Motorola Unveils Industry's First Tri-Radio Access Point

Motorola has just unveiled its newest 802.11n access point for the 2.4 and 5GHz spectrum. Unlike other access point offerings, the AP-7131 comes with three MIMO radios and 20/40 MHz Channel Width for both wireless frequencies.

Touted as industry's first tri-radio access point, the AP-7131 integrates three 802.11n radios that support simultaneous high-speed client access, along with mesh backhaul and dedicated dual-band intrusion protection. The device comes with a built-in expansion slot that allows the user to add a third radio to enable the next-generation 3G/4G technologies such as WiMAX.

The company's AP-7131 access point can be used either as a stand-alone wireless router or as a thin client working in switched, centrally controlled mode. According to the manufacturer, the AP is using the same firmware in both working modes.

Motorola's new tri-radio offering also comes with enhanced security options to keep away intruders at no performance cost. The company claims that the traditional security solutions time-slice the radio for both access and intrusion protection, which translates into operational and performance losses in the 802.11n mode. However, the company comes to fight this shortcoming via the introduction of the third radio, that eliminates both the time-slicing and the need for a dedicated sensor for the device's security.

The company also announced that the San Marino Unified School District will be the first institution to take advantage of the AP-7131 access point combined with Motorola's proprietary Point-to-Point connectivity solutions. The San Marino Unified School District will thus be able to connect four school campuses to the same wireless network.

Motorola also unveiled the company's first wireless switch, the RFS6000, that comes with eight high-power PoE ports for 802.11n, a PCI express slot for wireless WAN backhaul 3G/4G services (EVDO, HSDPA and WiMAX), and a PCI expansion slot for services such as IP PBX.

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