The Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller enables systemwide wireless functions in small to medium-sized enterprises and branch offices. Designed for 802.11n performance, Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers are entry-level controllers that provide real-time communication between Cisco Aironet access points to simplify the deployment and operation of wireless networks (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller
As a component of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network, this controller delivers centralized security policies, wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) capabilities, award-winning RF management and quality of service (QoS) for voice and video. Delivering 802.11n performance and scalability the 2500 Series provides low total cost of ownership and flexibility to scale as network requirements grow.
Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller base access point licensing offers flexibility with 5, 15, 25, or 50 access points. Additional access point support may be added in increments of 5 or 25.
Table 1 lists the features and benefits of the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers.
Table 1. Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller Features and Benefits
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Feature
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Benefits
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Scalability
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Supports 5, 15, 25, or 50 access points
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High Performance
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Wired-network speed and nonblocking performance for 802.11n networks
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RF Management
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Provides both real-time and historical information about RF interference impacting network performance across controllers, via systemwide Cisco CleanAir technology integration
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Comprehensive End-to-End Security
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Offers CAPWAP-compliant Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) encryption to help ensure full-line-rate encryption between access points and controllers across remote WAN/LAN links
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End-to-end Voice
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Supports Unified Communications for improved collaboration through messaging, presence, and conferencing
Supports all Cisco Unified Communications Wireless IP Phones for cost-effective, real-time voice services
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High-Performance Video
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Integrates Cisco VideoStream technology as part of the Cisco medianet framework to optimize the delivery of video applications across the WLAN
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PCI Integration
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Part of Payment Card Industry (PCI) certified architecture, and are well-suited for retail customers who deploy transactional data applications such as scanners and kiosks
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OfficeExtend
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Supports corporate wireless service for mobile and remote workers with secure wired tunnels to the Cisco Aironet 600, 1130, 1140 or 3500 Series Access Points
Extends the corporate network to remote locations with minimal setup and maintenance requirements
Improves productivity and collaboration at remote site locations
Separate service set identifier (SSID) tunnels allow both corporate and personal Internet access
Reduced carbon dioxide emissions from a decrease in commuting
Higher employee job satisfaction from ability to work at home
Improves business resiliency by providing continuous, secure connectivity in the event of disasters, pandemics, or inclement weather
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Enterprise Wireless Mesh
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Allows access points to dynamically establish wireless connections without the need for a physical connection to the wired network
Available on select Cisco Aironet access points, Enterprise Wireless Mesh is ideal for warehouses, manufacturing floors, shopping centers, and any other location where extending a wired connection may prove difficult or aesthetically unappealing
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Environmentally Responsible
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Organizations may choose to turn off access point radios to reduce power consumption during off-peak hours
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Product Specifications
Table 2 lists the product specification for Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers.
Table 2. Product Specifications for the Cisco 2500 Wireless Controller
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Item
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Specification
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Wireless Standards
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IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11d, WMM/802.11e, 802.11h, 802.11n.
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Wired/Switching/Routing
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IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T, IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-TX specification, 1000BASE-T, and IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging.
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Data Request for Comments (RFCs)
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RFC 768 UDP
RFC 791 IP
RFC 2460 IPv6 (pass through Bridging mode only)
RFC 792 ICMP
RFC 793 TCP
RFC 826 ARP
RFC 1122 Requirements for Internet Hosts
RFC 1519 CIDR
RFC 1542 BOOTP
RFC 2131 DHCP
RFC 5415 CAPWAP Protocol Specification
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Security Standards
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WiFi Protected Access (WPA)
IEEE 802.11i (WPA2, RSN)
RFC 1321 MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm
RFC 1851 The ESP Triple DES Transform
RFC 2104 HMAC: Keyed Hashing for Message Authentication
RFC 2246 TLS Protocol Version 1.0
RFC 2401 Security Architecture for the Internet Protocol
RFC 2403 HMAC-MD5-96 within ESP and AH
RFC 2404 HMAC-SHA-1-96 within ESP and AH
RFC 2405 ESP DES-CBC Cipher Algorithm with Explicit IV
RFC 2406 IP Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)
RFC 2407 Interpretation for ISAKMP
RFC 2408 ISAKMP
RFC 2409 IKE
RFC 2451 ESP CBC-Mode Cipher Algorithms
RFC 3280 Internet X.509 PKI Certificate and CRL Profile
RFC 3602 The AES-CBC Cipher Algorithm and Its Use with IPsec
RFC 3686 Using AES Counter Mode with IPsec ESP
RFC 4347 Datagram Transport Layer Security
RFC 4346 TLS Protocol Version 1.1
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Encryption
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WEP and Temporal Key Integrity Protocol-Message Integrity Check (TKIP-MIC): RC4 40, 104 and 128 bits (both static and shared keys)
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES): CBC, CCM, Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chanining Message Authentication Code Protocol (CCMP)
DES: DES-CBC, 3DES
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS): RC4 128-bit and RSA 1024- and 2048-bit
DTLS: AES-CBC
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Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)
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IEEE 802.1X
RFC 2548 Microsoft Vendor-Specific RADIUS Attributes
RFC 2716 PPP EAP-TLS
RFC 2865 RADIUS Authentication
RFC 2866 RADIUS Accounting
RFC 2867 RADIUS Tunnel Accounting
RFC 3576 Dynamic Authorization Extensions to RADIUS
RFC 3579 RADIUS Support for EAP
RFC 3580 IEEE 802.1X RADIUS Guidelines
RFC 3748 Extensible Authentication Protocol
Web-based authentication
TACACS support for management users
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Management
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SNMP v1, v2c, v3
RFC 854 Telnet
RFC 1155 Management Information for TCP/IP-Based Internets
RFC 1156 MIB
RFC 1157 SNMP
RFC 1213 SNMP MIB II
RFC 1350 TFTP
RFC 1643 Ethernet MIB
RFC 2030 SNTP
RFC 2616 HTTP
RFC 2665 Ethernet-Like Interface types MIB
RFC 2674 Definitions of Managed Objects for Bridges with Traffic Classes, Multicast Filtering, and Virtual Extensions
RFC 2819 RMON MIB
RFC 2863 Interfaces Group MIB
RFC 3164 Syslog
RFC 3414 User-Based Security Model (USM) for SNMPv3
RFC 3418 MIB for SNMP
RFC 3636 Definitions of Managed Objects for IEEE 802.3 MAUs
Cisco private MIBs
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Management Interfaces
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Designed for use with Cisco Wireless Control System
Web-based: HTTP/HTTPS individual device manager
Command-line interface: Telnet, SSH, serial port
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Interfaces and Indicators
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Console port: RJ-45 connector
Network: Four 1 Gbps Ethernet (RJ-45)
Note: Access point directly connected to the controller is not currently supported.
LED indicators: Link Activity (each 1G port), Power, Status, Alarm
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Physical and Environmental
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Dimensions: 1.73 x 8.00 x 6.75 in. (43.9 x 203.2 x 271.5mm)
Weight: 3.5 lbs (with power supply)
Temperature:
Operating: 32 to 104 F (0 to 40C)
Storage: -13 to 158F (-25 to 70C)
Humidity:
Operating humidity: 10 to 95 percent, noncondensing
Storage humidity: Up to 95 percent
Power adapter: Input power: 100 to 240 VAC; 50/60 Hz
Heat dissipation: 72 BTU/hour
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Regulatory Compliance
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Safety:
UL 60950-1, 2nd Edition
EN 60950:2005
EMI and susceptibility (Class B):
U.S.: FCC Part 15.107 and 15.109
Canada: ICES-003
Japan: VCCI
Europe: EN 55022, EN 55024
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Ordering Information
Tables 3 and 4 provide ordering information for the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers. To place an order, visit the Cisco ordering website: https://www.cisco.com/en/US/ordering/index.shtml.
Table 3. Ordering Information for Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers
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Part Number
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Description
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Cisco SMARTnet 8x5xNBD
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AIR-CT2504-5-K9
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2500 Series Wireless Controller for up to 5 Cisco access points
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CON-SNT-CT255
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AIR-CT2504-15-K9
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2500 Series Wireless Controller for up to 15 Cisco access points
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CON-SNT-CT2515
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AIR-CT2504-25-K9
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2500 Series Wireless Controller for up to 25 Cisco access points
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CON-SNT-CT2525
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AIR-CT2504-50-K9
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2500 Series Wireless Controller for up to 50 Cisco access points
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CON-SNT-CT2550
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Table 4. Ordering Information for Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers: Optional Accessories
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Part Number
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Product Name
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AIR-CT2504-RMNT=
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Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller Rack Mount Bracket
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Additive Capacity Upgrade Licenses
The following additive capacity upgrade licenses are available for the Cisco 2500 Series.
Table 5. Ordering Information for Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers: Access Point Adder Licenses (e-Delivery PAKs)
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Part Number
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Description
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Cisco SMARTnet 8x5xNBD
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L-LIC-CT2504-UPG
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Primary upgrade SKU: Pick any number or combination of the following options under this SKU to upgrade one or many controllers under one product authorization key
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CON-SNT-LCT25UP
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L-LIC-CT2504-5A
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5 Access Point Adder License for Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller (e-Delivery)
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CON-SNT-LCT255A
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L-LIC-CT2504-25A
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25 Access Point Adder License for Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller (e-Delivery)
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CON-SNT-LCT2525A
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Table 6. Ordering Information for Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers: Access Point Adder Licenses (Paper PAKs)
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Part Number
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Description
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Cisco SMARTnet 8x5xNBD
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LIC-CT2504-UPG
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Primary upgrade SKU: Pick any number or combination of the following options under this SKU to upgrade one or many controllers under one product authorization key
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CON-SNT-LCT25UP
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LIC-CT2504-5A
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5 Access Point Adder License for Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller (Paper Certificate - U.S. Mail)
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CON-SNT-LCT255A
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LIC-CT2504-25A
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25 Access Point Adder License for Cisco 2504 Wireless Controller (Paper Certificate - U.S. Mail)
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CON-SNT-LCT2525A
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Table 7 shows the optional paper PAK license for Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers. DTLS license is designated for customers who purchase a controller with DTLS disabled due to import restrictions but get permission to add DTLS support after initial purchase. This optional DTLS license is required for OfficeExtend deployment.
Table 7. Optional Licensing for Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers (Paper PAKs)
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Part Number
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Description
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LIC-CT2504-UPG
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Primary upgrade SKU: Pick any number or combination of the following options under this SKU to upgrade one or many controllers under one product authorization key
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LIC-CT25-DTLS-K9
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Cisco 2504 Controller DTLS License (Paper Certificate - US Mail)
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Service and Support
Cisco Wireless LAN Services
Cisco and our specialized partners offer a broad portfolio of end-to-end services to help you improve your organization's productivity and collaboration by assisting with the readiness, deployment, and optimization of your wireless network and mobility services. Our services help you successfully deploy the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller and integrate mobility solutions effectively to lower the total cost of ownership and secure your wireless network. To learn more about Cisco Wireless LAN Service offers, please visit: https://www.cisco.com/go/wirelesslanservices.
Cisco WLAN Advanced Services Consulting is available for the planning and deployment stages to help ensure the successful integration of the Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controller in your network. Cisco WLAN Advanced Services Consulting can be ordered with the SKU listed in Table 8.
Please contact your Cisco Sales representative with the information required for a pricing quote:
Number of sites
Desired coverage area (square feet or square miles)
Estimated number of access points per site
Advanced Mobility Services and required applications
Networking
