Cisco Services Modules

With the latest release of Cisco Unified Wireless Network Software, Cisco continues to lead the way in unifying network services across wired and wireless environments. Cisco Unified Wireless Network Software Version 4.2 extends this unified approach to guest access services, enabling enterprises to provide both wired and wireless guest access on one unified network architecture. With Version 4.2, network administrators can now take advantage of Cisco wireless LAN controllers to manage, tailor, and provision wired guest access with the same ease and granularity of wireless guest access. This robust, new unified guest access capability simplifies network operations and reduces costs, while providing secure access for wired guests.

With Version 4.2, providing secure wired guest access is as simple as choosing which Ethernet ports to assign for guest use. Network administrators may decide to assign specific ports in conference rooms, contractor cubes, customer briefing centers, or training facilities for wired guest access. Each one of these ports maps to a specific VLAN. When users plug into a guest access port, the port's corresponding VLAN directs the traffic to a WLAN controller located in the production network. Recognizing the users as guest traffic, the controller tunnels them directly to an anchor controller in the unsecured network area (e.g. DMZ) and presents the user a captive portal through which to access the guest network. Isolating and then tunneling guest traffic in this way provides guests with access to the applications they need while keeping enterprise resources secure.

Version 4.2 provides the same robust guest access feature set for both wired and wireless guest access. By making it possible for network administrators to assign Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) to map into wired guest VLANs while also including wireless guests, Version 4.2 enables administrators to define separate SSIDs with granular access policies for different user groups, regardless of how they access the network. Upon user authentication, the WLAN controller automatically applies the appropriate policies, including customized portal pages and bandwidth privileges, to wired and wireless guests. Unified guest access centralizes policy management and enforcement across wired and wireless environments, simplifying network operations and saving time. Provisioning guest access is simple. The same portal can be used for both wired and wireless. Users are directed to a common captive portal and system administrators can extend common network and guest policies across both wired and wireless guest users.

Expanding the capabilities of Cisco WLAN controllers to include unified wired and wireless guest access, Version 4.2 enables enterprises to provide universal guest access easily and cost-effectively. A converged solution reduces both initial capital outlays and ongoing operational expenses, eliminating the need to procure, deploy, and manage solutions from multiple vendors. Managing guest access from one wireless LAN controller also reduces network complexity, simplifies operations, and saves network administration time.

Cisco Unified Wireless Network