AirWave Adds Master Console for Managing Access Points

AirWave Wireless Inc. this week will introduce the latest version of its wireless LAN management platform, which can track even more access points.

AMP (AirWave Management Platform) Version 3.0 includes a Master Console that lets enterprises manage as many as 20,000 access points in multiple locations, said officials in San Mateo, Calif.

Previous versions of the product supported smaller WLANs of 1,000 or fewer access points. Customers said the software is ideal for WLANs that incorporate hardware from more than one manufacturer.

“When it comes down to wireless in general, all the vendors have their own access management software,” said Nas Mukhar, a network specialist at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, Fla. “With AirWave, we can take all the different vendors and manage them via one software platform. This makes it a lot easier for me to train people to maintain the network.”

Any server running the AMP software can be designated the Master Console from which to monitor and control all other servers on the network, officials said.

Version 3.0 supports dual-radio access points; many enterprise-class access points include two radios to support 802.11b/g and 802.11a. The upgrade features enhanced RF (radio frequency) monitoring features, officials said.

These include the ability to detect common sources of RF interference automatically and reconfigure the channels accordingly, as well as to integrate with third parties sensor-based RF monitoring tools. Several WLAN security tool companies are licensing APIs from AirWave to work with the management platform, officials said.

/zimages/5/28571.gifA wireless chip maker is fueling the call for multiduty access points with a high-capacity chip set.Click hereto read more.

The upgrade includes support for WLAN switch architectures, wherein most of the security and management features of the WLAN lie in a central or edge switch rather than in the access points.

AMP 3.0 is available now via AirWave and distribution partners. Prices range from $5,000, for a single-server license limited to 100 access points, to $150,000, for a service provider edition, which includes an unlimited server license and the Master Console.

/zimages/5/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms Mobile & Wireless Center at http://wireless.eweek.com for the latest news, reviews and analysis.

/zimages/5/77042.gif

Be sure to add our eWEEK.com mobile and wireless news feed to your RSS newsreader or My Yahoo page