Trapeze's Dual-Radio WLAN Access Point Can Brave The Elements
The Mobility Point 620 (MP-620) comes with a ruggedized casing and an internal heating mechanism that make it suitable for deployment in cold weather areas. With two built-in radios and support for Power-over-Ethernet, the MP-620 can connect networks between buildings and provide a cost-effective alternative to fiber connectivity, said Bruce Van Nice, vice president of worldwide marketing at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Trapeze.
"Having multiple radios allows you to provide access and backhaul from the same access point, and having redundant links with greater bandwidth and resiliency is a key selling point," Van Nice said. The MP-620 also can be configured with a variety of Trapeze-designed antennas.
Andrew Segal, president of Vandis, a Trapeze partner in Albertson, N.Y., said the MP-620 fills a gap in Trapeze's product line. "Customers are definitely interested in deploying solutions with devices designed for outdoor use," Segal said.
Trapeze also has upgraded its RingMaster WLAN management software, now available, to enable a single server to support up to 500 switches and 30,000 clients. The software includes an RF planning feature for deploying WLANs that can support voice traffic and a wizard-based tool for configuring WLAN security, Van Nice said.
The ability to link multiple branch office networks and manage them from a central location is another significant software upgrade that's aimed at the retail and financial industries. Trapeze's Network Domains feature links up to 32,000 switches located in branch office WLANs through a single point of management and allows users to roam and maintain their security and service profiles.
The combination of indoor and outdoor wireless devices in a single management platform will simplify WLAN deployments, says Sam Coyl, vice president of business development at Netrepid, a wireless integrator in Camp Hill, Pa. "With Trapeze's solution, WLAN and WWAN will not be viewed as disjointed and separate ventures, but rather a uniform approach to providing mobile connectivity," he said.
Available now, the MP-620 is priced at $1,799.