ZyXEL Communications 3000 Series manual Pay as You Grow, Back-Up Redundancy

Pay as You Grow

When a company is small in business, it might need only 2 to 3 APs in the field, and configuration wouldn’t be a problem. But as the company grows, the number of AP may increase and become a management headache if they require individual configuration and management. As a hybrid AP solution, ZyXEL’s Wireless LAN Access Points 3000 Series has the “AP controller” mode and can be configured to manage as many as 24 APs, allowing enterprises to pay as they grow with easy, centralized configuration and management.

When an expanding business unit considers transforming into a managed WLAN structure, additional investments would be made to replace all devices in the field. However, ZyXEL users can turn the existing independent WLAN APs, including MWA-3160, NWA-3163, NWA-3166, NWA-3500 and NWA3550, into a centralized management system with easy firmware upgrades. To expanding companies, this is truly a protection to earlier investments.

NWA-3160

Stand-alone AP Architecture

Business Size

Small

Stand-alone AP Mode

Grow		NWA-3160	Firmware upgrade			NWA-3160
Up	Stand-alone AP Architecture			Management WLAN Architecture
					(Total up to 24 APs)

Centralized

Management

Business Size	AP Controller Mode
Middle/Large	and-alone AP Mode
	+
	More APs for WLAN Network Expansion

Managed AP Mode

Back-Up Redundancy

ZyXEL’s Wireless LAN Access Points 3000 Series allows a secondary AP in “AP controller” mode assigned to take over management tasks if the primary AP in “AP controller” mode shuts down accidently. The information between the primary AP and the secondary AP is synchronized under two conditions:

The connection is set up for the first time

Whenever configurations are changed on the primary AP

When the primary AP comes back into service, all APs in “managed AP” mode will connect back to the primary one automatically.

Shut Down

Synchronize

Configurations

	NWA-3166		NWA-3166
Primary AP in AP Controller Mode		Secondary AP in AP Controller Mode

Primary

Backup

APs in Managed AP Mode