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Data Sheet
Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point
The Cisco® Aironet® 1250 Series is the first enterprise-class access point to support the
IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard. 802.11n offers combined data rates of up to 600 Mbps
to provide users with mobile access to high-bandwidth data, voice, and video applications
regardless of their location. Through the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)
technology, 802.11n also provides reliable and predictable WLAN coverage to improve
the end-user experience for both existing 802.11a/b/g clients and new 802.11n clients.
The robust Cisco Aironet® 1250 Series Access Point (Figure 1) is a modular platform
designed to be easily field-upgradeable to support a variety of wireless capabilities. This
modularity allows businesses to deploy existing wireless technologies today with the
confidence that their network investment will extend to support emerging and future
wireless technologies.
The platform was specifically engineered to support the power, throughput, and
mechanical requirements of higher-speed WLAN technologies, including 802.11n.
Currently, the platform provides both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz modules compliant with the
IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard. As technology evolves, the platform is flexible to support
future radio modules designed to deliver intelligent RF services, further enhancing the
performance and reliability of the wireless network. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series is a
rugged indoor access point designed for both office and challenging RF environments
such as factories, warehouses, hospitals and large retail establishments that require the
antenna versatility associated with connectorized antennas, a rugged metal enclosure,
and a broad operating temperature range. With a Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
interface, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series delivers line-rate throughput for higher-speed
WLAN technologies such as 802.11n. The access point offers the flexibility of inline as
well as local power options.
Figure 1. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point
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Data Sheet
The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series is part of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. The Cisco Unified
Wireless Network is a comprehensive solution that unifies the wired and wireless network to
deliver a common set of services and applications, providing users a single experience for any
mode of network connectivity, and offering IT simplified operational management. The Cisco
Aironet 1250 Series integrates seamlessly with the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. It extends the
same industry-leading RF and network management capabilities as currently available across the
breadth of Cisco wireless solutions.
The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series has two deployment options: controller-based (unified) or
standalone (autonomous). Access points using the Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP)
work in conjunction with Cisco wireless LAN controllers and optionally with the Cisco Wireless
Control System (WCS). When configured with LWAPP, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series simplifies
operations by automatically detecting the best-available Cisco Wireless LAN Controller and
downloading appropriate policies and configuration information with no manual intervention. When
deployed as a standalone access point, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series delivers a baseline set of
features and can later be software-upgraded to take advantage of the full benefits of the Cisco
Unified Wireless Network.
Investment Protection
The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series is a modular platform that is compliant with the 802.11n draft 2.0
standard and is the first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 access point. Furthermore, the
platform has been tested extensively to ensure simple, secure interoperability with IEEE 802.11n
draft 2.0 standard devices. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series provides additional investment
protection with its modular, field-upgradeable design and easy-to-install radio modules. Cisco is
committed to standards, and the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series provides a path for compliance to the
final IEEE 802.11n standard, once ratified. Businesses with an immediate need to enhance the
performance of their WLANs can deploy the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard radio modules now
with the confidence that their investments are protected. These modules can be easily fieldupgraded should this be required by a shift in standards evolution.
Award-Winning Security
The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series supports industry-standard wireless security protocols, including
802.11i, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), WPA2, and 802.1X, along with numerous Extensible
Authentication Protocol (EAP) types. The access point delivers hardware-accelerated Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES) encryption designed to meet the most stringent enterprise and
government encryption requirements without compromising performance. As part of the Cisco
Secure Wireless Solution, Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points operating with LWAPP enable
comprehensive wired and wireless intrusion prevention and detection. Each access point can scan
the RF environment and report on suspicious or unauthorized wireless activity, effectively allowing
businesses to create a comprehensive threat defense across 802.11a/b/g and now 802.11n.
Additionally, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point supports management frame protection
for the encryption of 802.11 management frames by the wireless network infrastructure. This
allows the network to completely remove the threat from man-in-the-middle and spoofing attacks. If
an access point detects a malicious attack, an alarm will be generated and reported to the network
administrator.
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Data Sheet
RF Management
Cisco incorporates unique capabilities within its wireless solution that address the operational
challenges of deploying business wireless networks. At the heart of these capabilities are
intelligent Radio Resource Management (RRM) algorithms designed to consistently fine-tune
WLAN parameters to best meet ongoing performance requirements. RRM allows the Cisco Unified
Wireless Network to continuously analyze the existing RF environment and automatically adjust
access point power and channel settings to help mitigate such things as co-channel interference
and signal coverage problems. Unlike conventional 802.11a/b/g products, the Cisco Aironet 1250
Series uses multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology to take advantage of the effects of
RF multipath propagation in order to improve the reliability and predictability of the wireless signal.
The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series supports the latest U.S. and European requirements for Dynamic
Frequency Selection (DFS), ensuring the access point accurately detects radar events and makes
full use of the available 5-GHz spectrum. In addition, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series supports a
Software Defined Radio (SDR) enabling it to be upgraded in the field to support new frequencies
and power levels as they are approved for use. These RF management capabilities increase
system capacity, perform automated self-healing to compensate for RF dead zones and access
point failures, and provide a comprehensive way to manage one of your most precious assets,
your corporate spectrum.
Deployment Scenarios
The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series with support for the 802.11n draft 2.0 standard is ideal for a variety
of deployment scenarios across many industries. The improved throughput, reliability, and
predictability of an 802.11n network meet the requirements that many companies have for moving
towards a truly mobile enterprise. Cisco’s next-generation wireless technology is especially
beneficial for environments with the following characteristics:
●
Challenging RF environments (for example, manufacturing plants, warehouses, clinical
environments)
●
Bandwidth-intensive applications (for example, digital imaging, file transfers, network
backup)
●
Real-time, latency-sensitive applications including voice and video
●
Environments that need to support existing 802.11a/b/g and new 802.11n wireless clients
Designed for critical business environments and installations that require antenna versatility, the
Cisco Aironet 1250 Series features antenna connectors for improved coverage and aesthetically
pleasing installation options. The UL2043 rating of the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series allows the
access points to be placed above the ceiling tile in plenum areas regulated by municipal fire codes
or suspended from drop ceilings.
Features and Benefits
Table 1 lists the features and benefits of Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points.
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Data Sheet
Table 1. Features and Benefits of Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points
Feature Benefit
Data Rates of up to 300
Mbps per Radio, 600 Mbps
per Access Point
Enhanced Reliability and
Predictability
Powerful Platform Engineered to support the power, thermal dissipation, memory, CPU, and Gigabit
Modular Field-Upgradeable
Design with Easy-to-Install
Modules
2.4-GHz and 5-GHz Radio
Modules
Both Inline and Local
Powering Options
Extensive Interoperability The Aironet 1250 Series Access Point has undergone extensive interoperability testing
Backward Compatibility with
Existing 802.11a/b/g Clients
Integrated RF Management
Capabilities
Supports up to 24 nonOverlapping Channels
External RP-TNC Antenna
Connectors for Both 2.4-GHz
and 5-GHz Radios
Cisco Unified IDS/IPS An integral part of the Cisco Secure Wireless Solution, the industry’s first integrated
Management Frame
Protection
Rugged Metal Housing The access point is built with a metal case and sturdy features for deployment in
UL 2043 Plenum Rating and
Extended Operating
Temperature
Multipurpose and Lockable
Mounting Bracket
1
The 802.11n draft 2.0 standard provides capabilities such as 40-MHz channels, packet
aggregation, and block acknowledgement which significantly increase the amount of
bandwidth available for user applications. With support for physical layer (PHY) data
rates up to 300 Mbps per radio, this represents a greater than five-fold increase over
the performance of 802.11a/g networks.
MIMO technology, with its multiple antennas and advanced signal processing,
improves coverage, reduces dead spots, and augments overall client throughput.
MIMO also enables higher data rates by transmitting multiple spatial streams across
the unique paths formed between devices. Enhanced reliability and throughput
provides a better overall end-user experience for users relying on the wireless network
for business functions.
Ethernet transmission requirements of 802.11n and future wireless technologies.
Investment protection through field-upgradeable radios. As technology evolves, radio
modules can be replaced in the field with new radio modules, preserving the
investment in the access point chassis and avoiding the expense of installing a new
access point.
Dual radios allow simultaneous operation of 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz wireless networks,
offering the greatest number of available channels and therefore the greatest system
capacity and scalability.
To realize optimal performance, the access point supports both inline power delivered
over a single Ethernet cable and local power options.
to ensure simple, secure interoperability with other 802.11 devices. It is the first Wi-Fi
CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 access point, has earned the Intel Connect with Centrino
certification, and has undergone extensive testing in 802.11n plug fests.
Protects existing 802.11a/b/g investments and provides an easy migration to 802.11n.
Integrated RF management capabilities address the operational challenges of
deploying business wireless networks. These capabilities include Radio Resource
Management, MIMO, superior DFS support, SDR certification, and spectrum
intelligence integration into WCS. Integrated RF management capabilities increase
system capacity, improve system performance, perform automated self-healing to
compensate for RF dead zones and access point failures, and provide a
comprehensive way to manage one of your most precious assets, your corporate
spectrum.
Provides lower potential interference with neighboring access points, which simplifies
deployment and reduces co-channel interference for fewer transmission errors and
greater throughput. More channels also means that more of the high- throughput, 40MHz channels introduced in the 802.11n draft 2.0 standard are supported.
Antenna connectors support a variety of Cisco 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz antennas, providing
range and coverage versatility.
wired and wireless security solution, the access point can monitor the RF environment
to detect and locate unauthorized wireless activity, including rogue access points and
RF denial of service attacks.
Management frame protection encrypts the management header of the 802.11 packet
and enables the access point to detect spoofed frames from malicious users
impersonating infrastructure access points. If an access point detects a malicious
attack, an alert will be generated and reported back to the network administrator.
rugged environments such as factories, warehouses, and other industrial
environments.
Supports installation in environmental air spaces, such as areas above suspended
ceilings.
Provides flexibility during site survey and traditional installation as well as helping to
deter theft.
1
Supports 3 2.4-GHz and 21 5-GHz channels in the FCC regulatory domain; channel support varies by
country. See Table 2 for frequency band and operating channel support in your particular regulatory domain.
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