Cisco network enhancements for Apple devices
The following Apple devices that can interact with specific Cisco network features, such as Adaptive 802.11r, Fastlane and Fastlane+ are shown in the following table.
Device | Minimum supported operating system | Adaptive 802.11r | Fastlane | Fastlane+ |
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Mac with Apple silicon | macOS 13 |
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Intel-based Mac | macOS 13 | See note below |
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iPhone 11 or later | iOS 14 |
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iPhone 6s to iPhone X | iOS 10 |
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iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) or later iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) or later iPad Air (4th generation) or later iPad (10th generation) or later | iPadOS 14 |
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iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) or earlier iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation) | iOS 12 iPadOS 13.1 |
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iPad Air (3rd generation) | iOS 12 iPadOS 13.1 |
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iPad (5th generation) to iPad (9th generation) | iOS 12 iPadOS 13.1 |
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Apple Vision Pro | visionOS 1.1 |
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Note: An Intel-based Mac can join an Adaptive 802.11r network but must use the configured non-FT authentication. Intel-based Mac computers don’t support 802.11r.
Adaptive 802.11r
802.11r offers wireless clients the ability to quickly roam between access points on the same network. Fast basic service set Transition (FT) allows clients to roam between access points without taking the time to re-authenticate to each new access point. Apple devices using iOS 10, iPadOS 13.1, macOS 10.13 and visionOS 1.1, or later, support Cisco Adaptive 802.11r, which allows you to set up a network without explicitly enabling Fast BSS Transition (FT), although you can enable it if necessary for other devices. Both the Apple devices and the Cisco access points mutually signal that Adaptive 802.11r is supported by the network and that FT can be used. Legacy wireless devices that don’t support 802.11r can still join the same network, but don’t benefit from faster FT roaming. FT works with both pre-shared key (PSK) and 802.1X authentication methods.
Prioritisation of apps with Cisco Fastlane
Wireless application traffic in enterprise environments often needs to be prioritised by its type. For example, due to real-time application constraints, voice over Wi-Fi traffic needs a higher priority than Safari web traffic. Various standards exist (802.1p, DSCP, 802.11e/WMM) to allow network devices to mutually agree on how different types of traffic are marked to ensure higher priority.
Cisco Fastlane greatly simplifies this agreement process between wireless client, wireless network and wired network, so that application packet congestion is minimised and time-sensitive traffic (like voice or video) is delivered on time. Organisations can then install configuration profiles on devices that allow only specific business apps to get priority on Wi-Fi networks. The Cisco network looks for these markings and provides the correlated service level.
Cisco Fastlane is supported by Apple devices using iOS 10, iPadOS 13.1, macOS 10.13 and visionOS 1.1, or later, and requires the network to be configured with a configuration profile.
Fastlane+
iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 added support for Cisco Fastlane+. Fastlane+ allows the Cisco Wi-Fi infrastructure to predict when Wi-Fi 6 clients require airtime for upstream data transmissions. This technology is especially beneficial to busy networks, where channel utilisation is above 60% and the network has a significant number of iPhone and iPad devices.
Compatibility
Cisco wireless controller models compatible with release AireOS 8.3 support Adaptive 802.11r, and QoS Fastlane. Fastlane+ is compatible with release IOS XE 17.4.1 or AireOS 8.10.142.0. Cisco APs compatible with 802.11n, and newer standards (802.11ac, 802.11ax) support Adaptive 802.11r and QoS Fastlane.
For more information about 802.11r, Adaptive 802.11r, QoS and QoS Fastlane, see the following: