ASCII.jp Wi-Fi 6 access point, I tried to verify the "difference" between business and general

In recent years, the need to use Wi-Fi (wireless LAN) has increased not only in corporate offices, but also in retail stores, warehouses, factories, and other business sites. This is because not only PCs but also smartphones, tablets, handy terminals, surveillance cameras, and other IoT devices are appearing as Wi-Fi devices that support daily work. Furthermore, there are an increasing number of cases where guest Wi-Fi (free Wi-Fi) is provided as part of customer service at sites such as restaurants, accommodations, and public facilities.

It is recommended to introduce "Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax)" compatible access points for such on-site networks. Wi-Fi 6, the latest standard, incorporates technology that not only speeds up communication but also enables stable communication without interruption even when multiple devices are connected at the same time. These features should come into play in the workplace where there are many Wi-Fi devices to use.

Then, is it the same regardless of which access point you choose if it claims to be "Wi-Fi 6 compatible"? In particular, there is a large price difference between business products and general (consumer) products. For the same performance, you would think that you should choose a cheaper general-purpose product, but in reality, most companies choose business-oriented products. Where is the “difference” enough to justify the price difference?

In order to resolve such doubts, in this article, I would like to compare the differences between Wi-Fi 6 access points for business and general use, including the results of actual machine tests. With the cooperation of Daiwabo Information Systems (DIS), we have prepared Cisco Systems' "Cisco Meraki MR Series" as representative Wi-Fi 6 access points for business, and "Cisco Meraki MS Series" as LAN switches.

Networks of small and medium-sized enterprises, the problem is securing "stability"

This year (2021), Cisco Systems will target domestic small and medium-sized enterprises with 300 or less employees, "In-house network equipment A questionnaire survey was conducted. I introduced it in a previous article, but I would like to confirm that point again here.

According to the same survey, the main points that small and medium-sized enterprises emphasized when introducing current network equipment were "price", "function" and "stability". On the other hand, "security measures" and "network stability" are often cited as problems with current networks.

Question "Please let us know the decisive factors for introducing the currently installed network equipment (routers, switches, Wi-Fi access points, etc.) (multiple answers, up to 3)"

Question "Please let me know if you have any problems with the network environment at your current workplace (multiple answers, as many as you want)"

I want to note here that both answers mention "stability". In other words, there are many cases in which dissatisfaction with stability has not been resolved, even though products were selected with emphasis not only on price but also on stability.

Unlike price and features, which can be researched before a product is purchased, the stability factor is difficult to predict in advance. It tends to happen that it did not operate stably when it was introduced. Even so, the use of networks in business is rapidly increasing, and stable network operation has become an essential requirement. It can be said that the results of this survey show the gap between the expectations for "stability" of networks in business sites and the reality.

Another reason why the stability of network equipment is emphasized is the heavy workload of IT administrators. Even IT administrators, who are busy with other tasks every day, must give top priority to recovery when a network failure occurs that supports on-site operations. If the cause of the failure is not known and it takes time to troubleshoot, the burden is even greater. In order to reduce such worries of IT administrators, network equipment is strongly required to be stable.

Verify business and general network equipment on actual machines

However, as mentioned at the beginning, there is a certain price difference between business and general network equipment. There is The situation remains the same even with the Wi-Fi 6 access point, which is the theme of this time. Where is the "difference" enough to justify the price difference?

In order to solve that question, I decided to do a comparison test using an actual device for business/general access points.

First, we prepared “Cisco Meraki MR36” as a business Wi-Fi 6 access point and “Cisco Meraki MS120” as a LAN switch. Of the 5 Wi-Fi 6 compatible access point models (MR56/46E/46/44/36) in the Meraki MR series, MR36 is the entry model. 2x2 MU-MIMO enables 2-stream (UL/DL) communication, and the total Wi-Fi bandwidth (theoretical value) is 1.7Gbps. The Meraki MS120 is a 1 Gigabit switch capable of PoE/PoE+ power supply, often used in combination with MR series access points. Together with the MR series, it can be set and managed using the Meraki cloud web GUI.

Wi-Fi 6 compatible access point "Cisco Meraki MR 36"

For comparison, we also prepared Wi-Fi 6 access point (Wi-Fi router) products for the general public. We chose products with the same 2x2 MU-MIMO, 2 streams, and a bandwidth of 1.7 Gbps so that there would be no difference in the basic specifications. Although the manufacturer name and model name are withheld, it is a top-selling product on EC sites, and it is believed that it is widely used not only in ordinary homes but also in small offices and shops. The recommended number of simultaneously connected devices was written as "14". Also, the switch uses an inexpensive 1 giga switch for general use.

This time, we connected a large number of Wi-Fi 6 compatible PCs to each, and tested whether the access point operated stably by "throughput test". Please understand in advance that this is a simple test and that the test environment is a room in an office building and is affected by the surrounding radio wave environment.

The throughput test is a test that measures the speed of downloading a 1GB file from a NAS (1Gbps wired connection) installed in the LAN to a PC connected to Wi-Fi 6. Downloading with one PC and simultaneous downloading with eight PCs were measured three times each, and the average value for each download was calculated.

Overview of "Throughput Test"

● 1GB download execution on one PC　・Access point for general users: maximum throughput 238Mbps, average 38.9 seconds　・Meraki MR for business: maximum throughput 809Mbps, average 11.6 seconds

● Simultaneous execution on 8 PCs　・Access point for general users: maximum throughput 38.4 Mbps, average 183.9 seconds　・Meraki MR for business: maximum throughput 205 Mbps, average 82.7 seconds

The test results showed a larger difference than expected. One of the reasons for such a difference is presumed that the Meraki MR series is equipped with a processor with processing power for business. The Meraki MR series, including the MR36, is also widely used in a one-person terminal environment (GIGA school) in schools, where a total of 40 or more terminals play Internet videos at the same time.

None of the access points lost stability during this test, and they didn't go down or become unstable during the process. Still, it was the Meraki MR36 that felt more spacious. The more devices you connect, the more noticeable the difference will be.

There is also a big difference in "manageability" that makes operation monitoring and troubleshooting more efficient

In order to realize stable operation of the business network, it is necessary to understand whether the network is operating normally However, “manageability” is also an important element, so that if a failure occurs, it can be dealt with immediately and restored. As an IT person, it would be desirable to have a product that can troubleshoot problems as efficiently as possible and that can collectively manage the entire network infrastructure, including LAN switches.

There may be an image that "setting and operation management are difficult" for business network products. However, in the case of the Meraki series, which has a Japanese-language Web GUI cloud-based management tool, it is easy to set up and manage operations if you have basic IT knowledge. You don't need to learn command line operations or build your own dedicated management server. I'm also happy to be able to monitor and manage LAN switches collectively.

Meraki web management console. Organize and visualize a wide range of information in an easy-to-understand manner

Meraki series access points (MR series) and switches (MS series) are designed to constantly communicate with the Meraki cloud via the Internet. Detailed network operating status is sent to the cloud, accumulated, visualized in a time-series graph, and configured to automatically change settings by acquiring setting information entered on the management console on the cloud side. This allows Meraki series devices linked to the same management account to be monitored and managed remotely and centrally.

In the case of general access points, most products are managed by logging in one by one from the local (within the LAN). Also, regarding Wi-Fi usage, there is only a function that allows you to check the number of connected devices in real time. For example, it is difficult to determine how much business Wi-Fi and guest Wi-Fi are used and for what purpose, and whether the current capacity is sufficient based on peak traffic volume. In terms of manageability, there is a clear difference from the business-oriented Meraki series.

Mechanism for setting up Meraki products at each location via the cloud and collecting and analyzing operating information at the same time

The management functions provided by the Meraki series bring various benefits to IT administrators. For example, "zero-touch configuration" when installing an access point. By linking a Meraki MR access point or Meraki MS switch to your Meraki account in advance, simply connecting to the Internet at the site where it is installed will retrieve configuration information from the cloud, automatically complete initial settings, and set up your Wi-Fi network. Operation starts. In other words, there is no need for IT administrators to visit the site. Of course, maintenance work such as setting changes, operation monitoring, and firmware updates after operation monitoring can also be performed remotely.

Meraki Health is also available to make network troubleshooting easier. It is a function that graphically displays the "health status" of the network, and when connection problems occur, it is possible to drill down by unit such as access point, SSID, Wi-Fi device and conduct a detailed investigation.

For example, in this test environment, when I displayed "Client connection status" for a specific iPad, the following screen was displayed. The usage rate of the same channel (the number of devices connected) is slightly high and caution is required, but the analysis result shows that the connection is 100% successful. If you can get specific information like this, troubleshooting should proceed efficiently.

Drill down view of connection status of one client (iPad). Information is displayed up to the connection destination access point and upper switch, and the problem point can be seen at a glance

Get easy-to-understand alerts on your dashboard for access points, SSIDs, and clients with the most problems. Of course, these alerts can also be sent via email or mobile app, so IT admins don't have to keep an eye on the dashboard all the time.

When a user complains that they cannot access the Internet, there is also a function that analyzes and displays at what stage of access the problem occurs. Whether the problem is the wireless connection with the access point, the authentication part, or the client's DHCP or DNS settings are wrong, the cause can be easily isolated from the viewpoint of the entire network including LAN switches. can.

Data such as the number of connected devices, traffic volume, and communication quality can be displayed as a time series graph. You can see at a glance when there is a lot of usage and whether sufficient communication quality is maintained even during peak usage times, so it will be useful for future network expansion plans.

Meraki's management console provides a wealth of visibility into network health

Convenient usage scenes such as multi-site deployment and batch management of networks

The manageability of the Meraki series introduced so far should be useful in various business settings.

For example, in a company that has offices and stores in multiple locations, an IT administrator at headquarters can centrally manage the network of all locations via the Meraki cloud. It can be introduced with zero-touch configuration, and the operating status can be monitored remotely even after the start of operation, completely eliminating the need for IT administrators to visit the site. Recently, IT administrators are also required to work remotely / work from home, and it should be useful for such "work style reforms".

Even if a network problem occurs at a remote location, Meraki Health can be used to remotely investigate the cause in detail. Once the cause is discovered, settings can be changed and rebooted remotely, greatly shortening the time it takes to restore the network. Employees who use the network for work will also appreciate it.

Meraki also features application traffic identification and analysis. On an office network, you can investigate which applications are consuming the most traffic, and prioritize specific applications such as web conferencing (QoS). Guest Wi-Fi, which is used by an unspecified number of people, can also be used to limit the communication of applications with high security risks.

* * * *

This time, we have looked at the features of the Meraki MR access point for business (and Meraki series products) in comparison with network products for the general public. In order to realize the "stable operation network" required in all business sites, the "robustness" and "stability" of the performance of the equipment, as well as the abundant "functionality" are necessary. Please pay attention to the Cisco Meraki series products that achieve a good balance of these.

Meraki has a wealth of operational management functions in addition to those introduced in this article. Cisco Systems currently offers a "30-day free trial" for the Meraki series products, so please take advantage of this opportunity to experience the stability and convenience of the Meraki series. In addition, we are running a campaign where you can get one access point or LAN switch by watching a Meraki webinar. Please check the link below for details.

(Provided by Cisco Systems, verification cooperation: Daiwabo Information Systems)