Making Peace Between Multiple APs

By the time a VAR enters a small business to sort out and improve its wireless network, a mixed bag of different vendor access points can likely clutter the terrain. But a new wireless network management system from AdventNet can help bring multivendor access points under a single, common management framework, said Krishna Sanjeev, product manager at AdventNet, Pleasanton, Calif.

AdventNet’s WiFi Manager 4 gives VARs the ability to discover, monitor and manage as many as 10 access points from most major vendors. Priced at $495, WiFi Manager 4 also provides detailed reports of wireless network performance delivered through a centralized interface. Web-based access can be created easily for the platform, and e-mail or pager alerts about a wireless network outage can be sent to the staff or the VAR providing a managed monitoring service, Sanjeev said.

One of WiFi Manager 4’s best selling points is its ability to perform multivendor firmware upgrades, said Larry Wheeler, owner of Network Consulting Solutions, a VAR in Chicago. ’It works well in mixed [access point] environments, but particularly well with Cisco, because it allows you to easily push code down into it,’ he said. Wheeler is beta-testing WiFi Manager 4 and has been moving it into doctors’ offices and classrooms.

AdventNet, traditionally a direct seller, is looking to partner with VARs to penetrate the small-business market for sub-$1,000 wireless devices, Sanjeev said. The vendor is in the process of launching its first partner program and plans to hire new field representatives in the next couple of months.

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