Cisco Wi-Fi controllers work with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNA Center (DNAC) network management tools and can accommodate up to 6,000 wireless access points and 64,000 users. Cisco's line of Wi-Fi controllers are offered at price points and with capabilities suitable for venues that run from small offices to service provider systems, multi-site enterprises, and large campus environments. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 controllers and access points are designed to deliver the high standard of protection, performance and robustness that users expect from their wired network. Cisco's technology incorporates integrated mobility support like IP voice, HD video, and safe guest access. Cisco's Prime Infrastructure and DNAC platforms allow businesses to implement environments that combine wired and wireless networks into a unified ecosystem that delivers a consistent and productive work environment.
Progent's seasoned wireless consultants can assist you to determine the business value of deploying Cisco wireless controllers to manage WiFi environments of any size. Progent can help your business to manage and troubleshoot your current Cisco wireless ecosystem or help you to design and carry out an efficient upgrade from earlier generation wireless controllers to modern products to get enhanced performance and protection and to simplify management.
Progent's Cisco-certified integration consultants can provide affordable online consulting services throughout the U.S. to help businesses to build and enhance Wi-Fi solutions. Progent also offers on-premises consulting and troubleshooting in larger metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. and in Toronto, Canada. In addition, Progent can provide remote predictive and onsite Wireless Site Surveys to assist you to plan a Wi-Fi network with access points located and configured optimally for your particular site environment, application workloads, and user density.
Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6-compatible wireless LAN controllers help you manage advanced Wi-Fi environments that support 802.11ax wireless APs. 802.11ax, aka Wi-Fi 6, builds on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) devices by providing lower latency and more predictable performance, supporting higher client density, providing enhanced security, saving energy for battery-powered handheld devices, and allowing more versatility for handling new kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 line Wi-Fi controllers include always-on availability with seamless software upgrades, hot fixes, and the ability to add wireless APs without disruption of service. Advanced security 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 network and client health. All devices in the Catalyst 9800 line are powered by Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or Cisco Prime Infrastructure management platforms. Cisco's Catalyst 9800 wireless network controllers can manage Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 Wi-Fi access points as well as Catalyst 9100 802.11ax APs.
Cisco's 9800-L 802.11ax Controller is an entry-level appliance with a half-width 1RU enclosure that allows dual installation in a standard 19-in rack. Designed for smaller businesses, the 9800-L controller provides extra throughput and capacity if you purchase a Performance license. The 9800-L can handle 250 access points and 5,000 client users (500 Wi-Fi access points and 10,00 users if you have a Performance license). The controller offers 5 Gbps data rates (10 Gbps with a Performance license), and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Deployment modes include Centralized, FlexConnect for branch office installations, and fabric. Fixed uplinks include four 2.5G/1G ports plus either two 10G/Multigigabit copper (Catalyst 9800-L-C) or two 10G/Multigigabit fiber ports (Catalyst 9800-L-F). Other interfaces include an RJ-45 console port and a Micro USB console interface for management, a USB 3.0 interface for adding external RAM, an RJ-45 service port, and an RJ-45 high-availability redundancy interface for SSO.
The Cisco Catalyst 9800-40 802.11ax Wireless Controller, offered in a 1 rack unit (RU) form factor, is designed to support midsize campus deployments. The 9800-40 supports 2,000 Wi-Fi access points and 32,000 client users. The controller delivers 40 Gbps data rates and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Deployment options include Centralized, Cisco FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless. Fixed interfaces include four GE SFP/10 GE SFP+ or SFP ports and an SFP Gigabit Ethernet redundancy port. Additional fixed interfaces include RJ-45 and USB 3.0 console ports, an RJ-45 management interface, an RJ-45 redundancy interface used for stateful switchover (SSO), and two USB 3.0 interfaces for adding external RAM memory.
Cisco's Catalyst 9800-80 Wi-Fi 6 Controller, available in a 2 rack unit (RU) enclosure, is a modular, high-end wireless controller designed to manage large campus and service provider environments. The 9800-80 supports 60,00 wireless APs and 64,000 users. The controller delivers up to 80 Gbps data rates and supports 4,096 VLANs. Deployment modes include Centralized, Cisco FlexConnect, and Fabric Wireless. Integrated uplink interfaces include eight 10G SFP+ interfaces or six 10G ports plus two 1G ports. Optional uplink modules include 18 1GE ports, 10 10GE interfaces, a 40GE port, two 40GE ports, or one 100GE port. Additional integrated ports include RJ-45 and USB 3.0 console ports, an RJ-45 management port, an SFP Gigabit Ethernet redundancy port for stateful switchover (SSO), an RJ-45 redundancy port for stateful switchover, and two USB 3.0 interfaces for adding external RAM memory.
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 wireless controllers enable realtime communication, provisioning, management, monitoring and debugging for Cisco wireless devices and services. Cisco offers both hardware and virtual wireless controllers for centralized management of wireless environments, but WLANs with a large number of wireless access points are better served by physical wireless controllers. Wave 2 Wi-Fi controller devices from Cisco deliver major benefits over Wave 1 and older products such as greater throughput, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control, and hardened, integrated protection.
Cisco's 3504 WiFi Controller is a value-priced device with a desktop form factor and designed for small and medium-sized organizations. You can use the 3504 in a centralized WLAN environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices administered over the WAN with FlexConnect, or in bridge installations where wiring is sparse. The 3504 wireless controller supports up to 150 WiFi access points and 3,000 client users, delivers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 WiFi controller features a Cisco Multigigabit interface and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet connections. Access points can be attached directly to the controller through two PoE ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller features fast failover for access points and clients, which allows high availability for apps. Like other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers from Cisco, the 3504 model has the integrated capability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.
The Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1 rack unit (RU) package, is designed to support midsize to large organizations and campus networks and can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller can handle as many as 1,500 access points and 20,000 clients, offers 20 Gbps throughput, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 model controller includes two 10 GE ports and incorporates SSD storage, redundant fans, optional dual power supplies, and subsecond failover for nonstop availability.
Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit (RU) package, is a high-end WiFi controller designed to support enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 Wireless controller can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and can handle as many as 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The 8540 Wireless controller offers data rates as high as 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 comes with four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features SSD storage, redundant power supplies, backup fans, and rapid failover.
Wave 1 Cisco WiFi Network Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the time and expense required to deploy, monitor, and operate wireless networks by offering single-point control of critical functions such as provisioning wireless access points, applying consistent policies across converged wired/wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for voice and video, tracking and troubleshooting network health, activating wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) capabilities to guard against unauthorized access and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and handling IPv6 clients. Cisco has developed wireless LAN controllers for organizations of all sizes and offers desktop or rackmount controllers, modular add-on controllers for Cisco routers and Catalyst switches, and switches with integrated wireless LAN controllers.
Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi network controllers include Cisco CleanAir tools to avoid signal interference and create self-optimizing wireless LANs for maximum 802.11n and 802.11ac performance and security. Integrated Bonjour Gateways enable discovery and policy across WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For high availability (HA), Cisco wireless controllers support access point and client stateful failover by enabling a standby high-availability wireless controller to synch with a primary wireless controller for access point license count, CAPWAP keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary controller fails, thousands of access points and wireless clients can switchover in less than a second to the backup controller.
Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers deployed by small to medium-sized businesses and branches. This value-priced and scalable solution can support from five to 200 APs and up to 6000 clients. (To learn about Progent's remote and onsite consulting and troubleshooting support for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and management services.)
Cisco Legacy Wi-Fi Network Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches designed for SMBs and satellite offices and features an integrated wireless controller with the ability to support 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and up to 25 APs and 1000 clients per switch or stack. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches intended for midsize businesses and large enterprises and include a built-in wireless controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and support for 50 wireless access points and up to 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 (WiSM2) is an add-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches with an integrated wireless LAN controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and capable of 20 Gbps throughput and able to handle up to 1000 access points and as many as 15,000 clients. (For information about Progent's support for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco Catalyst switches configuration and management support.)
Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are economical desktop appliances that streamline the provisioning and management of wireless networks for SMBs and satellite offices. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless controller can manage from five to 75 APs and up to 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 campuses and can manage up to 500 wireless 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 campus environments with the ability to manage 1000 wireless access points and 12,000 wireless clients and delivering throughput of 60 Gbps to accommodate high client densities and high amounts of video-intensive applications.
The Cisco Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is intended to manage thousands of wireless branches from one location, avoiding the need for a wireless controller at each remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 appliance lets you build a private cloud to configure, monitor, manage, and repair as many as 6000 wireless access points and 64,000 wireless clients while supporting 1 Gbps performance. The Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device engineered to monitor and manage Wi-Fi networks for very large campuses or service providers and can scale to support 6000 APs and up to 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps throughput.
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