Foundry Backbone Switches

Foundry Networks IronPoint Family

Foundry Network Products

IronPoint Wireless Solutions

The Evolution of Wireless

Wireless technology is not new and has been widely used in many industries for years. Manufacturing, courier services, and retail are just some of the industries successfully using wireless for inventory control, package tracking, and pricing applications to increase productivity and streamline procedures. In the past, wireless technology was used for dedicated applications, but this is rapidly changing with the advent of wireless LAN standards and 802.11 technologies.

The popularity of wireless networking is growing and users have recognized the many benefits of using mobile technology. Wireless networks can provide new connectivity to places that were once hostile to traditional wired networks. Access to the Internet and corporate data files while roaming freely throughout the enterprise has been proven to improve productivity and communications. Employees are now demanding wireless service.

With the popularity of mobile computing devices such as laptops and PDA’s growing, the demand for enterprise class wireless LAN solutions is increasing quickly. The ability to access applications to check email, schedule meetings, and to conduct business from anywhere in the enterprise and at anytime is a reality with combination of wired and wireless LAN technology. The benefits of wireless are many:

• True mobility - the means to conduct business without physical cable attachment to the network
• Increased productivity - continuous access to information 24x7
• Lower cabling costs – can eliminate the need for new cable plants or extensions of existing cabling
• New network access – provides network access where it was previously difficult to deploy traditional wired LANs (e.g. manufacturing, warehousing, temporary office space, leased buildings, etc.)
• Broad OS support – Windows, Macintosh, Palm OS, etc.
• Easy installation
• Rapid deployment
• Lower long term costs

Despite the many benefits of wireless technology, enterprise users are only beginning to adopt wireless LANs. The challenge of providing mobility and easy access to corporate information for enterprise users while maintaining data security over open air waves has held back many enterprise deployments.

Unlike wired networks, wireless networks transmit their data over open air waves – through walls, ceilings, and floors – giving possible access to anyone within range of the radio waves. The lack of strong security in early implementations of 802.11b technology using Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security showed the danger and ease of how wireless LANs could be compromised - giving enterprises no confidence in deploying immature wireless LAN technology.

With modern wireless technology and the latest IEEE standards, many barriers to early wireless adoption have been addressed. Strong authentication, data privacy, packet integrity checks, and increased transmission speeds are now available in enterprise class wireless LAN solutions – allowing enterprises to implement consistent security and integrity over both wired and wireless LANs with confidence.

Foundry IronPoint™ Leads The Way

Foundry Networks IronPoint wireless solutions are truly revolutionary and provide all the features that enterprises are demanding in a leading edge wireless network solution.

• Strong Security
• Seamless Mobility
• Enhanced User Policies
• Centralized Management
• Leading Standards Based Solutions
• Seamless Integration With Foundry Wired Networks
• Strong Investment Protection
• Ease-of-Use

Foundry’s IronPoint 200 access point is a new breed of enterprise-class wireless access point. It is a next generation AP, sporting a powerful central processor, ample memory, dual radios, and a modular design to make it fully field upgradeable. This guarantees that the wireless investment made today is future proofed for years to come. IronPoint 200 APs inherit new features and sophistication through software upgrades – allowing your hardware investment to be protected while wireless standards and features continue to evolve and mature.

Enterprise-Class with Universal Appeal

To put it simply, Foundry’s IronPoint 200 AP is the ultimate in flexibility. The IronPoint 200 AP can be implemented as a full featured AP with its own embedded management for small wireless networks requiring only a few access points. It can be implemented with Foundry’s IronView Network Manager, with IronPoint WLAN Manager Technology, to scale the wireless network to serve many medium to large sized companies. IronPoint 200 can be used with Foundry’s Wireless Enabled FastIron™ Edge Switches (FES) and chassis based products to provide exceptional security, mobility, and unmatched scalability to fit large enterprise and hot spot applications.

By integrating IronPoint 200 APs with Foundry’s mature switching platform, sophisticated, next generation features providing IronClad™ security with lowered cost of ownership is achieved. Not only are authentication, security, roaming, and scalability functions enhanced, but the ability to manage the wireless airwaves is greatly improved. Automated channel selection, five levels of power management, load balancing and rogue AP detection can help eliminate the need for radio RF expertise and time consuming site surveys.

Foundry IronPoint’s ability to adapt to each customer’s wireless requirements is achieved through software upgrades – for both the IronPoint 200 APs and Foundry’s family of FES and JetCore™ switches. IronPoint future proofs customer’s wireless investments through unmatched flexibility and field upgradeability. Through cost effective software upgrades, Foundry’s wireless access points and wireless enhanced switches will provide years of leading edge wireless and wired service - allowing customers to integrate wireless technology into their wired network with the utmost confidence.

Foundry IronPoint 200 Access Points - one AP for all your enterprise wireless needs. Flexible enough for simple one-on-one management or for fully centralized management. Full featured AP or intelligent AP combined with Foundry’s Wireless Enabled FastIron LAN switches for enhanced features and unmatched scalability. The choice is yours!

Implement With Confidence

Foundry Networks is a leader in high performance, and in feature rich and cost effective networking solutions with many years of solid experience in secure data networks. Foundry understands and fills the need for fast robust networking infrastructure to run mission critical business applications.

With Foundry IronPoint wireless products, wireless becomes an integral part of your wired network, not a disruption to your wiring closet. Whether it’s wired or wireless, Foundry Networks will be here to support your networking requirements today and tomorrow.

Let us help you build the network of tomorrow with confidence. Begin by calling your Foundry Networks sales representative today.