Cisco Cisco Catalyst 6000 Multilayer Switch Feature Card MSFC2 White Paper

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Mobility is more than just wireless technology; it is the set of capabilities that are enabled after the user’s access to resources becomes presence-

aware and location- and network-independent. True mobility can only be achieved with the complete integration of the wired and wireless networks.

This integration allows resources to traverse different network types with fluidity, reliability, and security. This paper discusses the business and

technical advantages of an integrated wired and wireless network.

WLAN CENTRALIZATION

Business customers are accepting the architectural migration toward a centralized, controller-based WLAN network. In a centralized, controller-

based WLAN, access points rely on a centralized management device for system wide policy intelligence. The benefits of this architecture include

greater scalability, improved management, robust security, and lower cost of ownership. Combining a centralized, controller-based wireless

architecture with an integrated wired and wireless LAN delivers even greater scalability and cost benefits than a nonintegrated centralized,

controller-based WLAN.

Nonunified WLAN Architecture

A nonunified wireless network refers to a controller-based WLAN solution that has little to no unification with the wired network. Nonunified

wireless solutions might or might not come from the incumbent data networking provider. Deploying a WLAN from a supplier other than the

incumbent data networking provider usually results in different code, management, and user interfaces across the wired and wireless networks,

resulting in a lack of benefits when compared to a unified solution. In this scenario, the wired and wireless networks remain separate, with the

interface between the two being a standard Ethernet connection (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Nonunified WLAN Architecture