Introduction to Cisco's Aironet Family of Wireless Access Points
Cisco's top-selling Aironet line of wireless APs has developed in concert with wireless technology and has continually offered enhancements in speed, density, coverage, data protection, manageability and reliability. Current Aironet Wave 2 Wi-Fi access points support as many as 400 users per device and deliver data rates of more than 5 gigabits/sec. Deployments of Aironet access points implemented with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure architecture enable you to build multi-site wireless networks with 18,000 access points supporting as many as 64,000 users, all under centralized management. Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified wireless networking consultants can provide remote or onsite consulting and troubleshooting services to help your organization to design, deploy, upgrade, optimize, manage and troubleshoot Aironet wireless deployments of any scale, indoors or outdoors.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified wireless network infrastructure consultants offer remote or onsite configuration and troubleshooting support to assist you to design, configure, upgrade, tune, manage and troubleshoot Aironet Wi-Fi access point deployments of any size or topology. Progent's Cisco wireless controller consultants can also help you to integrate your Wi-Fi environment with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-hosted resources to create a seamless enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is easy to manage and expand. Progent also offers affordable wireless site surveys to assist you to determine the most efficient selection, placement and configuration of Aironet Wi-Fi access points to accommodate your unique workplace layout, construction, and anticipated workloads.
Cisco Aironet Wave 2 Indoor Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Wave 2 Wireless access points feature significant enhancements compared to the first generation of 802.11ac devices, called Wave 1. Enhancements include 2.34 Gbps instead of 1.3 Gbps data rate in the 5 GHz band, multi-user MIMO for transferring data to multiple clients simultaneously, better coverage and scale, and the ability to utilize 160-MHz-wide channels and/or a fourth spatial stream to improve performance and support more features. For concentrated Wi-Fi deployments, almost all Aironet Wave 2 Wi-Fi APs work with Cisco Mobility Express, which permits 50 to 100 APs to be configured quickly without requiring a physical Cisco wireless controller appliance. Progent can assist you to assess the business advantages of replacing your Wave 1 or older Aironet Wi-Fi APs and can also help you to plan, implement and administer a Wave 2 Aironet wireless access point solution that maximizes business value.
The Cisco Aironet 1810W Series Wi-Fi access points are low-profile Wave 2 wall-plate-mountable access points designed for deployment in hospitality venues like hotels and cruise ships. The Aironet 1810W includes Dual 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios and a Bluetooth radio, features 2x2 MU-MIMO technology with two spatial streams, and delivers an aggregate data transfer rate of 867-Mbps and a max user count of 400. Cisco's Aironet 1810W includes three local GB Ethernet ports including one with Power over Ethernet Out for supporting a device such as a VoIP handset, printer or surveillance camera. The Aironet 1818 also includes a 10/100/1000BASE-T Power over Ethernet uplink interface and a pass-through RJ-45 connection. Cisco's Aironet 1810 OfficeExtend Series AP is a Wave 2 802.11ac unit that includes a mounting cradle and is engineered to deliver secure Wi-Fi connectivity for telecommuters and branch office employees. The Cisco Aironet 1810W Series OfficeExtend AP needs to be attached to a remote Wi-Fi network controller, which simplifies unified management of policies and avoids the need for managing home or branch-office firewalls. The Cisco Aironet 1810 OfficeExtend Series offers the same performance and interfaces as the Aironet 1810W Wi-Fi access point.
Cisco's Aironet 1815 Series wireless APs are value-priced, compact Wave 2 devices designed for small and medium-size companies. The series includes four models made for distinct usage scenarios. Cisco's 1815i Wi-Fi AP has flexible alternatives for wall or ceiling mount. Cisco's 1815w Wi-Fi AP is a desktop unit. The 1815t Wi-Fi AP includes three GE ports to support telecommuters or users in a small branch office; and Cisco's 1815m wireless access point features stronger transmission power for greater coverage. All products in the Cisco 1815 Wi-Fi AP series feature two radios (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and 2x2 MU-MIMO with two spatial streams. All but the 1815t wireless access point can be managed with Cisco Mobility Express. Only the 1815t wireless access point supports OfficeExtend. Each 1815 Series Wi-Fi access point delivers an aggregate data rate of 1 Gbps and can support up to 400 clients. All versions except the 1815t include a Bluetooth Low Energy radio, and only the 1815t includes a USB interface and offers the option of PoE or AC/DC power.
Cisco's Aironet 1830 Series wireless access point is designed for small and medium-size wireless networks and includes 2.4/5 GHz radios, features 3x3 multi-user MIMO technology with two spatial streams, includes a 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-4 Ethernet interface with PoE, supports a combined data transfer rate of up to 867-Mbps on the 5-Ghz radio, and can support up to 400 clients. The Cisco 1830 Series wireless access point also accepts a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio via a USB dongle. The Bluetooth radio can be used for navigation, proximity marketing, and asset tracking.
The Cisco Aironet 1850i Wi-Fi AP is designed for small and medium-sized businesses and features 4x4 MU-MIMO with up to four spatial streams (when in single-user MIMO mode, three spatial streams in multiuser mode), includes a GigE PoE interface, a GE port for link aggregation, and an RJ-45 management console port. The Aironet 1850i wireless access point supports a maximum aggregate dual-radio transfer rate of 2 gigabits/sec and a max user count of 400. A BLE radio can be added to the 1850i Series wireless access point by means of a USB dongle.
The Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Wi-Fi AP is intended for large companies and can optimize performance by dynamically designating its dual radios as one 2.4 and one 5 GHz radio or as dual 5 GHz radios, which can support aggregate performance up to 5 Gbps. The Aironet 2800 wireless access point features 4x4 MU-MIMO with three spatial streams and can handle as many as 400 users. An extra antenna interface is included for difficult environments like high-ceiling halls, libraries and cafeterias. The 2800 wireless access point features two GigE ports and an RJ-45 management console port. A Bluetooth radio can be added via a USB dongle.
The Aironet 3800 Wave 2 wireless access points are intended for crowded environments like large offices or warehouses. The Aironet 3800 has three different antenna options. The Aironet 3800i has internal antennas, the 3800e has external ones, and the 3800p offers high-power external antennas to support high-density indoor scenarios such as sports arenas and convention areas. All 3800 series wireless access points support 4x4 multi-user MIMO with three spatial streams, and their dual 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 mode. The Aironet 3800 Wi-Fi access point can handle as many as 400 clients and comes with two 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit 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 requiring high throughput and hardened security, is the top of the line of the Aironet family, featuring dual 2.4/5 GHz or dual 5 GHz radios and 4x4 multi-user MIMO supporting three spatial streams. The 4800 Wi-Fi AP can serve as many as 400 Wi-Fi clients. The AP includes two Multigigabit ports, one RJ-45 management console port, and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio. By having a fourth radio, The 4800 wireless AP can assign core Aironet operations to more radios so they can execute simultaneously. These key functions include built-in Flexible Radio Assignment, Hyperlocation, and Bluetooth Low Energy. Cisco's 4800 Wi-Fi access point's fourth radio adds enhanced security and in-depth analytics for throughput and location. Having four radios also enables the two Wi-Fi radios outfitted with Flexible Radio Assignment to operate in 5 GHz client serving mode, delivering 5.2 Gbps (2 x 2.6 Gbps) Wi-Fi data rates and expanding client capacity.
Cisco Aironet Wave 1 Indoor Wireless Access Points

The 802.11ac standard operates in the 5-GHz band, uses 80-MHz channels for higher throughput, and allows wireless radios to utilize spectrum more efficiently, send data faster, and relinquish spectrum more quickly than earlier standards. This optimizes speed, mitigation, scalability, and roaming for high-concentration wireless networks. Even though the 802.11ac standard was approved at the start of 2014, Cisco developed transitional Aironet 802.11ac access points prior to that. These transitional devices offer many of the major benefits of the 802.11ac standard and Cisco has branded them Wave 1 APs. Cisco's Wave 1 dual-band Aironet APs include 2.4 GHz radios to communicate with earlier generation client devices.
Cisco's Aironet 1700 Series is an economical Wi-Fi access point that supports 802.11ac Wave 1 technology, offers 3x3 MIMO equalization with two spatial streams, supports a speed of 867 Mbps, and can handle 200 clients. The Aironet 2700 Series is a wall-mountable Wi-Fi access point designed for midsize or large organizations and is offered with four internal or external antennas. The Cisco 2700 Series Wi-Fi access point has a 3x4 MIMO radio design with three spatial streams, delivers a top connection speed of 1.3 Gbps, and supports up to 200 802.11ac clients and 128 802.11n users. Cisco's Aironet 3700 Series wireless APs are wall-mountable devices available with an internal antenna, an external antenna, or in the Aironet 3700p model with a narrow-beam-width, high-gain antenna. The Cisco 3700 Series wireless AP has a 4x4 MIMO radio design with three spatial streams and delivers a maximum connection speed of 1.3 Gbps. The modular design of the 3700 Series wireless AP accepts Cisco's Wireless Security add-on module and Cisco's 3G Small Cells module.
Aironet 802.11n Indoor wireless Access Point
The 802.11n specification made it realistic for people to rely on Wi-Fi as their day-to-day network connection, delivering 390 Mbps throughput and single-user MIMO (multiple input multiple output) in the 2.4/5 GHz bands. Cisco offers a portfolio of wireless access points powered by this popular wireless standard. Progent can provide remote and on-premises consulting and debugging support for Cisco's current line of 802.11n Wi-Fi access points as well as discontinued Aironet access points, and Progent can help your organization to assess the value to your business of upgrading from your outdated AP infrastructure to Cisco's modern line of 802.11ac Wi-Fi APs.
Cisco's Aironet 700W Series wireless AP is an 802.11n unit designed for multi-dwelling sites such as hotels and can be mounted on a wall junction box. The dual-radio Aironet 700W has 2x2 MIMO and two spatial streams, can handle 100 wireless users, comes with four 10/100/1000BASE-T ports (one with Power over Ethernet), and offers data rates as high as 300 Mbps. Cisco's Aironet 1600 Series is a value-priced wireless access point designed for small organizations and offers 802.11n 3x3 MIMO with two spatial streams, can support 128 Wi-Fi users, and delivers throughput as high as 300 Mbps. The Aironet 2600 Series Wi-Fi access point is intended for dense environments and features 802.11n 3x4 MIMO with three spatial streams, supports 200 Wi-Fi users, and delivers data rates as high as 450 Mbps.
Aironet Outdoor and Ruggedized Wireless APs
Cisco's Aironet line of Wi-Fi APs includes Wave 2, Wave 1, and 802.11a/b/g/n access points designed to be deployed in outdoor sites that range campuses and municipalities to severe industrial environments like rail, mining, or oil. Progent can help you to select, deploy and administer Cisco Aironet outdoor and ruggedized wireless access points to fit your technical needs and budget. Progent's security experts can also assist your organization to define and implement policies for your outdoor wireless infrastructure or test and validate the security profile of your Aironet Wi-Fi access points.
The Aironet 1530 Series outdoor 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi APs are Wave 1 dual-radio, carrier-grade units available in an IP67-compliant body to withstand dust particles, moisture, shock and temperature extremes. The Wi-Fi APs have a GbE connection and a Gigabit Ethernet WAN uplink interface and support performance of up to 300 Mbps. The Aironet 1530I includes integrated antennas and has 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. The Cisco Aironet 1530E outdoor wireless AP supports 2x2 MIMO and two spatial streams on both radios and includes software-configurable dual-band or single-band external antennas.
Cisco's Aironet 1540 Series outdoor wireless access point is a Wave 2 unit that supports performance of up to 867-Mbps on the 5 GHz radio. This enables a total aggregate dual-radio data rate of 1.1 Gbps. The 1540 Wi-Fi access point includes 2x2 MU-MIMO and supports two spatial streams. For small to midsize networks with up to 50 Wi-Fi APs, you can use Cisco Mobility Express Solution control software for rapid and simple configuration without the need for a Cisco wireless Wi-Fi controller. One of the smallest footprint outdoor Wi-Fi APs with built-in antennas, the 1540 is available with either a directional or a semi-omni directional antenna, providing versatility in selecting antenna patterns appropriate for handling different RF conditions.
Cisco's Aironet 1552S outdoor/industrial wireless AP is designed for hazardous environments like chemical plants and has an integrated ISA100-standard backbone router to interface with wireless sensor networks, providing an complete solution for Wi-Fi user support and access to sensors. The Aironet 1552WU comes in a Class 1 hazardous location-certified body, supports 2:3 MIMO and two spatial streams, delivers data rates as high as 300 Mbps, and provides a Gigabit Ethernet connection, a 10/100/1000 BaseT interface, and a fiber SP uplink connection. Cisco's Aironet 1552WU Wi-Fi AP is designed for hazardous sites and has a built-in WirelessHART gateway for connecting wirelessly with industrial sensor equipment. The Aironet 1552WU wireless AP comes in a hazardous location-compliant enclosure, supports 2:3 MIMO and two spatial streams, delivers performance of up to 300 Mbps, and provides GE and 10/100/1000 BaseT uplink choices.
Aironet 1562 series outdoor wireless access points come with three antenna choices to meet various RF conditions. The high-performance 1562I Wi-Fi access point has integrated omnidirectional antennas for common scenarios like a school campus. The 1562E includes powerful external omni antennas for sites such as outdoor warehouses or shopping malls where businesses can configure the needed coverage. The Cisco Aironet 1562D wireless AP has a built-in directional antenna suitable for high-density venues or for locations that call for wireless point-to-point bridging such as parks or stadiums. All three 1562 versions can handle up to 400 clients, support 48 VDC and Power-over-Ethernet power, and feature fiber SP optics and cable modem backhaul. The Aironet 1562E and 1562D models feature 2x2 MU-MIMO technology with 2 spatial streams and deliver data rates of up to 867 Mbps. The 1562I features 3x3 MU-MIMO with 3 spatial streams and delivers data rates as high as 1,300 Mbps.
The Cisco Aironet 1570 Series is an enterprise and carrier-class Wi-Fi access point that was at introduction the fastest performing outdoor wireless access point available. The 1570 includes internal or external antennas, supports 4x4 MIMO technology with three spatial streams, delivers data rates as high as 1.3 Gbps, and has Fiber/SFP, Gigabit Ethernet, and Cable Modem uplink ports. Models include the Aironet 1572EAC that has an external antenna with AC-power, the Aironet 1572IC with internal antennas with cable modem, and the Aironet 1572EC which has an external antenna with cable modem.
The Aironet Industrial Wireless 3700 (IW3700) Series is the first industrial/outdoor Wi-Fi access point to offer 4x4 MIMO technology with three spatial streams and beamforming. The Wave 1 IW3700 Wi-Fi access point has a hardened IP67-rated housing, includes a dual-band radio compliant with 802.11ac (5 GHz) and 802.11n (2.4 GHz) standards, provides aggregate data speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps, and supports up to 200 users.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points Supported by Progent
The dramatic enhancements in Wi-Fi speed and capacity enabled by 802.11ac technology, combined with the proliferation of mobile users running bandwidth-hungry applications with HD video, has rendered earlier families of wireless infrastructure devices out of date. Although many organizations run Wi-Fi workloads that are reasonably supported by existing 802.11n networks, the fact that end-of-life wireless infrastructure products like access points have reached, or are about to reach, end-of-support status can have important consequences for security, the continued access to technical assistance, and the difficulty of downstream expansion.
Progent's Cisco-certified wireless solutions consultants offer a full range of consulting support services to help organizations of all sizes maintain and troubleshoot their legacy Aironet environment, evaluate the potential advantages for moving to the newest generation of Aironet APs, and design a budget-friendly plan to migrate smoothly to a unified wireless environment that provides the speed. performance, protection, manageability and availability expected of a modern Wi-Fi ecosystem. Some of legacy Aironet APs for which Progent continues to offer remote and onsite support include:
Aironet 1000/1130AG family APs are designed for offices and similar venues which have minimal environmental instability. These devices include built-in antennas that provide predictable omnidirectional range profiles. The Cisco 1130G family product is designed for regulated domains that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz operation.
Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series wireless access points are intended for more difficult radio frequency environments such as manufacturing plants and warehouses or above suspended ceilings which tend to require adjustable external antennas and durable enclosures. The Cisco Aironet 1240G family AP is intended for restricted domains that do not allow 5GHz operation.
Cisco Aironet 1500 lightweight outdoor wireless mesh APs provide an affordable, expandable, secure outdoor wireless solution for campus areas and for public sites that need access for mobile devices.
The Cisco Aironet 600 OfficeExtend Series wireless AP is an 802.11n unit intended for telecommuters. Cisco's Aironet 600 wireless AP includes a dual 2.4/5 GHz radio, incorporates 2x3 MIMO technology with two spatial streams, supports up to 15 Wi-Fi users, and delivers performance up to 300 Mbps.
How Progent Can Assist You with Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi APs
Progent offers affordable online or on-premises help from a certified CCIE network consultant to help your organization to design, install, administer, optimize, update or repair a Wi-Fi environment that includes Cisco's Aironet wireless APs. Progent can help you manage and debug legacy Aironet devices or move efficiently to Cisco's latest generation of Wave 2 wireless APs based on the 802.11ac specification. Progent's certified Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can help you to see whether your Wi-Fi network calls for Cisco Wi-Fi controller hardware or can be configured and maintained with software tools such as Cisco Mobility Express.
Progent's online and onsite Wi-Fi site surveys can help you to determine the most appropriate selection and placement of Aironet Wi-Fi APs to handle your client density, offer the coverage you need, and keep up with your critical applications. Progent's network security consultants can help you to design, implement and validate a security and compliance strategy that includes policy enforcement, remote network monitoring, and streamlined management. Progent's disaster preparedness experts and business continuity experts can help your organization to incorporate fault-tolerance and recoverability into your Cisco product deployments to maximize the productivity of your converged wired/wireless network infrastructure.
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