User's Manual

hwc_intro.fm
Overview of the Controller, Access Points and Convergence Software solution
Elements of the Controller, Access Points and Convergence Software solution
A31003-W1050-U100-2-7619,
March 2008
HiPath Wireless Controller, Access Points and Convergence Software V5 R1 , C20/C2400 User Guide 21
• Flexibility to suit enterprise
• Scalable and resilient deployments with a few HiPath Wireless Controllers
controlling hundreds of Wireless APs
The HiPath Wireless Controller, Access Points and Convergence Software
system:
• Scales up to Enterprise capacity – One HiPath Wireless Controller C20
controls as many as 32 Wireless APs and one HiPath Wireless
ControllerC2400 controls as many as 200 Wireless APs. In turn each
Wireless AP can handle up to 254 wireless devices, with each radio
supporting a maximum of 128. With additional HiPath Wireless Controllers,
the number of wireless devices the solution can support can reach into the
thousands.
• Integrates with existing network – A HiPath Wireless Controller can be
added to an existing enterprise network as a new network device, greatly
enhancing its capability without interfering with existing functionality.
Integration of the HiPath Wireless Controllers and Wireless APs does not
require any reconfiguration of the existing infrastructure (for example,
VLANs).
• Offers centralized management and control – An administrator accesses
the HiPath Wireless Controller in its centralized location to monitor and
administer the entire wireless network. From the HiPath Wireless Controller
the administrator can recognize, configure, and manage the Wireless APs
and distribute new software releases.
• Provides easy deployment of Wireless APs – The initial configuration of
the Wireless APs on the centralized HiPath Wireless Controller can be done
with an automatic “discovery” technique. For more information, see Section
4.2, “Discovery and registration overview”, on page 71.
• Provides security via user authentication – Uses existing authentication
(AAA) servers to authenticate and authorize users.
• Provides security via filters and privileges – Uses virtual networking
techniques to create separate virtual networks with defined authentication
and billing services, access policies, and privileges.
• Supports seamless mobility and roaming – Supports seamless roaming of
a wireless device from one Wireless AP to another on the same HiPath
Wireless Controller or on a different HiPath Wireless Controller.
• Integrates third-party access points – Uses a combination of network
routing and authentication techniques.
• Prevents rogue devices – Unauthorized access points are detected and
identified as harmless or dangerous rogue APs.