Reliable, Secure and Scalable Wireless Controller for Mid-sized Businesses, Schools and Hospitals

The NETGEAR ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller WC7520 offers a high-performance and fully-featured Wireless LAN architecture to meet the demands of medium-sized businesses, schools, and hospitals with up to 1,500 users and more. Focusing on ease-of-use, the WC7520 Controller simplifies wireless deployments and network management with best-in-class wireless reliability, coverage, and performance. The scalable WC7520 Controller enables businesses to grow their wireless network as needed with a dramatic return on investment, with optional licenses that support their changing needs. Via licensing upgrades, the ProSafe Wireless Controller scales up to 50 access points (AP) and can support next generation IEEE 802.11n APs. For larger deployments, the WC7520 Controller is stackable up to three units, supporting up to 150-APs, including controller redundancy. Meeting the next generation needs of larger installations, the WC7520 Controller delivers central wireless management, integrated wireless mobility, robust top-end security and rich converged services such as L2/L3 fast roaming, guest access captive portal and Voice over Wi-Fi support. Built to last, the WC7520 Controller is backed by a Lifetime Warranty and delivers enterprise-class connectivity and secure wireless LAN functionality.

Scalable Architecture
The WC7520 Controller comes with IEEE 802.11a/b/g support and is upgradable to IEEE 802.11n with WC75NL license. The WC7520 Controller natively supports 20 APs and is upgradable in 10-AP increments up to a total of 50 APs via WC7510L licenses. Stackable up to three controllers, a WC7520 Controller stack can support 150 access points with a single interface. Importantly, the WC7520 offers redundancy for always-on reliability and peace of mind.

Centralized Management
Deployed as an overlay on the existing wired network infrastructure, the NETGEAR ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller simplifies the network management by providing a single point of management for the entire wireless network. Easy to set up, the WC7520 Controller discovers all supported access points in the network, even across VLANs and subnets. Once identified, the access points are provisioned to dependent access points in minutes. Building floor plans can be used to visualize live coverage and heat maps of the wireless network.

Robust Security
With identity-based security features such as support for RADIUS, Active Directory and internal or external AAA server, NETGEAR ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller truly unifies wired and wireless access without compromising on security. Management VLAN is configurable and up to 8 security configuration profiles (SSID, 802.11i security, VLAN, ACLs, Radio parameters) can be active. Rogue AP detection and prevention permits Rogue APs classification (friendly or hostile). Standard RADIUS compliance enables support for third-party authentication and billing system implementation. Scheduled wireless on/off times permits the wireless network to be completely unavailable during specified non-business hours.

Guest Access, Captive Portal and Logging
Guest access allows restricted access to the network, using an integrated captive portal. Two methods of entry are provided, either assisted or self certified. In the assisted model, the receptionist can create a user name and password for Guests in the GUI and the WC7520 Controller hosts a captive portal where Guests can enter their pre-configured credentials to gain a restricted access to the network. Alternatively, the WC7520 Controller hosts a captive portal where Guests can register themselves for restricted access to the network, prohibiting them any access to the sensitive data on the corporate network. Guest activity logs are available.

RF Management and Hole Detection
With integrated RF planning tools, an administrator can input floor plans, building dimensions, and desired coverage. The planning tools compute the predicted RF characteristics of the building, and display predicted coverage. Automatic control of AP transmit power and channel allocation ensures coverage by minimizing interferences. Automatic WLAN healing after loss of AP or due to RF interferences adapts the power and channel of the other APs around the area. Scheduled channel authorizes enterprise-class reliable Wireless experience.

Load Balancing and Rate Limiting
Automatic load balancing of clients across APs is provided based on number of clients per AP, maximum bandwidth utilization per AP and signal strength threshold / data rate threshold of clients on the BSS. Rate limiting is provided by SSID or for unicast traffic on a per client basis and for multicast traffic on a per BSS basis.

Fast Roaming and Voice Over Wi-Fi
The NETGEAR ProSafe 20-AP Wireless Controller supports rapid mobility across VLANs and subnets including 802.11i pre-authentication and fast roaming support (FRS). Seamless L2 and L3 roaming provides support for latency-sensitive applications such as video, audio and voice over wireless. WMM and Spectralink SVP QoS are supported to prioritize VoWi-FI.

Heat Maps and Triangulation
AP heat maps by wireless band, wireless channel and signal strength allows real-time view of the wireless network status. Administrators can easily locate known APs, rogue APs, and associated clients on the heat map by AP name, MAC address or IP address.

Monitoring and Reporting
The health of each AP is defined by the number of clients, traffic load, RF interference, packet error levels and retransmission statistics. Statistics are providing reliable metrics per AP, per client, per floor and for the entire wireless network.

Supported Access Points
Supporting standard NETGEAR access points, the WC7520 Controller enables customers to select the right access points for their needs, even mixing models to provide the right coverage. The standard access points are converted to dependent access points. Supported models include professional-class ProSafe access points WNAP210 and WNDAP350, all with Power over Ethernet capabilities and lifetime warranties.