Cisco Aironet Access Point Deployment Guide
Questions and Answers
Q1: Which AP is best for manufacturing and warehouse areas?
A1: In general, the AP 2600e or the AP 3600e is the first choice because these external antenna models have the highest operating temperature range ‐20 to 55°C. The AP 1600 can also be used but has a slightly lower operating temperature ‐20 to 50°C. If temperature is not a concern, use an internal antenna model (AP 1600i, 2600i, and 3600i).
Q2: What if I am in a country where the regulatory agency may not approve the AP to be used outdoors because of UNII‐1 band restrictions? What if I wish to use higher gain antennas?
A2: Consider the Cisco Mesh products (1550 Series) or look for access points ending in “P” (for professional install), such as the 3502P Series or Cisco outdoor bridging products.
Q3: Which AP is best for high‐density deployments?
A3: Both the AP 2600 and the AP 3600 have virtually identical AP density for coverage‐based design. Capacity‐based design (smaller cells) yields a slightly higher average cell capacity with the AP 3600 when using 3SS devices and yields an even higher density when using the optional 802.11ac module.
Q4: Cisco has a newer Power Injector (AIR‐PWR‐INJ5). How is this different from the (AIR‐PWR‐INJ4)?
A4: The newer AIR‐PWR‐INJ5 is an 802.3af (15.4W injector). It is a low cost injector for use with the AP 1600 and the AP 2600 and can also be used with the AP 3600 without the optional module. The AIR‐ PWR‐INJ4 is a more powerful injector designed to work with the AP 3600 with optional modules.
Q5: Can industrial wireless motion or smoke detectors cause WLAN interference?
A5: Yes, some products such as United Technologies DD475 and Optex MX‐50 operate in the 2.4 GHz band as do other wireless chimes, cameras, and industrial equipment from other manufacturers.
Q6: Any other thoughts when installing wireless access points?
A6: When deploying wireless installations, keep the following guidelines in mind:
Place the AP as reasonably close to the actual users as possible.
Make sure you have coverage (to a known requirement), and compensate for nulls or dead spots, regardless of what product you choose to deploy. Conduct a site survey.
Base the installations on lessons learned from the site survey. The better the survey, the less likely connectivity problems will occur.
Cisco has an Advanced Services team that can perform WLAN surveys or help with the wireless design if a Cisco partner is not available or able to do same.
When possible, use the Cisco brand antennas listed in this guide. They have orange bands.
Do not mount antennas against metal objects. Antennas work best when there are no obstructions in the path.
The AP 1600, 2600, and 3600 are not weatherproof and have an IP rating of 40.
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