Cisco offers an extensive catalog of wireless LAN products and technologies intended to enable continual access to information and other resources and to facilitate collaboration among employees, associates, suppliers, and customers. Cisco's wireless offerings include Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki lines of access points, as well as Cisco's Wireless LAN Controller plug-ins and standalone devices. Progent's certified wireless experts can help businesses of any size to utilize Cisco wireless technology to accommodate the current model of BYOD networks by integrating their wired/wireless ecosystems to achieve easy deployment, consistent and fast performance, single-point control, uniform policy, fault tolerance, and advanced protection.
The Cisco Unified Wireless architecture can expand to as many as 18,000 wireless access points with Layer 3 connectivity across central or offsite venues like business campuses, college lecture halls, branches, and home offices. Cisco's 802.11x wireless access points and controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to support the identical degree of security, throughput, and manageability for WLANs that companies expect in their wired networks. This technology includes built-in mobile services such as IP voice, IP video, and secure guest connectivity. Cisco's Unified Wireless technology enables companies to build Wi-Fi environments that improve the way they do business and improve output via a mobile and connected employee base.
Progent's Cisco-certified network infrastructure consultants can provide online or on-premises expertise to assist you to plan, deploy, manage, upgrade, and repair converged wired/wireless network infrastructure of any size and for any venue. Also, Progent offers economical online and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to design and deploy a wireless network with customized AP clustering optimized for your specific office layout, building characteristics, and application workloads.
Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of APs enable you to integrate wired and wireless networks to provide the accessibility, density, performance, protection and manageability needed to support practically any scenario. These access points range from bare bones, single-band 802.11b/g/n units with data rates of 300 Mb designed for small businesses or home offices to 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) access points suitable for supporting hundreds of clients per AP and offering throughput of more than 5 Gigabits per second. Cisco's current selection of APs can be clustered to provide the capacity to support sites with high client density and with high usage rates of video-intense applications.
Small Business Family of APs
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of wireless access points are Linux-based units intended as entry-level wireless APs for small offices. Many versions in Cisco's Small Business portfolio of wireless access points work with Cisco's Single Point Setup system, which allows you to configure, control and troubleshoot a group of wireless access points from a single AP via an intuitive web browser interface. All of the models support Power over Ethernet and feature Quality of Service (QoS), rogue access point detection, and bridge mode for connecting to another Ethernet LAN.
Cisco's Small Business WAP121 AP is a wallmount, single-radio 2.4GHz unit able to handle 16 active 802.11n clients, has a Fast Ethernet port, permits up to 4 access pointss and 40 active wireless clients in a cluster, and can handle throughput of up to 300 Mbps. Cisco's WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n access point that can support 16 active wireless clients on each radio for up to 32 clients, features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, and can support sustained data rates of up to 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP131 Wireless-N does not support AP clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP150 is a value-priced Wave 1 dual-radio AC/n wireless access point that features a 1xGE Power over Ethernet (PoE) port and can handle 16 clients per radio with 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP150 allows 4 APs per cluster.
Cisco's Small Business WAP321 Wireless-N model is a wallmount selectable-band (either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) 802.11n device with support for 80 active clients sharing an 8-AP cluster. The Cisco WAP321 has a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port and can support sustained throughput of 300 Mbps for the selected radio. Cisco's Small Business WAP351 is a dual-radio 802.11n access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and can support 32 wireless clients on each radio for up to 64 clients, and support throughput of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP351 AP does not support clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 is a dual-band 802.11ac Wave 1 wireless access point that features a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet LAN switch, can support 32 active WLAN clients on each radio, and delivers 867 Mbps performance for wireless AC clients and 300 Mbps for 802.11n clients. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 allows 8 access points per cluster. Cisco's wall-mountable WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-radio AP that supports 802.11a/b/g/n and the new 802.11ac wireless networking specification. The WAP371 includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, can support as many as 32 wireless clients on each radio, and eight access points per cluster.
Cisco's WAP561 Wireless-N Selectable Band access point includes a GE LAN interface and two radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps performance per radio, support 64 clients per radio, and allow up to 16 access points per cluster. Cisco's WAP551 is like the WAP 561 but has a single selectable band. Cisco's WAP571 and WAP571E (the ruggedized outdoor model) are dual-band 802.11ac Wave 1 APs incorporating two Gb Ethernet ports with link aggregation, and as high as 1.9 Gbps performance with 1300 Mbps on 11ac and 600 Mbps on 11n. Both APs support 32 clients per radio and 16 access points per cluster.
The Cisco Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Dual Radio Wave 2 Wireless Access Point supports the Wi-Fi 5 specification and offers 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO to deliver 2.8 Gbps throughput on the 5.0-Ghz radio and 600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz for a total maximum throughput of 2.4 Gbps. The WAP581 has a fixed 2.5G Ethernet LAN interface and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface with 802.3at PoE. The WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 access point can handle as many as 200 connective users, up to 50 active client users per radio, 16 APs per cluster, and 960 active client users for each cluster.
To find out more about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Cisco Small Business series of WiFi access points, see Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi access points consulting services.
The Aironet Family of Access Points
Cisco's Aironet portfolio of wireless APs has for years been the top-selling access point product. Aironet wireless access points run the gamut from value-priced entry-level models to advanced APs. Cisco's Aironet line cover several generations of models supporting the continually improving Wi-Fi standard. The current line of Aironet wireless access points support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and include 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology, which delivers triple the speed plus superior coverage and user density compared to the previous generation of devices. The latest multi-frequency Aironet APs can handle 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for client devices that do not have 802.11ac radios.
The oldest Aironet access points are now outdated units that have reached end-of-sale status and are no longer supported by Cisco. Progent continues to support the complete Aironet line of APs and can help your company to manage and troubleshoot your current Aironet wireless environment or move efficiently to current Aironet products. To find out more about Progent's support for current and legacy Aironet access points, refer to Aironet wireless access points planning and support.
Cisco's Meraki Access Points
Cisco's family of Meraki dual-band indoor APs include value-priced models for general use to enterprise-class products that offer up to 5.9 Gigabit per second performance. Every Meraki indoor AP offers high-end capabilities such as self-configuring installation, in-depth protection, BYOD support, extensive traffic analysis, zero-touch web-based firmware updates, and consolidated cloud management via an intuitive dashboard. Each Cisco Meraki indoor access point also includes dual powerful client-serving radios with boosted reception as well as a dedicated radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for threat detection and deep packet inspection.
Cisco's Meraki outdoor access points are IP67 rated, designed to operate in harsh outdoor environments, and able to withstand dust particles, shock and moisture. Meraki outdoor access points include a Gigabit Ethernet port and deliver advanced features such as cloud management with network-wide visibility and control, 802.1X integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), single-click secure guest access and isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with MIMO and beamforming. To find out more about Progent's support for Meraki APs and cloud management, refer to Meraki access points consulting services.
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 and W-Fi 6E Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 family of 802.11ax wireless access points are intended for environments ranging from telecommuter homes to high-density arenas. Catalyst 9100 access points are based on the 802.11ax standard, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Headline technologies supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better reliability, TWT for conserving power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum utilization, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. Catalyst 9100 Series wireless access points can run Cisco's EWC, handle up to 400 client users per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.
Cisco's Catalyst 9160 Series Wi-Fi 6E APs are the first Cisco access points that have the versatility to be monitored and managed on-prem via Cisco DNA Center platform or from the cloud by deploying Meraki management tools. This allows organizations to move to cloud-centric or hybrid deployments on their own schedule. All Catalyst 916x APs comply with the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless specifications and include support for the 6-GHz band. Each AP has 5 radios and supports as many as 400 clients per radio. Each AP model also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, comes with a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Cisco's small-footprint Catalyst 9162 Series AP is meant for small organizations, has three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity.
The Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E access point is designed for tough outdoor deployments like campus environments or stadiums. The 9163E includes three client serving 2x2 radios, one IoT radio, and a tri-band scanning radio. Interfaces include 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet (RJ-45), a management console port (RJ-45), 4x N-Type Wi-Fi antenna connectors, and an RP-SMA active GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The AP works with Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. The Catalyst 9164 Series access point is intended for small and mid-size enterprises, includes one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and features 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9166 Series AP is intended for large and mid-sized organizations, has three 4x4 radios, and features 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The 9166 also includes environmental sensors that measure air quality, temperature, and humidity. For details about Progent's consulting services for Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points, see Wireless APs system planning, deployment, and management consulting.
Cisco 9800 Series Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless controllers help you manage advanced Wi-Fi networks that incorporate 802.11ax wireless APs. The 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, builds on previous generation 802.11ac (referred to as Wi-Fi 5) appliances by delivering less latency and more reliable performance, supporting higher client density, offering enhanced security, saving energy for battery-powered mobile devices, and offering more flexibility for handling new types of IoT endpoints. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless controllers feature always-on availability with transparent software upgrades, hot patching, and the ability to add Wi-Fi access points without service interruption. Advanced security technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), image signing, and Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access). Streaming telemetry permits you to track and analyze network and client health.
All appliances in the Catalyst 9800 family are based on Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center or with Cisco Prime Infrastructure network management tools. Catalyst 9800 wireless network controllers can manage Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi 5 Wave 1 and Wave 2 wireless APs as well as Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for Cisco 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, refer to Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6 wireless LAN controllers solution planning, deployment, and troubleshooting consulting.
Cisco Wave 2 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 wireless controllers allow realtime data exchange, provisioning, administration, analysis and debugging for Cisco Wi-Fi appliances and software services. Cisco has developed both hardware and software-based wireless controllers for centralized management of WiFi networks, but WLANs with a large number of Wi-Fi access points typically require hardware-based wireless controllers. Wave 2 Wi-Fi controller appliances from Cisco deliver significant advantages over Wave 1 and earlier products such as higher performance, concurrent support for both 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control, and advanced, integrated security.
The Cisco 3504 WiFi Controller is an entry-level appliance available in a desktop form factor and intended for smaller businesses. You can install the 3504 in a centralized network architecture such as in small branch and remote offices managed across the wide-area network with FlexConnect, or in mesh deployments where Ethernet cabling is limited. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 150 APs and 3,000 client users, offers 4 Gbps throughput, and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 3504 wireless controller features a Cisco Multigigabit port (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-GB Ethernet ports. Access points can be attached directly to the controller via two PoE ports. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller offers subsecond failover for APs and users, which provides uninterrupted availability for apps. As with other Wave 2 wireless controllers from Cisco, the 3504 model has the integrated capability to communicate with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services Engine, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 wireless controllers.
Cisco's 5520 WiFi Controller, offered in a 1RU form factor, is designed for midsize to large enterprises and campus networks and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments. The 5520 wireless controller supports up to 1,500 access points and 20,000 client 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 backup power supplies, and rapid failover for high availability.
The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, offered in a 2RU enclosure, is a high-end wireless controller intended to support large enterprises, service providers, and large campus environments. The 8540 Wireless controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures and can handle up to 6,000 wireless APs and 64,000 client users. The 8540 WiFi controller offers data rates as high as 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8540 controller comes with four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features SSD storage, redundant power supplies, redundant fans, and rapid failover.
Wave 1 Cisco WiFi LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless controllers reduce the effort and cost required to configure, manage, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by centralizing control of tasks such as provisioning APs, applying single-point policies across wired/wireless networks, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service for IP voice and video, monitoring and optimizing system health, activating wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) capabilities to guard against cyber break-ins and Distributed Denial of Service threats, and managing IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has designed wireless network controllers for businesses of all sizes and can provide standalone desktop appliances, modular plug-in controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with integrated wireless LAN controllers.
Cisco's Wave 1 wireless LAN controllers include Cisco CleanAir technology to avoid RF interference and produce self-optimizing wireless networks for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and protection. Built-in Apple Bonjour Gateways enable discovery and policy across WLAN, LAN and WAN for Apple applications. For fault tolerance, Cisco wireless LAN controllers allow AP and client stateful switchover by enabling a standby high-availability controller to synch with a main wireless controller for AP license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and access point CAPWAP state. If the primary wireless controller stops working, thousands of APs and wireless clients can failover at subsecond speeds to the secondary controller.
Cisco's Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E provides basic 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for Cisco 2900 and 3900 Series routers deployed by small to medium-sized businesses and branch offices. This affordable and scalable module can handle up to 200 access points and up to 6000 wireless clients. (To find out about Progent's remote and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting support.)
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches designed for small to mid-size businesses and satellite offices and come with a built-in wireless controller with the ability to support 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and 25 access points and 1000 wireless clients on each switch. Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU switches designed for midsize and large organizations and feature a built-in wireless controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless capacity on each switch and the ability to handle 50 APs and 2000 clients. The Wireless Services Module2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include an integrated wireless LAN controller designed for mid-to-large size businesses and capable of 20 Gbps performance and with support for 1000 access points and up to 15,000 clients. (To learn concerning Progent's support for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco switches configuration and troubleshooting services.)
Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are entry-level desktop devices that streamline the deployment and operation of wireless LANs for small to medium-sized enterprises and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless LAN controller can manage from five to 75 wireless access points and 1000 wireless clients and offers sustained performance of 1 Gbps.
Cisco's 5500 Series Wireless Controller is a scalable 1RU unit designed for mid-to-large sized organizations and campus environments and can manage 500 wireless access points and 7,000 clients while providing 8 Gbps throughput. The Cisco 5760 Wireless Controller is a 1RU device intended for mid-to-large campuses with support for up to 1000 access points and 12,000 clients and delivering performance of 60 Gbps to accommodate high client densities and high amounts of video-intensive applications.
Cisco's Flex 7500 Series Wireless Controller is designed to manage massive collections of wireless branches from one datacenter, eliminating the need for a wireless controller at every branch. The 1RU Flex 7500 appliance allows you to build a private cloud to deploy, track, maintain, and troubleshoot up to 6000 wireless access points and up to 64,000 clients while handling 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Wireless Controller is a 1RU appliance engineered to monitor and control wireless networks for large campuses or for service providers and can be expanded to support up to 6000 wireless points and 64,000 clients while offering 10 Gbps performance.
For more information about Cisco WiFi controllers, go to Cisco wireless controllers consulting and integration.
Legacy Cisco Wireless Access Points, Bridges and Wi-Fi Controllers Supported by Progent
The 802.11ac specification for wireless connectivity largely rendered obsolete all prior releases of Wi-Fi products for venues that have high numbers of clients and high usage of HD video applications. Even for organizations who do not need the performance of 802.11ac, many of Cisco wireless products have reached end-of-sale or end-of-support status, which can pose significant maintenance and regulatory compliance problems. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer remote and on-premises support for a wide array of older-generation Cisco wireless products. Progent can also assist companies to evaluate the financial justification for updating legacy wireless technology and can help in designing and executing cost-effective, seamless migrations. Below are a sample of Cisco legacy wireless devices that Progent's consultants still support.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points
Aironet 1000/1130AG Series wireless access points are intended for conventional workplaces and similar venues which have minimal environmental variability. These products include built-in antennas that provide dependable radio range patterns. The 1130G Series WAP is offered for restricted locations that do not permit 5GHz operation.
Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series wireless access points are intended for more problematic radio frequency environments like manufacturing plants and warehouses or above suspended ceilings which often call for flexible protruding antennas and ruggedized enclosures. The Cisco Aironet 1240G family wireless access point is intended for regulatory locations that do not allow 5GHz operation.
Cisco Aironet 1500 family lightweight outdoor mesh APs offer an affordable, expandable, protected outdoor wireless mechanism for enterprise campuses and for public venues that require connectivity for mobile devices.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges offer a high-throughput and feature-rich technology for integrating multiple local area networks in a metropolitan situation or public access network. Cisco wireless LAN bridges provide a flexible, manageable technology that meets the protection needs of public networking professionals. These devices handle both PTP and PMP deployments with good coverage and the ability to handle traffic throughput up to 54 Mbps.
Cisco wireless LAN bridges offer throughput several times higher than E1/T1 connections for a fraction of the cost, eliminating the need for costly leased lines when linking different buildings. Since bridges require no ongoing costs, the expenses saved on leased-line services quickly cover the initial hardware investment. Private lines and even leased lines made of metal or fiber-optic cable often result in very expensive startup expenses when they are impeded by obstacles like highways, train tracks, or bodies of water. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges can be deployed quickly an offer a fast return on investment.
Aironet 1300 family outdoor access points/bridges can be deployed as stand-alone access points, bridges, or workgroup bridges. These devices have a durable cover and offer high-speed, cost-effective wireless connectivity between numerous fixed or mobile networks and clients.
Aironet 1400 wireless bridges provide high-performance, reliable outdoor bridging for line-of-sight applications. They are housed in an all-weather enclosure that is optimized for severe outdoor environments and can function within wide temperature ranges.
Legacy Cisco WLAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless Network Controllers provide single-point management of wireless LANs by streamlining the handling of common technologies including integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS), real-time RF control, zero touch deployment, and N+1 redundancy. Wireless LAN controllers work with small access points to offer superior performance and high-end control capabilities.
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers provide the manageability, expandability, protection, and resilience that system managers need to create safe, large-scale wireless networks, from satellite locations to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Network Controllers can be clustered to offer accommodation for up to 2400 WAPs for each roaming domain.
Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Module for Integrated Services Routers provides small-to medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprises a cost effective way to deploy and control secure WLANs at satellite locations. These wireless controllers supervise as many as twelve Cisco wireless access points and are installable in Cisco 2800/3800 Series Integrated Services Routers and Cisco 3700 Series Routers. (For information concerning Progent's remote and onsite consulting support for Cisco routers, see Cisco router deployment and troubleshooting services.)
How Progent Can Help You with Cisco Wireless Solutions
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to assist you to design, install, manage and repair a converged wired/wireless ecosystem integrating a wide range of wireless products that provide the identical security, expandability, and manageability you demand from a wired environment. Progent can help you to manage legacy Wi-Fi products from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to the latest 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security consultants can show you how to design protection into your WLAN and into your company's operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can help you to configure the high availability (HA) technology incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged network provides significant business value.
Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to design and deploy a state-of-the-art wireless network customized for your environment, offering a wireless ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high speed and density, QoS features to handle IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and easy management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be delivered remotely to reduce time and costs, or onsite for more challenging facilities.
For a further look at Progent's wireless consulting services, see Progent's Wireless Expertise.
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