Chapter 1. Introduction - Motorola AP-7131 Product Reference Manual

Introduction
As a standalone access point, the AP-7131 provides small and medium-sized businesses with a
consolidated wired and wireless networking infrastructure, all in a single device. The integrated
router, gateway, firewall, DHCP and AAA Radius servers, VPN, hot-spot gateway and Power-over-
Ethernet (PoE) simplify and reduce the costs associated with networking by eliminating the need to
purchase and manage multiple pieces of equipment.
The AP-7131 is also designed to meet the needs of large, distributed enterprises by converging the
functionality of a thick access point and thin access port into a single device. This mode enables the
deployment of a fully featured intelligent access point that can be centrally configured and managed
via a Motorola wireless switch in either corporate headquarters or a network operations center
(NOC). In the event the connection between the AP-7131 and the wireless switch is lost, a Remote
Site Survivability (RSS) feature ensures the delivery of uninterrupted wireless services at the local or
remote site. All traffic between the adaptive access points and the wireless switch is secured though
an IPSec tunnel. Additionally, compatibility with Motorola's RF Management Suite allows you to
centrally plan, deploy, monitor, and secure large AP-7131 deployments.
If you are new to using an access point for managing your network, refer to Theory of Operations on
page 1-21 for an overview on wireless networking fundamentals.