Ruckus Wireless expands range of ZoneFlex Access Points

These new Smart Wi-Fi access points are the only concurrent, dual-band indoor and outdoor 802.11ac APs on the market to integrate patented Ruckus BeamFlex+™ technology for optimal performance and interference mitigation in challenging RF environments, as well as ChannelFly™ dynamic channel management technology for predictive channel selection based on real-time capacity analysis of all RF channels. The new outdoor ZoneFlex T300 Series APs also feature the industry’s smallest and lightest form factors.

“Our latest ZoneFlex T300 Series outdoor APs provide even more options and flexibility for customers desiring carrier-class, high-capacity, high-density outdoor 11ac Smart Wi-Fi radio technology, including industry-leading lightweight and compact form factors,” said Greg Beach, vice president of Product Management, Ruckus Wireless. “Our new indoor, mid-range APs are exceptional, high-performance options for deployments in small to mid-size retail businesses, branch offices of large enterprises, hotel common areas, classrooms and libraries, delivering best-in-class performance and reliability at competitive prices.”

New Ruckus ZoneFlex Indoor APs R Smart Wi-Fi for 802.11ac
The Ruckus ZoneFlex R500 dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) 2x2:2 802.11ac access point is designed to deliver high quality wireless connectivity in medium density wireless networks in sites such as mid-size enterprises, hotels, and warehouses. The ZoneFlex R500 is also a great AP for deployment in retail stores to provide inconspicuous, reliable wireless connectivity for video, wireless IP phones and data access for handheld point-of-sale (POS) bar code scanners.

The Ruckus ZoneFlex R600 dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) 3x3:3 802.11ac access point delivers even higher performance with an additional MIMO spatial stream. It is ideal for medium to high client density deployments such as enterprises, branch offices, and retail locations, especially those serving three-spatial stream clients. The ZoneFlex R600 is also a perfect fit for K-12 classrooms and college campus networks.

Both the new ZoneFlex R500 and R600 APs are able to operate with full functionality when powered by a standard Power over Ethernet (PoE) 802.3af switch, eliminating the need for costly switch upgrades. Their sleek, elegant designs are easily concealed and support a variety of mounting options. Additional features include: dual-band support that allows for concurrent Internet and IP-based video services; wired ports that enable easy connections to laptops, VoIP phones, cash registers, printers, and other business devices, and; multiple SSIDs for differentiated user services (e.g., guest Wi-Fi, POS, voice).

Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11ac APs Continue to Fit Outdoor Environments to a T
Like the Ruckus ZoneFlex T300 omnidirectional and ZoneFlex T301n 30 degree narrow beam models, the new ZoneFlex T300e and T301s APs are incredibly lightweight and feature ultra compact form factors. At just 2 and 2.1 pounds (0.9 kg and 1 kg), respectively, including built-in BeamFlex antennas, the ZoneFlex T300e and T301s are significantly lighter than other outdoor 802.11ac APs. With total dimensions, including their internal antennas, of 5.9”w x 7”d x 3.4”h (15cm x 18cm x 8.6cm) for the ZoneFlex T300e, and 7.6”w x 9.4”d x 4.3”h (19.5cm x 23.9cm x 11cm) for the ZoneFlex T301s, these are among the smallest outdoor 802.11ac APs on the market. Form factor is a critical requirement for many outdoor Wi-Fi applications where aesthetic considerations or minimal visual impact is required. The lightweight feature of the ZoneFlex T300 Series outdoor APs dramatically eases installation and reduces deployment time and labor costs.

The ZoneFlex T300e is equally well suited for high-density outdoor deployments. It includes all of the features of the T300 model, plus offers the ability to attach a wide variety of external 5 GHz antennas for great deployment flexibility. It’s ideal for mounting on poles, street corners, and rooftops, and in situations where the AP is remote from antennas or where the AP requires custom engineered RF coverage.

“The Ruckus ZoneFlex T300 access point is exactly what we needed for a cutting-edge, high-density installation we’re deploying in New York City to provide coverage over a wide outdoor area,“ said Alan Rothenstreich, director of Business Development for Pacific Telemanagement Services (PTS), a national public communications company and Ruckus Big Dog partner headquartered in San Ramon, CA.

“The T300 also provides crucial interference mitigation, and it’s significantly lighter and smaller than other outdoor 802.11ac APs, which is equally important, since form factor is another key requirement for this combined, integrated indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi network, because we need to address aesthetic and minimal visual impact challenges. Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi is simply unparalleled when it comes to carrier-class, high-capacity, high-density outdoor 11ac technology—all in a great package, and the T300 is enabling us to deliver a reliable, high-performance Wi-Fi network."

The ZoneFlex T301s is similar in features to the T301n model, and has a sector adaptive antenna that is designed specifically for providing the best coverage and capacity at wider 120 degree sectors. The T301s AP is well suited for mounting on poles and ideal for mounting on exterior walls.

Both models are rugged outdoor APs purpose-built to withstand harsh environments, with IP-67 water and dust proof plastic enclosures, operating temperatures of from -4 up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit (from -20 up to 55 degrees Celsius), and wind survivability of up to 165 mph. Both models are easy to install, and support co-location operation with distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cell radios.

All four of these new Ruckus APs also feature 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE), support up to 500 clients each, and can operate as a standalone AP, or be centrally managed by a Ruckus ZoneDirector™ controller, or Ruckus SmartCell™ Gateway (SCG) 200 or virtual SmartCell Gateway (vSCG) for maximum scalability.

Better, Smarter Wi-Fi With BeamFlex+
The ZoneFlex R500 and R600 indoor APs and ZoneFlex T300e and T301s outdoor APs all feature Ruckus BeamFlex+ technology, which provides a stronger device signal by adapting to a mobile device’s orientation and location. BeamFlex+ can enhance the user experience by helping to ensure a consistent wireless signal. Without it, changing client device orientation can cause up to a 2.5x performance difference. For example, this can mean a change from 25 Mbps to 10 Mbps. BeamFlex+ eliminates this variability and is designed to ensure optimum performance for any client device orientation, making Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11ac APs perfectly suited for serving the latest mobile devices, like the iPhone 6.

Cloud-enabled Technology
All of these new Ruckus ZoneFlex APs also support Ruckus Smart Wireless Services for maximum deployment flexibility and management options. These Cloud-based Smart Wi-Fi technologies include: the award-winning Ruckus Smart Positioning Technology (SPoT™) service, the industry’s first Cloud-based Smart positioning location-based service (LBS); the Ruckus Smart Access Management Service (SAMs) for better enabling public Wi-Fi hotspots; and the award-winning Ruckus virtual SmartCell Gateway (vSCG), the industry’s first carrier-grade Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) solution for mobile network operators (MNOs), multiple system operators (MSOs), managed service providers (MSPs) and enterprises designed to streamline the creation of highly scalable and resilient cloud-based wireless LAN (WLAN) services.