For a year now, we have been hearing about the benefits of the technologically revolutionary Wi-Fi 6 standard. The Russian regulatory framework for this standard is in the process of being coordinated and will enter into force in a few months, creating the conditions for certification of communications equipment.
I'll focus on what the leading enterprise wireless networking vendor, a company I've been with for almost 12 years, Cisco, offers beyond the standard. It is precisely what is outside the standard that deserves close attention, it is here that interesting opportunities appear.
The future of Wi-Fi 6 already looks promising:
- Wi-Fi is the most popular wireless access technology by the number of devices used. The relatively inexpensive chipset allows it to be embedded in millions of low-cost IoT devices, furthering its adoption. At the moment, dozens of different end devices already support Wi-Fi 6.
- is truly unprecedented. The FCC is allocating an additional 1200 MHz for license-free use, which will greatly enhance the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6, as well as subsequent technologies such as the already discussed Wi-Fi 7. The ability to guarantee application performance, multiplied by the availability of a wide spectrum, truly opens up huge opportunities. Each country has its own regulation, and in the Russian Federation so far no news has been heard about the release of 6 GHz, but let's hope that the global movement will not go unnoticed for us.
- in connection with Wi-Fi 6 comes a powerful 5G mobile network interoperability activity, for example, the Open Roaming initiative, which promises new interesting services that work across different networks without users noticing. The approach to end-to-end service delivery in mobile and Wi-Fi networks has been taken many times, but never before has this direction been taken so far.
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 Series Access Points
Access points of the new standard differ in design. The entire series is similar in appearance, differing only in size. The points use a single fastener, so they are easy to replace one with another.
All Cisco Wi-Fi 6 access points combine:
- Wi-Fi 6 certified
- 802.11ax support in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
- OFDMA support in uplink and downlink
- MU-MIMO support in uplink and downlink for simultaneous interaction with a group of client devices in separated spatial streams
- Value BSS coloring in HD scenarios it is difficult to overestimate. This long-awaited technology, borrowed from mobile networks, excels in high-density scenarios where there are radio devices nearby using the same radio channel.
BSS coloring is the ability of an access point to group its clients in order to listen only to its own and ignore strangers. As a result, the efficiency of using airtime is increased, since the air is not considered busy when it is used by other clients and access points. Previously, HD scenarios used directional antennas and the RX-SOP mechanism. However, BSS coloring significantly outperforms these methods in efficiency. The collision domain threshold at -82dBm can cover up to 100 meters, while the 72dBm threshold when communication is still effective is much less. As a result, clients, hearing others, become silent and do not transmit.
- Target Wake Time β scheduling of going on the air with devices instead of the previously used Listen-Before-Talk collision method. The device can be hibernated for long periods of time, up to several years, and save battery life and airtime, which were previously required by regular service communications.
- Technologies built-in security allow you to make sure that the client device is really who it claims to be, that no one has cheated with its operating system and it does not impersonate another in order to penetrate the network.
- Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller Support Software wireless controller that works directly on the access point. EWC provides access point management without the need to purchase and maintain a separate wireless controller. This solution is ideal for distributed networks and organizations with limited IT resources. With EWC, you can get your network up and running in just a few steps right from the mobile app. The functionality of the EWC repeats the advanced features of a full-fledged enterprise-class wireless access controller.
- Proactive troubleshooting and network management automation are provided through the implementation of the Cisco DNA architecture. Access points deliver deep analytics about the state of the radio, network, and client devices to the DNA Center. As a result, the network diagnoses itself and shows anomalies, allowing proactive troubleshooting before a dissatisfied customer calls. Access control is carried out for groups of users, taking into account the context of the connection - device type, connection security level, requested application, user role, etc. By segmenting in this way and restricting access, we significantly increase the security of the wireless network.
- Optimized work with Apple and Samsung devices (and the list will be expanded). In the past, Cisco provided optimized Wi-Fi connectivity only for Apple devices. The optimization consisted in coordinating the implementation of Wi-Fi communications between the network infrastructure and end devices in order to optimize the connection of the device to the network - selection of the nearest and least loaded access point, fast roaming, prioritization of the application in the wireless network from the moment packets were queued for transmission to radio air on mobile device. This partnership has now been expanded and Samsung devices are also benefiting from optimal connectivity.
The star in the portfolio is the Cisco Catalyst 9130 Series Access Point. This access point is designed for large corporations actively using IoT. It is the most reliable, productive, secure and intelligent access point.
Cisco Catalyst 9130 Wi-Fi 6 Series
The C9130 uses 4 Wi-Fi radios, which can be converted to 5 when an 8x8 radio in the 5GHz band is used in 4x4 dual radio mode. This division is called Flexible Radio Assignment (FRA), it allows the access point to dynamically decide in which mode it is best to work under the current load and interference. By default, the point operates in 2x radio mode - 8x8 at 5GHz and 4x4 at 2.4GHz. But when network load increases or interference is high, when narrower channels are more efficient, the point can reconfigure to 3x radio systems and improve network performance to connect more devices or adapt to the current interference pattern.
Traditionally, Cisco designs its own chipset β Cisco RF ASIC β for top wireless solutions. This idea came when the tasks of analyzing radio broadcasts on a general radio began to eat up significant time from customer service. The Cisco RF ASIC has an optional radio for interference detection, optimal radio scheduling, IPS tasks - absolutely necessary for security in large corporations, for determining the location of customers. When spectrum analysis tasks are moved to a dedicated radio, we immediately see an increase in access point performance of about 25%.
Multi-gigabit port with a performance of 5 Gb / s allows you to transfer the collected traffic without a bottleneck.
Intelligent Capture constantly tests the network and sends deep analysis results to Cisco DNA Center, detects more than 200 anomalies, analyzes traffic at the packet level, acting as a built-in network manager. This is done without compromising customer service performance.
The Cisco Catalyst 9130 Access Point is the industry's first 8x8 with external antennas. To connect such a special antenna, a special intelligent connector is used, it is he who is covered with a yellow cover in the photo. An external antenna allows complex radio designs to be implemented in high density scenarios such as stadiums, classrooms, etc. The LED, familiar to access points, is also on the external antenna, which allows you to quickly assess the status of the equipment on site. Interestingly, the typical office antenna this time is made in the same aesthetics as the dot - look at the photo below and try to find 3 differences!
Supports the widest channels - 160 MHz.
The 5th radio in the access point is Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5 for use in stories with IoT, for example, for tracking the movements of BLE-tagged equipment and people, or navigating a room. The point also supports connection of 802.15.4 series protocols, for example Zigbee for, for example, working with Imagotag electronic price tags.
To complete the story, IoT is supported deployment of a container for applications directly on the access point, which can be very useful with the same electronic price tags.
The second in a row is the Cisco Catalyst 9120 access point. Its functionality is slightly limited compared to the Cisco Catalyst 9130, because it is not a star, but an asterisk. But the available functionality is all that an average large corporation needs. It uses the same hardware platform as the Cisco Catalyst 9130 and is the most popular access point for corporate use.
Cisco Catalyst 9120 Wi-Fi 6 Series Access Point
Radio point C9120 works according to the scheme 4 Γ 4 + 4 Γ 4, and there are options to turn on both radios at 5 GHz to increase performance or work in the standard version - at 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz (FRA functionality). FRA functionality was first introduced in the previous generation Cisco Aironet 2800 and 3800 series access points and performed well in the field. The C9120 access point generates 4 spatial streams on the radio.
There are options with internal and external antennas, one of the antennas is for professional installation, this is a powerful narrow beam antenna for special difficult situations, such as stadiums, rooms with high ceilings.
From the functionality of the Cisco Catalyst 9130 described above, the Catalyst 9120 supports: Cisco RF ASIC, FRA, smart connector for Smart Antenna, wide channels at 160 MHz, Intelligent Capture, integrated BLE 5 (as well as Zigbee), container support.
Differences: multi-gigabit port with a capacity of 2.5 GB / s.
The most democratic (so far!) And yet very interesting in terms of performance and features is the point of the Cisco Catalyst 9115 series.
Cisco Catalyst 9115 Wi-Fi 6 Series Access Point
The main difference of this access point is the use of industry-standard chipsets.
The scheme of operation is 4x4 at 5 GHz and 4x4 at 2.4 GHz. Available with internal and external antennas.
From the functionality described for older models in the Catalyst 9115 series, it supports: Intelligent Capture, integrated BLE 5, multi-gigabit port with a capacity of 2.5 Gb / s.
The collection of new access points would not be complete without the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN Controllers
The C9800 series of controllers features a number of important improvements:
- Increased availability - software updates on the controller and access points, connecting new access points performed without interrupting the network service.
- Security - functionality supported detection of malicious software in encrypted traffic (ETA), as well as a range of built-in security features to ensure your device isn't hacked and is who it claims to be.
- The controller is built on the Cisco IOS XE operating system, which provides a set of API for integration with third systems and implementation of new levels of automation. Automating network management tasks is now seen as an extremely urgent task, so programmability runs like a red thread through all products for Cisco enterprise networks. As an example of using the API, we can imagine the interaction of the controller with the IT service management system (ITSM), to which the controller sends analytics on client devices and access points, and receives back from it the coordination of time slots for updating the software. Scripting is facilitated by the program , which includes API descriptions, training, a sandbox, and a professional community in support of those who write codes for Cisco equipment.
Available Models:
- in hardware, these are Cisco C9800-80 and C9800-40 with uplinks of 80 and 40 Gb/s, respectively, and a compact version for small networks Cisco C9800-L with uplink of 20 Gb/s,
- Cisco C9800-CL software options deployed in private and public clouds, on a Catalyst 9K switch, or on an access point in the C9800 Embedded Wireless Controller option.
For existing networks, it is important that the new controllers support the previous 2 generations of access points, so they can be safely implemented and migrated step by step.
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Additional Documentation
Source: habr.com