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Cisco Aironet 1850 Series Access Points
Product Overview
Ideal for small and medium-sized networks, the Cisco® Aironet® 1850 Series delivers industry-leading performance
for enterprise and service provider markets via enterprise-class 4x4 MIMO, four-spatial-stream access points that
support the IEEE’s new 802.11ac Wave 2 specification. The Aironet 1850 Series extends support to a new
generation of Wi-Fi clients, such as smartphones, tablets, and high-performance laptops that have integrated
802.11ac Wave 1 or Wave 2 support.
Features and Benefits
With 802.11ac Wave 2, the Aironet 1850 Series provides a data rate of up to 1.7 Gbps on the 5-GHz radio, more
than triple the rates offered by today’s high-end 802.11n access points. It also enables a total aggregate dual-radio
data rate of 2.0 Gbps, providing the necessary foundation for enterprise and service provider networks to stay
ahead of the performance and bandwidth expectations and needs of their wireless users.
Due to its convenience, wireless access is increasingly the preferred form of network connectivity for corporate
users. Along with this shift, there is an expectation that wireless should not slow down users’ day-to-day work, but
should enable a high-performance experience while allowing users to move freely. The 1850 Series delivers
industry-leading performance for highly secure and reliable wireless connections and provides a robust mobility
experience that includes:
●
802.11ac Wave 2 with 4x4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology with four spatial streams when
operating in single-user MIMO mode and three spatial streams while operating in multiuser MIMO mode,
offering 1.7-Gbps rates for more capacity and reliability than competing access points.
●
Multiuser MIMO, allowing transmission of data to multiple 802.11ac Wave 2 capable clients simultaneously
to improve client experience. Prior to multiuser MIMO, 802.11n and 802.11ac Wave 1 access points could
transmit data to only one client at a time, typically referred to as single-user MIMO.
●
Transmit beamforming technology to improve downlink performance to mobile devices, including one-, two-,
and three-spatial-stream devices on 802.11ac, while improving battery life on mobile devices such as
smartphones and tablets.
© 2016 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 10
Cisco Unified Wireless Network Software Release with AireOS wireless controllers:
● 8.1 MR1 or later for the Cisco Aironet 1850 Series Access Points
Centralized local, Standalone*, Sniffer, Cisco FlexConnect™, Monitor**, OfficeExtend**, Mesh**
Supported wireless
LAN controllers
● Cisco 2500 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco Wireless Controller Module for ISR G2, Cisco Wireless Services
Module 2 (WiSM2) for Catalyst® 6500 Series Switches, Cisco 5500 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco Flex® 7500
Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco 8500 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco Virtual Wireless Controller**, Cisco 5760
Series Wireless Controllers**, Cisco Catalyst 3650/3850 Series switch with integrated controller**
● Cisco Mobility Express
802.11n version 2.0
(and related)
capabilities
● 4x4 MIMO with four spatial streams
● Maximal ratio combining (MRC)
● 20- and 40-MHz channels
● PHY data rates up to 600 Mbps (40 MHz with 5 GHz)
● Packet aggregation: A-MPDU (Tx/Rx), A-MSDU (Tx/Rx)
● 802.11 dynamic frequency selection (DFS)
● Cyclic shift diversity (CSD) support
802.11ac Wave 1 and
2 capabilities
● 4x4 MIMO with four spatial streams, single-user MIMO
● 4x4 MIMO with three spatial streams, multiuser MIMO
● MRC
● 802.11ac beamforming (transmit beamforming)
● 20-, 40-, and 80-MHz channels
● PHY data rates up to 1.7 Gbps (80 MHz in 5 GHz)
● Packet aggregation: A-MPDU (Tx/Rx), A-MSDU (Tx/Rx)
● 802.11 DFS
● CSD support
802.11a: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
802.11g: 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
802.11n data rates on 2.4 GHz (only 20 MHz and MCS 0 to MCS 23) and 5 GHz:
1
MCS Index: The Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) index determines the number of spatial streams, the modulation, the
coding rate, and data rate values
2
GI: A guard interval (GI) between symbols helps receivers overcome the effects of multipath delay spreads.
●
Flexible deployment mode through the Cisco Mobility Express Solution is ideal for small to medium-sized
deployments that that require 25 or fewer access points. Easy setup allows the 1850 Series to be deployed
on networks without a physical controller.
All of these features help ensure the best possible end-user experience on the wireless network. Cisco also offers
the industry’s broadest selection of 802.11n and 802.11ac antennas, delivering optimal coverage for a variety of
deployment scenarios.
Product Specifications
Table 1. Product Specifications
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802.11ac data rates (5 GHz):
3
MCS Index: The Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) index determines the number of spatial streams, the modulation, the
coding rate, and data rate values.
4
GI: A guard interval (GI) between symbols helps receivers overcome the effects of multipath delay spreads.