802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions Buyer’s Guide
Includes a Category Overview The Top 10 Questions to Ask Plus a Capabilities Reference of the Leading 20 Wireless Network Solution Providers
802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions 2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement INTRODUCTION Solutions Review offers this 2016 Wireless Network Solutions Buyers Guide as a roadmap for the ever-changing virtual landscape of WLAN and Wi-Fi. We have compiled information from recent industry surveys and whitepapers that will give you an inside look into what to expect for the future of Wireless Network Solutions, with a special focus in this edition on Solution Providers’ capabilities in 802.11ac. Since the initial deployment of the 802.11 standard in 1997, wireless networks have dramatically increased in number, scale and capability. However, the traffic loads have skyrocketed in recent years and are expected to keep on climbing Much of the recent increase has been driven by the adoption of mobile devices by both consumers and businesses; wireless network industry analysts anticipate an increase in mobile device usage for 2016. This increase in mobile device usage has been and will continue to create increased wireless network traffic. Several organizations, including college campuses, hospitals, school districts and transportation networks are transitioning (or already have transitioned) from wired infrastructure to wireless infrastructure as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) practices have emerged to play a substantial role for these enterprises. Adding to the challenge, ever more bandwidth intensive apps are coming onto the market, such as various videostreaming services. Accordingly, pressure to provide high-bandwidth WiFi service is increasing and will continue to increase apace in our estimation, and enterprises will require new technologies and solutions to keep up. Officially approved by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) at the end of 2013, 802.11ac access points offer several features designed to help enterprises handle high demand for wireless networking from both user numbers and high-bandwidth applications. The second wave of 802.11ac devices is currently available and is on pace to be the most shipped wireless standard ever. Wave 2 is faster than its predecessor standards. The 802.11ac standard has a function called standardized beam-forming, which allows radio signals to be transmitted to a specific device, rather than broadcast in all directions. Compared to its predecessor, the 802.11n, the fifth generation 802.11ac presents four changes:
“Wireless AC has fewer signals to compete with and allows for faster data transfer and more supported users within its range.”
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Uses wider channels; 802.11ac increases channel width from N as a result of using a higher, less crowded frequency.
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Increases the number of spatial streams available.
3.
Standardizes beam-forming, reducing signal interference and at least partially offsetting range-reduction from the higher frequency while ensuring compatibility with all devices.
4.
Introduces multi-user/Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) – which improves data throughput.
There are some engineering tradeoffs made here, however. 802.11ac utilizes a higher frequency at 5GHz, versus N’s 2.4GHz. The higher frequency of AC has fewer signals to compete with (for now) and allows for faster data transfer and more supported users within its range, but at the cost of decreased ranged compared to N. AC’s beam-forming technology may compensate for this, but whether beam-forming fully makes up for the higher frequency will depend on the circumstances.
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions 2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement Also, in order to take advantage of gigabit speed, you would need an access point with multiple antennas broadcasting to a laptop or tablet with multiple antennas. The multi-stream technology is what allows AC to break the Gigabit barrier. Otherwise, where you have just one AC antenna broadcasting to one antenna on your mobile device, expect download speeds of up to roughly 400 mb/second. This is the speed range that real-world tests will commonly find. This state of affairs still marks an improvement over what N can usually deliver in the real world, but not by as much as sometimes advertised. Furthermore, while G and N capable mobile devices are compatible with AC access points, they will not see a data transfer speed boost. You will need mobile devices built for receiving AC, or AC dongles attached to older devices, to take advantage of those faster speeds. Finally, while not quite a trade-off per se, we should remember that demand for a faster wireless connection will be dependent on the applications that end users want and/or need run on their devices. While multimedia, voice, and other data intensive applications can make good use of AC’s higher speeds, there are many applications that work fine on N. Nevertheless, according to data from market research firm NPD, the IEEE 802.11ac standard will generate a substantial increase of Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices. Shipments of mobile devices are expected to exceed 800 million this year. As new mobile devices come onto the market configured to 802.11ac, we predict a widespread adoption of 802.11ac solutions by enterprises, such that 2016 will become the year of 802.11ac. All new devices from all major manufacturers, Samsung, Apple etc., will be making all of their new devices AC capable. You will already be behind your competitors if you haven’t installed 802.11ac access points. Users will begin installing wireless ac in the home and will expect you to deliver it at work. Consumer and business demand will only intensify when the next big app comes out that requires AC speeds to work properly.
“If you purchase a new AC capable wireless network solution in 2016 or early 2017, you will be able rely on it for another 5 to 6 years.”
Another argument for considering investing in an 802.11ac solution sooner rather than later is based on the lifecycle of wireless standards. G was certified in 2003, N in 2009, and AC at the end of 2013. The next comparable standard that is still being debated is projected to be certified in 2019, with widespread adoption likely after another 12-24 months, if patterns based on G and N hold. If you purchase a new AC capable wireless network solution in 2016 or early 2017, you will be able rely on it for another 5 to 6 years. If you decide to wait until 2018 or even 2019, you may get only 3 to four years of service for the same or potentially even higher cost. Therefore, the sooner you upgrade 802.11ac, the longer you will have to amortize the cost of the system over its lifecycle before the next wave of technology renders what you have obsolete. Still, there may be scenarios where it makes sense for your business to wait, and below you will find 10 questions, 5 to ask about yourself and 5 to prospective solution providers that we believe will help guide you to making a sound decision.
Elizabeth O’Dowd Editor Solutions Review
[email protected] +1 (339) 927-924
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions 2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement
5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Selecting an 802.11ac Wireless Solution QUESTION #1
Does my enterprise really need 802.11ac? This obvious and to the point question has a less than satisfying answer: it depends. Specifically, it depends on what applications your end users need and/or demand to be able to run on their mobile devices. If a mission-critical business application which requires large quantities of data very quickly to work is needed on mobile devices, then AC makes sense, especially if N is having trouble delivering at the speed you need to get an edge over your competition. Another good case would be where your customers demand the ability to access data-intensive multimedia services while on your premises. Or, if your business sees great value in future proofing against that next big app that also requires lots of data delivered to mobile devices.
QUESTION #2
Can my current infrastructure support the high speeds 802.11ac offers? So you’ve established a business case for AC. Does that case include the cost of possibly upgrading your CAT5 cabling, old routers, switches, and other potential data bottlenecks? Does it include the cost of connecting to the local fiber-optic trunk, if one is even available? If not, then asking your IT department to identify those bottlenecks at the start of your considerations can give you a better picture of the true costs of implementation and save you heartbreak down the road.
QUESTION #3
Will it work with the rest of my business and technology environment? Even if you need AC and your wired infrastructure can handle it, you may face other challenges when you try to implement it. One may be the very building your business inhabits. Certain architecture can limit the range of wireless radios, a problem compounded by the shorter range of AC’s higher frequency. Additionally, if your business environment already has many undirected radios broadcasting in the 5GHz range, interference might become a large problem. Included in this is consideration for the cost you and your organization are willing to bear in money, time and people, as well as the opportunity cost for those same resources being applied to other projects.
QUESTION #4
What are my security needs, and how will a new wireless network solution impact them? Security must be a top priority. This includes both your business and the end users. So, how sensitive is the data you plan to be transmitting? Where are your vulnerable points to intrusion? Will current employee (or even executive-level) behaviors mean that your new wireless AC connection is a superhighway for outside threats into your network? By answering these questions, which you should be doing anyway, you can plan for what technology and organizational changes you need to keep 802.11ac safe for your company.
QUESTION #5
What are my support needs? Do you have the IT resources available to deal with implementation and operation of the new network, including all the problems that will appear? Is it critical that those problems not appear, or merely inconvenient if they do? The answers to these questions should clarify how much support you will need from the vendor, either included in their offer or in addition to what they provide. Also keep in mind that even if you have a large IT department at your organization, few of those IT assets may actually be available to babysit implementation and operation. Don’t rule out vendor support options just because you have a large and sophisticated IT department.
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions 2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement
And 5 Questions You Should Ask Your Potential 802.11ac Wireless Solution Provider QUESTION #6
What are the vendors’ implementation and post-implementation support offerings? If you need support, and you probably will in some form, then lining up and comparing several vendors’ support offerings with what your specific support needs are should help you come to a purchasing decision. It’s all about what your IT department can and is willing to handle. For small businesses, postimplementation support is a must, but for some enterprises with large IT departments and resources, it’s more efficient to take care of these things in-house.
QUESTION #7
How will vendors work with my unique business needs and environment? A great solution on paper may be terrible in reality if it can’t adapt to the local environment. Ask how the prospective wireless network solution will overcome the unique challenges of your environment such as old infrastructure and poorly suited architecture. Also, don’t shy away from consulting with an independent IT expert on the feasibility of vendor claims. Paying a little extra for expertise now can potentially save large amounts of money wasted on a failed implementation in the future.
QUESTION #8
Does your product require a specialized person to run it? Because security is so important, understanding what security options the vendor offers, how those options integrate with the wireless network solution, and how they match up with your security vulnerabilities should be a top priority and key differentiating factor between different vendors. Just like with post-implementation support offerings, this really depends on what you want to handle yourself. If you would rather have a specialized person to run your wireless network, you want to make sure that you are not being charged for a service you are not utilizing if it does not already come included in the solution.
QUESTION #9
How easily will the vendor work with your organization and vice versa? Learn more about your prospective vendor’s company culture, as well as the specific personalities that will have to work together in order to implement successfully and maintain smooth operation of the network. Poor communication and personality clashes can go a long way to sabotaging what would otherwise be a successful project. Also remember that responsibility in this area goes both ways, as it does in any partnership. Partnership potential can also be estimated based on the prospective vendor’s experience working with companies in your industry vertical, geographic location and size range.
QUESTION #10
What’s the cost… for what they deliver? A costly solution could be worth it if it delivers an even bigger ROI, and that low sticker price vendor C is offering may merely hide the huge implementation and support costs. Then again, it could be that vendor C really does offer the best solution for the best price. Don’t just rely on the sticker price and vendor marketing, but dig a little deeper to find out about past implementation successes and failures, as well as what made them so.
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions 2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement Solution Provider Profiles Adtran ______________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Aerohive ______________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Alcatel-Lucent ______________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Aruba _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7 Avaya _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8 Brocade _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8 Cisco _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8 D-Link _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8 Extreme Networks _____________________________________________________________________________________ 9 Extricom _____________________________________________________________________________________ 9 Firetide _____________________________________________________________________________________ 9 Fortinet _____________________________________________________________________________________ 9 HP _____________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Juniper Networks _____________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Netgear _____________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Ruckus Wireless _____________________________________________________________________________________ 10 Ubiquiti Networks ____________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Xirrus ____________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Zebra Technologies ____________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Zyxel ____________________________________________________________________________________ 11
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions
Vendor
Wireless 802.11ac Solution Bluesocket Virtual WLAN (vWLAN)
ADTRAN, Inc. 901 Explorer Boulevard Huntsville, AL 35806 United States 1-800-923-8726 www.adtran.com
The Bluesocket 2035 is a high-performance, 3x3:3, 802.11ac indoor Access Point with six external RPSMA antenna connectors providing 1.3 Gbps on the 5GHz radio and 450 Mbps on the 2.4GHz for a total of 1.75 Gbps. The 2035 802.11ac AP is designed for high-density environments and does not include limits on number of devices per radio. It eliminates scale limitations, and enables management and control of Access Points (APs) across multiple buildings.
Aerohive AP390/370 (802.11ac)
Aerohive Networks 330 Gibraltar Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94089 United States +1 866-918-9918 www.aerohive.com
The AP370 is an enterprise-grade, high performance two radio (3x3) three stream MIMO 802.11ac/n Access Point, targeted at high capacity environments. A controller-less, cloud-enabled Wi-Fi, Aerohive’s enterprise network architecture supports identity-based wireless or wired access. The AP390 is an enterprise-grade, high performance two radio (3x3) three stream MIMO 802.11ac/n Access Point, targeted at high capacity best range enterprise environments with external antenna and extended temperature option.
OmniAccess WLAN AP220 and AP270
Alcatel-Lucent 3 av. Octave Gréard 75007 Paris, France +33 (0) 1 40 76 10 10 www.alcatel-lucent.com
Offers numerous AC capable access points (APs) that work with OmniAccess WLAN switches, each with a different set of features allowing customers to select what they need for their particular application. The APs are small, lightweight and can be securely deployed in a variety of locations including outdoors for some models. It provides unprecedented control over the entire wireless environment and enables advanced adaptive WLAN, identity-based security and application continuity services.
Aruba WLAN
Aruba Networks 1344 Crossman Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 United States +1 (408) 227-4500 www.arubanetworks.com
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Aruba access points (APs) can be centrally managed by Aruba Mobility Controllers or deployed as controllerless Aruba Instant™ APs that are managed in the cloud. In controllerless Aruba Instant mode, a dynamically elected AP automatically distributes the network configuration to other Instant APs in the WLAN. When managed by Mobility Controllers, traffic from Aruba APs is centralized to simplify configuration, improve data encryption and provide fine-grained policy enforcement.
2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement
From the Company
“ADTRAN’s vWLAN brings wireless reliability to a whole new level. In vWLAN, the user data stream or data plane is separated from the control information about the data session. This separation of the control plane and data plane increases reliability. ADTRAN’s Bluesocket family of high-performance APs is the perfect fit for enterprises, educational institutions, hospitality, retail, and healthcare providers who are looking to move their organizations to a pervasive mobility environment. They Offer a flexible portfolio of cloud-managed Wi-Fi solutions.”
“Aerohive helps simplify networking by reducing the cost and complexity of distributed enterprise deployments with cloud-enabled networking solutions. These solutions, based on our unique distributed intelligence architecture, include enterprise-class Wi-Fi access points, state-of-the-art gigabit switches, and easy-to-deploy routers.” Aerohive's Connected Experience Platform is built on three core solutions that unlock the potential of mobility, and make networks easier to design, deploy, and manage: Cloud Networking, Great Wi-Fi and Applications & Insights.”
“OmniAccess base software provides unprecedented control over the entire wireless environment and enables advanced adaptive WLAN, identity-based security and application continuity services. The base feature set of Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess wireless LAN base software includes sophisticated authentication and encryption, protection against rogue access points (APs), seamless mobility with fast roaming, RF management and analysis tools, centralized configuration, location tracking and more.”
“Aruba Networks (an HP company) designs and delivers Mobility-Defined Networks. Mobility-Defined Networks control the dynamic mobility environment by correlating real-time data about users, devices, apps and location. Self-optimization functions dramatically reduce helpdesk tickets and protect enterprise data. Aruba extends mobility intelligence across wired and wireless networks all the way to users, devices and apps. This makes Aruba MobilityDefined Networks easy to deploy without any changes to the existing infrastructure.”
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions
Vendor
Wireless 802.11ac Solution Wireless LAN 9100 Series
Avaya, Inc. 211 Mt. Airy Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 United States +1(866) 462-8292 www.avaya.com
Avaya offers a wide portfolio of indoor and outdoor access that caters to different deployment and client requirements. The portfolio includes 802.11ac APs (2x2 and 3x3 MIMO options). The 9100 Series offers eight access points depending on your needs with the largest supporting up to 240 users. With a powerful integrated controller, application-level intelligence, automated provisioning and managed centrally by the Avaya WLAN Orchestration System.
Brocade Mobility WLAN Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. 130 Holger Way San Jose, CA 95134 United States +1 (408) 333-8000 www.brocade.com
Scalable with each controller able to handle over 10,000 geographically dispersed APs and over 240,000 devices. Solution boasts automatic load balancing and innovative Distributed Access Point Forwarding, which reduces latency by eliminating the controller bottleneck. Brocade solutions include, nocost security options such as AP-based firewalls, configurable guest portal, on-board RADIUS, and integration with LDAP or Active Directory.
MR32 and MR34 Meraki Cloud Indoor APs
Cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tasman Dr. San Jose, CA 95134 United States +1 (408) 526-4000 www.cisco.com
The Cisco Meraki MR32 is a three–radio, cloudmanaged 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac access point. The MR34 is a managed 3x3 MIMO 802.11AP. Designed for general purpose next-generation deployments in offices, schools, hospitals and hotels, the MR32 provides performance, security, and manageability. The combination of cloud management, 802.11ac, and full-time RF environment scanning, delivers the high throughput, reliability, and flexibility required by the most demanding business applications like voice and high-definition streaming video.
Unified Wireless Series
D-Link Systems, Inc. 17595 Mt. Hermann St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 United States +1 (800) 326-1688 www.dlink.com
D-Link Unified Wireless Access Points are highly manageable and scalable with high data transmission speeds, optional support for PoE, and advanced security features. Up to 256 D-Link Unified Access Points can be deployed and managed easily and efficiently. Once the APs are discovered by the switch/controller, the administrator can push a specific set of configurations onto them, rather than having to do so one by one. RF resource management and security are also managed centrally
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2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement
From the Company
“Deliver wired like performance and reliability to your mobile users with a Wireless LAN that puts your business-critical application needs first. Providing application-level visibility and control you can help ensure your wireless network delivers uncompromised access to the applications and services your users value most- and is not crippled by bandwidth-hogging personal applications. Adapt to changing business requirements and protect investment against increases in capacity demands. ”
“Brocade offers a complete line of APs and controllers designed to meet the needs of organizations large and small. Brocade APs deliver intelligence and high performance while supporting the latest wireless standards, including 802.11ac. The Brocade line of cost-efficient wireless controllers, dedicated and virtual, provides the centralized management and reporting that organizations need to confidently monitor and maintain wireless infrastructure.”
“Meet bandwidth demands and needs for increased network speed with the Cisco 802.11ac wireless solution. Cisco offers the components needed to efficiently create a highly secure and seamless user experience across all scenarios. Cisco technology can empower IT to provide greater business freedom with high-performance, context-aware solutions. With Cisco 802.11ac you can fully address many types of users with different device, security, and business requirements.” .
“D-Link wireless networking solutions enable businesses of all sizes to create highly mobile, highly productive work environments at a low total cost of ownership. With products that provide excellent value across a wide range of scenarios, D-Link wireless networks are scalable, easy to deploy and manage – delivering reliable, secure connectivity, in a selfhealing solution. D-Link offers a wide range of robust wireless Access Points (APs) operating in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, supporting the latest wireless standards including 802.11ac and 802.11n.”
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions
Vendor
Wireless 802.11ac Solution AP3935
Extreme Networks 3585 Monroe Street Santa Clara, CA 950510 United States +1 (408) 579-2800 www.extremenetworks.com
The AP3935 is an 802.11ac (Wave 2) and 802.11abgn indoor access point that delivers enterprise-grade performance and security. The AP3935 is built on the latest Wi-Fi technology including 802.11ac Wave 2, dynamic radio management, and spectrum analysis with interference classification, beamforming, multi-user MIMO, self-forming and self-healing. The 4×4:4 platform is capable of delivering up to 2.5 Gbps over-the-air-performance.
The RP-23ac Access Point
Extricom 48 Wall Street 11th Floor New York, NY 10005 United States +1 (212) 240-3896 www.extricom.com
The RP-23ac Access Point Uses 80MHz bonded channels, can be deployed without requiring any adjustment to the channel plan, or reconfiguration of other APs. Utilizes Extricom’s unique Channel Blanket architecture to deploy both of 802.11ac’s 160MHz-wide channels without any co-channel interference. Extricom’s TrueReuse™ technology offers channel optimization by enabling simultaneous downlinks on a channel blanket
Firetide Mesh Wireless
A Division of UNICOM 2105 S. Bascom Avenue Suite 220 Campbell, CA 95008 United States +1 (408) 399-7771 www.firetide.com
Firetide offers the HotPoint 5100 for indoor and 5200 for outdoor WLAN. Both are tri-band, dual radio systems that are 802.11n capable in the 2.4GHz band. Mesh nodes provide the ability to broadcast Wi-Fi signal without backhaul cabling while enabling modularity for optimal access point placement. Working with mesh nodes and network management software, the Firetide Mobility Controller delivers high speed infrastructure mobility and seamless client roaming.
FortiAP-S Series Indoor Access Points
Fortinet, Inc. 1090 Kifer Road Sunnyvale, CA 94086 United States +1 (408) 235-7700 www.fortinet.com
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The FortiAP-S series are cloud-managed access points designed for deployment in SMBs and distributed enterprise remote sites. Managed through the free FortiCloud provisioning and management portal, they eliminate the CAPEX and complexity of deploying WLAN controllers and management servers. Two models come with 3x3 internal antennas, and two are equipped with connectors for use with external directional or panel antennas. They are equipped with extra memory and a powerful dual-core processor.
2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement
From the Company
“Extreme Networks delivers software-driven networking solutions that help IT departments deliver the ultimate business outcome: stronger connections with customers, partners and employees. Wired to wireless, desktop to datacenter, we go to extreme measures for our 20,000-plus customers in more than 80 countries, delivering 100% insourced support to organizations large and small, including some of the world's leading names in business, education, government.”
“Extricom’s Channel Blanket technology resolves the limitations of 802.11ac in a WLAN enterprise environment. Extricom is the only technology immune to cell-induced problems and variability of MIMO coverage. In fact, because MIMO improvements are opportunistic, the Extricom architecture actually improves MIMO performance by providing the "best" MIMO path on a packet-by-packet basis to a wireless client, thus adding robustness and stability to a highly variable technology.”
“Firetide product portfolio enables building a high capacity wireless network that is comparable in performance and reliability to a fiber. Firetide Mesh product line, HotPort® series, form the core of the product offering enabling customers to create a mesh, PTP or PTMP topology over wireless. Firetide also offer the HotPoint® wireless access point series providing cost effective access solution to complement its mesh backhaul products, an intuitive network management product HotView Pro™.”
“Simplify your Wi-Fi network with a secure cloud deployment. Fortinet’s cloud Wi-Fi solutions offer advanced security protection at the edge without the complexity of installing WLAN controllers and management servers on-premises. As the industry’s only integrated next-generation firewall capabilities and access solution, Fortinet’s controller-less Wi-Fi can be deployed in minutes and easily managed through FortiCloud provisioning and management portal. Cloud Wi-Fi security includes intrusion prevention, L7 application control, antivirus and anti-botnet, and web filtering.”
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions
Vendor
Wireless 802.11ac Solution HP 560 Dual Radio Access Point Series
Hewlett-Packard Corp. 3000 Hanover St. Palp Alto, CA 94304 United States +1 (640) 857-1501 www.hp.com
The AP3935 is an 802.11ac (Wave 2) and 802.11abgn indoor access point built on the latest Wi-Fi technology including 802.11ac Wave 2, dynamic radio management, and spectrum analysis with interference classification, beamforming, multi-user MIMO, self-forming and self-healing meshing, security, role-based authentication, authorization, and access control. The 4×4:4 platform is capable of delivering up to 2.5 Gbps over-the-air-performance.
Aruba WLAN 802.11ac Series
Juniper Networks Inc. 1133 Innovation Way Sunnyvale, CA 94089 United States +1 (888) 856-4737 www.juniper.net
While Juniper does not offer an 802.11ac solutions on their own (their WLA Series for the enterprise still only supports 802.11n) they have been teamed up with Aruba Networks since 2014 to offer converged wired and wireless networks by combining their respective products. Aruba Airwave and ClearPass simplify management and policy enforcement across edge access while Juniper Network Director provides end-to-end user and application visibility. This allows both partners to capture more market share.
WAC120 802.11ac Wireless Access Point
NETGEAR Inc. 350 East Plumeria Dr. San Jose, CA 95134 United States +1 (408) 907-8000 www.netgear.com
While NETGEAR still relies heavily on 802.11n, they have released the WAC120 and it’s a great access point for a small office environment. Even though it covers a smaller area, it provides high throughput to the entire area and is easy to set up. It supports up to 1.2 Gbps (867 Mbps at 5GHz and 300 Mbps at 2.4 GHz) of wireless throughput and has gigabit wired connectivity to internet gateway routers or cable modems. It’s dual band concurrent operation is at both 2.4 and 5GHz frequency range.
ZoneFlex Indoor/Outdoor Access Points
Ruckus Wireless Inc. 350 West Java Dr. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 United States +1 (650) 265-4200 www.ruckuswireless.com
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Ruckus offers two versions of their ZoneFlex series, one for indoors and one for outdoors. These duelband 802.11ac Wave 2 access points (meshed or wired) use patented Smart Wi-Fi antenna array technology, BeamFlex which provides extended range and adaptive signal steering. The Smart Wi-Fi access points can also be flexibly deployed without a Smart WLAN controller. The access points handle all control traffic and probe requests or responses as well as the data path between wireless clients.
2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement
From the Company
“The FlexNetwork Mobility Solution encompasses the HP FlexCampus and FlexBranch portfolio of technologies. For large enterprises, our mobility solution is supported by HP FlexFabric, a data center network fabric that simplifies and automates connectivity for virtualized computer apps, storage, and cloud services. Through our mobility solutions, laptops, tablets, desktops, IP phones, servers, and other endpoint devices can access the network and associated services, regardless of the connection method.”
“Juniper Networks delivers innovation across routing, switching and security. Juniper’s innovations in software, silicon and systems transform the experience and economics of networking. The Juniper Networks WLM1200 Wireless LAN Management Appliance allows for full life-cycle management for WLAN infrastructure, security and mobility services on a single platform. WLM1200 Wireless LAN Management Appliance is a scalable, rack mountable management platform for enterprise WLANs. There are three preconfigured versions that manage different aspects of wireless LANs.”
“NETGEAR is a global networking company that delivers products to consumers, businesses and service providers. Their products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless (Wi-Fi and LTE), Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. The product line consists of wired and wireless devices that enable networking, broadband access and network connectivity. These products are available in multiple configurations to address the needs of the end-users in each geographic region in which the Company's products are sold.”
“Ruckus Wireless is focused on technology innovation, partnerships and customer service, yielding the best possible wireless experience for the most challenging indoor and outdoor environments. Its Smart WiFi platform delivers scalable, high-performance Wi-Fi with simplified control and management for on-premise and cloud-based Wi-Fi deployments, along with secure on-boarding, policy management, location services and analytics that enable new business opportunities.”
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions
Vendor
Wireless 802.11ac Solution Unifi AC Access Points
Ubuquiti Networks 2580 Orchard Parkway. San Jose, CA 95131 United States +1 (408) 942-3085 www.ubnt.com
Available in four models, the new UniFi AC AP features up to 5x faster speeds to support highdensity Wi-Fi networks. Up to 3x3 MIMO, 802.11ac, Dual-Concurrent Radio Technology; advanced RF: spectral analysis, band steering, and airtime fairness; Android and iOS easy setup mobile application support; powerful features for enterprise, hospitality, and education markets. The design of the Unifi AC Access Points is smaller than the overage enterprise standard.
Xirrus XR Series
Xirrus Inc. 2101 Corporate Center Dr. Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 United States +1 (800) 947-7871 www.xirrus.com
The XR Series includes the XR-2000, XR-4000 and the XR-6000 with the difference being the max number of radios, with the XR 2000 doing well in conference rooms and classrooms, and the XR 6000 suiting arenas and conventions. The XR 6000 also features a 10 GigE uplink option instead of their standard 2-4 GigE. They each come standard with 802.11ac Wave 1 but, are all upgradable to Wave 2. The XR Series also features distributed intelligence so there is no single point of failure.
AP 8232
Zebra Technologies 3 Overlook Point Lincolnshire, IL 60069 United States +1 (847) 634-6700 www.zebra.com
The AP 8232 supports Voice over wireless LAN (VoWLAN) quality of service (QoS), providing tollquality even with many simultaneous calls on a single access point. In addition, you can leverage locationing services to locate and track people and assets, as well as control network and application access. With advanced security, up to 1.75 Gbps, tri-radio capable modular AP supports one 802.11n and one 802.11ac with 3x3 3 stream MIMO. You can also ensure users are only able to access authorized networks, sites and applications.
ZyXEL NWA1120 Series
ZyXEL Communications Inc. 1130 North Miller St Anaheim, CA 92806-2001 United States +1 (714) 632-0882 www.zyxel.com
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The ZyXEL NWA1120 Series is a standard-based, SNMP-managed PoE Access Point (AP) that includes the NWA1123-AC featuring 802.11ac technology. This series of access points are small and their hidden antennas allow them to be mounted to the celling, making it a good fit for crowded environments like university common areas, hotels and other high traffic areas. The wireless client mode enables printers, faxes, etc., to be connected to the network without cabling.
2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement
From the Company
“Ubiquiti Networks designs, manufactures and sells broadband wireless solutions worldwide. They offer a portfolio of wireless networking products and solutions, including systems, high performance radios management tools,and antennas designed for wireless networking and other applications in the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum. The Company offers solutions that incorporate its RF technology, antenna design and firmware technologies, referred to as AirTechnologies.”
“Xirrus’ innovations in Wi-Fi hardware and software uniquely solve the challenges of ever-growing, everevolving Wi-Fi network demands. Xirrus offers the only modular, dual-band, multi-radio platform that features powerful application control, is highly scalable, future proof and easy to use. Xirrus solutions deliver affordability with up to 75% less cabling and equipment than other Wi-Fi solutions, cloud-managed Wi-Fi that ensures simple deployment and application control, and flexibility to grow and add capacity with additional radios.”
“Support the performance demands of your busy network with dual radio 802.11ac with channel agility that maximizes performance to accommodate a wide range of client devices with mixed capabilities. Snap-on expandability allows you to add up to two modules to the base for added flexibility. Zebra makes businesses as smart and connected as the world we live in. Zebra tracking and visibility solutions transform the physical to digital, creating the data streams enterprises need to simplify operations and know more about their businesses.”
“ZyXEL, a pioneer in IP technology for over two decades, provides a complete portfolio of multiservice LTE, fiber and DSL broadband gateways, home connectivity solutions, smart home devices and enterprise-class Ethernet switches, security and Wi-Fi equipment for small to mid-size business. ZyXEL offers integrated, interoperable network solutions based on open standards. Headquartered in Anaheim, California, ZyXEL offers its partners service-rich solutions backed by a domestic team of logistic, sales, and technical support professionals.”
Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA
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802.11ac Wireless Network Solutions 2016 Buyer’s Guide anagement About Solutions Review: Solutions Review is a collection of technology news sites that aggregates, curates and creates the best content within leading technology categories. Solutions Review mission is connect buyers of enterprise technology with the best solution sellers. Over the past three years, Solutions Review has launched ten tech Buyer's Guide sites in categories ranging from Cybersecurity to Wireless 802.11ac as well as Mobility Management and Business Intelligence, Data Analytics, Data Integration and Cloud Platforms. Information for this report was gathered via a meta-analysis of available online materials and reports, conversations with vendor representatives, and examinations of product demonstrations and free trials. Solutions Review does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in this publication and does not advise technology users to base their vendor selection entirely on this research. Solutions Review disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, regarding this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
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Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA
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