Think about integration
Beyond coverage design and basic system build, any new WLAN has to be scrutinized for how it integrates with the rest of the enterprise. Seldom is WiFi access the end of the story here, and increasingly we find that once-separate network functions have become options for the basic WLAN system with tight integrations that can reshape large parts of your network infrastructure before its over.
For example, many of us have run stand-alone RADIUS environments, traffic shaping appliances, enterprise firewalls, and stand-alone guest user services. All of these and more have become integrated components in WiFi systems both big and small. Im at a point in my own environment where Im moving traffic shaping duties away from the likes of Packeteer and Palo Alto Networks and onto my Cisco wireless controllers.
I have branch locations where guest access that used to come all the way to the main network takes place locally on access points managed in the cloud. And Aruba Networks ClearPass suite is a NAC+ solution with onboarding, guest access, and other option-licensed features that can retire a rack full of legacy functions for those Aruba customers who opt to go that route. Youll notice that all of these examples are beyond the actual WiFi access part of the wireless network environment, but have the potential to redefine a number of critical network functions.
Keep in mind that as you choose the options needed to round out your WLAN, youre not necessarily bound to the same vendor that supplies your APs or cloud management service. Look for best-of-breed onboarding and RADIUS services, for example, even if its not as convenient with sticking with a single vendor.
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