Cisco Wireless Controller - Emanations

[CatsAndIT]

Hello all!

I've been trying to find an answer to what should be a relatively easy question to answer, but unfortunately have come up short.

The question I'm trying to get answered: Is the Wireless Controller included in Cisco Catalyst switches capable of broadcasting/producing wireless emanations?

Many of the Cisco Catalyst switches (specifically the C3850, C9300, and C9500s) have Wireless Controller card built into them. From my reading, it's purpose is to essentially maintain a campus mesh or control/manage large numbers of wireless APs from a single point of control.

Some of the CLI commands would lead me to believe that it is likely capable of doing so, but I cannot find any documentation that can confirm or deny my suspicions.

If anyone could point me towards some documentation or some other "official" source, I would be greatly appreciative!

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@CatsAndIT wrote:

Is the Wireless Controller included in Cisco Catalyst switches capable of broadcasting/producing wireless emanations?

---

Any wireless devices can broadcast with ZERO authentication and ZERO encryption.  

[CatsAndIT]

While I don't doubt that, is there documentation stating that the Wireless Controller Card is a wireless device versus it simply being a card that specifically expands the host switches capabilities to manage wireless endpoints?

Also, I appreciate the notes about authentication and encryption, that's a bit out of scope for the question; This is simply to ascertain if the Wireless Controller Card is capable of broadcast.

EDITS: Clarification and grammar.

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@CatsAndIT wrote:

This is simply to ascertain if the Wireless Controller Card is capable of broadcast.

---

Oh, what? 

Wireless LAN is all about broadcast.  Period.  

[CatsAndIT]

Sorry about the delay in response.

Again what I am looking for is some sort of documentation or essentially proof that I can provide to my higher-ups/security folks showing that this particular piece of equipment actually does produce emanations. I would love to be able to just get something like a spectrum analyzer and do it myself, but unfortunately that capability is not within my reach =[