Wi-Fi in hazardous locations: five must-haves

In oil and gas refineries and chemical manufacturing plants, Wi-Fi makes it possible to give technicians greater access to information and systems – including video conferencing with remote experts to troubleshoot operations and maintenance challenges. It enables location awareness, so it’s faster and easier to track people and assets, pinpointing where a problem may occur – and, in the event of an accident or other emergency, to quickly locate and assist a worker. In short, Wi-Fi is crucial to a host of IoT solutions that boosts site productivity, fuels production efficiency, and addresses compliance requirements and safety regulations.

Yet traditional access points have numerous limitations that have made it challenging for companies to realize those critical advantages in hazardous locations. Cisco Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Access Points overcome traditional limitations with five must-have attributes:

Purpose built. Cisco Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Access Points are designed and built specifically for hazardous environments. A sealed, corrosion-resistant enclosure, including IP67 dust and water resistance, protects each device. These access points also have a lightweight, compact design for simpler deployments in extreme temperature ranges. The result: faster implementation and accelerated time to value.

Single vendor. While traditional access points can be modified for hazardous locations, those changes introduce significant cost and complexity spanning multiple vendors. Cisco Catalyst  IW6300 Heavy Duty Access Points are certified for hazardous conditions right out of the box. In fact, they are the leading access points on the market with Class 1, Division 2 certification.

Simplified security. Cisco Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Access Points fit within your existing security architecture – making it possible to carry security policies through from the data center to the hazardous IoT edge.

Simplified management. Cisco’s Intent-Based Networking extends networking tools, processes and management to the IoT edge, facilitating a smooth partnership between information tech and operational tech resources.

Future proof. Multiple ports and partner-designed IoT expansion modules for WirelessHART and ISA100 among others, offer flexibility to integrate new capabilities as they become available. In addition to delivering value quickly, these access points will deliver value for the long haul.

Cisco Catalyst IW6300 Heavy Duty Access Points were unveiled in June at Cisco Live U.S., and we’re excited to announce that they are available to order starting in October 2019. Make them the cornerstone of digitization in your hazardous environments – and prepare to unleash the full benefits of resilient Wi-Fi mesh.