Centralized Wireless Management

[jkennedy]

Does anyone know of a centralized management suite for Cisco A.P.'s. A suite that is responsible for controlling and administering firmware, configuration, and accounting for these devices. Maybe an addon for Cisco Works 2K. I know that the accounting can be done on the radius server, but it would be alot easier if all these options were available from a central location. I would greatly appreciate any imput on management software for the 340 and 350 series A.P.'s.

[tschmitz]

Cisco is working on an add-in for CW2K to manage WLANs. I don't know when it will be released. I have seen a non-working prototype, so I can't even tell you what it will do for us. But, it's got to be better than what we have now.

Our next install will have about 200 APs. The management interface is required to be password protected. I am not looking forward to telling the Sysadmin he now has to change the password on all the AP every 30 days, one at a time!

Then there's the chicken-egg situation. We use ACLs to filter MACs. We also use staggered radio channels. When a new user is added to the ACLs the new config can be sent to all the other APs, but you reset all your radio channels.

CISCO HELP!

[rmushtaq]

Within CW2000, Cisco View has the device support for the AP340/350 monitoring, if you have installed the latest device package from CCO. RME 3.3 have the Inventory/SWIM capability by adding a separate patch. Campus Manager 3.1 does not currently support APs. I'm sure that future releases will have more support for APs in CW2000.