As the next step up in the Sophos family of Wave 2, 802.11ac access points, the APX 530 is a 3×3 MIMO, dual radio device. The APX 320 and APX 120 are 2×2 MIMO, by contrast. It has internal antennas. And please note that all Sophos access points require a wireless protection subscription. The APX Series enables basic Synchronized Security with Sophos Endpoint, Sophos Mobile and Sophos Server when managed through Sophos Central. Sophos Central Wireless Standard (for APX) is available in 1, 2, and 3-year options.
On the other hand, Sophos XG Firewall offers advanced Synchronized Security with Sophos Endpoint and Sophos Server independent of the use of the Wireless Protection features.
Why does Wave 2 matter?
Good question. Even now, in 2021, Wave 1 isn’t bad. It suits most people’s purposes admirably, just like Wi-Fi 5 does (as opposed to the newer Wi-Fi 6). And unless you’re using your Wi-Fi network for streaming and the processing of large files, Wave 1 is perfectly fine. However, as more devices begin joining wireless networks, the need for more power will increase.
Speed
Wave 2 Wireless is definitely much faster than Wave 1. Wave 2 access points like the APX 530 have speeds up to 6 Gbps, far outpacing Wave 1’s 1.3 Gbps. Additionally, Wave 2 has four spatial streams compared to Wave 1’s three. Speeds are proportional to the number of spatial streams they have, meaning Wave 2 is much faster. So users can process large files and access data more quickly.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the rate at which data passes between two devices. The larger your bandwidth, the faster you can ‘digest’larger files. Wave 1 Wireless uses 20, 40, and 80-MHz bonded channels in 5-GHz bandwidth. Wave 2 Wireless uses 160-MHz on the same bandwidth. For large organizations, larger bandwidth means that more devices are supported with better overall Wi-Fi performance. Adding bandwidth is sort of like adding extra lanes on a highway. The more lanes (channels) there are, the more people can get where they need to go.
Device Support for the Sophos APX 530
Wave 1 Wireless was created largely with laptops in mind. It uses SU-MIMO, meaning multiple streams of data can only pass between one device at a time.
Wave 2, on the other hand, has multi-user MIMO capabilities. This makes it more suitable for the demands of mobile devices. That’s because a wireless connection can be used to support dozens of devices. Even if they all need a high-bandwidth connection. These devices will also be able to get on and off of the wireless network more easily. Such advantages are especially useful in a business or university setting. In summary, Wave 2 offers faster speeds, increased bandwidth, the ability to use more devices on a single network.
The inter-connectedness of the Sophos APX 530 gives you excellent visibility into wireless health, not to mention synchronized security. And it has rogue AP detection for additional security. This is an excellent access point for budget-sensitive projects with basic connectivity requirements.
Specs and capabilities of the APX 530
The APX 530 is much faster than it’s little brother, the APX 320. It pushes up to 1.3 Gbps at 5 GHz, and 450 Mbps at 2.4 GHz. And, as mentioned before, it has three antennas rather than only two. The APX 530 also has a PoE+ port.
It is well suited for medium-to-high density environments, such as you would find in a typical mid-sized office. If you would like to know more about the APX 530 or any other Sophos product, please email us or call Corporate Armor at 877-449-0458. Thanks for reading!