Packet6

San Francisco Bay Area Wi-Fi Professional Services

Cisco Select Partner Certification Achievement

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I am pleased to announce Packet6 is now a Cisco Select Partner. The Cisco Select Partner Certification strengthens our relationship with Cisco and our commitment to our clients. This enables us to provide an increased level of support and further enhances our ability to address the needs of our clients’ evolving challenges.

I am very proud of our team. We’re dedicated to bringing an exceptional level of service and delivering solutions for our clients’ success to transform their business.

This distinction recognizes Packet6’s commitment to being a partner to enterprise wireless LAN solutions in the United States. We are very excited to serve your Cisco wireless LAN needs.

– Rowell Dionicio

Ready to engage us in your next project? Let us know today.

6 Characteristics Of High Performing WLANs

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Wi-Fi networks were originally built with coverage in mind and access points were installed in rooms where it was known to need Wi-Fi. But as businesses began migrating from Ethernet to a complete Wi-Fi only infrastructure, this made Wi-Fi a mission critical service to business objectives.

In the bustling city of San Francisco, a tech-centric business relied on Wi-Fi for all operations, including accessing the cloud. Uploading and downloading traffic patterns began slowing down Wi-Fi. To help increase productivity and take advantage of the investment made into the WLAN infrastructure, we helped plan and design a WLAN where end users saw an increase in performance, reliability, and their experience increased dramatically.

We outline 6 characteristics of high performing WLANs which do away with frustrated end users and get the business back on track to productivity.

Wi-Fi Starts with Planning and Design

You give your finger a quick lick and put it up in the air. Then you turn to your installer and point to randomly selected areas of the ceiling and say, “Put a WAP here, one over there, and one right here and we should be good..” This is a recipe for disaster.

To deploy a high performing WLAN, in which your workforce heavily relies on, requires more than guess work. It requires a proper design which begins with gathering requirements. When it comes to upgrading the core network, Wi-Fi must be treated the same. Treat Wi-Fi as an extension of your wired network.

Design is the result of thorough planning. It requires understanding how the WLAN will be used, what devices will be utilizing the WLAN, how many devices, and what applications. This is not an exhaustive list of questions but it’s a good starting point. The end result of planning and design will be a WLAN built for a productive end user experience.

Packet6 can help with the planning and design of your next generation WLAN.

Planning upfront will lay the foundations to a WLAN designed to fit the business needs. A WLAN must be designed for a mobile workforce. The technical professional must have in-depth Wi-Fi knowledge and understand the knobs required to tune for the specific environment.

A high performing WLAN will be designed so that there are less trouble tickets. It will be designed on the capability of the devices utilizing the WLAN, the capacity needs of the environment, and for high density of devices.

Making Wi-Fi Reliable

Accessing information quickly and easily on any wireless device drives the mobile workforce. Wi-Fi is now the primary access. Businesses have been migrating from Ethernet to an all wireless infrastructure. That means the WLAN infrastructure must be reliable.

Redundancy builds a robust WLAN infrastructure to prevent major outages. It prevents loss of productivity and loss of potential revenue. Ensure the WLAN is built with good backend infrastructure.

A reliable WLAN must be capable of adapting to the radio frequency environment. It must react to adverse effects from neighboring WLANs. Interference is another productivity killer which a WLAN needs to identify and mitigate.

With workforces placing an abundant reliance on cloud applications, maintaining a reliable WLAN is key to boosting business growth.

Securing the Wi-Fi Network

Mobile data traffic grew 63% in 2016, according to Cisco. There’s no avoiding the penetration of IoT devices as they take the enterprise by storm. It leaves many wondering how to secure IoT devices and their WLANs.

IoT may help drive innovation but data must be kept secure and unauthorized access needs to be thwarted.

A high performing WLAN must allow trusted devices to authorized data. Properly segmenting these networks is just one of many steps.

A WLAN system must identify rogue access points and devices with a method of containing those threats quickly.

In 2007, TJ Maxx had a cyber security breach of their credit card data because of weak Wi-Fi security. Don’t become the next headline.

Maintaining Good End User Experience

In today’s workplace, everyone is accessing the cloud at all times. Wi-Fi is now the primary method of access to network resources. People are carrying up to 3 or 4 devices at a time and needing to get their work done from any of those devices.

To provide a boost in productivity and effectively collaborate with others, slow or unresponsive Wi-Fi must be eliminated.

A well performing WLAN always goes back to reliability. An increase in reliability boosts end user productivity. Users can perform their work efficiently and from anywhere in the office. Voice calls are often done over Wi-Fi calling due to a lack of LTE signal penetration into the building. Video conferencing and streaming is putting a strain on the WLAN as well. Plan for these workloads.

The quality of the users work over Wi-Fi can be directly matched to the reliability of the Wi-Fi network.

Designing for Capacity

As people begin working in the office at early hours, the Wi-Fi network will be humming. As more people begin to fill in their seats some start noticing a degradation of Wi-Fi service.

The increase in number of devices creates a high density situation. With each person carrying 3-4 devices can put a strain on the WLAN.

The types of applications used on each of these devices defines how well a Wi-Fi network will perform. If it was designed according to requirements, it will perform as expected. Without planning for capacity equates to planning for failure.

Other factors must be taken into consideration. In addition to planning for capacity, APs must be mounted properly and antennas aligned in the right direction. It is all based on the usage and capacity requirements of the work patterns.

Wi-Fi Insight

How do we know if a WLAN is performing? Is the IT support staff armed with the right tools to understand the state of the Wi-Fi network. Analytics can provide valuable insight into how the Wi-Fi network is being used and to what capacity. This information can lead to optimizations for increased end user experience.

Analytics can also empower the IT support staff to troubleshoot quickly when issues arise. The data lends itself to measuring end user experience across an entire network stack.

With powerful information on-hand it can improve root cause analysis, decrease length in time spent during the investigation process, and improve time to resolution.

Conclusion

Wi-Fi networks are more complex than ever. The 6 characteristics are; starting with a plan and design based on requirements of the business and end users, reliability to ensure devices can connect when they need to, security – which should be thought of starting from the beginning of the design, Wi-Fi networks should provide a good end user experience and less frustrations, built for capacity as more devices are brought onto Wi-Fi, and should be monitored to investigate any issues, find trends, or to be proactive.

Wi-Fi NOW US 2018

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We’re excited to be media partners for the Wi-Fi NOW conference which is going to take place in Redwood City, CA.

We will be attending to deliver the latest news from Wi-Fi NOW.

The event will run between May 15-17
Location: Pullman San Francisco Bay Hotel, Redwood City California, USA

Wi-Fi NOW is the only expo and conference in the world dedicated to Wi-Fi. This May the entire industry will gather for three days of all things Wi-Fi in San Francisco Bay Area.

Wi-Fi NOW’s goal is Wi-Fi everywhere for everyone and their mission is to drive the industry forward by sharing the latest business-critical information on Wi-Fi and by connecting delegates to the global Wi-Fi leaders.

At this year’s Wi-Fi NOW USA they are zooming in on the following themes:

  • On a mission: More spectrum for Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band
  • 802.11ax: A great leap forward to connectivity everywhere
  • Next-generation Wi-Fi for the hyper-connected Smart Home
  • The resurgence of City Wi-Fi
  • 2018: The year WiGig comes of age
  • Security & monetization: Powering the wireless enterprise
  • Wi-Fi IoT: A mass-market opportunity today
  • Connecting the unconnected with Wi-Fi & unlicensed bands
  • Mobility & convergence for carriers

We invite you to join the World’s Premier Wi-Fi Event with 20% discount. Use code: Packet6WFNUS20

Book your ticket here

View event website here

Cisco Live US 2018 Is Around The Corner

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Summer time brings out the party animal inside of us. While we imaging spending time at the beach and sizzling under the sun, the IT industry plans on attending the Cisco Live 2018 conference.

In 2017, Cisco Live was held in Las Vegas. I showed my excitement last year leading up to the event. We even did a live podcast recording in the World of Solutions with experts from Cisco Advanced Services.

One of the most memorable moments for me at the event was meeting the Customer Appreciation Event performer, Bruno Mars, in person! For about 10 seconds!

Cisco Live 2018

A year later, I am very excited to be attending Cisco Live 2018 in Orlando, FL. This year the theme is Imagine Intuitive. In the previous year they announced The Network. Intuitive. Now we must imagine? I’d like to see where they are going with this.

It’s not too late to register for Cisco Live 2018: Register today for early bird pricing!

Why Imagine? What should we be imagining? Is there going to be a special release to allows the network to do more than intent? We’ll just have to wait and see.

What To Look Forward To

Sessions at Cisco Live 2018 are meant to educate and inspire. This year I am looking forward to learning more about location services. Is there still a need out there? What improvements have been made and how can we better utilize location based services? I’d like to see if it’s extending beyond retail.

Of course, Wi-Fi is what I’m passionate about. There are many sessions I’d like to attend. How does Cisco plan to extend the intuitive IT to Wi-Fi? How can we use programmability, automation, and AI with the wireless network?

With that said, here are some sessions I’m looking forward to:

  • Anatomy of real-time wireless analytics and troubleshooting using DNA Assurance/AIRsense
  • Beginning your journey to Network Automation
  • Cisco Next-Gen Enterprise Wireless Architecture
  • How to Be a Network Engineer in a Programmable Age
  • Wireless Network Automation with DNA Center
  • Securely Designing Your Wireless LAN for Threat Mitigation, Policy and BYOD

The Fun Side of Cisco Live 2018

Leading up to Cisco live will be pre-event contests. Cisco has always done a fabulous job interacting with the community before the event. There are going to be many ways to participate which you can find more info at the Social Media Hub https://www.ciscolive.com/us/activities/social-media-hub-contests.

The contests don’t end when Cisco Live starts. There are contests during the event as well such as the #CLUS Super Photo, Tweetup Retweet, Cape Contest, Best Remote Attendee, and the social Leaderboard.

Customer Appreciation Event at Universal Studios

Education and inspiration is great, no doubt about it. But what I am most excited for is the Customer Appreciation Event. This is the biggest party Cisco Live has ever thrown. For 2018, Cisco will be reserving the entire Universal Studios theme park! On Wednesday, June 13, 2018 from 7:30pm to 11:30pm is when Cisco Live lets loose.

There will be food, drinks, rides, and a multi-artist music lineup. Yep, that’s right, there’s more than one performer!

While at Universal Studios, attendees will have unlimited access to rides such as Transformers, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy, and Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. There is also access to Universal’s Islands of Adventure starting at 6pm (non-exclusive).

Who wouldn’t be excited about this?

Guest Speakers

The closing keynote will have guest speakers Dr. Michio Kaku and Amy Webb. The discussion appears to be centered around the future and is meant to inspire and provoke our imagination and exchange of ideas. The closing keynote has always meant to leave us inspired with ideas brewing.

Be Part of a Good Cause

Cisco is donating 500 laptops to NetAcad schools in Florida. But they need your help! Be part of something bigger and help build a Pi-Top onsite. It’s a laptop powered by a Raspberry Pi.

There will be 500 laptops available for assembly. Help out the future workforce and inspire them to do great things with technology!

Conclusion

Cisco Live 2018 is shaping up to be a spectacular event, as always. I look forward to learning more this year how I can use automation with wireless technologies. Getting together with friends, old and new, is always a wonderful experience. I hope to see you there!

Do You Know What’s On Your Network?

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Remote networks rarely get the attention as they should. Most network administrators do not know what’s happening on those remote networks. Whether they are operating efficiently, if there are issues, and whether security posture is where it should be. It’s important to get this visibility and insight easily without needing to spend extra resources gathering this information. This is where the Savvius Insight plays a big role.

Network Visibility

Do you know what happens on the networks of your remote sites? Being disconnected leads vulnerabilities left open. The Savvius Insight provides a simple way to monitor remote networks and gain insight into what’s happening. The Insight collects data as it is traversing the network and creates a baseline of activity.

Dashboards are automatically created for the network administrator. Things such as data flows, network protocols, and Expert Trends, are easily available.

With the ability to select a timeframe, the network administrator can get a general overview of how the network is performing. With data such as average utilization, max utilization, and average response time, a network administrator can make a decision based on this information. An example would be monitoring bandwidth utilization, depending on where the Savvius Insight is installed on the network.

Viewing the network overview from Savvius Insight dashboards
Network Overview

Remote networks are often troubled with bandwidth constraints which makes the Insight appliance a good fit for the job. Utilization is already graphed and while correlated by time, the issue can be determined quickly.

Savvius Insight uses graphs to display collected data
Event graphs

Troubleshooting

While bandwidth utilization is often a common troubleshooting task, how about other issues? Another type issue tracked by Savvius Insight is VoIP calls. Call metrics such as MOS scores are tracked and documented over time. Call duration is also trended just in case there are suspecting high usage bills.

The type of codec used during the calls are also graphed over time and how often they are used. There may be a call quality issue that needs troubleshooting and determining the type of codec being used can be helpful.

Savvius Insight monitors all VoIP call experience
Monitoring VoIP calls with Savvius Insight

Security is at the top of every businesses mind. The Insight appliance can be used to track abnormal network activity. A network administrator should know what type of traffic is on the network. With the appliance installed in-line with your ISP, application categories can be tracked in a table.

The name of the application and their category is tracked with a productivity score and risk. If the majority of network bandwidth is being utilized is not a business application, then it has been determined there is a productivity issue in the remote office.

Or maybe there’s an infected host transferring malware, or a host that has been compromised to host malicious activity. The Insight appliance can help trend this type of traffic and display it in an easy to read table.

A list of top applications on the network
Top applications on the network

 

It’s important to keep an eye on the type of protocols running in remote offices to ensure security is not compromised. The most common protocol is HTTPS. Any other protocol, unused in the business environment, should raise a red flag.

If there is a large amount of unknown protocols being utilized during off-business hours then there needs to be further investigation. There is a default graph and table to help bring this visualization to attention without needing to read into large, unreadable, capture files.

Savvius Insight lists the top protocols on the network
Top protocols on the network
Who are the top talkers on the network
Top nodes on the network

Keeping an eye on destination networks is another way of identifying questionable traffic and potential security risks. If countries show up on the list of utilization tables as a destination that the business does not get involved with then there may be a security breach or investigation needs to be looked into why.

Security experts have warned about attacks coming from state-sponsored organizations. Those countries can be tracked with the default Utilization Map. Keep an eye out for countries where no work or connectivity should be occurring. Things to look out for are large amounts of login attempts coming from an unknown country or large amount of traffic being sent or received.

Where is your traffic going?
Geographic utilization map

There is a table providing a sorted list of countries by the amount of Bytes and Packets sent and received.

A table of where your traffic is going to and coming from
Top countries by bytes sent/received

Platform

The Savvius Insight is a small form factor appliance designed for remote networks. Installed on the appliance is the ELK stack. It takes advantage of open source projects, Kibana, Elasticsearch, and Logstash.

The appliance is easy to deploy and just takes a matter of minutes to set up. There is low systems administration with this appliance as it is used to ingest data from multiple sources simultaneously.

The dashboards built-in provide you dynamic visualization data with charts and graphs.

It’s a powerful application with flexible visualization tools allowing you to create custom visualizations and tables with the existing data being collected.

Conclusion

For thin IT teams managing multiple remote networks, the Savvius Insight is a perfect solution with minimal overhead. It provides a network administrator with visibility into a network where it hasn’t had previously. The ELK stack is used for long term network visibility to provide as much insight from collected events.

Success Story: SFAI Deploys 802.11ac Wi-Fi To New Campus

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Located in the historic Herbst Pavilion in prime San Francisco Bay waterfront, the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) opened a new campus at Fort Mason Center. The Fort Mason campus is home to over 160 art students and faculty in a large 67,000 square foot space. There is 4,300 square feet of exhibition galleries which is open to the public, 160+ artist studios, performance spaces, a student lounge, multipurpose teaching spaces and staff offices.

Performing a wireless validation site survey.
Validating the Wi-Fi installation.

SFAI transformed the Fort Mason building on Pier 2. Previously it housed pieces of crates and trash. At one point it used to house military supplies. $50 million later it is beautifully remodeled for SFAI graduate students. A building like this comes with its own set of technology challenges which is SFAI looked to Packet6 to deliver a modern Wi-Fi network with new network infrastructure.

The school’s wireless network was finally due for a network upgrade and the Fort Mason campus was going to get it. Many parts of the campus were still using Cisco 1231Gs, providing 802.11a/b/g to students, faculty, and staff. To make matters more challenging, the access points were autonomous. Each one would have to be managed individually without a central network management system. Keeping up with the demand of Wi-Fi connectivity was a challenge solved with the new Wi-fi access points being deployed at Fort Mason. The students, staff, and faculty can benefit from using 802.11ac with modern devices and SFAI IT can centrally manage their Wi-Fi network.​

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"The San Francisco Art Institute worked with Packet6 to configure and deploy a Wi-Fi network in our new 67,000-square-foot graduate campus. They helped accomplish this goal quickly and professionally." - Patrick

With SFAI bringing in new technology generations ahead of what they had on campus, they looked to Packet6 for the knowledge and expertise in Wi-Fi design, configuration, and deployment. Packet6 helped to augment the existing IT team to provide a reliable network within weeks of the grand opening of the Fort Mason campus.

SFAI’s goal was to provide a fast frictionless Wi-Fi network to the students, staff, faculty, and visitors. Coverage throughout the campus was a must and more importantly, capacity. SFAI decided to go with the Cisco 3802 access points. The 3802 access point upgraded their network to 802.11ac. A significant upgrade from their 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi network.

Analyzing the RF environment.
Analyzing the RF environment.

A total of 31 Cisco 3802 802.11ac dual band access points were purchased, mounted, and wired throughout the campus. Powered by a stack of Catalyst 3850 switches and protected by a Cisco ASA firewall, Packet6 configured the switches, firewalls, configured the Mobility Express controllers, and created secure tunnels back to SFAI’s main campus. Initially, the Cisco Converged Wireless was a selected solution. Packet6 made the recommendation to migrate away from Converged Wireless and into an updated and supported platform, Cisco Mobility Express. A pair of the Cisco 3802 access points were converted to primary and standby virtual controllers to manage the other access points.

The location of each access point were predetermined and wired by the building architect. Packet6 utilized these locations and produced a predictive site survey to help visualize what the Wi-Fi network could look like with the Cisco 3802 access points. After the access points were mounted and powered on, Packet6 configured the access points via the virtual controllers according to the RF plan Packet6 designed. A validation site survey was performed to produce a report confirming proper operation and consequently successfully closing out the project.

As a result of the new 802.11ac capable network, students and staff have had pleasant experiences on the Wi-Fi network. From what SFAI IT has heared, “People are very happy with the speed.”