CiscoAironetAccessPointDeploymentGuide
CiscoSystems
Copyright©2012CiscoSystems,Inc.Allrightsreserved.
Page35of52
ExternalAntennaDeployments
All Cisco antenna connectors are labeled A, B, C, and so on. A has a higher priority than B, C, or D;
therefore,iftheaccesspointsupportssaythreeorfourantennasandyouonlyhavetwoantennas,use
portsAandBuntilyoucouldinstalltheadditional
antennas.
It is possible to support 802.11a/b/g clients or single spatial stream N clients with only one or two
antennas. Cisco does not recommend this because there is a significant degradation of performance,
andClientLinkfunctionality islost. Ifyou choosetouse fewerantennas,configure theaccess pointin
softwaretonotusetheotherantennas.
Note:Theentry‐levelAP 1600hasthreeantennaports thatarenotconfigurable.TheAP2600/3600has
fourconfigurableantennaports,withoneextratransceiver(receiver/transmitter)perband.
MIMOs(dual ‐radiatingelementantennas)include:
AIR‐ANT2524V4C‐R – Dual‐bandomnidirectional
– 2/4dBiceilingmountomniuse
AIR‐ANT2544V4M‐R – Dual‐bandomnidirectional – 4/4dBiwallmountomniuse
AIR‐ANT2566P4W‐R – Dualbanddirectional – 6dBipatchwallmountuse
ForMIM Os, itis notcritical whichantenna leadgoes intowhichantennaport on
theaccess point,as
long as all the antenna ports on the AP are connected to the antennas. The patch antenna AIR‐
ANT2566P4W‐R has the elements spaced side by side in the plastic housing, so there is a slight
improvementifyouusetheoutertwoelementsonthepatch
onportsAandB(seeFigure46),butthisis
notcritical.OntheAP1600,portAisspacedfurthestfromBandCforbestdiversity,asshowninFigure
47.
Figure46:6dBiPatchAntenna