Aruba AP-518 data sheet

DATA SHEET

	ARUBA 518 SERIES
	RUGGEDIZED ACCESS
	POINTS
	High performance Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for harsh
	weather-protected and indoor environments
	The hardened, Aruba 518 Series access point
	delivers high Wi-Fi 6 performance in harsh,
	weather-protected environments such as
	warehouses, industrial freezers or enclosures
	in extreme environments such as stadiums. It
	delivers 4x4:4SS MU-MIMO capability, Aruba’s	Channel utilization is optimized per transaction by matching
	advanced ClientMatch and integrated Bluetooth
		allocated bandwidth in a channel to the offered user load.
	to enable Aruba location services.
		These sub divisions of the channel are referred to as
	Purpose-built to survive in the harshest outdoor	Resource Units (RU).
	environments, 518 Series APs withstand exposure to extreme	Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO)
	high and low temperatures, persistent (non-precipitant)
		The 518 Series APs support downlink MU-MIMO similar to
	moisture, and are sealed to keep out airborne contaminants.
		Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac Wave 2) APs. With the introduction OFDMA
	All electrical interfaces include industrial strength surge
		in Wi-Fi 6, the overhead for this capability is reduced and
	protection.
		MU MIMO effectiveness is substantially improved for large
	Aruba Wi-Fi 6 access points provide high-performance	client counts.
	connectivity in dense mobile and IoT environments. With	Wi-Fi 6 and MU-MIMO aware client optimization
	maximum aggregate on air data rate of 3 Gbps (HE80/HE40),
		Aruba’s patented AI powered ClientMatch technology ensures
	the 518 Series APs deliver the speed and reliability needed
		that all clients are attached to their best serving Access Point.
	for demanding environments.
		Session metrics, network metrics, applications and client type
	INCREDIBLE EFFICIENCY	are used to identify and maintain the best connection.
	The 518 Series APs are designed to optimize user experience	Advanced Cellular Coexistence (ACC)
	by maximizing Wi-Fi efficiency and dramatically reducing	The ACC feature uses built in filtering to automatically
	airtime contention between clients.	minimize the impact of interference of high power cellular
	Features include Uplink and Downlink Orthogonal Frequency	base stations, in building distributed antenna systems as well
		as small cell and femtocell equipment.
	Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Downlink Multi-User MIMO
	(MU MIMO) and cellular co-location. With up to 4 spatial	Intelligent Power Monitoring (IPM)
	stream and 160 MHz channel capability, the 518 provides	Aruba APs continuously monitor and report hardware energy
	groundbreaking wireless capabilities for any application.	consumption. APs can be configured to enable or disable
	Read the Multi-User 802.11ax white paper for further	capabilities based on the available PoE power – ideal when
		wired switches have exhausted their power budget.
	information.
	Advantages of OFDMA
	This capability allows Aruba Wi-Fi 6 APs to handle multiple
	Wi-Fi 6 enabled clients simultaneously on a single radio.

DATA SHEET

ARUBA 518 SERIES RUGGEDIZED ACCESS POINTS

IOT PLATFORM CAPABILITIES

Aruba Wi-Fi 6 APs include an integrated Bluetooth 5 and 802.15.4 radio (for Zigbee support) to simplify deploying and managing IoT-based location services, asset tracking services, security solutions and IoT sensors. This allow organizations to leverage the 518 as an IoT platform, which eliminates the need for an overlay infrastructure and additional IT resources.

Target Wake Time (TWT)

Ideal for IoT solutions that communicate infrequently, this Wi-Fi 6 capability allows IoT devices to use 802.11ax

protocol. TWT coordinates with client devices to allow them to sleep for extended periods and use shorter wake times to communicate before returning to sleep. This substantially extends the useful operating life of Wi-Fi 6 based battery powered sensors.

ARUBA SECURE INFRASTRUCTURE

The 518 Series is an integral part of Aruba’s zero trust security approach to help protect user authentication and wireless traffic. Select capabilities include:

WPA3 and Enhanced Open

With the introduction of WPA3 and Enhanced Open, a Wi-Fi 6 certified client will never send unencrypted traffic over the air.

Even with an open authenticated network, Enhanced Open still provides strong encryption over the air.

In all Wi-Fi 6 user sessions, each user is uniquely encrypted and if they disconnect and reconnect, the encryption changes from session to session.

WPA2-MPSK

MPSK enables simpler passkey management for WPA2 devices – should the Wi-Fi password on one device change, no additional changes are needed for other devices. This feature is enabled when networks are deployed with ClearPass Policy Manager.

VPN Tunnels

In Remote AP (RAP) and IAP-VPN deployments, the Aruba 518 can be used to establish a secure SSL/IPSec VPN tunnel to

a Gateway or Mobility Controller that is configured as a VPN concentrator.

Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

For enhanced device assurance, all Aruba APs have an installed TPM for secure storage of credentials, keys and boot code.

SIMPLE AND SECURE ACCESS

To simplify policy enforcement, the Aruba 518 uses

Aruba’s Policy Enforcement Firewall (PEF) to encapsulate all traffic from the AP to the Mobility Controller (gateway) for end-to-end encryption and inspection. Policies are applied based on context including user role, device type, application, and location. This reduces the manual configuration of SSIDs,

VLANs, and ACLs. PEF also serves as the underlying technology for Aruba Dynamic Segmentation.

HIGH DENSITY CONNECTIVITY

Each 518 Series AP provides connectivity for a maximum of 512 associated clients per radio (1024 total).

Flexible Operation and Management

A unique feature of Aruba APs is the ability to operate in either controller-less or controller-based mode.

Controller-less (Instant) Mode

In controller-less mode, one AP serves as a virtual controller for the entire network. Learn more about Instant mode in this technology brief.

Mobility Controller Mode

For optimized network performance, roaming and security,

APs tunnel all traffic to a mobility controller for central management of traffic forwarding, segmentation, encryption, and policy enforcement. Learn more in the ArubaOS datasheet.

Management Options

Available management choices includes Aruba Central (cloud based) or Aruba AirWave (multi-vendor, on prem) solutions.

For large installations across multiple sites, Aruba APs can be shipped and activated with Zero Touch Provisioning through Aruba Central or AirWave. This reduces deployment time, centralizes configuration, and provides inventory visibility.

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DATA SHEET

ARUBA 518 SERIES RUGGEDIZED ACCESS POINTS

	ADDITIONAL WI-FI FEATURES	• Four spatial stream Multi User (MU) MIMO for up to
	Transmit Beamforming (TxBF)	2.4 Gbps wireless data rate to up to four 1SS or two
	Increased signal reliability and range	2SS HE80 Wi-Fi 6 DL-MU-MIMO capable client devices
		simultaneously (typical)
	Passpoint Release 2
		2.4 GHz
	Seamless cellular-to-Wi-Fi carryover for guests
		• Two spatial stream Single User (SU) MIMO for up to
	Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS)
		575 Mbps wireless data rate to individual 2SS HE40
	Optimized use of available RF spectrum	Wi-Fi 6 client device (max)
	Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC)	• Two spatial stream Single User (SU) MIMO for up to
		287 Mbps wireless data rate to individual 2SS HE20
	Improved receiver performance for multi antenna access
		Wi-Fi 6 client device (typical)
	points.
		• Two spatial stream Multi User (MU) MIMO for up to
	Cyclic Delay/Shift Diversity (CDD/CSD)	575 Mbps wireless data rate to up to two 1SS HE40
	Enable use of multiple transmit antennas	Wi-Fi 6 DL-MU-MIMO capable client devices
	Space-Time Block Coding (STBC)	simultaneously (max)
		• Two spatial stream Multi User (MU) MIMO for up to 287
	Increased connection robustness
		Mbps wireless data rate to up to two 1SS HE20 Wi-Fi 6 DL-
	Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC)	MU-MIMO capable client devices simultaneously (typical)
	High performance error detection and correction coding for	• Support for up to 512 associated client devices per radio,
	enhanced receiver performance.	and up to 16 BSSIDs per radio
		• Supported frequency bands (country-specific restrictions
	AP-518 SPECIFICATIONS	apply):
	Hardware Variants	--2.400 to 2.4835 GHz
		--5.150 to 5.250 GHz
	• AP-518
		--5.250 to 5.350 GHz
	--5 GHz: Four RP-SMA connectors for external antenna
		--5.470 to 5.725 GHz
	operation
		--5.725 to 5.850 GHz
	--2.4 GHz Two RP-SMA connectors for external antenna
		--5.850 to 5.925 GHz
	operation
		--5.825 to 5.875 GHz
	Wi-Fi Radio Specifications
		• Available channels: Dependent on configured regulatory
	• AP type: Indoor Hardened, Wi-Fi 6 dual radio, 5 GHz 4x4
		domain.
	MIMO and 2.4 GHz 2x2 MIMO
		• Dynamic frequency selection (DFS) optimizes the use of
	• Software-configurable dual radio supports 5 GHz (Radio 0)
		available RF spectrum.
	and 2.4 GHz (Radio 1)
		• Supported radio technologies:
	5 GHz:
		--802.11b: Direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS)
	• Four spatial stream Single User (SU) MIMO for up to 4.8
		--802.11a/g/n/ac: Orthogonal frequency-division
	Gbps wireless data rate to individual 4SS HE160 Wi-Fi 6
		multiplexing (OFDM)
	client device (max)
		--802.11ax: Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access
	• Two spatial stream Single User (SU) MIMO for up to 1.2
		(OFDMA) with up to 16 resource units (RU)
	Gbps wireless data rate to individual 2SS HE80 Wi-Fi 6
		• Supported modulation types:
	client device (typical)
		--802.11b: BPSK, QPSK, CCK
	• Four spatial stream Multi User (MU) MIMO for up to
		--802.11a/g/n: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, 256-QAM
	4.8 Gbps wireless data rate to up to four 1SS or two
		(proprietary extension)
	2SS HE160 Wi-Fi 6 DL-MU-MIMO capable client devices
		--802.11ac: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, 256-QAM,
	simultaneously (max)
		1024 QAM (proprietary extension)
		--802.11ax: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, 256-QAM,
		1024 QAM

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