Cisco Network Consulting

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 Line of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax wireless access points are intended for deployments ranging from home offices to high-density stadiums. Catalyst 9100 APs are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Important enhancements supported by Catalyst 9100 Series access points include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for improved dependability, TWT for conserving power usage in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Catalyst 9100 Series wireless access points can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), accommodate up to 200 client users per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software. To find out more about Progent's support for Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of Wireless Access Points, see 802.11ax APs system planning, deployment, and debugging services.

Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless controller appliances allow you to automate and manage modern Wi-Fi networks that incorporate 802.11ax access points. 802.11ax, also called Wi-Fi 6, builds on prior generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) appliances by providing less latency and more predictable performance, supporting higher client density, offering enhanced protection, conserving energy for battery-powered handheld devices, and allowing more flexibility for supporting the latest types of IoT endpoints. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless controllers feature high availability with seamless software upgrades, live patching, and the ability to connect additional access points without service interruption. Advanced cybersecurity features include Cisco Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS), secure boot, and Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry permits you to track and understand infrastructure and endpoint health.

All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 family are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and operate with Cisco's DNA Center or with Cisco Prime Infrastructure management tools. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless LAN controllers can support Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi 5 Wave 1 and Wave 2 wireless APs as well as Catalyst 9100 802.11ax Wi-Fi access points. To learn more about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Cisco Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 wireless controller appliances solution design, configuration, and management services.

Cisco Wave 2 Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers allow realtime data exchange, configuration, administration, monitoring and troubleshooting for Cisco Wi-Fi appliances and services. Cisco offers both hardware and virtual wireless controllers for unified management of WiFi environments, but networks with a large number of wireless access points typically require hardware-based Wi-Fi controllers. Current generation Wi-Fi controller appliances from Cisco offer significant benefits in comparison to Wave 1 and earlier products including higher throughput, simultaneous support for both 1G and 10G Ethernet, enhanced application visibility and control (AVC), and hardened, integrated protection.

The Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is a value-priced appliance available in a desktop enclosure and intended for small and medium-sized businesses. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized network environment such as in lean branch and remote offices managed across the WAN via FlexConnect, or in mesh deployments where wiring is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller can handle as many as 150 access points and 3,000 users, offers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 controller features a multi-gigabit Ethernet port and four 1-GB Ethernet interfaces. APs can be connected to the controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features fast failover for access points and users, which allows high availability for apps. As with other current Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 model has the built-in ability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WiFi controllers.

Cisco's 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1RU form factor, is intended to support larger enterprises and campus environments and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 users, delivers 20 Gbps performance, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 wireless controller features two 10 GE ports and features solid-state storage, redundant fans, optional dual power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.

Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2 rack unit (RU) enclosure, is a top-of-the-line WiFi 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 supports up to 6,000 wireless APs and 64,000 client users. The 8540 WiFi controller offers data rates up to 40 Gbps and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller comes with four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, dual power supplies, redundant fans, and subsecond failover.

Wave 1 Cisco WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers cut the time and expense required to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by centralizing control of critical tasks such as provisioning APs, enforcing consistent policies throughout converged wired/wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for voice and video, monitoring and optimizing network health, activating intrusion prevention tools to defend against cyber break-ins and DDoS attacks, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has developed wireless network controllers for organizations of all sizes and can provide standalone desktop appliances, modular add-on controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless controllers.

Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir technology to avoid signal interference and produce self-healing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and security. Built-in Bonjour Gateways allow discovery throughout WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless LAN controllers support wireless access point and client stateful failover by permitting a standby high-availability controller to synchronize with a main controller for access point license tabulation, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary wireless controller stops working, thousands of APs and clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the backup controller.

Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides basic 802.11n and 802.11ac support for Cisco 2900 and 3900 routers deployed by smaller organizations and branch offices. This value-priced and expandable solution can handle from five to 200 APs and up to 6000 wireless clients. (To find out about Progent's remote and on-premises consulting and troubleshooting support services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting consulting.)

Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches designed for small to mid-size businesses and branches and have an integrated wireless LAN controller with the capability to handle 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and up to 25 APs and 1000 wireless clients on each switch or stack. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches intended for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and include a built-in wireless network controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput on each switch and support for 50 wireless access points and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is an add-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches with a built-in wireless network controller intended for mid-to-large size enterprises and able to deliver 20 Gbps performance and with support for up to 1000 APs and 15,000 clients. (For information about Progent's consulting services for Cisco switches, see Cisco Catalyst switches configuration and management services.)

Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop units that simplify the provisioning and operation of Wi-Fi LANs for small and midsize businesses and branch offices. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless controller can handle from five to 75 wireless access points and 1000 clients and offers sustained performance of 1 Gbps.

The Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU appliance designed for mid-to-large sized organizations and campus environments and can support up to 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device intended for mid-to-large campus environments with support for up to 1000 APs and 12,000 wireless clients and providing performance of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high amounts of video-intensive mobile applications.

Cisco's Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless branches from one datacenter, eliminating the need for a Wi-Fi controller at every remote site. The 1RU rackmount Flex 7500 lets you establish a private cloud to deploy, track, maintain, and troubleshoot up to 6000 access points and 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU rackmount device engineered to monitor and control Wi-Fi environments for very large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to support up to 6000 APs and up to 64,000 wireless clients while offering 10 Gbps throughput.

To learn more about Cisco WiFi controllers, see Cisco wireless 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
To get in touch with a Progent service representative about consulting support for Cisco wireless technology, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

For additional information about Progent's consulting support for Cisco technology, select a topic:

• Overview of Cisco Network Support
• Fast and Affordable Remote Assistance from a Cisco CCIE Consultant
• Cisco Firepower Firewalls: Configuration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Cisco Firepower Services: Integration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco ASA 5500 Firewalls Integration Services
• Cisco PIX 500 Firewall Upgrade. Migration Support
• Cisco Routers Consulting Support
• Cisco Aironet Wireless APs Engineering Services
• Cisco Small Business Wireless APs System Design Services
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6/6E APs Solution Design, Deployment and Debugging Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Experts
• Cisco Meraki APs Engineering Support
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Integration and Troubleshooting
• Cisco VoIP Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Consulting Services and Wireless IP Phone Configuration
• Cisco Jabber Consulting and Support Expertise
• Catalyst Switches Consulting and Support Expertise
• Cisco Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Expertise
• Meraki MS Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco VPN and Security Engineering Support
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunks and CUBE Integration Consulting
• Cisco Duo MFA Two-factor Authentication Services for Teleworkers
• Design Solutions for Cisco-powered Datacenters
• Data Center Design Services for Service Providers
• Unified Cloud-based and Hybrid Management Techniques for Cisco-based Environments