Cisco offers an extensive line of wireless networking products and technologies designed to provide anywhere, anytime access to information and resources and to facilitate collaboration among colleagues, partners, and clients. Cisco's wireless product portfolio includes the Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of wireless access points (APs) plus Cisco's standalone and modular Wireless LAN Controllers. Cisco's wireless solutions can help organizations of any size support the new paradigm of Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) by converging their wired and wireless networks to achieve simplified deployment, uniformly high-performance, centralized management, consistent policy enforcement, and across-the-board security.
Cisco's Unified Wireless Network architecture can scale to as many as 18,000 access points with full Layer 3 mobility across central or remote locations such as enterprise campuses, college lecture halls, branch offices, and home offices. Cisco's Wi-Fi access points and wireless controllers are components of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are designed to support the same level of security, performance, and ease of management for wireless LANs that companies expect in their wired infrastructure. This includes integrated mobility services such as VoIP, HD IP video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network technology allows companies to create wireless ecosystems that streamline the way they do business and improve productivity through a mobile and connected workforce.
Progent's Cisco-certified wireless networking consultants can provide online or onsite expertise to help you design, deploy, manage, expand, upgrade, and troubleshoot converged wired/wireless networks of any size and for any venue. Progent also offers affordable online and onsite wireless site surveys to help you design and install a Wi-Fi network with custom-designed access point clustering optimized for your specific office layout, building structure, and application workloads.
Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wi-Fi Access Points
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of wireless access points (APs) allow you to converge wired and wireless networks to provide the coverage, density, performance, security and manageability needed to support virtually any environment. 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 dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac APs capable of supporting 200 or more clients per access point and offering sustained data rates of up to 5.9 Gbps. Cisco's current line of APs can be clustered to provide the scale to support environments with high client density and high usage rates of HD video applications.
Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 series wireless access points are Linux-based devices designed as entry-level 802.11n Wi-Fi solutions for small offices. Many models in the Cisco Small Business family of wireless access points support Cisco's Single Point Setup technology, which makes it possible to configure, manage and troubleshoot a cluster of access points from a single device via a simple browser-based interface. All models support Power over Ethernet (POE) and feature QoS, rogue access point detection, and bridge mode for wirelessly connecting to a second Ethernet network. For more information about Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series Wi-Fi access points, refer to Cisco Small Business 100/300/500 Series planning and integration consulting.
Cisco's Aironet Family of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet family of indoor and outdoor wireless access points has for years been the top-selling AP solution. Aironet APs range from value-priced entry-level models to enterprise-class APs. The Aironet line span several generations of devices supporting the evolving 802.11x Wi-Fi standard. The latest Aironet APs support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and incorporate 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, which offers triple the performance as well as greater range and user density compared to the previous generation of devices. Cisco's current dual-band Aironet APs continue to support 802.11n at 2.4 GHz to accommodate clients not compatible with 802.11ac.
The oldest Aironet APs are legacy devices that have reached end of life status and are no longer fully supported by Cisco. Progent continues to support the entire Aironet family of wireless access points and can help you manage and troubleshoot your current Aironet Wi-Fi environment or upgrade efficiently to the latest Aironet technology. For details about Progent's support for both current and legacy Cisco Aironet wireless access points, see Cisco Aironet Access Point consulting services.
Cisco's Meraki Wireless Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki dual-band 2.4/5 GHz indoor access points range from value-priced models for general use to enterprise-class devices that offer up to 5.9 Gbit/sec performance. All Meraki indoor access points feature next-generation capabilities such as self-configuring plug-and-play deployment, advanced security, BYOD support, built-in analytics, automatic over-the-web updates, and centralized cloud management for multiple sites. Each Meraki access point also includes two high-power client-serving radios with enhanced receive sensitivity plus a dedicated intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS) security radio that provides RF analysis and deep packet inspection at line rate.
Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points are IP67 rated, designed to operate in harsh outdoor environments, and tested for dust, shock, vibration and moisture. Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and offer advanced features that include cloud management with network-wide visibility and control, 802.1X and 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 Meraki access points and management tools, refer to Cisco Meraki Access Point consulting services.
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wireless APs
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs are designed for environments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded stadiums. 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) standard. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Headline technologies supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series APs include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved dependability, Target Wake Time for conserving power usage in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), handle up to 200 client users per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software. For more information about Progent's support for Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax Access Points, see Wireless access points system planning, configuration, and debugging consulting.
Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless LAN controller appliances help you automate and manage modern Wi-Fi environments that support 802.11ax access points. 802.11ax, popularly known as Wi-Fi 6, improves on prior generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) devices by providing lower latency and more predictable performance, allowing higher client density, offering greater protection, conserving energy for battery-dependent mobile devices, and offering more versatility for supporting the latest types of IoT endpoints. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless controllers feature always-on availability with transparent software updates, hot patching, and the ability to connect additional access points without disruption of service. Enhanced security technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), secure boot, and Software-Defined Access. Streaming telemetry permits you to monitor and analyze network and endpoint health.
All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and operate with Cisco's DNA Center or Cisco Prime Infrastructure management platforms. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless network controllers can support Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 APs concurrently with Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless APs. For more information about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, refer to Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 wireless LAN controller appliances solution planning, configuration, and management services.
Cisco Wave 2 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow fast data exchange, configuration, control, monitoring and troubleshooting for Cisco Wi-Fi devices and services. Cisco offers both hardware and software-based wireless controllers for centralized administration of WiFi environments, but WLANs with many wireless access points are better served by physical Wi-Fi controllers. Current generation Wi-Fi controller appliances from Cisco deliver significant advantages over Wave 1 and earlier products such as higher throughput, simultaneous support for both 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control, and advanced, integrated security.
Cisco's 3504 Wireless Controller is an entry-level appliance with a desktop form factor and intended for smaller businesses. You can install the 3504 in a centralized network environment such as in small branch and remote offices managed over the WAN via FlexConnect, or in mesh deployments where wiring is limited. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 150 WiFi access points and 3,000 users, delivers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 controller features a Cisco Multigigabit interface (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. Access points can be connected directly to the controller via two Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller offers fast failover for access points and clients, which provides high availability for apps. As with other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 device has the integrated ability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.
The Cisco 5520 WiFi Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) form factor, is intended to support midsize to large enterprises and campus networks and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller can handle as many as 1,500 APs and 20,000 client users, delivers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 WiFi controller features two 10 GE ports and incorporates solid-state storage, backup fans, optional dual power supplies, and rapid failover for high availability.
The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2 rack unit (RU) form factor, is a top-of-the-line wireless controller intended to support enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 Wireless controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and can handle up to 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 WiFi controller can deliver throughput up to 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, redundant fans, and subsecond failover.
Wave 1 Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the effort and expense required to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot wireless networks by centralizing control of critical tasks such as provisioning wireless access points, enforcing single-point policies across converged wired and wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide QoS for voice and HD video, monitoring and troubleshooting system performance, activating wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) tools to guard against unauthorized access and DDoS attacks, and managing IPv6 clients. Cisco has developed wireless network controllers for businesses of any size and offers desktop or rackmount appliances, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with built-in wireless network controllers.
Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to avoid signal interference and create self-healing wireless networks for top 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and protection. Integrated Apple Bonjour Gateways enable discovery and policy throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple-based applications. For high availability (HA), Cisco wireless LAN controllers allow wireless access point and client stateful switchover by enabling a standby high-availability wireless controller to synch with a main controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP keys, and access point CAPWAP state. In case the main controller fails, thousands of wireless access points and wireless clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the secondary wireless LAN controller.
Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR Routers with UCS-E provides entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers used by smaller businesses and branch offices. This affordable and scalable module can support up to 200 wireless access points and up to 6000 clients. (To learn concerning Progent's online and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and management support.)
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for small to mid-size businesses and branches and have a built-in wireless LAN controller with the ability to support up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and 25 APs and 1000 clients on each switch. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches intended for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and feature a built-in wireless LAN controller with 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and the ability to handle 50 wireless access points and 2000 wireless clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and able to deliver 20 Gbps performance and with support for up to 1000 wireless access points and up to 15,000 wireless clients. (To learn concerning Progent's support for Catalyst switches, see Catalyst switches deployment and troubleshooting services.)
Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are entry-level desktop units that simplify the deployment and management of Wi-Fi networks for SMBs and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless LAN controller supports from five to 75 APs and up to 1000 wireless clients and offers throughput of up to 1 Gbps.
The Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU appliance intended for mid-to-large sized businesses and campus environments and can support 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device intended for mid-to-large campuses with support for up to 1000 APs and 12,000 clients and providing throughput of 60 Gbps to handle high wireless client densities and high amounts of media-rich mobile applications.
The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless remote sites from one datacenter, avoiding the need for a Wi-Fi controller at each remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 allows you to establish a private cloud to deploy, track, maintain, and troubleshoot as many as 6000 wireless access points and 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance engineered to monitor and manage Wi-Fi networks for large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to support 6000 access points and 64,000 wireless clients while offering 10 Gbps performance.
To learn more about Cisco wireless controllers, visit Cisco Wi-Fi controllers consulting services.
Legacy Cisco Wireless Bridges and Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the 802.11ac standard for Wi-Fi effectively obsolesced previous generations of Wi-Fi products for many environments that require high densities of clients and high usage of HD video applications. Even for organizations who do not require the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, many Cisco wireless products have reached end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can present serious maintenance and compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants provide online and onsite support for a broad array of earlier-generation Cisco wireless products. Progent can also help organizations evaluate the business case for updating legacy wireless technology and can help plan and execute cost-effective, non-disruptive upgrades. Below are a sample of legacy wireless products from Cisco supported by Progent.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges
Cisco wireless LAN bridges provide a high-speed and multi-featured technology for integrating numerous LANs in a metropolitan situation or public access environment. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges provide a versatile, manageable technology that satisfies the security requirements of wide-area networking specialists. These devices support both PTP and P2MP configurations with excellent range and support for traffic throughput up to 54 Mbps.
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges deliver data rates substantially faster than E1/T1 connections for far less cost, doing away with the requirement for costly leased lines when linking different buildings. Since bridges carry no recurring costs, the expenses saved on connection services rapidly pay for the startup equipment costs. Self-installed private lines and even leased lines made of metal or fiber-optic cable often require considerable up-front costs if they are impeded by barriers like highways, train tracks, or lakes and rivers. Cisco wireless bridges can be deployed rapidly with a fast return on investment.
Aironet 1300 family outdoor access points/bridges can be deployed as independent wireless access points, wireless bridges, or wireless group bridges. These appliances have a ruggedized cover and provide high-speed, economical wireless interfaces between numerous fixed or mobile environments and users.
Cisco Aironet 1400 wireless bridges provide high-performance, reliable outdoor connections for LOS applications. These devices are housed in a durable cover that is optimized for harsh outside environments and function within extended temperature ranges.
Legacy Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Wireless LAN Controller Module for Integrated Services (IS) Routers offers small-to medium businesses and large corporations an affordable solution to implement and control secure WLANs at satellite offices. These devices manage as many as 12 Aironet lightweight access points and are installable in 2800/3800 Integrated Services Routers and 3700 Integrated Services Routers.
The Cisco 2106 Wireless LAN Controller operates together with Cisco Aironet lightweight access points and Cisco's Wireless Control System (WCS) to provide centralized wireless network functions. Cisco's 2106 Series WLC handles as many as six Cisco Aironet lightweight wireless access points, making it an affordable alternative for multi-controller architectures common for enterprise satellite office installations. The Cisco 2106 Series Wireless LAN Controller may also be used for single device solutions for small and midsize company environments. The Cisco 2106 WLC includes eight Ethernet ports, two of which can provide power directly to Aironet lightweight APs.
Cisco's 4400 Series WLC offers centralized wireless LAN features for mid-size to enterprise environments. The Cisco 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controller operates in conjunction with Aironet lightweight wireless access points, the Cisco Wireless Control System, and the Cisco Wireless Location Appliance to support business-critical wireless data, voice, and video applications. Cisco's 4400 WLC offers real-time communication between Cisco lightweight APs and other wireless controllers to deliver centralized security policies, intrusion prevention system functions, outstanding RF control, quality of service (QoS), and mobility.
How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Company with Cisco Wireless Technology
Progent can provide a certified CCIE or Cisco Certified Network Professional to help you design, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a converged wired/wireless ecosystem that integrates a wide range of wireless products that offer the same security, scale, manageability and performance you demand from your wired technology. Progent can help you maintain legacy Wi-Fi solutions or upgrade efficiently to the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology. Progent's CISA, CISM, CISSP, GIAC, and ISSAP security consultants can show you how to build protection into your wireless network and into your business processes. In addition, Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planners can help you configure the high availability (HA) technology incorporated into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged network provides non-stop business value.
Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey helps you plan and deploy a robust WLAN customized for your facilities, providing a wireless solution that delivers seamless coverage, high performance and capacity, QoS features to support voice and video IP, enterprise-class security, and easy management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey services can be performed online to save time and cut costs, or on premises for more challenging environments.
For a further discussion of Progent's wireless integration and troubleshooting services, see Progent's Wireless Network Consulting.
Contact Progent about Consulting Services for Cisco Wireless Solutions
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