Cisco Cisco Aironet 1130 AG Access Point White Paper
Cisco and Intel—Five Myths of Wireless Networks
Page 4
Myth #3: Wireless networks are complex to deploy and support
One of biggest changes in deploying wireless networks has been in client management. The mobility of wireless clients presents IT
departments with increased complexity of managing clients to maintain the integrity and support of the enterprise network. Intel
®
Centrino
®
mobile technology overcomes these barriers.
Intel
®
Centrino
®
mobile technology includes built-in remote management capabilities and powerful tools for IT departments to deploy and
manage wireless clients in the enterprise. By centrally managing end user wireless configurations, IT departments minimize TCO and
strengthen corporate wireless security policies. And because of tested interoperability between Intel
®
Centrino
®
mobile technology clients and
the Cisco Unified Wireless Network, wireless clients seamlessly integrate into existing enterprise infrastructures.
Using the Intel
®
PRO/Wireless Administrator Tool, IT departments can create profiles with all the network access and enterprise-class security
(WPA2, 802.11i and Cisco LEAP authentication protocol) requirements to fully control wireless clients within their environments. These
advanced client profiles ensure wireless clients comply with corporate policies when accessing the corporate network. For wireless network
users, the Intel
®
Centrino
®
mobile technology client experience is secure and seamless. Wireless network connectivity is streamlined with
profiles that automatically connect to specified in-range networks.
Complete client installation packages that include connection profiles, driver and application software, security settings and more can be
seamlessly distributed using existing network software distribution tools. Using different profiles, users also have the flexibility to connect to
wireless networks outside the enterprise.
“Lights-out” remote management support built into Intel
®
Centrino
®
mobile technology notebook computers enable WLAN connections to be
maintained even when no user is logged in. Combined with Wake on WLAN (WoWLAN) support that allows remote wake up of notebook
computers, administrators can push critical security updates and other software to keep clients in compliance with corporate network policies.
The Cisco Unified Wireless Network provides a variety of features to decrease the complexity of wireless deployment and management. As
enterprises strive to decrease the complexity of management, having a unified management view across all domains enhances the ability to
maintain unified network policies and detect and respond to alerts more quickly. A centralized management solution reduces training costs and
allows IT administrators to be more flexible when managing Internetworking issues.
The wireless RF domain has a special set of characteristics that make managing it more challenging than managing the wired network.
These challenges relate to the ever-changing nature of the RF environment and the fact that most enterprises lack in-house RF expertise. The
Cisco Unified Wireless Network takes the complexity out of RF management by supporting a variety of RF-specific management tools such as
dynamic channel assignment, RF interference mitigation, client load balancing, and power transmit control. These tools provide visibility into the
wireless network. Using these tools, network managers can view performance, usage, availability, and reliability statistics from a single
interface across wired and wireless networks. The combination of these features supports ongoing and automated site survey services to help
ensure that the wireless network provides optimal coverage and capacity.
Cisco and Intel Lower Complexity
Cisco and Intel understand the complexities involved in deploying and managing a business-class wireless network. The two companies
have worked together on the following solutions:
• The Cisco Compatible Extensions program to provide simple interoperability between wireless clients and infrastructure
• A strong focus on quality assurance and testing to ensure stable and highly available products
• Automated configuration and deployment services such as RF site surveying and client configuration for lower total cost of ownership
• A strong focus on quality assurance and testing to ensure stable and highly available products
• Automated configuration and deployment services such as RF site surveying and client configuration for lower total cost of ownership
7/25/06