First tri-radio 802.11n access point rolls

The Enterprise Mobility business of Motorola Inc. has released AP-7131, said to be the industry's first tri-radio 802.11n access point featuring Motorola's new adaptive AP architecture.
The tri-radio design integrates three 802.11n radios that simultaneously support high-speed client access, mesh backhaul and dedicated dual-band intrusion protection for enabling the all-wireless enterprise. Using an expansion slot, the third radio can be field upgraded to enable next-generation 3G/4G technologies like WiMAX for primary or redundant WAN connectivity.

Flexible solution
The AP-7131 access point has been engineered for flexibility and ease-of-use for wireless enterprise deployments. It can be used as a standalone access point within SME businesses. In adaptive mode, the AP-7131 combines the benefits of central management and site-survivability to help reduce the complexity of deployments in remote offices. In a campus WLAN switch environment using the thin AP mode, the AP-7131 can be centrally managed for large-scale deployments. This multimode operation is supported by the same firmware version to greatly simplify the task of building a large scale multisite wireless enterprise.

"The mesh-enabled AP-7131 provides the security and performance that enterprises require at a fraction of the cost of wired networks and realizes the long promised vision of the wireless enterprise," said Sujai Hajela, vice president and general manager of enterprise WLAN, Motorola Enterprise Mobility business. "Leveraging the industry's first tri-radio 802.11n access point, users will be able to unleash the full-potential of 802.11n for superior performance of data, video and voice applications along with mesh backhaul and security on the network."

The AP-7131 provides 24/7 intrusion protection, which can significantly lower the cost of building a secure wireless enterprise. Traditional solutions time-slice the radio for both access and intrusion protection, limiting 802.11n performance and security capabilities. Motorola's AP-7131 with the third radio eliminates the need for time slicing or the need for a dedicated sensor access point for security thus reducing the cost of secure and manageable deployments. Featuring a fully Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS2)-compliant chipset, a fast MIPS network processor with hardware-accelerated encryption and dual GbE interfaces, the AP-7131 delivers full 600Mbit/s connection speeds, while simultaneously providing enterprise-class security.

Developer support
To help customers with AP-7131 802.11n network rollouts, Motorola will launch its LANPlanner tool with 802.11n capability in Q2 08. The LANPlanner will allow customers to view 802.11n access point placements along with AP-7131 MIMO performance maps for the first time. In addition, an Automated Migration Wizard will greatly simplify migration to 802.11n by allowing businesses to specify migration paths, view mixed network coverage and determine the exact number of AP-7131 AP's required in the final network design.

Motorola's AP-7131 also includes an industrial design that allows the same access point to work in both carpeted areas and industrial environments by attaching an aesthetically appealing "snap-on façade" with integrated antenna elements. The AP-7131, designed by Italian designers Giugiaro Design, delivers an elegantly fashioned MIMO access point suitable for installation in hospitality and carpeted office environments.