Cisco Systems 2600 User manual

CiscoSystemsEDCS‐1130881

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CiscoAironet1600/2600/3600

SeriesAccessPointDeployment

Guide

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ABSTRACT:Thisdocumentcoversthetheoryofoperationandinsta llation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

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This document is intended for trained  and experie nced technical personnel  familiar with the existing

CiscoWirelessNetworkingGroup(WNG)productlineandfeatures.



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

CiscoSystems

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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



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

CiscoSystems

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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



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

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CiscoAironetSeriesAccessPoints

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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prod uct 

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

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InternalandExternalAntennas

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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mod el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.



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

CiscoSystems

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Figure2:AP3600ModelsandEco‐Packs

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Figure3:AP2600ModelsandEco‐Packs



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

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Figure4:AP1600ModelsandEco‐Packs

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3600Series

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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ra tes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 chann els 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



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

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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.)



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

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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.



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

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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.



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide  

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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genera tion, 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marke t 

 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 autom a tic adjustments to optimize wireles s  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



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

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

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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

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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

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hospita ls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ceil ing 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i nstalled,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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

Insteadofwall‐mountingAPswithinternalantennas,youcan:



 UsetheAP3600ewithdipolesorpatchantennas.

 Useanoptionalwallmountbracket,suchastheOberonP/N1029‐00,thatputstheAP3600ior

theAP3500eintoahorizontalorientation.(SeeFigure21.)

UsethisOberonbracketunlessyou

haveahotspot,kiosk,orsmallvenuescenarioandroamingisnotanissue.



Figure 21: Vertical (Up/Do wn) Antennas on a Wall‐Mounted AP (Left); Oberon Wall Mount Bracket 

(Center,Right)



Color



To change the color of an AP, use colored vinyl tape or purchase a colored plastic cover from Oberon

(seeFigure22).TheOberoncovercanalsobeusedtohidetheCiscologoorhidetheLED.Donotpaint 

theAP,sincethatvoidsthewarranty.



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

Figure22:OberonSkin



UniqueInstallations



CleanRooms



Manyhospitalsand factorieshave requirementstowipedown orgentlyspraythe environmentwitha 

chemical(oftendilutedmaterialthathascleaninganddisinfectantproperties).TheAP3600isidealfor

thesetypesofapplicationsbecauseitisdesignedwithapurposeguildWi‐Fichipsetwithenterpriseand

industrial class components.  This design enables the AP enclosure to have a Plenum rating and to be

ventless.(SeeFigure23.)



Figure23:AP3600IndustrialClassComponents



Note:TheAP2600ismadeofasimilarconstructionanddesig nforcleanroomdeployments



If the clean room

environment requires metal ceilings or areas where tile is not practical, a metal

enclosurefromOberoncanbeusedtoprotectandsecuretheAP.(SeeFigure24.)

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

Figure24:OberonMetalEnclosure



AboveCeilingTiles



The AP 2600 and the AP 3600 are rated for installation in the Plenum area (UL‐243). Many customers

prefertoinstalltheAP aboveadropceilingforaestheticreasons,sothatnothingisvisibleontheceiling.

Thistypeofinstallationmayalsobeappropriateinhightheft

areassuchasclassroomsorareaswhere

policydictatesthatnothingcanbevisibleontheceil ing.



T‐Bar hangar accessories, such as The Erico Caddy 512a or the Cooper B‐Line BA50a, can be used for

suchinstallations.(SeeFigure25.)



CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide 

CiscoSystems

Page20of52



Figure25:InstallationofanAPAboveCeilingTiles



Note:InstallAPsabovetheceilingtilesonlywhenmountingbelowtheceilingisnotanoption.

“Aboveceilingtiles”installa tionscancertainlydegradeadvancedRFfeaturessuchasvoiceand

location, so verify coverage and performance and ensure the

tiles are not conductive. Mount

theAPasclosetotheinsidemiddleofthetileaspossible,andavoidareaswithobstructionsand

clutter.(SeeFigure26.)



Figure26:PlacementofanAPInstallationAboveCeilingTiles



StadiumandHarshEnvironments



CustomersmaywishtouseaNEMAtypeenclosuretoinstallanAPinharshenvironmentswheretheAP

maybeexposedtoweather,suchassportingareas,stadiums,opengardenareasorwarehousefreezers.

Thereareseveralthird‐partysourcesforNEMAtypeenclosures.



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