Extreme networks WS-C25 Datenbogen

Wireless Appliance – Data Sheet 

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Each Appliance supports mixed mode deployments of 802.11ac, 802.11n and 
802.11a/b/g APs along with the ability to seamlessly roam between wireless 

Appliances and access points, providing scalability and ease of deployment. 

For large deployments, IdentiFi Wireless further simplifies the management of 
thousands of APs by creating mobility zones that extend the VNS properties across 
multiple wireless appliances. Mobility zones maintain the VNS definitions and the 
individual policies throughout the entire mobility zone, ensuring that policies follow 
the user regardless of physical location. 

IdentiFi Wireless provides an easy, low cost way to deploy 802.11ac/abgn solutions, 

delivering cost-effective pricing, wired/wireless integration, and low TCO while 
openly supporting a broad range of mobile voice, video, and location-based 
applications to drive enterprise productivity and reduce the overall cost of mobility. 
With the ability to deliver both centralized and distributed traffic forwarding by 
application, IdentiFi Wireless Appliances enable a flexible, cost-effective path to 
deploying 802.11ac/abgn for the enterprise. Backed by industry-leading global 
support and services, IdentiFi Wireless solutions enable customers to leverage 
existing investments and avoid forklift upgrades.

Most WLAN solutions force network administrators to choose between a centralized 

or distributed architecture. A significant advantage of IdentiFi Wireless Appliances is 

that they can support both deployment models simultaneously, offering significant 
flexibility benefits over other solutions. Network administrators can select how traffic 
will be handled on a per-SSID basis, without any restrictions, so that the wireless LAN 
infrastructure can adapt to business requirements and applications.

A centralized architecture requires all traffic to be backhauled to a centralized 
Appliance. With the higher data rates of 802.11ac and 802.11n APs, traffic loads on 

the wired network can be much greater than those created by legacy 802.11a/b/g 

APs. Depending on the size of the WLAN deployment and how much data is 

forwarded to the centralized Appliance, significant congestion may result.

A fully distributed deployment eliminates backhauling traffic to a wireless 
Appliance but increases the processing complexity for real-time mobile 

applications that require seamless cross-subnet roaming (e.g. VoWLAN). This can 
force IT managers to either create a large broadcast domain or apply many VLANs. 

IdentiFi Wireless Virtual Network Services control traffic flow by allowing traffic 
to be backhauled to a wireless Appliance or switched locally at the AP on a per 
SSID basis. With local switching, the AP is still managed centrally by the wireless 

Appliance, but data is not backhauled to the wireless Appliance. This improves 

responsiveness and ensures that traffic does not unnecessarily traverse costly 

WANs or contribute to bottlenecks at aggregating switches. A VNS also provides 

role-based policies providing security, NAC, mobility, and QoS priority that can be 

implemented on a per user and per application basis. The table below highlights 
this capability:

•  Authentication and authorization 

functions include role-based 
access control using 802.1X, MAC 
authentication, and captive portal

•  Standards-based encryption  

(WEP, TKIP, WPA, WPA2, WPA-

PSK, WPA2-PSK, and AES)

•  External captive portal allows full 

customization for guest access

•  Integrated wired and wireless  

intrusion prevention 

•  Denial of Service (DoS) protection 

for management, control, and 

data traffic

•  Industry-leading customer 

satisfaction and first call 
resolution rates

•  Personalized services, including 

site surveys, network design, 

installation, and training

•  Lifetime warranty for select 

wireless Appliances