Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller

I think this WLC is well suited in almost enterprise environment where a lot of APs and a lot of bandwidth is required. This WLC has also good compatibility with almost all APs; I would suggest this WLC if it's required to keep the compatibility of older APs but I would prefer using the new 9800 solutions.

With the Cisco WLC 5520, access point control routines are reduced by 99% because these devices automatically manage access points from anywhere, as long as they are on the same network. The WLC creates the possibility of roaming L2 and configures power levels, radio frequency channels, and avoids interference from Bluetooth and in 2.4Ghz. This Cisco WLC is recommended for large scenarios with multiple access points installed from anywhere. The layer 7 traffic preview functionality is great for creating an extra layer of protection and preventing users from accessing inappropriate URLs and saving bandwidth.

This model of controller has been on the market for a couple of years now and although its performance has been good, it does not have the advantages of working with the new family of catalysts.It has had some hardware problems that, although it is immediately replaced by the manufacturer, may have momentary loss of service.

I would recommend the [Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller] to IT colleagues who [are looking] for a way to manage, control, [and] update Cisco access points automatically without facing hard-hearted headaches. It is easy to schedule a time for updates and access to [the] WiFi network. It has extra features that add more value to the product, [such] as a firewall, access control lists, QoS, authentication portal, and others.

Cisco brings a lot of reliability to its products and durability. With the WLAN line, it is no different. We have a lot of equipment from different areas. We recommend the [Cisco] 5520 [Wireless Controller] in large scenarios and with a high density of connected users because the limit of this hardware is 1500 access points and 20,000 simultaneous clients. The [Cisco] 5520 [Wireless Controller] allows you to manage everything very easily, quickly and remotely instead of configuring one by one. Regardless of where the access points are installed, we are able to monitor and control them. This controller model is already compatible with the recent new standard of the high-speed wifi 6 market, 802.11ax.

The [Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller] is essential for the WLAN network and is recommended for any scenario with more than 5 Access points to manage. The radio frequency and range [are] delicate and difficult to dimension in the location and the WLC contributes by calculating and propagating the signal automatically to avoid interference and external noise from other APs with overlapping channels. The equipment is 1U and can be installed in any rack in the data center and connected to the Core switch.

[I] would give it a rating of 9 out of 10. Overall, it checks all the boxes when it came to an enterprise central management of AP's solution. The platform is Cisco, so we know it will be supported and any issues will be able to be addressed by their skilled support team.

If you can afford it, [the] Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller is the only way to manage your access points. Cisco provides ease of mind in reporting and security.

Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller is well suited [for] large companies that will use multiple APs in many different groups with advanced authentication methods to enhance the performance and ease of management and operations. It will be less appropriate when you have just a few APs in a small company or office.

I consider that its implementation is recommended for configurations where the amount of access points exceeds 50 devices and the performance exceeds 4 Gbps. In environments where the access point density is less than 10 units, we can use the option of Express Mobility.

The 5520s are a perfect fit for us since our deployment is just shy of 400 access points. This gives us plenty of room to grow with the max concurrent sessions set at 280,000. For much larger enterprise solutions, this would be a limitation and you would need to look at more robust solutions.

It is well suited in an environment that has mostly laptop users, has BYOD/corporate cell phone use, or that encourages collaboration via voice and video meetings. Definitely fits with a company that has on-the-go staff that requires quick access to resources.

It is suitable for companies with a high number of users and wireless network equipment. It is also specifically well suited for locations where high availability is required. It is not suitable for small corporations or those with a low number of users that would not take advantage of the maximum performance of the device.