Hi,

I wanted to write this post for sometime now. Every now and then we seem to be up against consumer grade wireless or just non-serious offering like a security company sticking in a radio inside their box. I categorize them as casual or opportunistic wireless solutions. Here is a handy cheatsheet for us to use.Feel free to add to the list or send your points to me and I can upload the doc on sales rack.

Thanks,

- Rajiv

Please make the big points before you go down to the specific features

 
Big Reasons:

 

Manageability –Motorola management portfolio goes beyond basic network management and day to day monitoring. 3D accurate RF planning and ability to pro-actively validate the network operation and security by automating tests to ensure end to end network connectivity
Adaptive Architecture - Superior Architecture that allows flexibility when designing for secure mobility with unmatched reliability
Multi-purpose Radio Design - Enables the AP to deliver uninterrupted client services while monitoring for RF threats from rogue devices. On demand spectrum analysis in specific areas where interference is being experienced.
Superior Hardware – Tri-radio, Rugged design, Plenum rated, wide operational temperature range, high MTBF (low failure rates), certified to operate in many regulatory zones, aesthetic design with integrated and external antennas etc.

 

Specific Features:

 

Here are a few points that I can think. By no means is this list complete or in any order. I got tired of typing at the end J

 

Feature

Motorola Enterprise APs

Casual Wireless/ Consumer Grade APs

Adaptive Architecture

Works standalone or in conjunction with a wireless switch controller. Central point of configuration and management.

Only standalone mode of operation. Every access point needs to be configured individually.

Power over Ethernet

Yes

No

Detachable External Antennas

Yes. Many antenna options are available.

No

Rugged Design certified for operation in harsh environments.

Yes.

No

Plenum Rated

Yes. Enables above the ceiling floor deployment

No

Dual Radio Access Points

Yes. Singe and dual radio Aps available.

No

3G radio option

Yes. AP-7131 supports 3G connectivity

No

Multi-Mode radio operation

Client access, rogue sensor, mesh backhaul and spectrum analysis

Basic client access

Number of Users

128

Typically limited to 32

Multiple Wireless LANs - SSID's

Yes. 16 WLANs

Limited to 1 WLAN

Multiple Security Profiles

WLANs can be configured with different security profiles.

No

802.1X Authentication

WPA/WPA2 802.1X options are supported

No

BSSID or Virtual AP capability allows over the air broadcast separation

Yes. 4 BSSIDs per radio

Limited to 1

Wireless user limit - Ability to admit/deny a users

Yes

No

3x3 MIMO Configuration

Motorola Aps offer 3x3 or 2x3 MIMO configuration which enables a highly reliable wireless network.

Usually 1x1

CPU

Dedicated Network Processor optimized for network processing

Off the shelf hardware

Hardware Accelerated Encryption

Yes. Speeds up encryption for wireless users and VPN traffic

Software based. Slow

Support for VLANs and VLAN Trunking

Yes.

No

Secure Guest Access - Hotspot

Yes

No

Ability to create and terminate IPSec VPN tunnels

Yes

No

On board RADIUS authentication services

Supports onboard Authentication server.

No

Integrates with External RADIUS or LDAP server

Yes

No

Capability to form multi-hop mesh capability

Yes

No

Capability to turn off radios when wired connectivity is lost

Yes

No

Throughput and performance

Increased transmit power and receive sensitivity combined with dedicated network processors deliver high performance

Off the shelf hardware -radios and CPU do not deliver high performance and throughput.

Range

Increased transmit power, receive sensitivity and better antennas deliver up to 60% greater coverage and require 40% fewer Aps. Typically up to 200 ft with standard antennas.

Off the shelf hardware -radios and CPU do not deliver increased range. Typically 50 ft.

Dynamic Transmit Power Control - Ability to dynamically increase or decrease transmit power

Yes. Offers Dynamic RF management capability

No

Wireless Intrusion Detection and Protection capabilities - Ability to detect and mitigate rogue APs

Built in Rogue detection capability that flags unauthorized Aps and mitigates rogue APs

No

5 GHz - Ability to operate in DFS channels

Yes

No

Multi-country operation

Yes

No

Troubleshooting options

Syslog with various levels of logging are available. Large range of CLI based commands are available for debugging. Remote Troubleshooting capability is also available

Basic level of logging. No CLI and no remote troubleshooting

Network Management Capability, SNMP Capability

Yes. CLI, GUI and Network management are available. Remote Management

No

Automatic firmware and configuration updates

Yes

No

Stateful Firewall capability

Offers several layers of security including customizing security rules per user

Basic firewall capability. Primarily focuses on IP packet anomaly

Capability to visually locate APs by initiating blink

Yes

No

 

 

Sr. Technical Marketing Engineer

Enterprise Wireless LAN Division

Motorola Inc.

Office: 408-528-2824

Sales Rack: http://compass.mot.com/web/wlansales/

Competitive Intelligence: http://compass.mot.com/web/wlansales/Competition