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CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide
CiscoSystems
Copyright©2012CiscoSystems,Inc.Allrightsreserved.
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TheAP2600,whilesimilartotheAP3600,is slightlydifferentsinceitisa3x4:3.ThismeansthattheAP
2600alsohasfourantennastohelponthereceive(upstreamsignal)butuses onlythreetransmitterson
thedownstreamside.
Theyellowsectionsof theMCSchart
(seeFigure 54)depictthefaster dataratessupported bytheAP
3600.TheAP3600supports802.11a/b/gratesaswellas802.11nratesofMCSvalues0‐23.
Figure54:AP2600/3600Supportsupto450Mbps(MCSRates0‐23);AP1600(MCSRates0‐15)
These
additionalMCSratespermitmorechoicesfortheclientsupporting3SSwhenmakingrate‐shifting
decisions,sincetherate‐shiftingalgorithmmaintainsthebestoverallthroughputconnection.
ClientsThatSupportThreeSpatialStreams
Clients with 3SS support are now more common. As the new 802.11ac specification becomes more
accepted, many newer client adapters will have the newer chipsets and support 3SS as a subset to
802.11ac. Unlike many competitors, the AP 1600/2600 and the AP 3600 fully support all the DFS
channels for
more usable channels in the 5 GHz range. More clients, especi ally 802.11ac clients, will
starttoemergeandsupportthesenewerchannelsin802.11nmodes.
Currentlythemost popular3SS clientisthe Apple2011 MacBookPro.It isbased upontheBroadcom
BCM4331chipsetandasmallUSBadapter(TEW
684UB)byTrendnet,basedontheRalink chipset.
The Intel 5300 and 6300 has supported 3SS for a long time. Perhaps because this card is installed in
differenthardwareplatforms,testershaveobservedgoodthroughput(+320Mbps)onmanynotebooks
andreducedthroughput(suchas240Mbps)onothernotebooks.
Ifyouexperiencelowthroughputwith
theIntelcard,tryaMacBookProorTrendnetadapter.Iftheyperformwell,tryanothernote bookwith