Our scalable and flexible architecture makes it an ideal solution for voice, video, and advanced application support over wireless networks. Moving beyond standards-based IEEE 802.11e / WMM (Wi-Fi Multi-Media) to set traffic prioritization, the resources in our wireless system can be controlled and tuned for optimal performance, in particular in challenging high-density environments. This prioritization maps to the Array’s wired network uplinks via 802.1p or Diffserv.
Voice
Voice traffic is inherently sensitive to latency and jitter on a network. For voice over Wi-Fi to work properly and co-esist with other multi-media nad data traffic, the wireless network must be designed to minimize these elements, support fast roaming, and deliver sufficient bandwidth and Quality of Service (QoS).
Our media-friendly platform supports sufficient wireless bandwidth for voice traffic to coexist with other data traffic types. Sufficient bandwidth minimizes congestion that could result in frame loss, latency, and jitter that is detrimental to voice quality.
With an integrated controller in each Array, latency is minimized since all traffic and control processing is performed in the Array directly at the network edge. Most Wi-Fi architectures rely on a centralized controller that can negatively impact the latency on the network. In addition, our Arrays support multiple QoS levels allowing voice traffic to be given a higher priority than background data traffic. Specific radios can be dedicated to voice traffic to ensure dedicated bandwidth for voice users.
Video
Video is the #1 bandwidth consuming application on the Internet today. Video can present a challenge to support on wireless networks, as it is very bandwidth intensive and sensitive to packet loss. You need lots of bandwidth to support the video applications and ensure you have plenty of bandwidth for the other types of traffic as well.
With our multi-AP Wireless Arrays, you get up to 8X more bandwidth per cable drop compared to traditional enterprise APs. With proper network design, video traffic can be allocated across the multi-AP arrays to ensure best quality. What’s more, the integrated controller in each Wireless Array provides the processing power needed to handle video traffic directly at the network compared to the central controller approach of traditional Wi-Fi networks that can quickly become a bottleneck if too much video is present.
Each Array supports multiple levels of QoS to allow video to be placed at a higher priority than other types of data traffic. In addition, multicast optimization ensures the best video quality over wireless by converting multicast traffic to unicast traffic. This ensures all frames are sent at the fastest data rates and that corrupted frames can be resent.
Large file transfer
A common complaint about wireless networks is that large file transfers take too long compared to wired networks. Such transfers monopolize wireless bandwidth as available but ultimately must compete with other applications over the shared medium of wireless.
With from 2 to 16 modular APs, the Xirrus Array delivers up to 8X the bandwidth of traditional 2 radio APs enabling large file transfers over wireless to rival that on wireless networks. Large file transfers not only create congestion at the edge of the network, they can also create additional strain at the core. This can be a problem for wireless architectures that rely on a centralized controller for control and often data processing. Xirrus eliminates the controller bottleneck by embedding the controller function within each Array for full packet and encryption processing directly at the network edge.
Improved application quality
The high performance Xirrus architecture ensures quality for applications such as video and voice can run uncompromised over wireless networks. Increased throughput and reduced latency and jitter are critical for these types of applications to operate. The distributed control and processing of the Xirrus Array solution ensures this and greatly improves support for these services as compared to centralized approaches.
Greater scalability
As user density increases, applications such as video and voice become increasingly challenged to operate successfully on wireless networks due to the shared nature of the technology. With significantly greater scalability, Xirrus delivers the ability to support many more video and voice users while still ensuring good quality of experience.
Reliable connectivity
The Xirrus wireless solution is inherently more resilient than legacy Wi-Fi architectures that depend on a central controller. Such centralized systems create a single point of failure – if the controller breaks, the entire network becomes non-operational. With fully distributed controller functionality, Xirrus can deliver the reliability required and expected for voice traffic.
Anywhere access
The extended range of Xirrus Arrays compared to traditional APs provides greater coverage for video and voice applications. With a properly designed network, services can be delivered even the most remote areas of a building allowing access anywhere for all types of communications services.
The Xirrus Voice and Video Services are included in the base ArrayOS operating system, the Xirrus RF Performance Manager (RPM), and the RF Security Manager (RSM) package Network Services packages.
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