Best Practices

The majority of Wi-Fi networks being deployed today utilize a centralized architecture consisting of numerous thin (dumb) access points tied to controllers (WLAN Switch) in central closet. This legacy approach will exhibit significant performance issues with the advent of 802.11n, which will bring a 5X increase in Wi-Fi network traffic.

Consider the following when deciding between a distributed or centralized architecture:

	Distributed	Centralized	Advantage Defined
Packet Flow	Efficient	Inefficient	Centralized architectures force traffic to transit the controller in the core, increasing core network congestion. Distributed architectures forward traffic directly to its final destination.
Latency/Jitter	Low	High	Centralized traffic must traverse the controller for processing (QoS, tagging, encryption, etc). This additional routing results in increased congestion, latency, and jitter.
Capacity	2Gbps	300Mbps	Centralized architectures typically offer 1 or 2 radios per access device, limiting the Wi-Fi capacity in a given area. Distributed architectures integrate up to 16 radios and offers up to 2Gbps of capacity.
Deployment	Simple	Complex	Centralized architectures require significant controller, AP, antenna, and cable deployments that increase complexity and install time. Distributed architectures with integrated elements require far fewer components to simplify installs and reduce costs.
Intelligence	Efficient	Inefficient	Centralized architectures place intelligence (QoS, security, tagging, etc) at the controller where all traffic must be processed. Distributed architectures place intelligence at the edge, like wired networks, to improve traffic handling and increase performance.
Reliability	Great	Good	In a centralized architecture, loss of a single AP has little impact; however loss of a controller can mean loss of the entire Wi-Fi network. Distributed architectures place the intelligence throughout the network, eliminating the presence of single points of failures.
Scalability	Great	Good	Centralized architectures allow for simple additions of APs, however each new APs tasks the capabilities of the existing controller. Distributed architectures easily scale as the network grows by adding the required amount of controller processing.

The Xirrus Wi-Fi Array is the only Wi-Fi device with 4, 8, 12, or 16 802.11n radios embedded with a Wi-Fi controller creating a high performance intelligent edge.

By integrating multiple 802.11a/b/g/n radios and a high-gain directional antenna system with an onboard Gigabit Switch, Wi-Fi Controller, Wi-Fi Firewall, and dedicated Wi-Fi Threat Sensor into a single device.

The Xirrus solution obsoletes traditional Wi-Fi offerings by delivering 2X more range, 4X more coverage, 8X more bandwidth, 14X more throughput per cable drop - using 75% less devices, cabling, switch ports, and installation time over any other offering.