Cisco Systems Aironet 2600, Aironet 1600, AIRCAP3602IAK9RF, Aironet AP1600, AIRCAP1602EAK9 User Manual

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Cisco Aironet 1600/2600/3600

Series Access Point Deployment

Guide

ABSTRACT: This document covers the theory of operation and installation for Cisco 2600 and 3600 Series Access Points (APs), as part of a Cisco wireless LAN (WLAN) solution. Subjects include:

AP 1600, 2600, and 3600

Differences between the AP 3600 and the AP 3500

Differences between the AP 3600 and the AP 2600

Introduction of the AP 1600 and AP feature comparison

Hardware details, mounting options, bracket choices, and installation considerations

Antenna options, radiation patterns, and external antenna deployments

Spatial streams and MCS rates

ClientLink 2.0 and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Site survey considerations

Inappropriate installations, Q&As, and useful URLs

This document is intended for trained and experienced technical personnel familiar with the existing Cisco Wireless Networking Group (WNG) product line and features.

Cisco Systems EDCS 1130881

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

Revision History

Document Number:

EDCS 1188900 (replaces EDCS 1130881)

Document Author:

Frederick Niehaus (fredn)

Author's Organization:

WNG (WNBU) TME

Document Date / Version:

12/12/12 version 3.0

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

 

Table of Contents

 

Revision History.......................................................................................................................

2

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................

3

Cisco Aironet Series Access Points ...........................................................................................

4

Internal and External Antennas................................................................................................................

4

3600 Series ...............................................................................................................................................

6

Feature Modules for the 3600 Series ....................................................................................

6

Comparison of the 3600 and 3500 Series.................................................................................................

7

Comparison of the 3600 and 2600 Series.................................................................................................

9

Introduction to the 1600 Series..............................................................................................................

11

Key Features.......................................................................................................................

11

Cisco CleanAir Express ........................................................................................................

11

Comparison of Indoor Access Points ......................................................................................................

12

Hardware and Mounting Options ..........................................................................................

13

Brackets and Clips...................................................................................................................................

13

Channel Rail Adapters ............................................................................................................................

14

Installation in Ceiling Tiles ......................................................................................................................

15

Installation on Walls ...............................................................................................................................

16

Color .......................................................................................................................................................

17

Unique Installations ..............................................................................................................

18

Clean Rooms ...........................................................................................................................................

18

Above Ceiling Tiles..................................................................................................................................

19

Stadium and Harsh Environments ..........................................................................................................

20

Areas with High Vibration.......................................................................................................................

21

Warehouse and Factory .........................................................................................................................

22

Ethernet Cable Recommendation .......................................................................................

24

Antenna Cable Recommendation........................................................................................

24

Access Point Spacing Recommendations.............................................................................

25

IDF Closets (Telecommunications or Other Electrical Equipment) ........................................................

25

Very High Altitudes.................................................................................................................................

25

Common or Distributed Antenna System (DAS).....................................................................................

26

Elevators .................................................................................................................................................

26

External Antenna Options and Patterns.................................................................................

27

AP 1600/2600 and AP 3600e..................................................................................................................

27

AP 3600i, AP 2600i, and AP 1600i...........................................................................................................

32

External Antenna Deployments .............................................................................................

35

802.11n, Spatial Streams, and Beamforming .........................................................................

38

Clients That Support Three Spatial Streams ...........................................................................................

41

Beamforming in ClientLink 1.0 and 2.0 ..................................................................................................

42

Site Survey Considerations ....................................................................................................

44

General Guidelines ................................................................................................................

46

Examples of Improper Installations .......................................................................................

48

Questions and Answers .........................................................................................................

51

Useful URLs ...........................................................................................................................

52

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

Cisco Aironet Series Access Points

Cisco Aironet 3600, 2600, 1600, and 600 Series Access Points (APs) provide highly secure and reliable wireless connections for both indoor and outdoor environments. Figure 1 illustrates the product portfolio, which ranges from the entry level 600 Series for basic connectivity to the 3600 Series for best in class performance.

Figure 1: Access Point Portfolio Placement

Internal and External Antennas

The 3600, 2600, and 1600 Series offer models with internal or external antennas. Figures 2, 3, and 4 describe the internal and external antenna models for each series.

APs with internal antennas have an “i” (for example, AP 3600i) in the model number. They have captured antennas, which are part of the housing and not removable, and are designed for indoor enterprise installations where office aesthetics are a primary concern.

APs with external antennas have an “e” (for example, AP 3600e) in the model number. They are more rugged and are designed for industrial use in locations such as hospitals, factories, warehouses, and other locations where there is a need for external antennas or extended operating temperatures. The external antenna models also support mounting inside NEMA enclosures for use in the most demanding environments.

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

Figure 2: AP 3600 Models and Eco Packs

Figure 3: AP 2600 Models and Eco Packs

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

Figure 4: AP 1600 Models and Eco Packs

3600 Series

The Cisco 3600 Series Access Point (AP 3600) targets customers who require support for mission critical applications. The AP 3600 embodies ClientLink 2.0, an innovative antenna technology comprising four transmit radios and four receive radios called 4X4 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) and three spatial stream (3SS) beamforming, together referenced as 4x4:3. ClientLink 2.0 permits speeds up to 450 Mbps via additional Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) data rates 16 23, while still maintaining IEEE 802.3af (15.4 Watt) Power over Ethernet (PoE) compliance. See the section on "802.11n, Spatial Streams, and Beamforming" for more on spatial streams.

Feature Modules for the 3600 Series

The WSSI (Wireless Security and Spread Spectrum Intelligence) module adds new functionalty to the AP 3600 to protect customer investment. This optional, add on module provides a dedicated monitor radio to scan the full spectrum, not just the channel on which the AP operates. It offloads complete monitoring and security services to the monitor module, including CleanAir, WIDS/WIPS, Context Aware Location, Rogue Detection, and Radio Resource Management (RRM). The WSSI module allows for full spectrum analysis on all channels on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. It avoids the need to deploy a separate, dedicated overlay network for full spectrum monitoring and eliminates the need for an extra cable pull and additional infrastructure costs.

The second available module provides 802.11ac (wave 1) functionality to the AP 3600. This radio module operates at 5GHz and allows the AP 3600 to fully support 802.11a/n along with 802.11ac clients. (Wave 1) functionality supports a 1.3 Gbps PHY / ~1 Gbps MAC (throughput) using three spatial streams, 80 MHz, 256 QAM. It also supports Explicit Beamforming per the 802.11ac standard. Use of the radio

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module may require a local power supply, Cisco power injector, .3at PoE+, or use of the Cisco Enhanced PoE because the module may draw power greater than 15.4W.

Note: Cisco Enhanced PoE was created by Cisco and is the forerunner to 802.3at PoE+.

Feature modules slide into the bottom of AP 3600, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Back View of the AP 3600 with Feature Module

Comparison of the 3600 and 3500 Series

The AP 3600i (internal antenna model) and the Cisco 3500 Series Access Point (AP 3500) are almost identical in physical appearance. To easily distinguish them, note that the LED for the AP 3500 is square, while the AP 3600i has an LED that is slightly larger and more oval. (See Figure 6.)

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Figure 6: LED Appearance in the AP 3600i and the AP 3500

From a side view, the AP 3600i is slightly thicker (2.11”) than the AP 3500 (1.84”), as shown in Figure 7. The thicker size allows for additional radio support and printed circuit board area, as well as feature modules for future capabilities. While the AP 3600i has a little more depth, it is completely backward compatible with the mounting brackets for the existing Cisco Aironet 1040 Series Access Point (AP 1040), 1140 Series Access Point (AP 1140), 1260 Series Access Point (AP 1260), and the AP 3500.

Figure 7: Side View of the AP 3600i and the AP 3500

The external antenna models (the AP 3600e and the AP 3500e) differ in appearance because the AP 3600e has fewer antenna connector ports, primarily due to the dual band antenna system.

The AP 3600e has combined all the antenna ports (dual band) so that each antenna port can transmit simultaneously on each band; if the antenna ports were not combined, this would have required eight antennas. The AP 3600 has four transceivers (transmitter/receiver) radio ports per band for a total of eight transceivers, four in each band. This additional radio per band permits beamforming to 3SS clients using ClientLink 2.0 to improve the overall performance of all 802.11n clients with one, two, and three spatial streams.

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Note: Beamforming to a 3SS client requires n+1 radio frequency (RF) design. To accomplish this, the AP 3600 has an additional radio per band, which improves client performance by using Cisco ClientLink 2.0.

The AP 3500e has separate antennas for each band, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and does not support 3SS technology, since it has only two transceivers (transmitter/receiver) and one extra receiver per band enabling operation up to two spatial streams.

Unlike the AP 3500, the newer AP 3600 design supports an optional, add on feature module. The bottom of the AP 3600 has openings to support the feature module, as shown in Figure 8. The openings, while fully sealed, permit the module to have access to the top of the AP, which allows the module antennas (if present) to fully function. The unit includes a positive snap “spring loaded BB” so the installer can feel a positive lock when the AP is fully engaged in the bracket.

Figure 8: Bottom View of the AP 3600 with Support for a Feature Module

Comparison of the 3600 and 2600 Series

The AP 3600 has a modular design that offers future protection with optional .11ac and security modules. The AP 2600 does not support optional modules. However, the AP 2600 does have a slightly higher antenna gain in the 2.4 GHz band.

The AP3600 and the AP2600 are the same size, but it is easy to identify each one by noting whether the Cisco logo has an embossed frame (AP 3600) or not (AP 2600). (See Figure 9.)

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Figure 9: Front View of the AP2600 and the AP 3600

The AP 2600 is a 3X4:3SS, so ClientLink does not beamform to 3SS clients; however, it does beamform at legacy, one, and two spatial stream rates. The AP 3600 is a 4X4:3SS, supporting an extra transmitter chain for additional downlink performance for all bands and clients. The AP 3600 has slightly higher performance and beamforms to legacy, one, two, and three spatial stream rates and .11ac rates when using the optional .11ac module.

The two series use the same mounting hardware and antennas. See Figure 10 for a back view.

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Figure 10: Back View of the AP 2600

Because of these similarities, there is no need to repeat a site survey for the AP 2600 if a survey exists for the AP 3600.

Introduction to the 1600 Series

The Cisco Aironet 1600 Series Access Point (AP1600), shown in Figure 11, is a second generation, entry level AP.

Figure 11: AP 1600

Key Features

Significant features include:

ClientLink 2.0

Adds a key function when upgrading from the AP 1040/1140 and the AP 1260

Supports 802.11n clients up to 1 SS

Supports 802.11a/b/g clients

Supports (beam form) up to 32 clients per radio interface

3x3:2 architecture

Better performance than the 2x2:2 AP 1040

Better throughput performance than the AP 1140 and the AP 1260

External antenna model for entry level and mid level market

Up to 128 clients per radio for a total of 256 clients

Different LED color change compared to earlier access points

CleanAir Express – Basic Spectrum Analysis available soon via software upgrade

Cisco CleanAir Express

Cisco CleanAir Express technology is enabled on the advanced silicon design of the AP 1600. With CleanAir Express, the AP 1600 has the ability to effectively detect RF interference, identify the source, locate it on a map, and make automatic adjustments to optimize wireless coverage. With CleanAir Express technology, organizations have a basic spectrum analysis capability to support their wireless networks while simplifying ongoing operations. (See Figure 12.)

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Figure 12: Comparison of CleanAir Features in the 1600/2600/3600 Series

Comparison of Indoor Access Points

A comparison of the indoor access points for the 3600/2600/1600/600 Series is shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13: Comparison of the 3600/2600/1600/600 Series

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

Hardware and Mounting Options

The AP 1600, 2600, and 3600 have the same mounting options and share similar dimensions, as shown in Figure 14. There are slight cosmetic differences; for example, there are three antennas on the AP 1600.

Figure 14: Mechanical Drawing of the AP 2600 and the AP 3600

Brackets and Clips

There are many different installation options available depending upon the requirements of the customer. Brackets are available from Cisco as well as third party companies. When ordering, the customer may choose either a low profile or a universal bracket; both are shown in Figure 15. Each bracket is a zero dollar ($0) option at the time of configuration.

If the customer does not choose a bracket, the default is the low profile AIR AP BRACKET 1, which is the most popular bracket for ceiling installations. For the AP 3600, Cisco recommends using the universal bracket, part number AIR AP BRACKET 2.

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

Figure 15: Access Point Bracket Choices

If the AP needs to be mounted directly to a ceiling on the gridwork, AIR AP BRACKET 1 mounts flush and has the lowest profile. Since some ceiling tiles are recessed, two different styles of ceiling clips, recessed and flush rails, are available to mount the bracket to the ceiling gridwork. (See Figure 16).

Figure 16: Recessed and Flushed Ceiling Grid Clips

If the AP needs to be mounted to an electrical box, to another type of wiring fixture, inside a NEMA enclosure or on a wall, the AIR AP BRACKET 2 is a better choice. The extra space in the bracket allows for wiring, and the extra holes line up with many popular electrical boxes.

Channel Rail Adapters

When mounting APs to ceiling channel rails, such as those shown in Figure 17, use the optional channel adapter. The AIR CHNL ADAPTER comes in a two pack, slides onto the channel rails, and attaches to the ceiling grid clips described above. Figures 18 and 19 show the channel rails, channel adapter, ceiling grid clip, and finished installation.

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Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide

Figure 17: Channel Rails

Figure 18: AIR CHNL ADAPTER (left); Channel Rails (right)

Figure 19: AIR CHNL ADAPTER and Ceiling Grid Clip (left); Finished Installation (right)

Installation in Ceiling Tiles

Many hospitals and other carpeted enterprise environments prefer a more streamlined look and wish to install the AP directly into the tile. In this case, use the optional Cisco AIR AP BRACKET 3, as shown in Figure 20.

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Figure 20: Optional AIR AP BRACKET 3 for Installation of APs into Ceiling Tiles

Use the “beauty ring” as a template to cut the tile. Cisco does not offer custom cut tiles but the tiles are easy to cut with a carpet knife or electric tool such as the Dremel™ or Rotozip™ rotary cutting tool.

A metal rail that extends the length of the tile supports the AP above the ceiling if the tile becomes wet or otherwise fails. A mechanical set screw pulls the AP tight to the ceiling and locks it into the bracket. Additionally, a Kensington style lock can be used for physical security of the AP, but, once installed, it is difficult to remove the AP without removing the tile since the AP does not slide out from the front side of the tile.

Note: This bracket fits the AP 1040, 1140, 1260, 1600, 2600, 3500, and 3600.

Installation on Walls

Walls can be a physical obstacle to the wireless signal and may compromise 360 degree coverage. If the wall is an outside wall or if the goal is to send the signal in a 180 degree pattern rather than a 360 degree pattern, a directional antenna (often referred to as a patch antenna) used with the AP 3600e may be a better choice.

Avoid wall mounting APs with internal antennas such as the AP 3600i. The internal antenna model is designed to mount to a ceiling to provide 360 degree coverage. If wall mounted in a non horizontal orientation, the signal may penetrate floors and ceilings. This causes unintended coverage and may result in additional, needless roaming access when, for example, a user with Wi Fi phone walks on an adjacent floor.

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