About ZK Research Labs

Transcription

1 Februar y 2018 ZK RESEARCH LABS Product Review HPE OFFICECONNECT OC20 ACCESS POINTS AND 1920S POE SWITCHES 0

2 Table of Contents Introduction HPE OfficeConnect Hardware Initial Setup Ongoing Management Conclusion About ZK Research Labs ZK Research Labs is a division of Kerravala Consulting that evaluates and tests products used by businesses of all sizes. Testing focuses on the intuitiveness, ease of use and comprehensiveness of solutions, as well as the quality of hardware and software ZK Research Labs: A division of Kerravala Consulting. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution in any form without the express prior permission of ZK Research is expressly prohibited. For questions, comments or further information, zeus@zkresearch.com.

3 Introduction Organizations of all sizes are looking for ways to create new customer experiences to distinguish themselves from their competition. Although such experiences may vary widely from industry to industry, there is one point of commonality WiFi is at the heart of them. Consider the following examples: WiFi has become so important that an organization s ability to compete depends on it. > Retailers are pushing mobile coupons to shoppers when they are in the store to drive up impulse purchases. > School systems are using tablets to create new, immersive forms of learning. > Hospitals are improving patient care by sending alerts from patient monitoring equipment directly to clinicians mobile devices. > Manufacturing companies are connecting equipment to a common network so the status of the machines can be monitored more closely. > Hotels are enabling customers to check in with their mobile phones and then use them as room keys. WiFi has become so important that an organization s ability to compete depends on it. Businesses that provide a great wireless experience are positioning themselves to break away from the competition; those that cannot do so will likely fall behind. For small businesses, it can be quite a challenge just to get the WiFi up and running. Enterprise-grade solutions typically require highly trained engineers who understand all the technical requirements of wireless networks. Small businesses need something simpler. One option is to turn to consumer-class products but these typically act as single access point (AP) solutions and do not provide the necessary management tools and reliability that a business needs.

4 Recently, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) released its OfficeConnect OC20 series access points, which marry a business-grade WiFi solution with easy configuration and management. These products were specifically designed for the needs of the small business and are meant to be set up and managed by people who lack the deep technical knowledge of a network engineer. In this report, ZK Research Labs reviews the physical product as well as the ease of setting up the network and its ongoing management. HPE OfficeConnect Hardware Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) released its OfficeConnect OC20 series access points, which marry a business-grade WiFi solution with easy configuration and management. ZK Research Labs simulated the needs of a small office and set up two OC20 APs and one HPE OfficeConnect 1920S series switch. The device specifications are as follows: Access Points > 2x2: ac access points > Clusters up to 8 APs on a single network > Supports speeds up to 1.3 GB > SMARTair software automatically optimizes wireless coverage and performance > WPA2 and advanced encryption for business-grade security

5 Ethernet Switch > 12 RJ45 auto-negotiating 10/100/1000 Power over Ethernet (PoE)+ ports > 12 RJ45 auto-negotiating 10/100/1000 ports > 2 SFP 100/1000-Mbps ports > 52-Gbps routing/switching capacity > 38.6 Mpps of total throughput Aruba is renowned for its industrial design, and now HPE is able to bring those benefits down market. PoE is a critical component of the network, as the APs can be powered directly from the switch instead of requiring an AC adapter. This creates flexibility as to where the APs can be deployed. The switch is a standard 1RU switch that can be rack mounted or placed on a shelf. The ports are well marked, so it s easy to tell which ports provide power and which do not. The APs have a very sturdy look and feel to them. Many low-cost APs feel cheap, with the quality of a consumer product. The OC20s are designed by Aruba Networks, a company purchased by HPE two years ago. Aruba is renowned for its industrial design, and now HPE is able to bring those benefits down market. The APs are sleek and designed to be affixed to the wall or ceiling with the provided mounting bracket instead of on a shelf or desk. The only nitpick is having a bottom mount AP versus one that mounts from the side and would sit more flatly on a wall. Overall, the Ethernet switch and APs are well built and sturdy, and they offer enterprise-grade quality and near-consumer pricing. Grade for hardware and design: B

6 Initial Setup ZK Research Labs has set up more than a dozen business-grade WiFi networks from various vendors, and prior to this test, Meraki had set the bar for ease of configuration. The setup and creation of the OC20 s WiFi network was, by far, the simplest that ZK Research Labs has tested. One unique feature of the HPE setup is that the entire process can be done via the mobile application that is available for Android and ios devices. To test this, we walked through the process on an Apple iphone 7 and were pleasantly surprised by how simple this was. Given the complexity typically associated with setting up a WiFi network, one might assume that a tablet is required but the app is so intuitive and the process is so simple that the whole thing can be done on a phone. The setup and creation of the OC20 s WiFi network was, by far, the simplest that ZK Research Labs has tested. The setup process went as follows: 1. We powered on the Ethernet switch. 2. We connected the Ethernet switch to the internet router to obtain an IP address via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). 3. We plugged one of the APs into a PoE-enabled port. If the person configuring the network is unsure of how to connect it, the app provides a picture of the order in which things need to be connected. 4. We downloaded the mobile application (there are options for Android and ios). 5. After about three minutes, the LED on the AP went from red to solid green. The second light on the AP remained off.

7 The entire process from unboxing through having the network up and running took approximately 10 minutes. 6. We launched the app and waited a few seconds, and then a message popped up saying, New OfficeConnect Device Detected. 7. The portal then prompted the administrator to create a network name for the service set identifier (SSID). We used ZKResearch WIFi. The same page asked for a password to protect the network from being used by unwanted persons. After the AP was configured, the second LED turned green. 8. The app then prompted the administrator to set up a guest network and provided the choices Not Now and Activate. 9. If Activate is chosen, the administrator must enter a name for the guest network (we used ZKResearch WIFi Guest ) and then choose either No Security or Password. An interesting feature of the guest network is something called Facebook Wi-Fi, where the guest must check into the business page before being allowed to use the network. 10. The second AP was then connected to the network, and it downloaded the configuration from the first AP. After completing these steps, the network was set up and ready to be used by employees and guests. The entire process from unboxing through having the network up and running took approximately 10 minutes and required only the hardware and a mobile phone. The following attributes differentiate the HPE OfficeConnect setup from that of other vendors: > Configuration via mobile application > Auto finding and configuration of APs > Prompting for setup of guest network Grade for initial setup: A+

8 Ongoing Management The network is administered from the main page of the OfficeConnect Wi-Fi Portal app. The home screen displays the following five options: > System Health > Networks > Clients > Applications > Inventory These options deliver the various functionalities discussed below: If things are working as they are supposed to, the app shows the status Everything is OK which is so simple that anyone can understand it. System Health displays the status of the network. If things are working as they are supposed to, the app shows the status Everything is OK which is so simple that anyone can understand it. We simulated an outage by unplugging one of the APs, and after about 30 seconds, the status changed to Attention Required. The administrator could then tap into the System Health box and find out exactly where the problem originated. Also, the software for the network can be updated from inside this option. Networks provides information on how many clients are connected to the various SSIDs that are set up and the amount of data being transferred. For example, the app showed that ZKResearch WIFi is the main network, is secured using a password and has four clients connected to it, and that 20.5 GB of data has been transferred. This section allows the admin to drill down into the specifics of clients or applications and has the same functionality as the menu options on the main page of the portal.

9 Clients provides information on the clients connected to the network. The app will provide the name of the device if it has one (such as Zeus Kerravala s iphone ), and if it does not, then it will provide the media access control (MAC) address. The admin can drill down on any client and provide data such as signal quality, which AP the device is connected through and whether it s operating at 2.4 or 5.0 GHz. This can simplify the troubleshooting process, as the admin can quickly see whether the problem lies with the connection or elsewhere. Applications is a bit misleading, as it displays the category of apps versus the apps themselves. The data is shown as a pie chart, but a quick tap of the screen presents the information in percentage form. From there, one can tap on the category to see its description. For example, the definition of Enterprise is Web sites about information and professional services useful in a working environment. Such as financial services, real estate, legal. Also, this is where the application can be blocked on the main or the guest network, making it easy to block categories of applications that the business does not want its workers or guests to visit. These blockable categories of applications are as follows: > Adult content > Enterprise > Games & streaming > High security risk > Internet tools > Local network > Military and government > Shopping > Social > Recreational > Restricted content > Uncategorized The only issue that we discovered is that we didn t know which sites are included in which categories. For example, we assumed that YouTube would be part of the Games & streaming

10 The administrator has the ability to block categories that contain inappropriate or non-compliant websites. category, but it s actually part of Social. The administrator has the ability to block categories that contain inappropriate or non-compliant websites, which is probably sufficient for small business administrators who are more likely to want to block the broader categories instead of spending the time creating a blacklist but there are some who might. Inventory displays the technical components of the network. The icons on the far left indicate whether the device is a WiFi AP or an Ethernet switch. The default settings show the MAC addresses of the hardware, but tapping on a name lets the user customize it. Creating names such as lobby, main office or classroom B201 is much more useful than looking at a hexadecimal string of characters. Remote monitoring is one benefit of the mobile application that can access the wireless network regardless of where the administrator is. This lets network managers access the network and monitor, troubleshoot or configure it with the exact same experience independent of their location. These remote monitoring capabilities are ideal for smaller IT teams that do not have the luxury of a local staff with 24x7x365 availability. Also, network professionals can manage networks in branch offices from a central location, which is both faster and more cost effective than sending people to branch locations. The + sign in the green circle is where the user can add new components to the network. Tapping on the device displays a wealth of technical information useful for troubleshooting, such as IP address, MAC address, serial number, model number and the number of clients connected over the 5-GHz and 2.5-GHz channels. Grade for ongoing management: A

11 Conclusion High-quality WiFi is no longer a nice to have for small businesses. High-quality WiFi is no longer a nice to have for small businesses. Rather, it has become a must have, as it is a foundational component for improving worker productivity and creating new customer experiences. The challenge for small businesses is finding a way to provision a high-quality wireless network with limited to no IT staff. Often, the person responsible for the WiFi network is someone who has no technical training, such as a local administrator or even the business owner. ZK Research Labs believes that the HPE OfficeConnect series of WiFi APs and wired switches are ideally suited for small businesses, as they offer enterprise-grade connectivity and reliability but can be managed by someone with no technical skills. Small businesses will know their network is secure, with simple-to-set-up guest networks and blocks for risky websites. This solution was easier to set up than every other business-grade solution we tested. In fact, its speed of deployment rivals that of many of the consumer-grade APs that are designed to work out of the box. The OC20 s business-grade functionality reflects its Aruba heritage. ZK Research Labs conducted extensive testing of a typical small business network and gave the solution the following grades: Hardware and design: B Initial setup: A+ Ongoing management: A Overall grade for HPE OfficeConnect solution: A