Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller

Score7 out of 10

46 Reviews and Ratings

What is Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller?

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller is a highly scalable, service-rich, resilient, and flexible platform. It provides centralized control, management, and troubleshooting for high-scale deployments in service provide, enterprise, and large campus deployments.

Categories & Use Cases

Wireless LAN

Verified User

Technician in Information Technology (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use our Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller to implement a fully ubiquitous wireless network on our Main Campus, and multiple branch offices. The controller allows us to broadcast our corporate (private) network, secure guest network access, along with numerous other networks that allow separation of network traffic. We also use our controller to provide a more private method of access for field engineers in certain locations (as opposed to using hot spots or cellular connectivity).

Pros

AP management (SSIDs)
Device management (updates, power levels, etc.)
Security (traffic separation, VLAN implementation, etc.)

Cons

GUI -> CLI issues (specific command translations)
Maintenance (needs reboots/updates occasionally)
Power Modes (PoE requirements)

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers

Jeffrey Thoenen View profile

Senior Network Engineer in Information Technology at Bass Pro Shops (10,001+ employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have a N + 1 deployment of Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller. We have over 8000 Cisco Access Points that are connected to the controller.

Pros

Comprehensive Radius integration
Scalable Deployments
Flexible Configuration

Cons

Code upgrades while in redundancy mode is cumbersome
Support of older access points is discontinued
Keeping configurations between primary and secondary controllers is difficult

Return on Investment

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller allows you to reduce your hardware footprint of wireless controllers deployed in your environment. Instead of having a controller per site deployed, you can have a couple of 8540 controllers in your data center that can handle up 6000 Access Points.
Some of the savings on hardware cost is offset by the cost of redundant WAN circuits. The access points will continue to function when connectivity to the Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller is unreachable, but it will not allow any new connections in that wireless environment.

Alternatives Considered

Juniper Mist AI

Other Software Used

Plixer Scrutinizer, Cisco Prime LAN Management Solution, VMware SD-WAN, SolarWinds Engineer's Toolset, Ubiquity

Nilufa Hossain View profile

IT Specialist in Research & Development at Lamda I-TECH (11-50 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Since its beginnings, the Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller has served as our router for wireless connectivity to the company's networks. We use it throughout the organization and have solved spare capacity and cloud connectivity concerns for critical components, such as servers and databases. Cisco [8540] Wireless Controller is the most comprehensive and it’s what I’ve been using. As compared with other manufacturer's products, it offers advanced functionality and integration. It comes with excellent documentation and is easy to understand. Even the oldest controllers can still support the latest APs. It works thanks to the Cisco infrastructure. It can deliver high performance when the Wi-Fi tuning is done correctly.

Pros

The installation and maintenance of the wireless network are straightforward and reliable.
It can handle more than a thousand APs simultaneously without compromising network performance. Additionally, it allows us to have full control and flexibility over all access points.
Many cloud connectivity issues have been addressed, including multi-protocol compatibility with security features.

Cons

Wireless range should be extended and pricing should [possibly] be reconsidered for some organizations.
Some complex configurations can be hard to get and set up without professional assistance.
The location of the device can have a significant effect on the wireless signal. Some VPN solutions may be available by default.

Most Important Features

It distributes system ports, security features, and support for multiple protocols.
[It provides an] AP-manager interface with high bandwidth availability for all APs, even during peak times.
[The] dynamic interfaces are unquestionably present.

Return on Investment

This device has allowed for time and cost savings for the organization since its installation.
It's a simple enhancement to an existing network that provides security protection, which can have a significant impact on any business.
It helps reduce staff costs and works well in conjunction with other Cisco products.

Alternatives Considered

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Zoom, Juniper ACX Series Routers, Salesforce Service Cloud, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Kristjan Einar-Des View profile

IT Manager in Information Technology at TM Software (11-50 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

The [Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller]s are being implemented and are used across our organization. It has solved our problem of weak and slow internet. After using Cisco Router, we are having fun with the fast speed network access [now that] it has become easy for us to perform our tasks. In short, it is a perfect solution to address all the network-related business problems like security.

Pros

We can prioritize the traffic that is beneficial for us and limit unwanted traffic.
The network [is] pretty reliable and, above all, the most secure.
The routing protocols are easily managed and supported using Cisco.

Cons

Documentation
Pricing
Prolonged installation time

Most Important Features

We can easily manage the router protocols.
Reliability of the network [is an important feature].
The way we can control and limit network traffic [is an important feature].

Return on Investment

We get fast speed network access.
We get reliable and secure network access.
The network management is much [more] advanced and we can control the unwanted traffic.
[In my opinion, the] long installation time and pricing have brought a negative impact on our business.

Other Software Used

Zoho Projects, Zoho Connect, BizConnect

Raman Sehgal View profile

Network Specialist in Information Technology at Orange (10,001+ employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller has been used by our organization for many years as our main router for wireless connectivity of our employees' systems. It is used by the whole organization and efficiently solved the bandwidth issues and cloud connectivity of major accessories like servers, databases, etc. I had a great experience overall by using it, as I always had a fast connection even at the highest data traffic times.

Pros

It uses the latest wifi 6 specifications, which include improved bandwidth.
It has the capacity of more than a thousand APs at a time without degrading the network capabilities.
It effectively solved many problems with cloud connectivity [and] no major notable issues in our system.

Cons

[It doesn't] have built-in VPN protocols.
[I would appreciate] per-device usage logs of particular applications.

Most Important Features

Security features and multi-protocol support
High bandwidth availability for all APs, even during high-traffic times

Return on Investment

It is an easy adaptation to the current network.
It can also be integrated as well with other Cisco equipment.

Alternatives Considered

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

Other Software Used

Juniper ACX Series Routers, Carbonite Backup for Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce Service Cloud

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller

What is Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller?

Categories & Use Cases

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