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Dell Unveils W-Series 802.11ac Networking Solutions

• By Leila Meyer
• 12/13/13

Dell has unveiled new enterprise storage and networking solutions designed to help campuses meet increasing demands for IT performance and network access, including new W-Series gigabit wireless access points, which offer data rates up to 1.3 gigabits per second for end-to-end 802.11ac wireless networks.

According to the company, the new EqualLogic storage technologies are scalable, easy to manage, and optimized for highly virtualized environments, and the new suite of Dell Networking campus solutions are designed to help educational institutions deploy and scale campus networks quickly, improve efficiency, and improve network visibility from a single console.

New Dell EqualLogic storage solutions include:

• Dell EqualLogic PS6210 series arrays, which are available in six models, including all-flash, hybrid, and all-HDD (hard disk drive) options;
• Dell EqualLogic Array Software 7.0, which includes new policy-based access controls and an improved user interface;
• Dell EqualLogic SAN Headquarters 3.0, Dell's storage area network (SAN) monitoring software; and
• Dell Fluid File System (FluidFS) v2 on EqualLogic FS7610/7600, which now supports more protocols and third-party certifications.

Some of the new EqualLogic features are particularly useful for virtualized environments. According to the company, the new PS6210 flash-enabled storage arrays can support 2.4 times the virtual desktops with half the latency of prior-generation arrays, and the latest version of the EqualLogic Array Software streamlines administration of storage for virtualization.

New Dell Networking campus solutions include:

• Dell Networking W-Series gigabit wireless access points, which offer data rates up to 1.3 gigabits per second for end-to-end 802.11ac wireless networks;
• Dell Networking N-Series 1 GbE (gigabit Ethernet) and 10 GbE switches; and
• Dell Networking C-Series modular, redundant 1/10/40 GbE switches.

According to the company, the W-Series is designed specifically for the 802.11ac standard and simplifies 802.11ac wireless implementations because it doesn't require an add-on module to support the new standard. The N-Series is designed to help modernize campus networks that are still using 10/100 Mbps speeds at the edge and 1 GbE in the core. The C-Series are designed for high-density enterprises and data center environments.

The new Dell EqualLogic solutions will be available this month. The Dell Networking W-series is available now and the N-series should be available in early 2014. The C-series with PoE+ and 10 G line cards is available now, and the 40 G line cards should be available in the first quarter of 2014.

Further information about the new Dell storage and networking solutions is available at dell.com.