SonicWave 641 APs Support Power over Ethernet for Simple Setup
Hidden inside the unassuming device, which looks like a small smoke detector, are dual radios and multiple antennas that can serve fast wireless signals to older devices using the 2.4-gigahertz band and connect to newer devices with a 5GHz signal.
Device setup is a breeze. The AP is designed to be easily mounted on a wall or ceiling or simply placed on a shelf. It supports Power over Ethernet, so it doesn’t require a power cord, just a PoE-compatible network cable to complete the setup.
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Once the AP is physically placed, installation can be completed through the cloud. Schools can have nontechnical maintenance staff position the APs while the IT team configures everything remotely.
SonicWave 641 Vanquishes Its Wi-Fi 5 Competitors
I tested the performance of the SonicWave 641 in our Wi-Fi 6 testing lab, which consists of a broad mix of both older and newer wireless-capable devices. First, I looked at the performance of 20 devices connected to an older, Wi-Fi 5 AP.
Not surprisingly, I experienced the typical slowdowns and disconnects when trying to transfer multiple large files or engage in bandwidth-intensive activities such as video streaming.