D-Link delivers enhanced Access Point management with DWS-3160 launch

D-Link has launched its latest Unified L2+ Gigabit Wired/Wireless Series of switches, aimed at giving network administrators an array of advanced features to provide total control over their networks.

D-Link's DWS-3160 Unified L2+ Gigabit Wired/Wireless Series combines the functionality of a Wireless Controller with an L2+ Managed Switch. It can be configured to act either as wireless controller in the core network, or as L2+ Gigabit switch at the edge, simplifying network topology and enabling it to seamlessly integrate into any existing infrastructure. This helps enterprises and service providers of all sizes, to centralise all aspects of provisioning and management of their wireless networks, eliminating the need to administer access points individually.

Used in conjunction with D-Link Unified Access Points (AP), the administrator simply creates and assigns a profile some APs and the corresponding configuration is automatically transmitted and applied to all APs. In this scenario, virtual APs can be created, allowing different access privileges to be assigned to different classes of users. In addition, the DWS-3160 Series can centrally upgrade the firmware of all D-Link Unified APs on the network, thus greatly simplifying the upgrade and management process.

Network resiliency and mobility is ensured through radio spectrum analysis, automatic channel assignment and power transmission control. Load balancing features and mechanisms such as pre-authentication and key-caching mean that users enjoy consistent connectivity and performance, whether they are stationary or mobile.

"Managing today's complex network can be an arduous and manual task for administrators, and this launch demonstrates how D-Link understands the network infrastructure needs of the business environment," said Kevin Wen, President of D-Link Europe. "D-Link's new Unified Switches give businesses centralised management for roaming wireless connections and easier user management and protection at the core, resulting in significantly more flexibility in how networks are deployed and reducing the time involved with managing individual access points."

As well as providing easy management, the DWS-3160 Series gives greater peace-of-mind with a host of trusted security features. These include Wireless Intrusion Detection System (WIDS) and radio frequency scanning, to detect and identify rogue Access Points and potential threats to the network.

When used in an overlay deployment at the core of the network the DWS-3160 Series combines security features such as 802.1x Network Access Control and advanced Denial-of-Service protection, with access control lists to protect the network and tightly control what goes in and out. Other core features include RIPv1/v2 dynamic routing, ACL security, multi- layer QoS, comprehensive VLAN support and multicast snooping capabilities.

These new rack-mounted 1U switches ship with 24 AP licenses as standard but are capable of managing up to 48 D-Link Unified Access Points individually, and up to 192 Unified Access Points in a switch cluster, allowing all access points to be configured from one single Cluster Master.