For WLAN deployments, Motorola offers a line of access points targeted to SMB or remote office implementations in both indoor and outdoor enclosures. Currently available in the product line are:

- AP3000: Described as an "Access Port," the AP3000 is used in conjunction with the vendor's WLAN switches and operates as a thin access point centrally managed by the switches. Two design are offered: A plenum-rated metal enclosure with external antenna attachments for above-the-tile deployments, and a plastic-housing with internal antennas for deployments within the office space. The Motorola switches automatically discover and configure the AP3000 ports.

A key feature of the AP3000 is its support for "Virtual AP" deployments. Each AP3000 actually supports up to 4 separate broadcast domains (4 individual BSSIDs) and 16 ESSIDs, supporting single AP traffic segmentations. A dual radio design supports both 802.11a and 802.11b/g operation in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz ISM bands; and PoE is additionally supported to the AP.

- AP-5131: The AP-5131 is also a dual radio (802.11a, 802.11b/g) offering; but unlike the AP3000 above, it (and all of the other APs described here) features "Adaptive Mode" technology that enables it to be centrally managed through a Motorola switch and yet continue to operate as a stand alone AP in the event connectivity to the main switch is lost. Communications between the AP5131 and the central switch are protected via IPsec tunnels.

The AP-5131 itself is targeted to indoor uses and additionally features support for mesh deployments (point-to-point, or multi-point mesh operation), WMM QoS, WPA/WPA2 encryption, rogue AP detection, a pair of Ethernet ports for WAN/LAN connections, and integrated router, firewall, and DHCP capabilities. The AP-5131 can be managed via a Java-based GUI, the vendor's Motorola Mobility Services Platform (MSP), SNMPv3, or a CLI.

- AP-5181: Closely related to the AP-5131 is the AP-5181, which shares several features in common with the AP-5131 (including Adaptive Mode, and integrated firewall, DHCP, and router) but is delivered in an outdoor-tolerant, NEMA-4X modified weatherproof housing. The AP-5181 boasts an operating temperature range of -30 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius, and also supports WPA2 encryption. The new version of the AP-5181 is Hazardous Location (Haz-Loc) Class1Div2 (C1D2) certified and ATEX Zone 2 compliant.

- AP-7131: The AP-7131 shares the same features as the AP5131 and adds a third radio and support for 802.11n communications. Management is via a Java GUI, SNMPv3, or CLI. Key features include DFS-compliance, hardware-accelerated encryption, and a "snap-on façade" with integrated antennas for in-office deployments.

The Motorola APs are available now; the new version of the AP-5181 is priced at $3,099. Visit the Motorola Web site for further information.

product submission by EITPlanet Staff

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