Wireless Consulting Expertise

Introduction to Cisco's Aironet Family of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's top-selling Aironet line of wireless access points (APs) has developed in concert with wireless technology and has continually delivered enhancements in speed, density, coverage, data protection, manageability and dependability. Current Aironet Wave 2 Wi-Fi APs can handle as many as 400 users each and deliver data rates of more than 5 gigabits/sec. Deployments of Aironet APs integrated with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure design model enable you to build multi-location Wi-Fi LANs with 18,000 APs supporting as many as 64,000 clients, all under centralized management. Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi consultants can provide online or on-premises consulting and debugging support to help you to plan, deploy, update, optimize, manage and troubleshoot Aironet Wi-Fi deployments of any scale, inside or outdoors.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi network infrastructure experts can provide remote or on-premises configuration and troubleshooting support to help you to design, implement, update, optimize, administer and debug Aironet wireless AP deployments of any size or architecture. Progent's Cisco wireless controller experts can also assist you to integrate your wireless environment with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-hosted resources to create an enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is easy to administer and expand. Progent also offers affordable Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to decide the most appropriate selection, placement and setup of Aironet Wi-Fi access points to work with your specific workplace design, building structure, and anticipated workloads.

Cisco Aironet Wave 2 Indoor Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Aironet Wave 2 Wi-Fi APs feature substantial enhancements over the first generation of 802.11ac products, known as Wave 1. Enhancements include up to 2.34 gigabits/sec rather than 1.3 Gbps data rate in the 5 GHz band, multi-user MIMO for transferring data to multiple clients at the same time, better coverage and scale, and the ability to use 160-MHz-wide channels and/or a fourth spatial stream to improve performance and support more functionlity. For concentrated Wi-Fi deployments, nearly all Aironet Wave 2 Wi-Fi access points support Cisco Mobility Express, which permits 50 to 100 access points to be configured rapidly without the help of a physical Cisco wireless controller. Progent can help you to evaluate the business advantages of replacing your Wave 1 or older Aironet Wi-Fi APs and can also assist you to design, implement and administer a Wave 2 Aironet Wi-Fi access point network that adds maximum business value.

Cisco's Aironet 1810W Series Wi-Fi access points are low-profile Wave 2 wall-plate-mountable access points designed for use in hospitality venues like hotels and cruise ships. The Aironet 1810W includes Dual 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz transceivers and a Bluetooth radio, incorporates 2x2 multi-user MIMO technology with two spatial streams, and supports an aggregate data rate of 867-Mbps and a max user count of 400. The Aironet 1810W includes three local Gigabit Ethernet ports including one with PoE Out for supporting an appliance like an IP phone, printer or security camera. Cisco's Aironet 1818 adds a 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE uplink interface and a pass-through RJ-45 port. The Aironet 1810 OfficeExtend Series AP is a Wave 2 802.11ac unit that features a mounting cradle and is engineered to provide secure wireless connectivity for telecommuters and branch office workers. The Cisco Aironet 1810W Series OfficeExtend AP must be connected to a remote Wi-Fi network controller, which allows easy unified management of policies and avoids the need for managing home-based or remote-office firewalls. The Cisco Aironet 1810 OfficeExtend Series offers the same throughput and interfaces as the Aironet 1810W Wireless AP.

The Cisco Aironet 1815 Series wireless APs are value-priced, compact Wave 2 appliances designed for small and medium-size businesses. The series is made up of four models which address different usage scenarios. The 1815i wireless access point has versatile options for wall or ceiling mount. The Cisco 1815w Wi-Fi AP is a desktop unit. The Cisco 1815t Wi-Fi AP includes three Gigabit Ethernet ports to support telecommuters or users in a micro branch office; and Cisco's 1815m Wi-Fi AP offers extra transmission power for better coverage. All models in the Cisco 1815 Wi-Fi AP series include two radios (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and 2x2 MU-MIMO with two spatial streams. All but the 1815t wireless AP can be managed with Cisco Mobility Express. Only the 1815t wireless AP works with OfficeExtend. Each 1815 wireless AP delivers a combined data transfer rate of 1 gigabit/sec and can handle a maximum of 400 Wi-Fi clients. All models except the 1815t include a Bluetooth Low Energy radio, and only the 1815t includes a USB interface and has the option of Power over Ethernet or AC/DC power.

The Aironet 1830 Series wireless access point is intended for small and mid-size networks and includes 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios, features 3x3 MU-MIMO with two spatial streams, includes a 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-4 Ethernet port with PoE, delivers a combined data rate of 867-Mbps on the 5-Ghz radio, and can support a maximum of 400 clients. Cisco's 1830 Series Wi-Fi access point also supports a Bluetooth Low Energy radio via a USB dongle. The Bluetooth radio can be used for navigation, proximity marketing, and inventory.

The Aironet 1850i wireless AP is designed for small and mid-sized companies and features 4x4 MU-MIMO supporting up to four spatial streams (when in single-user MIMO mode, three in MU-MIMO), includes a GE Power over Ethernet port, a GE interface for link aggregation, and an RJ-45 management console port. The Aironet 1850i Wi-Fi access point delivers a total aggregate dual-radio transfer rate of 2.0 gigabits/sec and a max client count of 400. A Bluetooth radio can be attached to the 1850i Series wireless access point via a USB dongle.

The Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Wi-Fi access point is designed for large companies and can maximize performance by dynamically assigning its dual radios as one 2.4 and one 5 GHz radio or as dual 5 GHz radios, delivering aggregate throughput as high as 5 Gbps. The Aironet 2800 wireless AP features 4x4 multi-user MIMO technology with three spatial streams and can serve as many as 400 Wi-Fi clients. A second antenna interface is included for difficult sites such as high-ceiling auditoriums, libraries and cafeterias. Cisco's 2800 Wi-Fi access point features two GigE ports and an RJ-45 management console interface. A BLE radio can be connected via a USB dongle.

The Aironet 3800 Wave 2 wireless APs are intended for high-density environments like large offices or warehouses. The Aironet 3800 has three different antenna options. The 3800i comes with internal antennas, the 3800e has external antennas, and the 3800p offers high-power external antennas to support crowded indoor scenarios like sports arenas and convention centers. All 3800 series Wi-Fi APs support 4x4 MU-MIMO technology with three spatial streams, and their two radios can be run in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz 802.11ac mode. Total throughput can be up to 5.2 gigabits/sec in Dual 5-GHz 802.11ac mode. The Aironet 3800 wireless AP can handle as many as 400 clients and includes two 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet interfaces, one 100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 auxiliary port, and an RJ-45 management console interface.

The Cisco Aironet 4800 wireless AP, intended for large organizations in need of high throughput and hardened security, is the high end of Cisco's Aironet family, featuring dual 2.4 and 5 GHz or dual 5 GHz radios and 4x4 MU-MIMO technology with three spatial streams. Cisco's 4800 Wi-Fi AP can support as many as 400 users. The AP comes with two Multigigabit ports, an RJ-45 management console port, and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio. By including a fourth radio, The Cisco 4800 wireless AP can distribute core Aironet functions to more radios so they can run simultaneously. These core functions include built-in Flexible Radio Assignment, Hyperlocation, and BLE. Cisco's 4800 Wi-Fi AP's fourth internal radio adds enhanced security and in-depth analytics for throughput and location. Using four radios also allows the two Wi-Fi radios outfitted with Flexible Radio Assignment to operate in 5 GHz client serving mode, supporting 5.2 Gbps Wi-Fi data rates and expanding user capacity.

Aironet Wave 1 Indoor Wireless APs
The 802.11ac specification works exclusively in the 5-GHz band, uses 80-MHz channels for higher performance, and enables Wi-Fi radios to utilize spectrum more efficiently, send data faster, and relinquish spectrum more rapidly than earlier Wi-Fi standards. This optimizes performance, recovery, expandability, and roaming for high-density wireless networks. Although the 802.11ac specification was approved in the beginning of 2014, Cisco developed crossover Aironet 802.11ac access points prior to that. These transitional devices deliver many of the key benefits of 802.11ac technology and Cisco has branded them Wave 1 APs. Cisco's Wave 1 dual-band Aironet access points incorporate 2.4 GHz radios to accommodate legacy Wi-Fi clients.

Cisco's Aironet 1700 Series is an economical Wi-Fi AP based on 802.11ac Wave 1 technology, features 3x3 multiple input-multiple output with two spatial streams, delivers a maximum connection speed of 867 Mbps, and can serve up to 200 client devices. Cisco's Aironet 2700 Series is a wall-mountable wireless AP designed for midsize or large enterprises and features four internal or external antennas. The Cisco 2700 Series Wi-Fi AP offers a 3x4 MIMO radio with three spatial streams, has a top connection speed of 1.3 Gbps, and supports up to 200 802.11ac clients and up to 128 802.11n users. The Cisco Aironet 3700 Series wireless access points are wall-mountable units offered with an internal antenna, an external antenna, or in a special Aironet 3700p version with a narrow-beam, high-gain antenna. The Cisco 3700 Series Wi-Fi access point features a 4x4 MIMO radio design with three spatial streams and supports a maximum connection speed of 1.3 Gbps. The modular construction of the 3700 Series wireless access point accepts Cisco's Wireless Security add-on module as well as the 3G Small Cells module.

Cisco Aironet 802.11n Indoor wireless Access Point
The 802.11n standard made it practical for people to rely on Wi-Fi as their day-to-day network connection, delivering 390 Mbps data rates and single-user MIMO in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Cisco offers an extensive catalog of Wi-Fi APs powered by this widely used wireless standard. Progent offers online and onsite consulting and debugging support for Cisco's current line of 802.11n Wi-Fi access points and for discontinued Aironet devices, and Progent's consultants can assist your organization to assess the value to your company of upgrading from your outdated Wi-Fi infrastructure to the modern generation of 802.11ac Wi-Fi access points.

The Aironet 700W Series wireless AP is an 802.11n unit intended for multi-dwelling sites like college dorms and can be installed on a wall junction box. The dual-radio Aironet 700W features 2x2 MIMO and two spatial streams, can handle 100 Wi-Fi clients, comes with four 10/100/1000BASE-T ports (one with Power over Ethernet), and delivers performance as high as 300 Mbps. The Cisco Aironet 1600 Series is a value-priced Wi-Fi AP designed for small organizations and offers 802.11n 3x3 MIMO with two spatial streams, can support 128 wireless clients, and delivers throughput up to 300 Mbps. Cisco's Aironet 2600 Series Wi-Fi access point is intended for high-density sites and features 802.11n 3x4 MIMO with three spatial streams, supports 200 wireless users, and delivers data rates as high as 450 Mbps.

Cisco Aironet Outdoor and Industrial Wi-Fi APs
The Cisco Aironet line of wireless access points includes Wave 2, Wave 1, and 802.11a/b/g/n units designed to be deployed in outdoor sites that can range from campuses and municipalities to extreme industrial sites such as rail, mining, or oil and gas. Progent's Wi-Fi consultants can assist your organization to select, deploy and manage Aironet outdoor and industrial wireless APs to fit your technical needs and IT budget. Progent's cybersecurity consultants can also help you to specify and implement security policies for your outside wireless infrastructure or audit the security of your Aironet Wi-Fi APs.

The Aironet 1530 Series outdoor 802.11b/g/n wireless access points are Wave 1 dual-radio, carrier-grade devices available in an IP67-rated enclosure to withstand dust particles, moisture, shock and temperature extremes. The wireless APs have a GbE LAN port and a GE uplink interface and deliver data rates as high as 300 Mbps. The Cisco Aironet 1530I incorporates integrated antennas and supports 3x3:2 MIMO (multiple input multiple output) with three spatial streams on the 2.4 GHz radio and 2x3 MIMO with two spatial streams on the 5GHz radio. Cisco's Aironet 1530E outdoor Wi-Fi access point offers 2x2 MIMO and two spatial streams on both radios and includes software-configurable dual-band or single-band external antennas.

The Aironet 1540 Series outdoor Wi-Fi access point is a Wave 2 unit that supports performance of up to 867-Mbps on the 5 GHz radio. This enables maximum data rate of up to 1.1 Gbps. The 1540 Wi-Fi access point features 2x2 MU-MIMO technology and supports up to two spatial streams. For small to midsize networks with up to 50 wireless access points, you can run Cisco Mobility Express Solution control software for fast and simple deployment without the need for a Cisco wireless Wi-Fi controller appliance. Among Cisco's smallest footprint outdoor wireless access points with built-in antennas, the 1540 access point is offered with either a directional or a semi-omni directional antenna, giving you versatility in choosing antenna patterns to fit various RF conditions.

The Cisco Aironet 1552S outdoor/industrial wireless AP is designed for dangerous environments such as refineries or chemical plants and has a built-in ISA100-standard backbone router to interface with wireless sensor networks, providing an all-in-one package for Wi-Fi client support and access to sensor devices. Cisco's Aironet 1552WU comes in a Class 1 hazardous location-compliant body, supports 2:3 MIMO and two spatial streams, supports data rates as high as 300 Mbps, and includes a Gigabit Ethernet port, a 10/100/1000 BaseT connection, and a fiber Small-Form-Factor Pluggable uplink connection. The Aironet 1552WU wireless AP is engineered for dangerous sites and includes an integrated WirelessHART gateway for communicating wirelessly with industrial sensors. The Cisco Aironet 1552WU Wi-Fi access point is packaged in a hazardous location-certified enclosure, supports 2:3 MIMO and two spatial streams, supports data rates of up to 300 Mbps, and provides GE and 10/100/1000 BaseT uplink choices.

Cisco Aironet 1562 model outdoor wireless access points come with three antenna options to meet different RF conditions. The high-throughput 1562I wireless access point has integrated omnidirectional antennas for general-purpose scenarios such as a college campus. The 1562E includes powerful external omni antennas for environments such as outdoor warehouses or shopping malls where customers can configure the required coverage. The Aironet 1562D Wi-Fi AP has an integrated directional antenna suitable for high-density venues or for locations that require wireless bridging like parks or or concert halls. All three 1562 versions can serve up to 400 Wi-Fi clients, support 48 VDC and PoE power, and feature fiber Small-Form-Factor Pluggable (SP) optics and cable modem backhaul. The 1562E and 1562D models feature 2x2 MU-MIMO technology with 2 spatial streams and support performance as high as 867 Mbps. The 1562I features 3x3 MU-MIMO technology with 3 spatial streams and delivers performance as high as 1,300 Mbps.

Cisco's Aironet 1570 Series is an enterprise-class wireless access point that was at one time the fastest outdoor wireless AP on the market. The Aironet 1570 includes internal or external antennas, incorporates 4x4 MIMO technology with three spatial streams, supports performance as high as 1.3 Gbps, and has Fiber/SFP, Gigabit Ethernet, and Cable Modem uplink ports. Versions include the Aironet 1572EAC with an external antenna with AC-power, the Aironet 1572IC which includes integrated antennas with cable modem, and the Aironet 1572EC which includes an external antenna with cable modem.

The Aironet Industrial Wireless 3700 (IW3700) Series is the first industrial/outdoor Wi-Fi AP to offer 4x4 MIMO technology with three spatial streams and beamforming. The Wave 1 IW3700 wireless AP has a hardened IP67-rated enclosure, incorporates a dual-band radio compliant with 802.11ac (5 GHz) and 802.11n (2.4 GHz) specifications, delivers over-the-air data rates of up to 1.3 Gbps, and supports a maximum of 200 Wi-Fi clients.

Legacy Aironet Wi-Fi Access Points Supported by Progent
The dramatic improvements in Wi-Fi performance and density enabled by 802.11ac technology, coupled with the increase in mobile clients using bandwidth-hungry applications with streaming video, has made earlier families of Wi-Fi infrastructure devices obsolete. Although many organizations run Wi-Fi applications that are well served by existing 802.11n environments, the fact that end-of-life Wi-Fi networking appliances like APs have reached, or are soon to reach, end-of-life status can have serious consequences for compliance, the ongoing access to technical assistance, and the challenge of future expansion.

Progent's Cisco-certified wireless solutions experts can provide a full range of consulting support services to assist businesses of all sizes manage and support their legacy Aironet environment, evaluate the possible advantages for moving to the latest family of Aironet APs, and develop a budget-friendly plan to upgrade smoothly to a cohesive Wi-Fi solution that provides the speed. performance, protection, manageability and reliability expected of a modern wireless ecosystem. Examples of legacy Aironet access points for which Progent continues to offer remote and onsite support include:

Cisco Aironet 1000/1130AG Series wireless access points are designed for offices and similar venues which have minimal environmental instability. These access points include integrated antennas that offer predictable radio coverage patterns. The Cisco Aironet 1130G family device is designed for controlled domains that do not permit 802.11a operation.

Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG family access points are designed for more difficult RF environments such as factories and warehouses or above ceiling structures which tend to call for adjustable external antennas and rugged metal cases. The Aironet 1240G family access point is intended for regulatory domains that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz transmission.

Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outside wireless mesh APs offer an affordable, scalable, protected outdoor Wi-Fi technology for campus areas and for public venues that require access for mobile devices.

Cisco's Aironet 600 OfficeExtend Series wireless AP is an 802.11n device intended for home workers. Cisco's Aironet 600 Wi-Fi access point includes a dual 2.4/5 GHz radio, incorporates 2x3 MIMO with two spatial streams, supports a maximum of 15 Wi-Fi users, and delivers data rates as high as 300 Mbps.

How Progent Can Help You with Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points
Progent offers cost-effective online or onsite help from a Cisco-certified CCIE network infrastructure consultant to help you to design, deploy, administer, optimize, upgrade or troubleshoot a wireless network that includes Cisco's Aironet Wi-Fi access points. Progent can help you manage and debug legacy Aironet devices or migrate efficiently to Cisco's latest lineup of Wave 2 wireless APs based on 802.11ac technology. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller experts can help you to determine whether your wireless network calls for Cisco Wi-Fi controller appliances or can be configured and maintained with software-based tools like Cisco Mobility Express.

Progent's remote and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys can assist you to identify the most efficient selection and location of Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi APs to handle your client density, offer the coverage you require, and keep up with your most demanding applications. Progent's network security experts can assist you to plan, implement and test a security and compliance strategy that covers network policies, remote network and endpoint monitoring, and streamlined management. Progent's disaster preparedness experts and business continuity planning experts can assist your organization to incorporate fault-tolerance and recoverability into your Cisco product implementations to maximize the uptime of your seamless wired/wireless infrastructure.

To learn about Progent's additional consulting and technical support services for Cisco technology, choose a topic:

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