The new HiPath C5110 wireless controller will support up to 1,000 access points, compared to 128 for the previous top-of-the-line controller, and up to almost 8,200 users. The C5110 is the first of the family to support gigabit Ethernet; there are 2 such ports. It supports all the usual enterprise-grade security protocols and standards. It comes with built-in integration with Enterasys' HiPath Wireless Manager application for WLANs, the Dragon intrusion protection system, the NetSight network management suite, and the company's network access control system.

The C5110 will ship no later June, available worldwide, with a list price of $31,995.

With it will come the new controller software update, version 6.0, reworked in part to handle the much larger WLANs possible with the new C5110. Customers that have the older line of Enterasys RoamAbout access points can download the corresponding software to the RoamAbout products, allowing them to be seen and managed by HiPath controllers.

D-Link's newly announced Selectable Dual-Band Access Point, the DAP-2553, is even less expensive, with a price tag of just $180. It achieves that in part because it's a single radio device: You can set it to operate in either of the two frequency bands. It also runs with existing 802.3af PoE systems.

The access point can be configured to bridge with other 2553 devices, while still supporting their directly attached clients. Each one supports up to four VLANs to segment users. A group of access points will automatically load balance wireless traffic. It supports the usual range of security protocols and standards, including support for back-end RADIUS servers. The company's AP Manager II software manages the new DAP-2553 and can handle a group of different .