Review: Colubris Wireless MSC-5100

Manages wireless access points

The Colubris wireless Multiservice Controller (MSC) 5100 is an entry-level product designed to support seamless Wi-Fi access and central policy-based control for Wi-Fi access and security settings for up to 100 users spread over 10 access points, when combined with a Colubris Multiservice Access Points.

The MSC-5100 is easy to install. It comes in a small metal box with power supplied either by an external adapter or via Power over Ethernet. A console port is provided for local management, with a pair of Gigabit Ethernet interfaces alongside for LAN and internet connectivity.

A web-based interface is used to configure and manage everything, with the access points discovered automatically and a default policy, referred to as a VSC (Virtual Service Community), configured ready to use. You can either modify the default settings or create VSCs of your own, each specifying the rules to be applied when authenticating users, encrypting wireless sessions, determining Quality of Service requirements and so on. VLAN mapping is available for secure transport of guest traffic over the LAN, with an internal Radius server for authentication, plus support for external Radius and Active Directory services.

The Colubris hardware can also be used to implement self-contained wireless hotspots and to link wireless users in places where cabled connectivity is not available.

Distributor: Acal Networks