Overview
D-Link®, an industry pioneer in wireless networking, introduces a solution for businesses seeking to deploy next generation 802.11n WLAN. D-Link unveils its new AirPremier N Simultaneous Dual Band Access Point (DAP-2690), designed for supporting small and medium business-class environments or enterprise corporations to provide secure and manageable dual band wireless LAN options for network administrators.

Versatile Access Point
The DAP-2690 allows network administrators to deploy a highly manageable and extremely robust simultaneous dual band wireless network. All four antennas are detachable and can provide optimal wireless coverage in either 2.4GHz (802.11g and 802.11n) and 5GHz (802.11a and 802.11n) bands. Enclosed in a plenum-rated metal chassis, the DAP-2690 adheres to strict fire codes for placement in air passageways. For advanced installations, this new high-speed access point has integrated 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, allowing installation of this device in areas where power outlets are not readily available.

Enhanced Performance
The DAP-2690 delivers reliable wireless performance with maximum wireless signal rates of up to 300Mbps in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless band. This, coupled with support for Wi-Fi Multimedia™ (WMM) Quality of Service feature, makes it an ideal access point for audio, video, and voice applications.

When enabled, QoS allows the DAP-2690 to automatically prioritize traffic according to the level of interactive streaming, such as gaming or VoIP. The QoS feature also provides a drop-down menu option to select customized priority rules. Additionally, the DAP-2690 supports load balance features to ensure maximum performance by limiting the maximum number of users per Access Point.

Security
To help maintain a secure wireless network, the DAP-2690 provides the latest in wireless security technologies by supporting both Personal and Enterprise versions of WPA and WPA2 (802.11i) with support for RADIUS server backend and a built-in internal RADIUS server allowing users to create their accounts inside. This access point also includes MAC Address Filtering, Wireless LAN segmentation, Disable SSID Broadcast, Rogue AP Detection, and Wireless Broadcast Scheduling to further protect your wireless network.

The DAP-2690 includes support for up to 8 VLANs per band for implementing multiple SSIDs to further help segment users on the network. It also includes a wirless client isolation mechanism, which limits direct client-to-client communication.

Additionally, the DAP-2690 supports Network Access Protection (NAP), which is a feature of Windows Server® 2008. NAP allows network administrators to define multiple levels of network access based on individual client’s need. If a client is identified outside of their access area, the client will be automatically brought back to their permitted network access level.

Multiple Operation Modes
To maximize total return on investment, the DAP-2690 can be configured to optimize network performance based on any one of its multiple operation modes: Access Point, Wireless Distribution System (WDS) with Access Point, WDS/Bridge (No AP Broadcasting) and Wireless Client. With WDS support, network administrators can set up multiple DAP-2690s throughout a facility and configure them to bridge with one another while also providing network access to individual clients. Also included are advanced features such as Load Balancing, which optimizes high network traffic volume, and redundancy for fail-safe wireless connectivity. Additionally, the DAP-2690 offers Spanning Tree Protocol support for greater efficiency and avoids broadcast storms when used in WDS mode.

Network Management
Network administrators have multiple options for managing the DAP-2690 including Web (HTTP), Secure Sockets Later (SSL, which provides for a secure connection to the Internet), Secure Shell (SSH, which provides for a secure channel between local and remote computers), and Telnet (bi-directional, eight-bit byte oriented communications facility). For advanced network management, administrators can use the D-Link AP Manager II or D-View SNMPv3 management module to configure and manage multiple access points from a single location. In addition to a streamlined management process, the AP Manager II or D-View software provides network administrators with the means of verifying and conducting regular maintenance checks remotely, eliminating the need for sending out personnel to phsyicall verify proper operation.

Also available is an AP array, allowing the management of a set of network devices as a single group for easy configuration and deployment. In addition, the DAP-2690 has a Wireless Scheduler feature for power saving.

With simultaneous dual band functionality, PoE support, plenum-rated chassis, extensive manageability, versatile operation modes, and solid security enhancements, the new D-Link AirPremier N Simultaneous Dual Band Access Point (DAP-2690) provides SMB environments with a business-class solution for deploying a wireless network in the workplace.