Features and Capabilities

As a component of the Cisco Digital Network Architecture, the 5520 Series Wireless LAN Controller provides real-time communications between Cisco Aironet access points, Cisco Prime Infrastructure, and Cisco Mobility Services Engine. It is also interoperable with other Cisco controllers.

The 5520 Series comes with integrated services:

- Application Visibility and Control (AVC) provides granular classification and prioritization of thousands of business-critical apps with dynamic protocol updates.

- Location-aware Bonjour and Chromcast support services advertised across a Layer 3 network at a user and device level.

- Embedded Policy Classification Engine offers simplified BYOD with native device profiling and onboard services.

- Software-defined segmentation with Cisco TrustSec reduces access control list maintenance, complexity, and overhead.

The 5520 Series offers exceptional scalability:

- Support up to 1500 access points and 20,000 clients.

- Optimize 802.11ac Wave 2 next-generation networks with 20 Gb throughput.

- Consolidate multiple controllers into one with a single point of touch.

- Support centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments.

- Deploy Cisco FlexConnect in sites with up to 100 access points in up to 1500 groups.

The 5520 Series offers high-availability features for uninterrupted application availability and no incremental system downtime:

- Sub-second failover for access point and client failover for uninterrupted application availability.

- Dual-redundant Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.

- Solid state device-based storage-no moving parts.

- Optional redundant, hot-swappable power supply for no incremental system downtime.

- Enhanced system uptime with fast system restarts.