Preparing the Access Point

Before you mount and deploy your access point, we recommend that you perform a site survey (or use the site planning tool) to determine the best location to install your access point.

You should have the following information about your wireless network available:

•Access point locations.

•Access point mounting options: below a suspended ceiling, on a flat horizontal surface, or on a desktop.

Note You can mount the access point above a suspended ceiling but you must purchase additional mounting hardware: See “Mounting the Access Point” section on page 15 for additional information.

•Access point power options: power supplied by the recommended external power supply (Cisco AIR-PWR-B), a DC power supply, PoE from a network device, or a PoE power injector/hub (usually located in a wiring closet).

Note Access points mounted in a building’s environmental airspace must be powered using PoE to comply with safety regulations.

Cisco recommends that you make a site map showing access point locations so that you can record the device MAC addresses from each location and return them to the person who is planning or managing your wireless network.

Installation Summary

Installing the access point involves these operations:

•Performing a pre-installation configuration (optional)

•Mounting the access point

•Grounding the access point

•Deploying the access point on the wireless network