Ruckus ZoneFlex™ 2925

Ruckus ZoneFlex™ 2925 Overview:

The First Multimedia 802.11g Wireless Access Point Designed for the Fast-Changing Hotzone Market

Today’s Wi-Fi hotzone operators are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They’re forced to choose between low-end, consumer-grade, feature-lacking products, or high-end enterprise systems that are expensive, cumbersome, and overkill. The ZoneFlex 2925 access point (AP) fills this gap by adding new capabilities that uniquely support the next stage of hotzone services. It’s ideal for delivering voice over Wi-Fi, IP-based video, secure enterprise access, and tiered Wi-Fi services.

ZoneFlex 2925 goes the extra mile to ensure highly-satisfied end users. It provides a long list of adaptive controls, such as continuous channel selection and beam steering, for maximum resilience to the changing RF environment. With two to four times the Wi-Fi coverage over a typical 802.11g, it also reduces the number of APs needed. And its integrated spectrum monitoring can be performed remotely, to gain visibility into each hotzone for easier troubleshooting.

The Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 is the first centrally-managed, multimedia 802.11g Wi-Fi access point (AP) that delivers advanced features and functionality not available in any low-end consumer AP or high-end WLAN system.

Deployed individually, or as a system centrally managed by the Ruckus ZoneDirector™ Smart WLAN family of controllers, the ZoneFlex 2925 can be deployed with or without Ethernet cabling. Support for Ruckus Smart Mesh Networking streamlines costly and complex deployment headaches, eliminating the need to run Ethernet cabling to every access point. This minimizes operational overhead, making the ZoneFlex 2925 ideal for hotels, schools, airports and enterprises everywhere.

The ZoneFlex 2925 is also perfect for hot spot operators that want to deliver business-class hot-spot services — such as voice over Wi-Fi, IP-based video or secure enterprise access.

Each ZoneFlex 2925 integrates Ruckus-patented BeamFlex™ smart antenna technology that enables consistent, high performance, extended coverage and multimedia support as it automatically tunes itself to adapt to constant changes in the environment. This means fewer APs, more satisfied users, and a cost-effective system that can be installed anywhere by wireless novices.

A web-based wizard allows any computer user to configure the ZoneFlex 2925 through the Ruckus ZoneDirector™ — creating a secure and sophisticated WLAN in a matter of minutes. The Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925s simply plugs into any Ethernet network and automatically discovers the ZoneDirector. No RF tuning. No client configuration. A true plug-and-play multimedia WLAN that is ready to use, stable and high performance.

Benefits:

• Breakthrough user performance and density
  Advanced antenna array and Quality of Service (QoS) software delivers 20 concurrent voice calls, 100 simultaneous data users or 20 Mbps of guaranteed user throughput throughout a 5,000 square foot facility.
   
• No RF expertise required
  Smart antenna array eliminates AP placement issues and minimizes adjacent AP interference while ZoneDirector controls dynamic channel assignment and power management.
   
• Smart Mesh Networking streamlines costly and complex deployment
  Integrated SmartMesh Networking technology automates deployment, eliminates running Ethernet cables to every Smart Wi-Fi access point.
   
• Extended coverage means fewer APs
  Directional, high-gain antennas dynamically combine to give hotspot operators and enterprises two- to four-times the coverage over typical consumer and enterprise APs.
   
• Optimized for voice over Wi-Fi
  Specialized antenna design, dynamic signal path selection and precision QoS software optimize delay-sensitive, high-density Voice-over- Wi-Fi (VoFi) applications. Power Save (UAPSD) maximizes handset battery life.
   
• Proven video streaming support
  The Ruckus smart antenna system and video QoS already proven for real-time IP video streaming applications deployed by over 100 IPTV operators worldwide.
   
• “IT lite” confi guration and management
  Web-based wizard enables configuration of multiple APs across the entire WLAN in minutes. Once configured, the WLAN manages itself.
   
• Enables business class hotspot services
  New revenue opportunities for operators such as (VoFi) services, extended enterprise access, IP video applications and tiered service classes.

Ultra High Performance and Cost Effective

Based on the IEEE 802.11g standards, the Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 supports up to 54 Mbps of data capacity. What differentiates the ZoneFlex 2925 is the integration of patented Ruckus BeamFlex Smart antenna technology that automatically adapts to the RF environment by steering Wi-Fi signals on the best path, while rejecting interference, in real time.

Each Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 comes equipped with a state-of-the-art, high-gain smart antenna array designed to deliver unsurpassed density and range. Supporting up to 100 simultaneous data users or 20 concurrent voice calls, while its superior coverage reduces the number of APs required, the Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 delivers the industry’s most costeffective 802.11g Wi-Fi solution.

Simple Deployment

The self-optimizing Ruckus BeamFlex technology allows the Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 to be installed without site survey and RF planning. Plug any Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 into an Ethernet and the AP automatically discovers the Ruckus ZoneDirector and self-configures.

The Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 and ZoneDirector system seamlessly integrate with existing security systems such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems and authentication servers, including RADIUS and Active Directory. An internal authentication database lets enterprises implement user authentication without the expense and complexity associated with external authentication servers.

Simple Configuration

Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 APs are automatically configured by the Ruckus ZoneDirector. A network of APs can be centrally configured quickly and simply through the ZoneDirector’s web-based wizard.

Smart Mesh Networking Increases Flexibility, Reduces Costs

Ruckus Smart Mesh Networking enables self-organizing and self-healing wireless meshing. Smart Mesh Networking eliminates the need to run Ethernet cabling to every Smart Wi-Fi AP, allowing administrators to simply plug ZoneFlex APs into any power source, then walk away. All configuration and management is delivered through the ZoneDirector Smart WLAN platform. Patented Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi technology provides extended range and dynamic signal controls. Smart Mesh Networking minimizes inter-nodal hops that might degrade performance, automatically adapts Wi-Fi connections between nodes to environmental changes, and requires deployment of fewer APs.

Automatic User Security

Used with the Ruckus ZoneDirector, the Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 provides first-of-its-kind automatic, robust user security enforcement. Provisioning secure wireless access often involves configuring all the client devices with a wireless setting such as an SSID and encryption key. Typically organizations use a single pre-shared key for all employees. This is a security problem and an ongoing operational headache.

Ruckus Dynamic PSK™ on the Ruckus ZoneDirector and ZoneFlex 2925 automates this process to assure integrity of the user authentication system. First-time users simply plug their computers into the LAN and specify a URL that directs them to a captive portal for a one-time authentication. Upon authentication, the ZoneDirector automatically confi gures the user’s system with the designated SSID and a unique, dynamically-generated encryption key. The key can be removed automatically upon expiration, or manually when the user or their device is no longer trusted.

Business-Class, Multimedia Hotspots

The ZoneFlex 2925 lets operators build a new class of hotspots and offers multimedia hotspot services. Equipped with a dual-polarized directional antenna system, the ZoneFlex 2925 delivers stable connectivity to any Wi-Fi-enabled handheld device and fl icker-free support for concurrent video streams and voice over Wi-Fi calls.

Differentiated Services with Multiple SSIDs

Up to eight discrete SSIDs can be configured within each Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925, each with unique broadcast, QoS, security and management parameters assigned. This enables hot-zone operators to easily offer tiered services to different user or traffic types. Enterprises can use this features to differentiate guest, contractor and employee access policies or to segment different traffic types.

Dynamic RF Management

A Ruckus ZoneFlex WLAN is inherently RF-coordinated as BeamFlex automatically steers Wi-Fi signals toward each receiver, and away from noise, in real time. And unlike omni antennas, BeamFlex does not constantly radiate in all directions, thereby minimizing the chances of adjacent AP interference. As a last resort, the Ruckus ZoneDirector can dynamically exert control over the RF channel assignment and transmit power levels on the ZoneFlex APs, to further optimize the RF environment without manual intervention.

BeamFlex: Unprecedented Reliability and Diversity

ZoneFlex 2925 is equipped with BeamFlex, a MIMO-G smart antenna system optimized for high-density Wi-Fi environments. BeamFlex enables client devices to communicate over longer distances at higher speeds than plain-vanilla 802.11 products. It features six high-gain, directional antenna elements capable of forming 63 unique antenna patterns. Expert system control software continuously ranks antenna patterns for each receiving device, using the inherent feedback mechanism built into the 802.11 MAC layer protocol. By automatically steering Wi-Fi signals around interference, BeamFlex eliminates the need to place each AP in a particular location. And continuous channel selection delivers the most optimal user performance, by ensuring that the best channel is used.

Easy Deployment, Management, and Security

ZoneFlex 2925 is simple to manage through HTTP/S, SSH, or a CLI, and supports the industry-standard SNMP protocol for easy integration with third-party management systems. Its remote spectrum monitoring gives operators a detailed view over time of the RF environment. They can detect unauthorized or foreign APs, see devices consuming various frequencies and channels, determine sources of co-channel interference, and gather per channel error rates. And users are assured the highest level of security, through the most advanced authentication and link layer security options, such as 802.1x and WPA pre-shared keys (PSK).

Multiple service support within a single system

Support for up to four unique BSSIDs lets operators uniquely segment traffic and services. Each BSSID can be assigned unique security, broadcast, QoS and management parameters. Within a single system, operators now have the flexibility to, for instance, offer open access, secure premium access, voice support, and video services.

Features:

Delivers Unsurpassed Density

• Supports up to 20 concurrent voice calls, 12 or more IP video streams (depending on end device and compression) and 50 data clients
• Unique broadcast, QoS, security, and management policies can be assigned to multiple SSIDs
• Meets ever-increasing demands of hotzone operators

Supports New Revenue Streams

• Operators can charge for premium services, voice or FMC services, IPTV, or video services
• Triple-play ready
• Allows operators to deliver voice, video, and data traffic, isolated within separate virtual networks

Supports Differentiated Services with Multiple SSIDs

• Up to eight discrete SSIDs and four unique BSSIDs can be configured and assigned unique security, broadcast, QoS, and management parameters
• Tiered services to different user or traffic types can be offered, including open access, secure premium access, voice support, and video services
• Enterprises can differentiate guest, contractor, and employee access policies or segment different traffic types

Deployment:

Simple Deployment
ZoneFlex 2925 Smart Wi-Fi access points can be deployed in standalone mode or managed by a centralized ZoneDirector. The ZoneFlex 2925 can also be deployed with Ruckus Smart Mesh Networking, eliminating the need to run Ethernet cables to every access point.

Specifications:

 

Documentation:

Download the Ruckus ZoneFlex 2925 Datasheet (PDF).