Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which allows you to configure, control and troubleshoot a group of wireless access points from one AP via a simple web browser tool. All of the versions include POE and feature Quality of Service (QoS), rogue AP awareness, and bridge mode for connecting to another network.

Cisco's Small Business WAP121 AP is a wall-mountable, single-radio 2.4GHz unit able to support 16 active 802.11b/g/n wireless clients, includes a 10/100 Ethernet interface, permits up to 4 access pointss and 40 active wireless clients per cluster, and supports data rates of up to 300 Mbps. Cisco's WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n wireless access point that can support 16 wireless clients per radio for a total of up to 32 wireless clients, includes a Gigabit Ethernet interface, and can support sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not allow AP clustering. Cisco's WAP150 is an entry-level dual-radio AC/n wireless access point that features a one Gbit Power over Ethernet port and can support up to 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps performance for 802.11ac devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 allows 4 APs per cluster.

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

Cisco's WAP561 802.11n Selectable Band AP includes a Gigabit Ethernet port and dual concurrent radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps throughput per radio, support 64 clients per radio, and allow up to 16 wireless access points per cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is similar to Cisco's WAP 561 but has a single radio selectable band (2.4 or 5.0 GHz). Cisco's WAP571 and WAP571E (a weather-proof outside version) are dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 wireless access points incorporating 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 over 11n. Both units support 32 clients per radio and 16 WAP371 wireless access points per cluster.

The Aironet Line of Access Points
Aironet Wireless Access Point Consulting ServicesMeraki Wireless Access Points Consulting ServicesThe Aironet family of indoor and outdoor wireless APs has consistently been the leading AP product. Aironet access points run the gamut from value priced models to advanced APs. Cisco's Aironet family span several generations of models supporting the evolving Wi-Fi specification. The current line of Aironet wireless access points support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture and include 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, which offers triple the speed as well as superior range and density in comparison to the previous generation of APs. Cisco's latest dual-band Aironet access points can support 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for client devices without 802.11ac capability.

The earliest Aironet access points are now outdated devices that have come to end-of-sale status and are no longer fully supported by Cisco. Progent still offers support for the complete Aironet line of access points and can assist your company to manage and troubleshoot your current Aironet wireless system or move smoothly to the latest Aironet products. For details about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Aironet access points, see Cisco Aironet access points planning and support.

Meraki Access Points
Meraki Access Point ConsultingMeraki Wireless AP Integration ConsultantsCisco's family of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor access points range from budget-friendly models for general use to advanced products supporting as high as 2.5 Gbit/sec performance. Every Meraki indoor wireless access point provides next-generation features such as self-configuring installation, in-depth security, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, extensive analytics, automatic web-based updates, and centralized cloud-based management via an intuitive dashboard. Every Cisco Meraki indoor access point also includes dual powerful client-serving radios with boosted receive sensitivity plus a separate radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.

Cisco's Meraki outdoor APs are IP67 certified, built to operate in rugged outdoor conditions, and tested to withstand dust particles, vibration and moisture. Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and offer advanced features that include cloud-based management with multi-site visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan, single-click guest access and guest isolation firewall, Layer 7 traffic shaping, plus auto-configuring mesh with beamforming. To find out more about Progent's support for Meraki wireless access points and management, see Cisco's Meraki access points consulting services.

Cisco Wave 2 802.11ac WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers enable fast data exchange, deployment, control, monitoring and debugging for Cisco Wi-Fi appliances and services. Cisco offers both physical and virtual Wi-Fi controllers for unified management of WiFi networks, but networks with many Wi-Fi APs are better served by hardware-based Wi-Fi controllers. New wireless controller appliances from Cisco offer significant advantages over Wave 1 and older products including higher performance, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control, and advanced, integrated security.

Cisco 3504 Wi-Fi Controller Setup and Troubleshooting ConsultantsThe Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level appliance with a desktop body and intended for small and medium-sized businesses. You can use the 3504 in a centralized network environment such as in lean branch and remote offices administered across the WAN via Cisco FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where Ethernet cabling is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller can handle up to 150 wireless APs and 3,000 clients, delivers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet port (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected directly to the controller via two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features fast failover for access points and users, which provides uninterrupted availability for apps. As with other current Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the built-in ability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WiFi controllers.

Cisco 5520 Wi-Fi Controller Integration ConsultingThe Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1RU enclosure, is designed for larger enterprises and campus environments and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 wireless controller can handle up to 1,500 access points and 20,000 clients, delivers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller features two 10 GE ports and incorporates solid-state storage, redundant fans, optional backup power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Setup and Troubleshooting ConsultingCisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit (RU) package, is a high-end wireless controller designed to support enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 WiFi controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and supports up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 WiFi controller can deliver data rates as high as 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller includes four 1-GB or 10GE interfaces and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, redundant fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi Network Controllers
Wireless LAN Controllers ConsultantsCisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the effort and cost required to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot wireless networks by offering single-point control of functions such as provisioning wireless access points, enforcing single-point policies across converged LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for voice and HD video, monitoring and troubleshooting network health, activating security tools to defend against cyber break-ins and Denial of Service threats, and managing IPv6 clients. Cisco has designed wireless LAN controllers for businesses of all sizes and offers desktop or rackmount controllers, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with built-in wireless LAN controllers.

Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Module Consulting ServicesCisco's Wave 1 wireless network controllers include Cisco CleanAir tools to minimize signal interference and create self-healing wireless networks for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and security. Built-in Apple Bonjour Gateways permit discovery, advertisement and policy throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless controllers support AP and client stateful switchover by permitting a standby HA controller to synchronize with a primary controller for AP license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and AP CAPWAP state. If the primary controller goes down, thousands of wireless access points and clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the secondary wireless controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E provides basic 802.11n and 802.11ac support for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by smaller businesses and branch offices. This value-priced and expandable solution can handle up to 200 access points and as many as 6000 clients. (For information concerning Progent's online and on-premises consulting support services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and management services.)

Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches designed for SMBs and satellite offices and features an integrated wireless LAN controller with the ability to support up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and up to 25 APs and 1000 clients on each switch. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches designed for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and feature a built-in wireless network controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and support for 50 access points and up to 2000 wireless clients. The WiSM2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless LAN controller intended for mid-to-large size enterprises and capable of 20 Gbps throughput and with support for up to 1000 access points and up to 15,000 clients. (To find out about Progent's support for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco switches deployment and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are economical desktop units that simplify the provisioning and management of wireless LANs for small and midsize businesses and branch offices. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless LAN controller can handle from five to 75 APs and up to 1000 wireless clients and can deliver throughput of up to 1 Gbps.

Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers Online ConsultingThe Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU unit designed for medium-sized to large organizations and campus environments and can support up to 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while delivering 8 Gbps performance. Cisco's 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large campus environments with the ability to manage 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 wireless clients and providing throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high client densities and high usage of media-rich mobile applications.

The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless branches from one location, eliminating the requirement for a Wi-Fi controller at each branch. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 appliance allows you to create a private cloud to configure, monitor, manage, and repair as many as 6000 APs and up to 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device engineered to monitor and manage wireless networks for very large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to handle up to 6000 access points and up to 64,000 clients while offering 10 Gbps performance.

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

Legacy Cisco Access Points, Bridges and Wi-Fi Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the IEEE 802.11ac standard for Wi-Fi largely rendered obsolete the previous generations of Wi-Fi products for venues that have high numbers of clients and high incidence of video-intensive software applications. Even for businesses who do not need the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, a large number of Cisco wireless devices have reached end-of-life status, which can pose significant service and compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer remote and on-premises support for a broad range of older-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can also help companies to assess the financial justification for updating up-of-date wireless infrastructure and can assist in designing and executing affordable, non-disruptive migrations. Below are a sample of Cisco older-generation Wi-Fi products that Progent's consultants still support.

Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points
Aironet 1000 or 1130AG family wireless access points are intended for offices and other locations which have little environmental variability. These products have built-in antennas that provide dependable omnidirectional coverage profiles. The Aironet 1130G family WAP is offered for controlled locations that do not allow 802.11a transmission.

Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG family access points are intended for more difficult radio frequency environments like factories and warehouses or above suspended ceilings which often require adjustable external antennas and ruggedized cases. The 1240G Series product is available for regulatory locations that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz operation.

Cisco Aironet 1500 family lightweight outdoor mesh APs deliver an affordable, scalable, secure outdoor wireless network solution for campus areas and for public sites that need access for portable phones or computers.

Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges ConsultantsCisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges provide a high-performance and feature-rich technology for connecting numerous local area networks in a metropolitan situation or public access environment. Cisco bridges offer a flexible, manageable solution that satisfies the protection demands of wide-area networking specialists. These bridges manage both PTP and P2MP configurations with good coverage and support for data rates up to 54 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges offer throughput substantially higher than E1/T1 connections for a fraction of the expense, erasing the necessity of costly leased lines when connecting separate offices. Because bridges carry no periodic charges, savings on connection bills rapidly cover the startup equipment costs. Private lines and in some cases leased lines using metal or optical cable can require high initial expenses in cases where they are impeded by barriers such as freeways, railroads, or bodies of water. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be deployed quickly an offer a fast return on investment.

Cisco Aironet 1300 outdoor wireless access points/bridges can be implemented as stand-alone access points, bridges, or wireless group bridges. These devices have a tough enclosure and provide high-speed, affordable wireless connectivity between numerous stationary or mobile environments and clients.

Cisco Aironet 1400 family bridges provide high-performance, reliable outside connections for line-of-sight applications. They are housed in a durable enclosure that can withstand severe outside environments and function in wide temperature ranges.

Legacy Cisco Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wireless Controllers Support ServicesCisco WLAN Controllers centralize the management of WLANs by simplifying the control of common functions including integrated IPS, fast RF control, automatic deployment, and N+1 redundancy. Cisco Wireless Network controllers operate with lightweight wireless access points to offer superior throughput and high-end administration capabilities.

Cisco WLAN Controllers provide the manageability, expandability, protection, and resilience that network managers need to build secure, enterprise-scale wireless solutions, from branch locations to small companies to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation WLCs can be configured together to provide accommodation for as many as 2400 access points per roaming domain.

The Cisco WLCM or WLCM-E Wireless LAN Controller Module for Integrated Services (IS) Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses and enterprises an affordable solution to implement and manage secure wireless LANs at satellite locations. These wireless LAN controllers manage as many as a dozen Aironet access points and are installable in 2800/3800 Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Routers. (To find out about Progent's online and onsite support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router configuration and management consulting.)

How Progent Can Help You with Cisco Wireless Devices
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consultant to assist you to plan, deploy, manage and repair a converged wired/wireless environment incorporating a wide array of wireless technologies that provide the identical protection, expandability, and ease of management you expect from your wired network. Progent can assist you to maintain early-generation wireless solutions from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to the latest 802.11ac-comaptible products. Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can advise you about how to build security into your wireless network and your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planning consultants can assist you to set up the high availability (HA) technology built into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged infrastructure delivers continuing return on investment.

Progent’s Wireless Site Survey helps you to design and deploy a robust WLAN customized for your facilities, offering a Wi-Fi solution that provides seamless coverage, high performance and density, Quality of Service features to support IP voice and video, advanced security and compliance, and streamlined management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed remotely to cut time and expense, or onsite to deal with more challenging situations.

For a more in-depth discussion of Progent's wireless consulting services, see Progent's Wireless LAN Consulting Services.

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If you wish to contact Progent about technical help for Cisco networking, call 1-800-993-9400 or go to Contact Progent.