* Aerohive turns controller-based WLANs inside out
Initially there were “fat” wireless access points that provided wireless connectivity while controlling all parameters of that access. Next came wireless controllers that centrally managed many more, thinner APs spread throughout a large-scale wireless deployment. Now the venture capital funded Aerohive Networks is advocating the demise of centralized controllers in favor of distributed, intelligent APs that together can share in the enterprise WLAN management tasks.
According to a story by Network World Senior Editor John Cox, Aerohive officials say their cooperative AP architecture creates simpler, cheaper, more scalable WLANs.
As Cox explains in his article about the Aerohive architecture, management functions such as identity-based security, QoS traffic prioritization, autodiscovery of neighboring access points and best-path-forwarding protocol tasks are distributed throughout a meshed network of intelligent access points called HiveAPs. HiveAPs can wirelessly communicate with each other via a mesh protocol, and when needed, they become portals that are wired into any existing Ethernet switch port to connect with the wired LAN.
The HiveAP 20 model APs are available now and list for $995.
Link to Network World’s Wireless Buyer’s Guide in order to find detailed information on what more traditional WLAN products in nine categories have to offer to stave off newcomer Aerohive’s assault on this market space.
