Trapeze Unveils Outdoor WLAN Access Point

Trapeze Networks on Monday joined the growing trend towards outdoor WLAN deployments by unveiling a weatherproof dual radio WLAN access point.

The MP-620 comes with a ruggedized casing and internal heating mechanism, which makes it suitable for deployment in cold weather areas. With two built-in radios and Power Over Ethernet, the MP-620 can connect networks between buildings and provide a cost effective alternative to fiber connectivity, said Bruce Van Nice, vice president of worldwide marketing at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Trapeze.

"Having multiple radios allows you to provide access and backhaul from the same access point, and having redundant links with greater bandwidth and resiliency is a key selling point," said Van Nice. The MP-620 can also be configured with a variety of different Trapeze-designed antennas.

Andrew Segal, president of Vandis, a Trapeze partner in Albertson, N.Y., says the MP-620 fills a key gap in Trapeze's product line. "Customers are definitely interested in deploying solutions with devices designed for outdoor use."

Trapeze has also upgraded its RingMaster WLAN management software to enable a single server to support up to 500 switches and 30,000 clients. The software includes an RF planning feature for deploying WLANs that can support voice traffic and a wizard-based tool for configuring WLAN security, according to Van Nice.The ability to link multiple branch office networks and manage them from a central location is another key software upgrade that's aimed at the retail and financial industries. Trapeze's Network Domains feature links together up to 32,000 switches located in branch office WLANs through a single point of management, and also allows users to roam and maintain their security and service profiles.

"We're delivering the same services and security outdoors as indoors, and customers can manage the WLAN in a unified way instead of through different consoles, Van Nice said.

The combination of indoor and outdoor wireless devices in a single management platform will simplify WLAN deployments, says Sam Coyl, vice president of business development for Netrepid, a wireless integrator in Camp Hill, Pa. "With Trapeze's solution, WLAN and WWAN will not be viewed as disjointed and separate ventures, but rather a uniform approach to providing mobile connectivity," he said.

The MP-620 outdoor access point is available now and priced at $1799. The Ringmaster and Network Domains software upgrades are available now free of charge for Trapeze customers with existing support contracts.