We've been really busy but also very thrilled about the work we're doing to future-proofing the network, and it seems we're not alone. One of our latest innovations, adaptive radio modules for the AP3600, has been selected by UBM as a Best of Interop finalist for the Wireless award category!

It's an honor to be recognized for our innovation and technological advancements in wireless, and we wanted to share a bit more about our submission with you.

What are the Adaptive Radio Modules?

The Adaptive Radio Modules a family of solutions in a modular form factor that allows customers to adapt their wireless network to their current and future needs. The Adaptive Radio Modules provide a dedicated third radio that can be field upgraded on the 3600 Access Point.

Cisco offers three adaptive radio modules for the 3600 Access Point:

• 802.11ac Module
• Wireless Security and Spectrum Intelligence (WSSI) Module
• 3G Small Cell Radio Module

These modules allow customers to integrate advanced technology into their existing network without having to replace or install additional equipment. Also, by adding a third radio, it expands the access point's capability in terms of performance and capacity.

For example, the addition of the WSSI module in a 3600 Access Point allows for advanced security and monitoring features such as CleanAir, wIPS and rogue detection to operate fully on both the 2.4 and 5GHz band without affecting the client traffic associated with the other 2 radios.

Because the module is operating as a dedicated radio, the access point can provide these advanced security features while also services the client traffic. The addition of an adaptive radio module is like adding an additional processor to your access point. Advanced features such as Security and Spectrum Monitoring can operate on a dedicated radio while the access point maintains throughput and performance by serving the client traffic on the two Wi-Fi radios.

What's so special about them?

Adaptive Radio Modules allow for the diverse requirements of today's networks, while future-proofing for the technology of tomorrow. The three flavors of adaptive radio modules provide customers with a leg up on various networking challenges.

-       The802.11ac radio moduleis the firstof its kind in the industry and offers wire-like performance ideal for supporting HD video and high client density deployments

-       TheWSSI Moduledelivers always-on spectrum intelligence and proactive security scanning without effecting client performance

-       The3G Small Cell Moduleallows operators to concurrently offer a Wi-Fi/3G cellular infrastructure in a single access point

How does Cisco compare with the competition? 

What makes Cisco unique is that our 3600 AP is modular designed so it can support different radio types to address emerging client needs, as well as providing investment protection for new and existing deployments.

With our Adaptive Radio Modules, Cisco's strong portfolio touts:

-       Thefirst Enterprise Class Access Point to support the new 802.11ac Wave 1 standard

-       Thefirstsolution to deliver combined Wi-Fi Serving, Spectrum Analysis and Threat Detection & Mitigation into a single Access Point

-       Theonlysolution to concurrently provide 3G Small Cell support and state of the art 802.11n-based 4