C I S CO CO N F I D E N T I A L - D r a ft 1
C H A P T E R 1
Overview
The Cisco Aironet 1520 Series Outdoor Mesh Access Point (hereafter called the access point) is a wireless device designed for wireless client access, point-to-point bridging, point-to-multipoint bridging, and point-to-multipoint mesh wireless connectivity. The access point is a standalone unit that can be mounted on a streetlight pole or on a building wall or overhang. It is a self-contained outdoor unit that can be configured with a wired backhaul connection to an Ethernet segment for a rooftop deployment or can be configured with a wireless backhaul for a pole-top deployment. The access point can be installed where power is available without the need for a wired network connection.
The access point is available in two models: LAP1522 (supports 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radios) and LAP1521 (supports a 2.4-GHz radio).The access point provides client access and wireless mesh backhaul that supports 6 to 54 Mbps data rates without the need for a license. The LAP1522 model dedicates the 5-GHz radio for backhaul operations to reach a wired network and uses the 2.4-GHz radio for wireless clients. The LAP1521 model uses the 2.4- or 5-GHz radio for both backhaul and wireless clients.
The access point can also operate as a relay node for other access points not directly connected to a wired network. Intelligent wireless routing is provided by the patent-pending Adaptive Wireless Path Protocol (AWPP). This enables each access point to identify its neighbors and intelligently choose the optimal path to the wired network by calculating the cost of each path in terms of signal strength and the number of hops required to get to a controller.
The access point is configured, monitored, and operated through a Cisco wireless LAN controller (hereafter called a controller) as described in the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide. The Deployment Guide: Cisco Mesh Networking Solution describes how to plan and initially configure the Cisco Mesh network, which supports wireless point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and mesh deployments. The controllers use a browser-based management system, a command-line interface (CLI), or the Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) network management system to manage the controller and the associated access points. The access point is compliant with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2) and employs hardware-based Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption between wireless nodes to provide end-to-end security.
This chapter provides information on the following topics:
•Main Hardware Features, page 2
•Network Configuration Examples, page 6
Cisco Aironet 1520 Series Outdoor Mesh Access Point Hardware Installation Guide
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Main Hardware Features
Some of the access point’s main hardware features are listed below:
•One or two radios (2.4- and 5-GHz)—see the “Single or Dual Radio Operation” section on page 3
•External radio antennas—see the “External Antennas” section on page 3
•Multiple power sources—see the “Multiple Power Sources” section on page 4
•Rugged metal enclosure—see the “Metal Enclosure” section on page 5
•Optional Ethernet ports—see the “Ethernet Ports” section on page 5
•Optional cable modem—see the
•Optional hardware—see the “Optional Hardware” section on page 6
–Cable strand mount kit
–Pole mount kit
–150 ft (45.72 m) Ethernet outdoor cable
•Optional battery backup—future availability
Figure 1 shows the access point connectors.
Figure 1 Access Point Connectors
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Overview
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Connectors
The optional featues of the access point support these connectors (see Figure 1):
•Ethernet (PoE) uplink connector—(type RJ45 with TBD for waterproofing)
•Ethernet downlink connector—(type RJ45 with TBD for waterproofing)
•Three Type N antenna connectors (2.4-GHz radio)
•One Type N antenna connector (5-GHz radio)
•Fiber-optic connector—Small form factor pluggable (SFP)
•Power-over-cable (POC) connector—(TBD)
•AC power connector
Single or Dual Radio Operation
The access point is available in two models: LAP1522 (supports 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radios) and LAP1521 (supports a 2.4- or 5-GHz radio). The radios use external antennas (see “External Antennas”).
The LAP1522 model supports simultaneous dual-radio operation using a 2.4-GHz 802.11b/g radio and a 5-GHz 802.11a radio. The LAP1521 model supports both mesh backhaul operation and wireless clients using a single 2.4- or 5-GHz radio.
The 5-GHz radio incorporates an Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) radio transceiver operating in the UNII 5-GHz frequency bands. The 5-GHz radio on the access point is used for backhaul operations to the controller. The 5-GHz radio can also operate in the 4.9-GHz Public Safety band in the United States.
Note The 4.9-GHz band requires a license and may be used only by qualified Public Safety operators as defined in section 90.20 of the FCC rules.
The 2.4-GHz radio supports three antennas for multi-input, single output (MISO) operation. The radio uses three receivers to support maximum ratio combining (MRC) to enhance receiver performance. MRC is a technique that combines the signals from multiple receivers in a manner to optimize the signals. MRC can provide up to 3 dB of increased receive signal strength.
The access point does not support both radios configured for backhaul support
External Antennas
The access point is equipped with three N-type radio frequency (RF) connector on the top of the unit for external 2.4-GHz antennas to support multiple input single output (MISO) operation. The LAP1522 model also has one to three N-type RF connectors on the bottom of the unit for external 5-GHz antennas (see Figure 1). When using the optional Cisco compact omnidirectional antennas, the 2.4- and 5-GHz antennas connect directly to the access point. The Cisco omnidirectional antennas use vertical polarization.
The access point can also be equipped with specific third-party external antennas (see Table 1 and Table 2), subject to local regulatory requirements. When you are installing third-party antennas, they must be installed with all waterproofing steps recommended by the third-party manufacturer.
Note When you mount the access point in an indoor environment, you must also mount the antennas in an indoor environment.
Warning Only trained and qualified personnel should be allowed to install, replace, or service this equipment. Statement 1030
Table 1 |
External 5-GHz Antennas |
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Part Number |
Model |
Gain (dBi) |
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AIR-ANT5180V-N |
5-GHz compact omnidirectional1 |
8 |
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4.9-GHz compact omnidirectional2 |
7 |
AIR-ANT58G10SSA-N |
5-GHz sector |
9.5 |
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AIR-ANT5114P-N |
4.9- to 5-GHz patch2 |
14.0 |
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AIR-ANT5117S-N |
4.9- to 5-GHz 90-degree sector2 |
17.0 |
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1.The compact omnidirectional antennas mount directly on the access point.
2.The use of the 4.9-GHz band requires a license and may be used only by qualified Public Safety operators as defined in section 90.20 of the FCC rules.
Table 2 |
External 2.4-GHz Antennas |
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Part Number |
Model |
Gain (dBi) |
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AIR-ANT2450V-N |
2.4-GHz compact omnidirectional1 |
5.5 |
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AIR-ANT2480V-N |
2.4 GHz omnidirectional |
8.0 |
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1. The compact omnidirectional antennas mount directly on the access point.
Multiple Power Sources
The access point supports these power sources:
•Power-over-Ethernet (POE)—1520 power injector
•AC power—90 to 480 VAC
•Quazi-AC power-over-cable (POC)—40 to 90 V
•External 12 VDC
•Internal battery
The access point can be connected to more than one power source. The access point detects the available input sources and switches to the preferred power source using the following default prioitization:
•AC power or POC power
•External 12VDC power
•1250 Power Injetor PoE power
•Internal Battery power
Note The power source default prioritization can be user reconfigured.
Caution To provide inline PoE, you must use the 1250 power injector. Other power injectors, PoE switches, and 802.3af power sources cannot provide adequate power, which may cause the access point to malfunction and cause over-current conditions at the power source. You must ensure that the switch port connected to the access point has PoE turned off.
Caution The power injector and the power module must be used in an indoor environment only.
Overview
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Caution When the access point is installed outdoors or in a wet or damp location, the AC branch circuit that is powering the access point should be provided with ground fault protection (GFCI), as required by Article 210 of the National Electrical Code (NEC).
The AC power cord options are listed below:
•40-ft (12.2-m) power cord for light pole installations in the US and Canada.
•40-ft (12.2-m) power cord for use outside the US and Canada. One end of the power cord is terminated with an access point AC power connector and the other end is unterminated.
•4-ft (1.2-m) streetlight power tap adapter for light pole installations in the US and Canada.
Ethernet Ports
The access point supports an Ethernet uplink port and a downlink port. The access point’s Ethernet uplink port uses an RJ-45 connector (with weatherproofing) to link the access point to your10BASE-T, 100BASE-T, or 1000BASE-T network. The Ethernet cable is used to send and receive Ethernet data and to optionally supply inline 56-VDC power from the power injector.
The access point’s downlink Ethernet port uses an RJ-45 connector (with weatherproofing) to provide LAN connectivity and IEEE 802.3af power to a peripheral customer device, such as a camera or sensor gateway.
The Ethernet MAC addresses are printed on the label on the side of the access point (refer to the “Finding the Product Serial Number - TBD” section on page 13).
Tips The access point senses the Ethernet and power signals and automatically switches internal circuitry to match the cable connections.
Caution To provide inline PoE, you must use the 1520 power injector. Other power injectors, PoE switches, and 802.3af power sources can not provide adequate power, which may cause the access point to malfunction and cause possible over-current conditions at the power source.
Metal Enclosure
The access point uses a metal enclosure that can accommodate both indoor or outdoor operating environments and an industrial temperature operating range of (–40°F (–40°C ) to 131°F (55°C). The access point complies with NEMA Type 4X and IP66 requirements from IEC60529.
Note When the access point is mounted indoors, the antennas must also be mounted indoors.
Cable Modem
Optional Hardware
Some of the access point hardware options are listed below:
•Cable modem—DOCSIS 2.0 compatible for direct connection to cable lines.
•Fiber optic module—uses Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) connections for connection to fiber optic lines.
–Supports 100BaseBX modules
–Supports 15.5 mi (25 km) of fiber-optic cable.
•Pole mount kit (SKU - TBD)—provides hardware for mounting the access point to the top of a metal or wood pole, such as a streetlight pole.
•Streetlight power tap adapter (SKU - TBD)—connects to the light control connector on a streetlight pole and provides AC power to the access point.
•Outdoor rated Ethernet cable (???)—used to supply Ethernet and optional DC power to the access point.
•1520 power injector (SKU - TBD)—provides power-over-Ethernet (PoE) to the access point.
•AC power cord (for additional information, refer to the “Multiple Power Sources” section on page 4).
•Future availability—battery backup module (80 Watt hour (WHr). The integrated battery can be used to power the unit when external power sources are not available.
–Four hour access point operation using two radios at 77oF (25oC)—with PoE output port off
–Two hour access point operation using two radios at 77oF (25oC)— with PoE output port on
–User installable and replaceable
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Network Configuration Examples
The access point is a wireless device designed for wireless client access and point-to-point bridging, point-to-multipoint bridging, and point-to-multipoint mesh wireless connectivity. The access point provides 5-GHz backhaul capability to link with another access point to reach a wired network —connection or to provide repeater operations for other access points.
The access point plays two primary radio roles: a root access point (hereafter called a RAP) or a non-root access point (hereafter called a MAP). When the access point has a wired Ethernet connection to the controller (through a switch), the radio role is called a RAP. A RAP is a parent node to any bridging or mesh network. A controller can support one or more RAPs, each one parenting the same or different wireless networks. There can be more than one RAP for the same mesh network for redundancy. RAPs also support wireless clients on the band not being used for the backhaul interface.
When the access point does not have a wired Ethernet connection to the controller (through a switch), the radio role is called a MAP. The MAPs have a wireless connection (through the backhaul interface) to other MAPs and finally to a RAP with an Ethernet connection through a switch to the controller.
MAPs may also have a wired Ethernet connection to a local LAN and serve as a bridge endpoint for that LAN (using a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint bridge connection). MAPs also support wireless clients on the band not used for the backhaul interface.
Overview
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Wireless Backhaul
The access point supports wireless backhaul capability using the 5-GHz radio to bridge to another access point to reach a wired network connection to a controller (see Figure 2). The access point connected to the wired network is considered a RAP in this configuration. The remote access point is considered a MAP and transfers wireless client traffic to the RAP for transfer to the wired network. Lightweight access point protocol (LWAPP) control traffic is also transferred over this bridged link.
Note The LAP 1505 model uses the 2.4-GHz radio for backhaul and wireless client operations.
Figure 2 Access Point Backhaul Example
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Point-to-Point Bridging
The access points can be used to extend a remote network by using the 5-GHz backhaul radio to bridge the two network segments as shown in Figure 3. To support Ethernet bridging, you must enable bridging on the controller for each access point.
Note The LAP 1505 model uses the 2.4-GHz radio for bridging operations.
Wireless client access is supported; however, if bridging between tall buildings, the 2.4-Ghz wireless coverage area may be limited and possibly not suitable for direct wireless client access.
Figure 3 Access Point Point-to-Point Bridging Example
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Point-to-Multipoint Bridging
The access points can be used as a RAP to connect multiple remote MAPs with their associated wired networks (see Figure 4). By default this capability is turned-off for all access points. To support Ethernet bridging, you must enable bridging on the controller for each access point.
Wireless client access can be provided over the bridging link; however, if bridging between tall buildings, the 2.4-Ghz wireless coverage area may be limited and possibly not suitable for direct wireless client access.
Figure 4 Access Point Point to Multipoint Bridging Example
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Mesh Network
The access points are typically deployed in a mesh network configuration. In a typical mesh deployment, one or more RAPs have a wired network connection through a switch to a controller. Other remote MAPs without wired network connections use the backhaul feature to optimally link to a RAP that is connected to the wired network. In the mesh network, the links between the access points are referred to as the backhaul links.
Intelligent wireless routing is provided by the patent-pending Adaptive Wireless Path protocol (AWPP). This enables each MAP to identify its neighbors and intelligently choose the optimal path to the RAP with the wired network connection by calculating the cost of each path in terms of signal strength and the number of hops required to get to a controller.
Overview
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