Cisco Small Business Wireless Update

I wanted to let you all know more about the new, exciting wireless access points coming out. So I asked the wireless Product Managers, Nasser and Brian to help me with this blog.

Let’s do this.

Cisco is expanding the wireless portfolio with four new models. Two 500 Series, one 300, and one 100 series.

Yes, there are two new 500 Series Models. These wireless access points feature high-power RF output, Spectrum Intelligence, SmartPoE (it is optimized for 802.3at power, but works with 802.3af, all automatically) and Static Link Aggregation (LAG). This powerful access point  has a concurrent 802.11ac dual radio 3×3 MIMO with three spatial streams. The WAP571 is a new indoor model. It features two energy efficient Ethernet ports. This model is perfect for businesses who looking for supporting more users with better performance and providing an outstanding user experience. This is the best performance, indoor access point.

The WAP571E is a powerful, outdoor Access Point that features an IP66 rated industrial design, 802.11ac dual radio and two Ethernet ports with Static LAG support. It provides basic coverage, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint bridging.The WAP571 can be deployed in any outdoor environment, like parks, school, pool and any common areas.

That sounds great right? But why?

Let us explain some these features:

High Power:  Better range and coverage, increased rate vs range.
Spectrum Intelligence:  This allows you to  see what is going on in the RF spectrum for troubleshooting & optimization.
SmartPoE:  Automatic adjustment of performance given PoE budget available.  802.3af? No problem, but the trade-off is performance and range.
Static LAG:  Provides more throughput available to the LAN.  Push real traffic beyond 1Gbps.
IP66:  Ingress Protection level 66, protect from the elements – Water, dust, etc.  It means the WAP can handle extreme outdoor environments.  The unit includes mounting hardware for surface and pole mount applications.

MIMO is an acronym for mult-input, multi-output.

The new WAP361 is a wall-plate model. It connects easily to any junction box and has concurrent dual band 802.11ac radio and five Ethernet ports. This model is perfect for adding PoE endpoints such as an IP Phone. Applications for the WAP361 is education, hospitality, and especially, conference rooms. Certainly a perfect fit for retro-fit, in-wall applications.

The Cisco WAP150 is a concurrent dual band 802.11ac access point. This is an easy choice for those looking for basic connectivity and solid performance for a limited number of users and associated devices.

One thing to note, all new Cisco WAP100, 300 and 500 Series can be set-up wirelessly in mere minutes. Use what you like: mobile device/cell phone, tablet, laptop etc. Now, you do not have to use a cable to connect to the access points.

Cisco will continue bringing you the Best-In-Class wireless networking products that are perfectly suited for small and medium-sized Businesses, especially those with growth on the mind. These new Wireless Access Points are a great value, best-in-breed features, quality, reliability and performance. All four new models, like the rest of the portfolio are simple to set-up and deploy, and can be up and running in mere minutes. Back all that up with our Industry’s best warranty and support community. The entire wireless portfolio is complimented with the switching and routing portfolios.

That is it for now – thank you for spending time with us.

Thanks and all the best,

The Cisco Small Business Team