Aruba Plans November 11n AP Launch

WLAN infrastructure vendor Aruba Networks says it doesnt feel the need to wait for 100% ratification of the putative 802.11n standard for higher-performance wireless networking, hoping it to be near enough that an AP launch should be possible in the November timeframe. The Sunnyvale, California-based vendor held back from launching an AP during the recent flurry of activity that coincided with the Interop show.

Companies like Trapeze, Meru and Colubris all launched 11n APs, albeit in pre-standard form, of course, and a new kid on the block, Aerohive, emerged from stealth mode with a controller-less architecture that it touted as being more 11n-friendly than everything else out there. Ratification pushed back Mike Tennefoss, head of strategic marketing for Aruba, pooh-poohed these moves, however, arguing that with final ratification of the standard by the IEEE having recently been pushed back till mid-to-late 2008, its irresponsible to push something today.

He argued that the devices unveiled in recent months were all designed to make a splash for press purposes, but may actually be counterproductive for the vendors who have launched them. These smaller guys are attention-seeking, he began, but they may also be making themselves hostages to fortune, in that there is the potential for confusion in their own sales teams between pushing 11n or the b/g APs. He inferred that the two major players who have not so far pronounced on 11n, i.e. Cisco and Aruba, are adopting a more responsible attitude.

Furthermore, he added, while 11n holds the promise of a lower density of APs in a given network being able to cover the same area and number of users, customers deploying these new APs into existing b/g environments wont be benefiting from this saving, since theyll have to continue with their existing b/g density. Only once the standard is firmed up enough, his argument went, will it make sense to launch an AP that will enable a complete network refresh of a customers infrastructure, when they will be able to take advantage of the lower AP density.

Another issue he raised was that of the different power requirements of the higher-performance next-gen WLAN technology. 11n needs a new PoE injector so as to provide PoE Plus [802.3af], because it has greater power requirements, he began. This also means GbE cabling, because Cat5 100BaseT doesnt support it. It must be at least 1000BaseT. Aruba already offers GbE ports on its high-end controller, the 6000. While it's still too early for an 11n launch from Aruba, Tennefoss said "we don't need to wait for 100% ratification." Instead, he went on, "we hope it'll be near enough ratified around November."

Aruba vs. Meru and Aerohive Referring specifically to Meru, whose 11n offering entailed a change to its architecture, with the introduction of a third-tier of sub-controllers between the central box and the APs, Tennefoss said this was making a virtue of necessity. 11n is a challenge for Meru because their controller cant handle it, since its an off-the-shelf PC in a rack-mount box, which means lack of throughput and processor power, By contrast, he went on, we do purpose-built boards and processors, which means that the latency in our controllers is virtually nil.

He added that, for large campus deployments, Aruba can also deploy slave controllers for local handling of traffic while a central switch is doing all the management. Meru also doesnt do central encryption or network management, he went on. As for Aerohive, he argued that its technology is a solution in search of a problem, referring to it as a very expensive system architecture squeezed by Ruckus and Netgear from below and us from above.

As for its more serious competitor, i.e. Cisco, Tennefoss argued that Aruba has distinct advantages in terms of security. They take a port-centric view, whereby the user comes through a particular port to access the network, rather like a VPN, whereas we assign credentials to the user and follow them, he went on. Ciscos view limits flexibility, and all the features require another box per feature. Even our fixed-mobile convergence offering doesnt require large infrastructure investments, unlike theirs. Thin, ma non troppo Tennefoss revealed that the 11n AP now being developed by Aruba includes hardware acceleration, with a stateful firewall and mobile routing for split tunnelling in the device.

In other words, while Aruba made its name in WLAN switching, i.e. the generation of infrastructure that relied on an centrally switched overlay network and thin APs, apps such as firewalling and routing are actually running in the AP. Indeed, Tennefoss went on, while Aruba shuns the idea of encryption and decryption in the AP, we can perform these functions in our mesh nodes to enable P2P networking with them, though we dont like the idea of security keys sitting on a node out in the car park.

Our View Tennefoss comments about those of Arubas competitors who launched 11n APs in May respond to their claims that his company isnt offering 11n yet because its centralized architecture, and in particular its execution of encryption and decryption in the controller, impede it. There has certainly been a lot of what Marxists used to call revisionism underway in the switched WLAN camp of late, with first Trapeze, then Meru moving intelligence back out towards the edge of their networks, whether onto the APs themselves or to a local sub-controller halfway between the central switch and the thin AP. Colubris, meanwhile, has been talking up this tri-plane arrangement for well over a year.

The drivers for those architectural changes have been VoWiFi, which is more latency-intolerant that the average data app, and no 11n, with its promise of greater bandwidth, concomitant with higher performance demands on the network infrastructure. Aruba insists that its architecture requires no fundamental changes for the coming storm, however, and the proof of the pudding will have to be in the eating. Lets also see how Cisco, which is market leader in terms of APs deployed in the field, will address the perceived challenges of voice on WLAN and the new high-performance 11n technology.

By Rik Turner
Computer Business Online

Aruba Plans November 11n AP Launch

WLAN infrastructure vendor Aruba Networks says it doesnt feel the need to wait for 100% ratification of the putative 802.11n standard for higher-performance wireless networking, hoping it to be near enough that an AP launch should be possible in the November timeframe. The Sunnyvale, California-based vendor held back from launching an AP during the recent flurry of activity that coincided with the Interop show.

Companies like Trapeze, Meru and Colubris all launched 11n APs, albeit in pre-standard form, of course, and a new kid on the block, Aerohive, emerged from stealth mode with a controller-less architecture that it touted as being more 11n-friendly than everything else out there. Ratification pushed back Mike Tennefoss, head of strategic marketing for Aruba, pooh-poohed these moves, however, arguing that with final ratification of the standard by the IEEE having recently been pushed back till mid-to-late 2008, its irresponsible to push something today.

He argued that the devices unveiled in recent months were all designed to make a splash for press purposes, but may actually be counterproductive for the vendors who have launched them. These smaller guys are attention-seeking, he began, but they may also be making themselves hostages to fortune, in that there is the potential for confusion in their own sales teams between pushing 11n or the b/g APs. He inferred that the two major players who have not so far pronounced on 11n, i.e. Cisco and Aruba, are adopting a more responsible attitude.

Furthermore, he added, while 11n holds the promise of a lower density of APs in a given network being able to cover the same area and number of users, customers deploying these new APs into existing b/g environments wont be benefiting from this saving, since theyll have to continue with their existing b/g density. Only once the standard is firmed up enough, his argument went, will it make sense to launch an AP that will enable a complete network refresh of a customers infrastructure, when they will be able to take advantage of the lower AP density.

Another issue he raised was that of the different power requirements of the higher-performance next-gen WLAN technology. 11n needs a new PoE injector so as to provide PoE Plus [802.3af], because it has greater power requirements, he began. This also means GbE cabling, because Cat5 100BaseT doesnt support it. It must be at least 1000BaseT. Aruba already offers GbE ports on its high-end controller, the 6000. While it's still too early for an 11n launch from Aruba, Tennefoss said "we don't need to wait for 100% ratification." Instead, he went on, "we hope it'll be near enough ratified around November."

Aruba vs. Meru and Aerohive Referring specifically to Meru, whose 11n offering entailed a change to its architecture, with the introduction of a third-tier of sub-controllers between the central box and the APs, Tennefoss said this was making a virtue of necessity. 11n is a challenge for Meru because their controller cant handle it, since its an off-the-shelf PC in a rack-mount box, which means lack of throughput and processor power, By contrast, he went on, we do purpose-built boards and processors, which means that the latency in our controllers is virtually nil.

He added that, for large campus deployments, Aruba can also deploy slave controllers for local handling of traffic while a central switch is doing all the management. Meru also doesnt do central encryption or network management, he went on. As for Aerohive, he argued that its technology is a solution in search of a problem, referring to it as a very expensive system architecture squeezed by Ruckus and Netgear from below and us from above.

As for its more serious competitor, i.e. Cisco, Tennefoss argued that Aruba has distinct advantages in terms of security. They take a port-centric view, whereby the user comes through a particular port to access the network, rather like a VPN, whereas we assign credentials to the user and follow them, he went on. Ciscos view limits flexibility, and all the features require another box per feature. Even our fixed-mobile convergence offering doesnt require large infrastructure investments, unlike theirs. Thin, ma non troppo Tennefoss revealed that the 11n AP now being developed by Aruba includes hardware acceleration, with a stateful firewall and mobile routing for split tunnelling in the device.

In other words, while Aruba made its name in WLAN switching, i.e. the generation of infrastructure that relied on an centrally switched overlay network and thin APs, apps such as firewalling and routing are actually running in the AP. Indeed, Tennefoss went on, while Aruba shuns the idea of encryption and decryption in the AP, we can perform these functions in our mesh nodes to enable P2P networking with them, though we dont like the idea of security keys sitting on a node out in the car park.

Our View Tennefoss comments about those of Arubas competitors who launched 11n APs in May respond to their claims that his company isnt offering 11n yet because its centralized architecture, and in particular its execution of encryption and decryption in the controller, impede it. There has certainly been a lot of what Marxists used to call revisionism underway in the switched WLAN camp of late, with first Trapeze, then Meru moving intelligence back out towards the edge of their networks, whether onto the APs themselves or to a local sub-controller halfway between the central switch and the thin AP. Colubris, meanwhile, has been talking up this tri-plane arrangement for well over a year.

The drivers for those architectural changes have been VoWiFi, which is more latency-intolerant that the average data app, and no 11n, with its promise of greater bandwidth, concomitant with higher performance demands on the network infrastructure. Aruba insists that its architecture requires no fundamental changes for the coming storm, however, and the proof of the pudding will have to be in the eating. Lets also see how Cisco, which is market leader in terms of APs deployed in the field, will address the perceived challenges of voice on WLAN and the new high-performance 11n technology.

By Rik Turner
Computer Business Online

Aruba Plans November 11n AP Launch

WLAN infrastructure vendor Aruba Networks says it doesnt feel the need to wait for 100% ratification of the putative 802.11n standard for higher-performance wireless networking, hoping it to be near enough that an AP launch should be possible in the November timeframe. The Sunnyvale, California-based vendor held back from launching an AP during the recent flurry of activity that coincided with the Interop show.

Companies like Trapeze, Meru and Colubris all launched 11n APs, albeit in pre-standard form, of course, and a new kid on the block, Aerohive, emerged from stealth mode with a controller-less architecture that it touted as being more 11n-friendly than everything else out there. Ratification pushed back Mike Tennefoss, head of strategic marketing for Aruba, pooh-poohed these moves, however, arguing that with final ratification of the standard by the IEEE having recently been pushed back till mid-to-late 2008, its irresponsible to push something today.

He argued that the devices unveiled in recent months were all designed to make a splash for press purposes, but may actually be counterproductive for the vendors who have launched them. These smaller guys are attention-seeking, he began, but they may also be making themselves hostages to fortune, in that there is the potential for confusion in their own sales teams between pushing 11n or the b/g APs. He inferred that the two major players who have not so far pronounced on 11n, i.e. Cisco and Aruba, are adopting a more responsible attitude.

Furthermore, he added, while 11n holds the promise of a lower density of APs in a given network being able to cover the same area and number of users, customers deploying these new APs into existing b/g environments wont be benefiting from this saving, since theyll have to continue with their existing b/g density. Only once the standard is firmed up enough, his argument went, will it make sense to launch an AP that will enable a complete network refresh of a customers infrastructure, when they will be able to take advantage of the lower AP density.

Another issue he raised was that of the different power requirements of the higher-performance next-gen WLAN technology. 11n needs a new PoE injector so as to provide PoE Plus [802.3af], because it has greater power requirements, he began. This also means GbE cabling, because Cat5 100BaseT doesnt support it. It must be at least 1000BaseT. Aruba already offers GbE ports on its high-end controller, the 6000. While it's still too early for an 11n launch from Aruba, Tennefoss said "we don't need to wait for 100% ratification." Instead, he went on, "we hope it'll be near enough ratified around November."

Aruba vs. Meru and Aerohive Referring specifically to Meru, whose 11n offering entailed a change to its architecture, with the introduction of a third-tier of sub-controllers between the central box and the APs, Tennefoss said this was making a virtue of necessity. 11n is a challenge for Meru because their controller cant handle it, since its an off-the-shelf PC in a rack-mount box, which means lack of throughput and processor power, By contrast, he went on, we do purpose-built boards and processors, which means that the latency in our controllers is virtually nil.

He added that, for large campus deployments, Aruba can also deploy slave controllers for local handling of traffic while a central switch is doing all the management. Meru also doesnt do central encryption or network management, he went on. As for Aerohive, he argued that its technology is a solution in search of a problem, referring to it as a very expensive system architecture squeezed by Ruckus and Netgear from below and us from above.

As for its more serious competitor, i.e. Cisco, Tennefoss argued that Aruba has distinct advantages in terms of security. They take a port-centric view, whereby the user comes through a particular port to access the network, rather like a VPN, whereas we assign credentials to the user and follow them, he went on. Ciscos view limits flexibility, and all the features require another box per feature. Even our fixed-mobile convergence offering doesnt require large infrastructure investments, unlike theirs. Thin, ma non troppo Tennefoss revealed that the 11n AP now being developed by Aruba includes hardware acceleration, with a stateful firewall and mobile routing for split tunnelling in the device.

In other words, while Aruba made its name in WLAN switching, i.e. the generation of infrastructure that relied on an centrally switched overlay network and thin APs, apps such as firewalling and routing are actually running in the AP. Indeed, Tennefoss went on, while Aruba shuns the idea of encryption and decryption in the AP, we can perform these functions in our mesh nodes to enable P2P networking with them, though we dont like the idea of security keys sitting on a node out in the car park.

Our View Tennefoss comments about those of Arubas competitors who launched 11n APs in May respond to their claims that his company isnt offering 11n yet because its centralized architecture, and in particular its execution of encryption and decryption in the controller, impede it. There has certainly been a lot of what Marxists used to call revisionism underway in the switched WLAN camp of late, with first Trapeze, then Meru moving intelligence back out towards the edge of their networks, whether onto the APs themselves or to a local sub-controller halfway between the central switch and the thin AP. Colubris, meanwhile, has been talking up this tri-plane arrangement for well over a year.

The drivers for those architectural changes have been VoWiFi, which is more latency-intolerant that the average data app, and no 11n, with its promise of greater bandwidth, concomitant with higher performance demands on the network infrastructure. Aruba insists that its architecture requires no fundamental changes for the coming storm, however, and the proof of the pudding will have to be in the eating. Lets also see how Cisco, which is market leader in terms of APs deployed in the field, will address the perceived challenges of voice on WLAN and the new high-performance 11n technology.

By Rik Turner
Computer Business Online

iPhone may be disrupting the cisco based wireless network

On Duke's wireless network and iPhones


Duke University Office of Information Technology engineers have detected a series of wireless-network disruptions. They have reported nine such episodes since the problem was discovered late last week. Each event lasted no longer than 10 minutes and most users would have noticed no difference in their wireless service, though disruptions may have caused access delays or sluggish internet performance for isolated users.

Technicians have tracked the source of the disruption to people whose iPhones are registered to access Duke’s wireless network but cannot attribute the cause of the disruptions to the devices and are working with colleagues from Apple, makers of the iPhone, and Cisco, the vendor for Duke’s network equipment, to pinpoint the cause of the problem.

Their investigation continues. OIT will update this report as new information becomes available.

iPhone may be disrupting the cisco based wireless network

On Duke's wireless network and iPhones


Duke University Office of Information Technology engineers have detected a series of wireless-network disruptions. They have reported nine such episodes since the problem was discovered late last week. Each event lasted no longer than 10 minutes and most users would have noticed no difference in their wireless service, though disruptions may have caused access delays or sluggish internet performance for isolated users.

Technicians have tracked the source of the disruption to people whose iPhones are registered to access Duke’s wireless network but cannot attribute the cause of the disruptions to the devices and are working with colleagues from Apple, makers of the iPhone, and Cisco, the vendor for Duke’s network equipment, to pinpoint the cause of the problem.

Their investigation continues. OIT will update this report as new information becomes available.

iPhone may be disrupting the cisco based wireless network

On Duke's wireless network and iPhones


Duke University Office of Information Technology engineers have detected a series of wireless-network disruptions. They have reported nine such episodes since the problem was discovered late last week. Each event lasted no longer than 10 minutes and most users would have noticed no difference in their wireless service, though disruptions may have caused access delays or sluggish internet performance for isolated users.

Technicians have tracked the source of the disruption to people whose iPhones are registered to access Duke’s wireless network but cannot attribute the cause of the disruptions to the devices and are working with colleagues from Apple, makers of the iPhone, and Cisco, the vendor for Duke’s network equipment, to pinpoint the cause of the problem.

Their investigation continues. OIT will update this report as new information becomes available.

Aruba proposes alternative to using IPSec for remote access security

For years, there have been two traditional methods for secure remote access: IPSec and SSL VPNs. Both have been discussed in this newsletter over the years, and each has its definite strengths and weaknesses. Now, wireless LAN provider Aruba has proposed an alternative to using IPSec on the client computer that we find innovative.

Aruba proposes that telecommuters and road warriors consider deploying Aruba’s special remote-access point (RAP) software on the company’s APs and using the Aruba APs from home or hotel rooms. The APs — rather than your client device - communicate with Aruba’s centralized controller in your data center over an IPSec tunnel. This precludes the user from having to mess with passwords, PINs and IPSec key fobs.

The only requirement is that the remote AP has wired Internet connectivity.

This approach certainly seems to us to have some appeal. But we also turned to our colleague, Joanie Wexler, author of Network World’s Wireless in the Enterprise newsletter, for her take. Joanie said, “This could be easier for home users who have to log in to the VPN repeatedly every day and for road warriors who would like to use multiple wireless devices from a single hotel-room Internet connection.”

If you would like to take a closer look at this solution, a white paper with an extensive explanation is available here. And while you’re at the Webtorials site, you might also want to take a look at a paper on next-generation access, the Kubernan State-of-the-Market report on Mobile WiMAX.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on the Aruba approach. Let us hear from you, and we’ll be happy to share the feedback.

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com

Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure.

Aruba proposes alternative to using IPSec for remote access security

For years, there have been two traditional methods for secure remote access: IPSec and SSL VPNs. Both have been discussed in this newsletter over the years, and each has its definite strengths and weaknesses. Now, wireless LAN provider Aruba has proposed an alternative to using IPSec on the client computer that we find innovative.

Aruba proposes that telecommuters and road warriors consider deploying Aruba’s special remote-access point (RAP) software on the company’s APs and using the Aruba APs from home or hotel rooms. The APs — rather than your client device - communicate with Aruba’s centralized controller in your data center over an IPSec tunnel. This precludes the user from having to mess with passwords, PINs and IPSec key fobs.

The only requirement is that the remote AP has wired Internet connectivity.

This approach certainly seems to us to have some appeal. But we also turned to our colleague, Joanie Wexler, author of Network World’s Wireless in the Enterprise newsletter, for her take. Joanie said, “This could be easier for home users who have to log in to the VPN repeatedly every day and for road warriors who would like to use multiple wireless devices from a single hotel-room Internet connection.”

If you would like to take a closer look at this solution, a white paper with an extensive explanation is available here. And while you’re at the Webtorials site, you might also want to take a look at a paper on next-generation access, the Kubernan State-of-the-Market report on Mobile WiMAX.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on the Aruba approach. Let us hear from you, and we’ll be happy to share the feedback.

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com

Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure.

Aruba proposes alternative to using IPSec for remote access security

For years, there have been two traditional methods for secure remote access: IPSec and SSL VPNs. Both have been discussed in this newsletter over the years, and each has its definite strengths and weaknesses. Now, wireless LAN provider Aruba has proposed an alternative to using IPSec on the client computer that we find innovative.

Aruba proposes that telecommuters and road warriors consider deploying Aruba’s special remote-access point (RAP) software on the company’s APs and using the Aruba APs from home or hotel rooms. The APs — rather than your client device - communicate with Aruba’s centralized controller in your data center over an IPSec tunnel. This precludes the user from having to mess with passwords, PINs and IPSec key fobs.

The only requirement is that the remote AP has wired Internet connectivity.

This approach certainly seems to us to have some appeal. But we also turned to our colleague, Joanie Wexler, author of Network World’s Wireless in the Enterprise newsletter, for her take. Joanie said, “This could be easier for home users who have to log in to the VPN repeatedly every day and for road warriors who would like to use multiple wireless devices from a single hotel-room Internet connection.”

If you would like to take a closer look at this solution, a white paper with an extensive explanation is available here. And while you’re at the Webtorials site, you might also want to take a look at a paper on next-generation access, the Kubernan State-of-the-Market report on Mobile WiMAX.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on the Aruba approach. Let us hear from you, and we’ll be happy to share the feedback.

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com

Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure.

MobileAccess wireless-distribution system upgraded for simpler WLAN deployment

MobileAccess is modifying its in-building wireless-distribution system to simplify deployments for wireless LANs.

Like the previous model, the new MA-860 Wireless LAN Module will be a box into which you plug WLAN access points. The MA-860 combines these signals with signals from cellular base stations and wireless sensor networks, for example, and over coaxial cable to and from ceiling-mounted MobileAccess antennas. These multiband antennas act as a kind of radiant grid throughout the building, a single infrastructure that can support different types of wireless signals.

The MA-860, which typically is mounted in distribution switching closets, has new signal-conditioning code that compensates for the WLAN radio energy that “leaks” from the coaxial cable. What this means in practice is that IT staff can position the MobileAccess antennas as if they were WLAN access points. No additional measurements, testing or experimentation is needed, according to Cathy Zatloukal, CEO for the Vienna, Va., company.

Also new is a port that for the first time supports multimode fiber, which now can be used where available instead of single-mode fiber to connect the MA-860 to the central MobileAccess head-end unit.

A complete MobileAccess deployment consists of the head-end components, which link with cellular base stations or repeaters and put those signals onto the fiber backbone; the remote hub units, which include the MA-860 and other boxes for various wireless voice and data services; and the multiband antennas.

The MA-860 is in beta tests with Cisco and is expected to ship in the fourth quarter. Pricing has not been completed.

MobileAccess wireless-distribution system upgraded for simpler WLAN deployment

MobileAccess is modifying its in-building wireless-distribution system to simplify deployments for wireless LANs.

Like the previous model, the new MA-860 Wireless LAN Module will be a box into which you plug WLAN access points. The MA-860 combines these signals with signals from cellular base stations and wireless sensor networks, for example, and over coaxial cable to and from ceiling-mounted MobileAccess antennas. These multiband antennas act as a kind of radiant grid throughout the building, a single infrastructure that can support different types of wireless signals.

The MA-860, which typically is mounted in distribution switching closets, has new signal-conditioning code that compensates for the WLAN radio energy that “leaks” from the coaxial cable. What this means in practice is that IT staff can position the MobileAccess antennas as if they were WLAN access points. No additional measurements, testing or experimentation is needed, according to Cathy Zatloukal, CEO for the Vienna, Va., company.

Also new is a port that for the first time supports multimode fiber, which now can be used where available instead of single-mode fiber to connect the MA-860 to the central MobileAccess head-end unit.

A complete MobileAccess deployment consists of the head-end components, which link with cellular base stations or repeaters and put those signals onto the fiber backbone; the remote hub units, which include the MA-860 and other boxes for various wireless voice and data services; and the multiband antennas.

The MA-860 is in beta tests with Cisco and is expected to ship in the fourth quarter. Pricing has not been completed.

MobileAccess wireless-distribution system upgraded for simpler WLAN deployment

MobileAccess is modifying its in-building wireless-distribution system to simplify deployments for wireless LANs.

Like the previous model, the new MA-860 Wireless LAN Module will be a box into which you plug WLAN access points. The MA-860 combines these signals with signals from cellular base stations and wireless sensor networks, for example, and over coaxial cable to and from ceiling-mounted MobileAccess antennas. These multiband antennas act as a kind of radiant grid throughout the building, a single infrastructure that can support different types of wireless signals.

The MA-860, which typically is mounted in distribution switching closets, has new signal-conditioning code that compensates for the WLAN radio energy that “leaks” from the coaxial cable. What this means in practice is that IT staff can position the MobileAccess antennas as if they were WLAN access points. No additional measurements, testing or experimentation is needed, according to Cathy Zatloukal, CEO for the Vienna, Va., company.

Also new is a port that for the first time supports multimode fiber, which now can be used where available instead of single-mode fiber to connect the MA-860 to the central MobileAccess head-end unit.

A complete MobileAccess deployment consists of the head-end components, which link with cellular base stations or repeaters and put those signals onto the fiber backbone; the remote hub units, which include the MA-860 and other boxes for various wireless voice and data services; and the multiband antennas.

The MA-860 is in beta tests with Cisco and is expected to ship in the fourth quarter. Pricing has not been completed.

AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer for Aruba

The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer for Aruba is a software-only Wi-Fi troubleshooting and help-desk solution designed specifically for Aruba's Mobile Edge Architecture. The Enterprise Analyzer software works with existing Aruba controllers and access points to collect Wi-Fi data for expert analysis. AirMagnet's signature AirWISE engine automatically pinpoints more than 130 types of wireless factors that can impact network performance, then generates alarms with detailed explanations of events and advice on corrective actions. Network managers can also remotely troubleshoot wireless problems in real-time without having to travel on-site. The result is a much faster and cost-effective way to solve wireless issues while making the most efficient use of WLAN hardware resources.

Communicates with Existing Aruba Access Points
The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer enables Aruba Networks' customers to remotely troubleshoot devices and other sources of Wi-Fi performance issues from one central location without the need for any new hardware. AirMagnet's Enterprise Analyzer software performs wireless monitoring and troubleshooting by collecting data from Aruba's access points (APs), thus maximizing your infrastructure investment.

Provides Intelligent Scanning of all Channels
The AirMagnet analyzer can be used to troubleshoot the Aruba network using data feeds from the Aruba APs in both the standard AP Mode and AirMonitor Mode. In the AP mode, the analyzer receives a real-time data feed directly from the Aruba AP, which allows for complete monitoring and troubleshooting on a single Wi-Fi channel without interrupting any end-user sessions. The AirMonitor Mode gives the AirMagnet analyzer real-time control over individual access points, so you can perform complete interactive channel, throughput and device analysis.

Detects over 130 WLAN Performance Issues with AirWISE
The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer is equipped with AirWISE® engine, which identifies and explains over 130 WLAN issues including traffic problems, configuration conflicts, overloaded resources, QoS issues and much more. AirWISE® is your encyclopedia source for understanding the threats and performance issues at work in your Wi-Fi environment. All system alarms are explained for you in detail, including why they are important and what steps you should take to resolve issues. You can investigate any device or channel in detail, including utilization, throughput, CRC error rates, a complete frame level view of all traffic and more.

AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer for Aruba

The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer for Aruba is a software-only Wi-Fi troubleshooting and help-desk solution designed specifically for Aruba's Mobile Edge Architecture. The Enterprise Analyzer software works with existing Aruba controllers and access points to collect Wi-Fi data for expert analysis. AirMagnet's signature AirWISE engine automatically pinpoints more than 130 types of wireless factors that can impact network performance, then generates alarms with detailed explanations of events and advice on corrective actions. Network managers can also remotely troubleshoot wireless problems in real-time without having to travel on-site. The result is a much faster and cost-effective way to solve wireless issues while making the most efficient use of WLAN hardware resources.

Communicates with Existing Aruba Access Points
The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer enables Aruba Networks' customers to remotely troubleshoot devices and other sources of Wi-Fi performance issues from one central location without the need for any new hardware. AirMagnet's Enterprise Analyzer software performs wireless monitoring and troubleshooting by collecting data from Aruba's access points (APs), thus maximizing your infrastructure investment.

Provides Intelligent Scanning of all Channels
The AirMagnet analyzer can be used to troubleshoot the Aruba network using data feeds from the Aruba APs in both the standard AP Mode and AirMonitor Mode. In the AP mode, the analyzer receives a real-time data feed directly from the Aruba AP, which allows for complete monitoring and troubleshooting on a single Wi-Fi channel without interrupting any end-user sessions. The AirMonitor Mode gives the AirMagnet analyzer real-time control over individual access points, so you can perform complete interactive channel, throughput and device analysis.

Detects over 130 WLAN Performance Issues with AirWISE
The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer is equipped with AirWISE® engine, which identifies and explains over 130 WLAN issues including traffic problems, configuration conflicts, overloaded resources, QoS issues and much more. AirWISE® is your encyclopedia source for understanding the threats and performance issues at work in your Wi-Fi environment. All system alarms are explained for you in detail, including why they are important and what steps you should take to resolve issues. You can investigate any device or channel in detail, including utilization, throughput, CRC error rates, a complete frame level view of all traffic and more.

AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer for Aruba

The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer for Aruba is a software-only Wi-Fi troubleshooting and help-desk solution designed specifically for Aruba's Mobile Edge Architecture. The Enterprise Analyzer software works with existing Aruba controllers and access points to collect Wi-Fi data for expert analysis. AirMagnet's signature AirWISE engine automatically pinpoints more than 130 types of wireless factors that can impact network performance, then generates alarms with detailed explanations of events and advice on corrective actions. Network managers can also remotely troubleshoot wireless problems in real-time without having to travel on-site. The result is a much faster and cost-effective way to solve wireless issues while making the most efficient use of WLAN hardware resources.

Communicates with Existing Aruba Access Points
The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer enables Aruba Networks' customers to remotely troubleshoot devices and other sources of Wi-Fi performance issues from one central location without the need for any new hardware. AirMagnet's Enterprise Analyzer software performs wireless monitoring and troubleshooting by collecting data from Aruba's access points (APs), thus maximizing your infrastructure investment.

Provides Intelligent Scanning of all Channels
The AirMagnet analyzer can be used to troubleshoot the Aruba network using data feeds from the Aruba APs in both the standard AP Mode and AirMonitor Mode. In the AP mode, the analyzer receives a real-time data feed directly from the Aruba AP, which allows for complete monitoring and troubleshooting on a single Wi-Fi channel without interrupting any end-user sessions. The AirMonitor Mode gives the AirMagnet analyzer real-time control over individual access points, so you can perform complete interactive channel, throughput and device analysis.

Detects over 130 WLAN Performance Issues with AirWISE
The AirMagnet Enterprise Analyzer is equipped with AirWISE® engine, which identifies and explains over 130 WLAN issues including traffic problems, configuration conflicts, overloaded resources, QoS issues and much more. AirWISE® is your encyclopedia source for understanding the threats and performance issues at work in your Wi-Fi environment. All system alarms are explained for you in detail, including why they are important and what steps you should take to resolve issues. You can investigate any device or channel in detail, including utilization, throughput, CRC error rates, a complete frame level view of all traffic and more.

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