Introduction to Cisco's Aironet Family of Wireless APs
Cisco's top-selling Aironet line of Wi-Fi access points has developed in step with Wi-Fi technology and has steadily delivered improvements in speed, density, coverage, data protection, manageability and dependability. Current Aironet Wave 2 wireless APs can handle up to 400 clients per device and can handle transfer rates of more than 5 Gbps. Networks of Aironet access points implemented with Cisco's Prime Infrastructure design model enable you to set up multi-location wireless LANs with up to 18,000 access points serving up to 64,000 clients, all under single-point management. Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified wireless networking experts offer online or on-premises consulting and troubleshooting services to assist you to plan, install, upgrade, tune, manage and debug Aironet wireless deployments of any size, indoors or outside.
Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi network infrastructure consultants can provide remote or onsite configuration and debugging services to help your organization to plan, implement, upgrade, optimize, administer and debug Aironet wireless AP environments of any scale or topology. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can also help you to integrate your wireless ecosystem with your wired network and cloud-based resources to create an enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is easy to manage and scale. Progent also can provide affordable Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to decide the most efficient selection, location and setup of Aironet Wi-Fi APs to work with your specific workplace layout, building structure, and anticipated workloads.
Cisco Aironet Wave 2 Indoor Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Wave 2 Wi-Fi APs offer significant improvements over the first generation of 802.11ac devices, known as Wave 1. Enhancements include 2.34 gigabits/sec rather than 1.3 Gbps in the 5 GHz band, multi-user MIMO for transferring data to multiple devices , better signal coverage and expandability, and the ability to utilize 160-MHz-wide channels and/or an additional spatial stream to improve throughput and support more functionlity. For concentrated Wi-Fi environments, nearly all Aironet Wave 2 wireless access points work with the Cisco Mobility Express solution, which permits 50 to 100 access points to be configured rapidly without the help of a Cisco Wi-Fi controller. Progent can help your organization to evaluate the business advantages of replacing your Wave 1 or older Aironet Wi-Fi access points and can also assist you to plan, implement and manage a Wave 2 Aironet Wi-Fi AP network that delivers maximum business value.
The Aironet 1810W Series wireless access points are low-profile Wave 2 wall-plate-mountable APs designed for use in multi-dwelling units such as hotels and cruise ships. The Cisco 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 maximum user count of 400. Cisco's Aironet 1810W comes with three local GB Ethernet ports including one with Power over Ethernet Out for supporting an appliance such as an IP handset, printer or surveillance camera. The Cisco 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 access point is a Wave 2 802.11ac unit that includes a mounting cradle and is designed to deliver safe wireless connectivity for telecommuters and branch office workers. The Cisco Aironet 1810W Series OfficeExtend Access Point must be attached to a remote wireless network controller, which simplifies unified management of policies and eliminates the hassle of managing home-based or remote-office firewalls. The Aironet 1810 OfficeExtend Series offers the same throughput and connections as the Aironet 1810W Wi-Fi access point.
The Aironet 1815 Series wireless APs are value-priced, low-profile Wave 2 devices designed for small and mid-size companies. The series includes four models which address distinct applications. The Cisco 1815i wireless AP offers flexible alternatives for wall or ceiling mount. The 1815w Wi-Fi AP is a desktop device. The Cisco 1815t Wi-Fi access point includes three GE ports for use by telecommuters or users in a small branch office; and the Cisco 1815m Wi-Fi access point features extra transmit power for greater signal coverage. All products in the 1815 Wireless AP series include dual radios (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and 2x2 MU-MIMO with two spatial streams. All except the 1815t Wi-Fi access point can be administered with Cisco Mobility Express. Only the 1815t wireless access point works with OfficeExtend. Each 1815 wireless access point delivers an aggregate data transfer rate of 1 gigabit/sec and can handle up to 400 Wi-Fi users. All models except the 1815t include a BLE radio, and only the 1815t has a USB port and has the option of Power over Ethernet or AC/DC power.
The Cisco Aironet 1830 Series wireless AP is designed for small and mid-size networks and includes 2.4/5 GHz radios, features 3x3 MU-MIMO technology with two spatial streams, includes a 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-4 port with Power over Ethernet, supports an aggregate data rate of up to 867-Mbps on the 5-Ghz radio, and can support a maximum of 400 users. The Cisco 1830 Series Wi-Fi 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 access point 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 when in multiuser mode), incorporates a GigE PoE port, a GigE port for link aggregation, and an RJ-45 management console port. The Cisco Aironet 1850i Wi-Fi AP delivers a total aggregate dual-radio data transfer rate of 2 Gbps and a maximum user count of 400. A BLE radio can be attached to the 1850i Series Wi-Fi access point by means of a USB dongle.
Cisco's Aironet 2800 Series wireless AP is designed for large companies and can optimize performance by dynamically assigning its dual radios as one 2.4 and one 5 GHz radio or as dual 5 GHz radios, delivering aggregate data rates as high as 5 Gbps. The Aironet 2800 Wi-Fi AP features 4x4 MU-MIMO supporting three spatial streams and can handle as many as 400 users. A second antenna interface accommodates challenging sites like high-ceiling auditoriums, libraries and cafeterias. The Cisco 2800 Wi-Fi AP includes two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and an RJ-45 management console interface. A BLE radio can be added by using a USB dongle.
Cisco's Aironet 3800 Wave 2 wireless access points are intended for crowded sites such as large offices or warehouses. The Aironet 3800 offers three different antenna options. The 3800i has internal antennas, the 3800e has external ones, and the 3800p has 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 performance can be up to 5.2 gigabits/sec in Dual 5-GHz mode. The Aironet 3800 Wi-Fi AP can serve as many as 400 users and has two 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet interfaces, one 100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 auxiliary port, and an RJ-45 management console port.
Cisco's Aironet 4800 Wi-Fi access point, designed 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 MU-MIMO with three spatial streams. The Cisco 4800 wireless AP can support as many as 400 Wi-Fi clients. The device includes two Multigigabit Ethernet ports, an RJ-45 management console interface, and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio. By including a fourth radio, Cisco's 4800 wireless access point can assign core Aironet functions across more radios so they can run concurrently. These key functions include built-in Flexible Radio Assignment, Hyperlocation, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Cisco's 4800 Wi-Fi access point's fourth internal radio adds advanced security and in-depth analytics for performance and location. Having four radios also makes it possible for the two Wi-Fi radios with Flexible Radio Assignment to run in 5 GHz client serving mode, supporting 5.2 Gbps (2 x 2.6 Gbps) wireless throughput and increasing client capacity.
Aironet Wave 1 802.11ac Indoor Wi-Fi APs
The Wi-Fi 802.11ac specification operates in the 5-GHz band, utilizes 80-MHz channels for higher throughput, and allows Wi-Fi radios to use spectrum more efficiently, send data faster, and relinquish spectrum more quickly than previous Wi-Fi standards. This optimizes speed, mitigation, expandability, and hand-offs for high-density wireless deployments. Even though the 802.11ac specification was accepted in the beginning of 2014, Cisco designed transitional Aironet 802.11ac access points prior to that. These transitional products deliver many of the major advantages of 802.11ac technology and Cisco refers to them as Wave 1 access points. Cisco's Wave 1 dual-band Aironet access points incorporate 2.4 GHz radios to accommodate earlier generation 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 (MIMO) with two spatial streams, supports a speed of 867 Mbps, and can handle 200 clients. The Cisco Aironet 2700 Series is a wall-mountable Wi-Fi AP designed for midsize or large enterprises and features four internal or external antennas. The 2700 Series wireless access point has a 3x4 MIMO radio design with three spatial streams, has a top connection rate of 1.3 Gbps, and supports 200 802.11ac client devices and up to 128 802.11n users. The Aironet 3700 Series wireless APs 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 has a 4x4 MIMO design with three spatial streams and delivers a maximum connection rate of 1.3 Gbps. The modular construction of the 3700 Series wireless access point accepts Cisco's Wireless Security module as well as Cisco's 3G Small Cells module.
Aironet 802.11n Indoor Wi-Fi AP
The 802.11n specification made it practical for people to rely on Wi-Fi as their main LAN connection, delivering 390 Mbps throughput and single-user MIMO (multiple input multiple output) in the 2.4/5 GHz bands. Cisco continues to offer an extensive portfolio of wireless APs powered by this widely used Wi-Fi technology. Progent offers remote and on-premises consulting and debugging expertise for Cisco's current 802.11n wireless access points and for discontinued Aironet access points, and Progent's consultants can assist you to assess the value to your company of moving from your vintage AP environment to Cisco's current generation of 802.11ac Wi-Fi access points.
Cisco's Aironet 700W Series Wi-Fi AP is an 802.11n unit intended for multi-dwelling sites such as hotels and can be installed on a wall junction box. The dual-radio Aironet 700W has 2x2 MIMO and two spatial streams, can handle 100 wireless clients, includes 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 Wi-Fi access point intended for small and midsize companies and includes 802.11n-based 3x3 MIMO with two spatial streams, can support 128 Wi-Fi clients, and delivers throughput up to 300 Mbps. The Aironet 2600 Series Wi-Fi access point is intended for dense sites and features 802.11n-based 3x4 MIMO with three spatial streams, serves 200 wireless users, and delivers data rates as high as 450 Mbps.
Aironet Outdoor and Ruggedized Wi-Fi APs
Cisco's Aironet family of wireless access points includes Wave 2, Wave 1, and 802.11a/b/g/n units intended to be installed in outdoor sites that range campuses to extreme industrial sites such as transportation, mining, or oil. Progent's Wi-Fi consultants can assist you to select, configure and manage Aironet outdoor and industrial Wi-Fi APs to meet your technical requirements and IT budget. Progent's cybersecurity experts can also help your organization to define and implement security policies for your outdoor Wi-Fi infrastructure or test and validate the security profile of your Aironet Wi-Fi access points.
The Cisco Aironet 1530 Series outdoor 802.11b/g/n wireless APs are Wave 1 dual-radio, carrier-grade devices available in an IP67-compliant enclosure to withstand dust particles, moisture, vibration and temperature extremes. The Wi-Fi APs have a Gigabit Ethernet LAN port and a Gigabit Ethernet WAN uplink port and support data rates of up to 300 Mbps. The Aironet 1530I incorporates integrated antennas and has 3x3:2 MIMO 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 Wi-Fi access point supports 2x2 MIMO and two spatial streams on each radio and comes with software-configurable dual- or single-band external antennas.
The Cisco Aironet 1540 Series outdoor Wi-Fi AP is a Wave 2 device that supports data rates as high as 867-Mbps on the 5 GHz radio. This enables a total data rate of 1.1 Gbps. The 1540 wireless AP features 2x2 MU-MIMO and supports two spatial streams. For networks with up to 50 wireless access points, you can run Cisco Mobility Express Solution control software for fast and simple configuration without requiring a Cisco wireless Wi-Fi controller. One of Cisco's smallest outdoor wireless access points with internal antennas, the 1540 access point is offered with either a directional or a semi-omni directional antenna, providing flexibility in choosing antenna patterns appropriate for handling various usage scenarios.
The Aironet 1552S outdoor/industrial Wi-Fi access point is intended for dangerous sites such as refineries and has an integrated ISA100-compliant backbone router to communicate with wireless sensor networks, providing an complete package for wireless user support and connectivity to sensors. Cisco's Aironet 1552WU comes in a Class 1 Div 2/Zone 2 hazardous location-certified enclosure, supports 2:3 MIMO and two spatial streams, delivers performance as high as 300 Mbps, and provides a Gigabit Ethernet connection, a 10/100/1000 BaseT interface, and a fiber Small-Form-Factor Pluggable (SP) uplink port. Cisco's Aironet 1552WU Wi-Fi access point is designed for dangerous environments and includes an integrated WirelessHART gateway for connecting wirelessly with industrial sensors. The Cisco Aironet 1552WU Wi-Fi access point comes in a hazardous location-certified enclosure, supports 2:3 MIMO and two spatial streams, delivers performance of up to 300 Mbps, and offers GbE and 10/100/1000 BaseT uplink choices.
Cisco Aironet 1562 model outdoor wireless access points are available with three antenna options to match different RF conditions. The high-throughput 1562I Wi-Fi access point has integrated omnidirectional antennas for general-purpose venues such as a school campus. The 1562E has powerful external omni antennas for sites such as outside warehouses or malls where businesses can configure the needed coverage. The Cisco Aironet 1562D wireless access point has an integrated directional antenna suitable for high-density sites or for environments that call for wireless point-to-point bridging such as parks or sports stadiums. All three 1562 versions can handle up to 400 clients, support 48 VDC and PoE power, and feature fiber SP optics and cable modem backhaul. The 1562E and 1562D models feature 2x2 MU-MIMO technology with 2 spatial streams and support performance of up to 867 Mbps. The 1562I has 3x3 MU-MIMO technology with 3 spatial streams and supports data rates of up to 1,300 Mbps.
The Cisco Aironet 1570 Series is an enterprise-class Wi-Fi access point that was at one time the fastest outdoor wireless access point on the market. The 1570 comes with internal or external antennas, supports 4x4 MIMO technology with three spatial streams, supports data rates of up to 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 which includes internal antennas with cable modem, and the Aironet 1572EC which has an external antenna with cable modem.
Cisco's Aironet Industrial Wireless 3700 (IW3700) Series is the first industrial/outdoor wireless AP to offer 4x4 MIMO with three spatial streams and beamforming. The Wave 1 IW3700 wireless access point has a rugged IP67-rated housing, incorporates a dual-band radio compliant with 802.11ac (5 GHz) and 802.11n (2.4 GHz) standards, delivers aggregate data speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps, and supports a maximum of 200 Wi-Fi clients.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi APs Supported by Progent
The dramatic enhancements in Wi-Fi throughput and density enabled by 802.11ac technology, combined with the proliferation of BYOD clients using bandwidth-hungry apps with streaming video, has made older families of wireless infrastructure products obsolete. Although many organizations run Wi-Fi workloads that are reasonably supported by existing 802.11n environments, the fact that discontinued wireless infrastructure appliances such as access points have reached, or are soon to reach, end-of-support status can have important consequences for security, the ongoing availability of technical assistance, and the difficulty of downstream expansion.
Progent's Cisco-certified Wi-Fi technology experts offer a full range of consulting support services to help organizations of any size maintain and troubleshoot their legacy Aironet environment, evaluate the potential advantages for upgrading to the latest family of Aironet access points, and develop a budget-friendly strategy to migrate seamlessly to a cohesive wireless environment that provides the speed. performance, protection, manageability and availability required of a modern wireless ecosystem. Examples of legacy Aironet APs for which Progent continues to offer online and onsite support include:
Aironet 1000 or 1130AG Series wireless access points are designed for offices and similar sites which have minimal environmental variability. These devices include integrated antennas that provide dependable radio coverage profiles. The 1130G family WAP is engineered for regulated locations that do not allow 802.11a operation.
Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series wireless access points are intended for more difficult RF environments such as manufacturing plants or above ceiling structures which tend to require flexible external antennas and ruggedized enclosures. The 1240G family device is designed for regulatory domains that do not permit 802.11a transmission.
Cisco Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outside wireless mesh APs deliver an affordable, expandable, secure outdoor wireless network technology for campus areas and for public venues that need connectivity for mobile phones or computers.
Cisco's Aironet 600 OfficeExtend Series wireless AP is an 802.11n device intended for home workers. The Aironet 600 Wi-Fi access point includes a dual 2.4/5 GHz radio, uses 2x3 MIMO with two spatial streams, serves a maximum of 15 wireless users, and provides performance up to 300 Mbps.
How Progent Can Help You with Aironet Wireless APs
Progent offers cost-effective remote or onsite help from a certified CCIE network expert to assist you to plan, deploy, manage, optimize, upgrade or repair a Wi-Fi environment that includes Cisco's Aironet wireless APs. Progent can help you maintain legacy Aironet APs or move efficiently to Cisco's current generation of Wave 2 Wi-Fi APs based on the 802.11ac specification. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can assist you to determine whether your wireless deployment calls for Cisco wireless controller hardware or can be managed with software utilities like Cisco Mobility Express.
Progent's online and onsite wireless site surveys can assist you to determine the most appropriate selection and placement of Cisco Aironet Wi-Fi APs to support your client density, offer the RF coverage you require, and deal with your critical applications. Progent's certified cybersecurity experts can help your organization to design, implement and validate a security and compliance strategy that includes network policies, remote network monitoring, and centralized management. Progent's disaster recovery experts and business continuity planning consultants can assist your organization to incorporate availability and recoverability into your Cisco product deployments to maximize the productivity of your seamless wired/wireless network infrastructure.
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