Controller-less WLAN Architecture
Technology Behind the Solution
Aerohive developed a controller-less wireless LAN architecture called Cooperative Control. Our WLAN solution provides all the performance, availability, management, mobility, and security needed in a large campus deployment, and, with the elimination of controllers in the architecture, is cost effective even in small branch office and warehouse deployments. This unique controller-less architecture also enables secure, scalable, high-performance, and mission-critical wireless networking in a manageable and cost effective way to industries such as education, healthcare, state and local government, manufacturing, distribution, and retail. Leveraging its controller-less approach, Aerohive has further simplified enterprise Wi-Fi with a cloud-based SaaS management solution called HiveManager Online. HiveManager Online dramatically lowers the cost and deployment complexity of managing enterprise Wi-Fi.
 Controlller-based Architecture |
 Aerohive Controlller-less Architecture |
The advantage of the Aerohive architecture is no U-turns, bottlenecks, or
single points of failure, with increased reliability and reduced cost.
Controller-based WLANs were designed for an era when there was insufficient processing power in APs to distribute the intelligence as happens in other networking infrastructure. Aerohive's controller-less approach is different. It distributes all control functions and data forwarding to smart APs while maintaining a centralized management system for monitoring and configuration – similar to how routers in the Internet function.
Aerohive AP capabilities include:
- Support for control functions such as dynamic RF management, layer 2/layer 3 roaming, and client-load balancing
- Integrated mesh technology providing the highest degree of resiliency and connectivity – a 'self-healing network'
- Powerful and flexible identity-based firewall, access control, and quality-of-service (QoS) policies enforced at the edge
- Distributed data forwarding for scalable latency optimized performance for 802.11n throughput and beyond
Aerohive architectural advantages:
- No u-turns, bottlenecks, or single points of failure
- Flexible expansion - just add APs
- Superior branch performance and survivability
- Real mesh support
- Increased reliability and reduced cost (no controllers)
- Advanced value-added functionality