D-Link’s DWS-3024/3024L/3026 L2+ Unifed Wired/Wireless Gigabit Switches are optimized for wireless network deployment in business environments. With these devices,  business  can  install  high-performance,  secure,  manageable  and  scalable unifed  wired/wireless  LAN  switching.  Equipped with combo SFP, open slots  for optional 10-Gigabit connection¹,  Power  over  Ethernet  and  redundant power supply (RPS) support, these switches provide enterprises with  easy  upgrade  to  next-generation 802.11n  wireless  LAN,  simple  deployment  of wireless  devices  regardless  of  physical  locations, and centralized management/policy enforcement of wireless mobility.

Core Units Controlling Entire Wireless Network
The  DWS-3024/3024L/3026  switches  are  the  core units  that  consolidate  the  security, manage  the bandwidth and maintain the intelligence of an entire wireless  network.  In  addition  to monitoring  users’ identities  and  maintaining  their  authentication  as they roam, these switches can configure and control all aspects of the wireless access points, including their  RF  channel/power  management,  wireless traffic segmentation, AP roaming/AP load balancing,
Rouge AP detection, and AP access security.

Designed for Easy Deployment of High-Performance Wireless LAN
Designed  for distributed deployments  in  the wiring closet,  each  switch  can  support  up  to  24  or  48 wireless  access  points.  AP connection can be directly to the wireless APs switch ports, or indirectly through any LAN switch. With 802.3af PoE integrated into  every  port,  the  switch  allows  connected  APs to be  located at places difficult  to access  from AC power  sources.  Gigabit transmission future-proof hardware protects investments when the network is
Installed with next-generation higher-speed 802.11n wireless standard devices.

24 Gigabit Ports, No Restriction on Port Usage
Each  switch  provides  24  10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit  ports  and 4 combo  SFP  slots.  Each  of  the  10/100/1000BASE-T  ports  can  connect  to  a wireless  access  point,  or  to  a wired  LAN  device, such  as  a  server,  a  network  storage  device,  or simply  another  LAN  switch.  The combo SFP allows for flexible fiber connection, while optional 10-Gigabit modules¹enable bottleneck-free switch-to-switch cascading or attachment to a high-speed fiber backbone.

Scalable Expansion & Unifed Wired/Wireless Deployment
Small to Medium Enterprises (SMB) may begin with only one switch to manage their AP or to use for mixed wired/wireless LAN purposes. When the number of AP is augmented, up to 4 switches can be added to form a large mobility domain. With easy expansion, Gigabit speed to support next-generation high-speed  AP,  and  packet  routing  to  support enterprise-wide  inter-subnet  roaming,  the  switch provides an architecture  that unifies and simplifies an otherwise complex WLAN environment,  readily prepares an existing network for future technology
upgrades.

RF & Power Management
To minimize network IT personnel’s intervention, the switch provides automatic selection of unoccupied or  least-used  Radio  Frequency  (RF)  channels  for each wireless  access  point  to  avoid  interference with other AP and RF devices. For each AP, it also sets a transmitter output power strong enough for RF signals to reach wireless clients yet weak enough to minimize interference with other wireless devices’ RF signals. The switch auto-adjusts the RF channels and transmitter output power of all wireless access points every time when an AP is added to or removed from the network.  This  automatic  adjustment  can be programmed  to  take effect at a certain  time or time  intervals,  minimizing  the  need  for  network administrators to manually intervene.

Self-Healing and Load Balancing
The  switch  provides  two  features  designed  to increase  the  resiliency  of  a  wireless  network  - namely  a  so-called  “self-healing”  process,  and an  AP  load  balancing  function.  To make  up  for  a sudden  RF  signal  vacuum  created  by  any  “dead” AP  (AP  with  DC  power  failure,  for  example),  the switch  automatically  increases  the  transmitter output  power  of  all  neighboring  APs  to  expand their  RF  coverage,  thereby  “healing”  the  network “wound.”  To ensure continuous connection for current clients, the switch performs load balancing across access points when network traffic reaches a certain threshold, while rejecting new client-to-AP associations to avoid bandwidth overcrowding.

Simplified Configuration & Deployment
Through  a  centralized  management  platform, network  maintenance  and  configuration  become a  more  efficient  process.  By  running  an  Internet browser on any PC connected  to  the network and typing  in  an  IP  address  of  a  managing  switch, administrators  can  view  the  topology  map  and pinpoint the locations of the AP and the switch itself. The map uses AP icons on which administrators can click to select, and shows colors to differentiate the different RF channels used by the AP. For quick replacement of a failed AP, administrators can easily locate the AP on the map, swap it with a new one, and apply the same configuration profile to the new unit.

Maximized Wireless Connection
Through  centralized  RF  policies,  auto-selection  of the  least utilized channels and AP  load balancing, the  DWS-3024/3024L/3026  can  effectively  manage the wireless  bandwidth  to  optimize WLAN  traffic. The  switch  maintains  a  centralized  database  of wireless  user’s  access  information  such  as  their MAC  addresses  and  authentication  keys.  On a Network site deployed with multiple peer switches, this information is also swapped among the switches themselves. As wireless users roam around the office using wireless equipment, they may change their connection from AP to AP. By constantly monitoring the  APs  status,  the  switch  can  establish  an  AP-to-AP  roaming  for  these  users  without  requiring them  to  re-establishing  authentication  keys.  This fast roaming process results with disruption-free, reliable  wireless  connectivity  crucial  for  mobile applications  such  as Wi-Fi  IP  phone  and wireless PDA connection.

Adaptable Wireless
Most  of  the  current  wireless  LAN  controllers’ architecture  requires  wireless  traffic  to  return  to the  controller  for  centralized  processing,  causing unnecessary traffic delay. The DWS-3024/3024L/3026 switches offer administrators additional options.

Depending  on  the  wireless  application,  wireless traffic  can  either  be  tunneled  back  to  the  switch for  better  security  control,  or  locally  forwarded at  the  access  point  for  optimal  performance.  This device  offers  administrators  maximized  flexibility with  options  to  tunnel  guest  traffic  to  the  switch for  centralized  security  control,  and  forward  VoIP traffic  directly  from  the  access  point  for  optimal performance.

Maximized Network Security
Each  client  connecting  to  the  wireless  network goes  through  a  strict  authentication  process  to ensure maximum security. Whether the client is an assigned user, a visiting guest, or a client with only department access,  the switch protects  the entire network  infrastructure  with  numerous  security mechanisms,  including:  WEP  data  encryption, 802.1X  user  authentication,  and  802.11i  standard WPA/WPA2  security,  Captive  Portal  and  MAC Authentication.

The switch provides a means to define and detect rouge APs, to preventing illegal intrusion into the internal network.  It  provides  user-based  services such  as  virtual  private  group  (SSID) membership, encryption  type,  authentication,  location  tracking and  associated  network  statistics.  Authorizations stay  with  users  wherever  they  roam  because  all deployed  DWS-3024/3024L/3026  switches  share stored  information,  ensuring  secure  access  and connectivity to the right services.  In  addition  to checking  the  identity  of  a  connecting  user  from the  switch’s  local  database,  user  authentication policies can be sent  to an external RADIUS server for complete verification. This offloading capability ensures that the switch will not be overloaded when numerous clients simultaneously connect to the network.

Maximized Flexibility
In addition to acting as the controller unit in a wireless switching  system,  the  DWS-3024/3024L/3026  can also  function  as  an  advanced  L2+  wired  switch, complete with packet routing, ACL security features, multi-layer QoS, 802.1q VLAN  traffic segmentation, IGMP  snooping  for  IP  multicast  streams,  802.3ad redundant  load-sharing  Gigabit  links,  and  10-Gigabit fiber support1 , allowing businesses to totally integrate  their  enterprise  wireless  networks  with their  wired  network  infrastructure.  Businesses contemplating upgrading their current 10/100Mbps desktop connections to Gigabit capability can deploy the DWS-3024/3024L/3026 to take advantage of their ability to flexibly act as a wireless controller or a dedicated, full-featured multi-layer LAN switch, or as a dual-role device.

¹ 10-Gigabit support available on DWS-3026 only.