Meru’s unique virtual cell / virtual port
architecture is designed to optimize mobility and reliability while delivering per-client, app-aware
quality-of-service control. Enterprises often turn to Meru after becoming
frustrated with a previously-deployed micro-cell WLAN, or when rolling out new infrastructure to support voice and
other demanding real-time applications.
But Meru’s flagship AP300 is a relatively
sophisticated 3×3 802.11abgn access point that not everyone can justify deploying ubiquitously throughout an
enterprise, including branch offices, retail stores, or other low-density venues. Many smaller businesses, hotels and
K-12 schools that might otherwise benefit from Meru’s reliability don’t really need (and cannot afford) app-aware
traffic shaping and tagging.
To better serve customers attracted to Meru’s unique architecture that don’t require ultra-QoS control everywhere,
Meru today announced a new entry-level product: the AP1000i.
Making mobility more affordable
The AP1010 ($395) is a single-radio, dual-band-switchable 2×2 802.11abgn access point, ideal for smaller venues like
storefronts or branch offices. The AP1020 ($695) is a dual-radio version of the same product, slated for larger or
higher user-density sites like schools and hotels.
Both build on Meru’s virtual cell / virtual port architecture, which tunes all APs to the same channel(s) to create
gap-free “RF blankets.” In a Meru WLAN, mobile clients don’t waste time scanning for better APs or deciding when to
roam. Instead, roaming decisions and AP handoffs are managed by Meru Controllers to satisfy SLAs defined by a Service Assurance Manager.
According to Product Manager Graham Melville, the AP1000i will excel in wireless-unfriendly environments that must
deliver simplistic or lower-density traffic very reliably, but at low cost. “The AP1000i can overcome sticky client
problems without costly channel planning or trouble-shooting,” said Melville. Sweet spots include locations where
wireless is needed but not yet used for primary access, or where traffic flows don’t require shaping.
Cutting corners without sacrifice
The latter is important when deciding which AP to buy for each site, because Meru had to drop some functionality to
make the AP1000i up to 30 percent less expensive. Eliminating one transmit-receive radio chain resulted in obvious
savings, with direct impact on per-AP throughput.
But there are many venues that don’t require 450 Mbps rates or dozens of concurrent clients — even in large WLANs.
Without an aggressively-priced AP, some Meru customers were forced to consider less-capable micro-cell APs when
expanding wireless out to hundreds or thousands of satellite offices. Being able to deploy Meru APs consistently
throughout, using APs sized and priced to fit each venue, provides clear benefit to those customers.
However, Meru also achieved subtle cost savings by eliminating some advanced processing from the AP1000i — notably,
some of the QoS controls that have made Meru so successful in voice-over-Wi-Fi networks. Like other Meru APs, the
AP1000i supports WMM prioritization and queuing. However, according to Melville, the AP300’s app-aware traffic shaping
and upstream tagging are absent — features that many AP1000i customers with less demanding apps won’t miss.
Fitting in
But the AP1000i is not a stand-alone autonomous AP. Make no mistake: this is an entry-level, enterprise-class device,
tightly integrated into Meru’s centralized control and management infrastructure. When appropriate, traffic is securely
tunneled through an upstream Controller. However, data path independence is clearly essential in any AP targeted for
remote deployment. To that end, AP1000i’s can survive loss of Controller connectivity, albeit without some centralized
decisions like handoff optimization.
From a WLAN management perspective, the AP1000i plugs right into Meru’s service assurance platform, which can
deliver massively scalable provisioning, visualization, and “rewind and replay” trouble-shooting. However, the AP1000i
will not support Meru’s Service Assurance Manager (proactive network-wide testing and diagnostics) in its first
release.
The AP1000i will start shipping in December 2010. According to Melville, early adopters include some of Meru’s
largest customers, looking to add thousands of APs to mission-critical networks.
“Enterprises are seeking ways to extend their reach to accommodate the new reality of globally distributed workforce
and locations. They are demanding simple, reliable, seamless and efficient WLAN solutions to integrate remote offices
into their corporate networks,” said Ram Appalaraju, senior vice president of marketing. “With the AP1000i, our proven
innovations are now available starting at new entry-level price points to enable no compromise secure, scalable and
reliable WLAN solutions for the extended enterprises.î
