Wireless Network Solutions Buyers Guide
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2013 Wireless Network Solutions Buyers Guide An Analysis and Capabilities Reference Summary of the Top 20 Solution Providers in Wireless Networking Released by Solutions Review 1/1/2013 INTRODUCTION: Enterprises, healthcare and educational organizations are becoming increasingly mobile. Through the use of smart phones, tablets and other end devices end users are now able to access information from virtually any location. Whether through company provided smart phones, or Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs, organizations are making a push for this mobility due to an increase in productivity that this new level of access allows for. This productivity can only be achieved, however, if an organization IT infrastructure allows for it. Traditionally organization’s IT infrastructures, and more specifically the access layer, have been LAN based. “The recent explosion Allowing end users to hook up directly to an access drop of mobile devices has providing direct, but stationary connectivity to a network caused a seismic shift at speeds of 1G, 10G, 40G and even 100G speeds. With in how IT executives the emergence of this new mobile technology and the realization of the productivity it allows for, we have seen a need to think about shift towards the Wireless LAN structure becoming the their networks.” industry standard. Yes these mobile devices and new technologies are allowing for increased productivity, but they are last piece in a line of technology needed to achieve that productivity. Organizations need to address their IT infrastructure first and make sure it is structured to allow for mobile connectivity. It is important for IT not to put the cart before the horse and to first establish the proper Wireless Network Solution (WNS) that will allow for the connectivity and scalability that would make these mobile end devices otherwise obsolete. The Solutions Review 2013 Wireless Network Buyers Guide is a compilation of the top WNS solution providers offering the latest technology in the wireless networking space. With offering ranging from switches, routers, access points and management capabilities we have highlighted each and outlined their main features in an attempt to arm you with you the critical information needed when evaluating WNS for your organization. By bringing together all the relevant information from all the relevant WNS providers, we hope this assists you in evaluating what is a critical step in allowing your organization to utilize the new technology that is shaping the way business and organizational practices are done today. Matthew Adamson Editor Solutions Review [email protected] (978) 357-8244 Page | 2 Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA Table of Contents: Wireless Network Solution Providers (Listed Alphabetically) Things to Consider_________________________________________________ 4 ADTRAN_________________________________________________________ 5 Aerohive_________________________________________________________ 6 Alcatel-Lucent_____________________________________________________ 7 Aruba Networks___________________________________________________ 8 Avaya ___________________________________________________________ 9 Brocade__________________________________________________________ 10 Cisco____________________________________________________________ 11 D-Link___________________________________________________________ 12 Extreme Networks_________________________________________________ 13 Extricom_________________________________________________________ 14 Firetide__________________________________________________________ 15 Fortinet__________________________________________________________ 16 HP______________________________________________________________ 17 Juniper Networks__________________________________________________ 18 Meraki___________________________________________________________ 19 Meru Networks____________________________________________________ 20 Motorola Solutions_________________________________________________ 21 NETGEAR_________________________________________________________ 22 Ruckus Wireless___________________________________________________ 23 Xirrus____________________________________________________________ 24 Page | 3 Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA THINGS TO In this Buyers Guide, Solutions Review has chosen to highlight the Wireless elements of network CONSIDER: architecture because we believe the recent explosion of mobile devices has caused a seismic shift in how IT executives need to think about their networks. The end user – maybe employees, maybe students – is demanding to be wireless. And the amount of applications and data they expect to access is growing at an alarming rate. Wireless Network Solutions (WNS) providers come in a variety of sizes and offer a range of products. If you would like, you can choose products from two of the largest technology companies in the world – HP and Cisco. Or, you can choose to work with companies like Aerohive and Meraki that are just a few years old, but growing fast. Every company we have selected to present in this Buyers Guide is offering a rock solid wireless solution that we are confident you will be pleased with. Although not every wireless solution provider offers a full range of additional networking components like wired switches, network security appliances or other critical elements to the networks you are building or enhancing. Below are a few points to consider when selecting a Wireless Network Solution. 1. Technology: Wireless networking can be as simple as access points at the end of Cat 5 cable or an advanced mobility solution that integrates WiFi, cellular, IP telephony and video conferencing. In this guide you will find references to virtual networking, mesh networking, Software Defined Networking (SDN) and unified communications. In the end, the IT team responsible for this decision needs to understand its limitations for implementing a solution and the management requirements for maintaining a solution. 2. Security: The first priority for a wireless network needs to be security – not only for the enterprise but for the end user as well. Every wireless solution will require a security component to prevent and detect unauthorized intrusions. To add complexity, the mobile device of the end user now presents an all new challenge with regard to network vulnerability. This threat has spawned the new terms: Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) which may require an additional solution incorporated into your thinking. 3. The End User: What kind of network you build should ultimately be driven by who uses it and what they need it for. A school campus network may look very different than a corporate network enabled for telecommuting. Each provider in this guide has experience across a range of network implementations from education and health care to corporate enterprises both large and small. Go into any conversation with a solution provider with a clear understanding of who the network is for and let the companies you engage know about it. 4. Cost: The sales people will be mad at us, but you have to consider cost. That doesn’t mean the lowest cost necessarily, but this new age of networking requires a lot of gear: access points, controllers, routers, management software, etc. And the protocols go stale quickly. In this guide we present twenty providers. A lot of them will be very close in performance and some of them will have identical hardware due to OEM reseller agreements. And ultimately, you will most likely have to expand the network as the demand from end users increases. Page | 4 Solutions Review | 500 West Cummings Park | Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 | USA ABOUT THE Founded in 1986, ADTRAN (NASDAQ: ADTN) is a leading global COMPANY: provider of networking and communications equipment with an innovative portfolio of more than 1,700 solutions for use in the last mile of today’s telecommunications networks. Widely ADTRAN, Inc. deployed by carriers, distributed enterprises and Small- and 901 Explorer Boulevard Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs), ADTRAN networking equipment P.O. Box 140000 solutions enable voice, data, video, and Internet communications across copper, fiber, and wireless network infrastructures. Huntsville, AL 35806 USA ADTRAN offers a full spectrum of wireless solutions including 3G Tel: +1 800-923-8726 cellular solutions, License-Free Microwave and traditional or www.adtran.com virtual Wi-Fi networks. With the use of the 3G NIM, NetVanta routers can use 3G CDMA cellular service as a primary Wide Area Network (WAN) connection, or as a backup/disaster recovery link. The ADTRA TRACER Series is a family of point-to-point license-free wireless solutions that reduce monthly wireline expenditures and facilitate connectivity where landline infrastructure is unavailable or cost prohibitive. WIRELESS According to ADTRAN, “The NetVanta Wi-Fi solutions employ Virtual AccessPoints (VAPs), the SOLUTION: equivalent of wireless Virtual LANs (VLANs). Each wireless radio in the NetVanta Series supports up to eight unique VAPs, enabling enterprise customers to securely segment their wireless network traffic, like that of their wired network. In addition, a single VAP can be supported across multiple NetVanta Wi-Fi solutions which make it perfect for larger coverage areas and roaming scenarios. The NetVanta 3448 with PoE powers each 802.3af compliant NetVanta 150and acts as the wireless access controller