Cisco Aironet 3800P Series User manual

GETTING STARTED GUIDE
Cisco Aironet 3800P Series Access Points
First Published: February 22, 2016

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1About this Guide
2About the Access Point
3Safety Instructions
4Unpacking
5AP Views, Ports, and Connectors
6Preparing the AP for Installation
7Installation Overview
8Performing a Pre-Installation Configuration
9Mounting and Grounding the Access Point
10 Powering the Access Point
11 Configuring and Deploying the Access Point
12 Checking the Access Point LEDs
13 Miscellaneous Usage and Configuration Guidelines
14 Related Documentation
15 Declarations of Conformity and Regulatory Information
16 Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request

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1 About this Guide
This guide provides instructions on how to install your Cisco Aironet 3800P series access point and
provides links to resources which can help you configure the access point. This guide provides
mounting instructions and limited troubleshooting procedures.
The 3800P series access point is referred to as access point or AP in this document.
2 About the Access Point
The Cisco Aironet 3800P series Wi-Fi access point provides 802.11ac Wave 2 with Multi User MIMO
(MU MIMO). This AP offers dual-band radios (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) with external antenna options.
The series supports high-performing Spectrum Intelligence which sustains three spatial stream rates
over a deployable distance with high reliability when serving clients. The access point supports full
inter-interoperability with leading 802.11ac clients, and support a mixed deployment with other access
points and controllers.
A full listing of the access point's features and specification are provided in the Cisco Aironet 3800
Series Access Point Data Sheet, at the following URL:
(URL will be added when available, before FCS)
Access Point Features
The 3800 series access point is a Dual-band, controller-based 802.11a/g/n/ac AP and supports:
• Simultaneous dual-band (2.4-GHz and 5-GHz) radios.
• Deployment in indoor environments, with external antennas (AIR-AP3802P-x-K9).
The ‘x’ in the model numbers represents the regulatory domain.
You need to verify whether the AP model you have is approved for use in your country. To verify
approval and to identify the regulatory domain that corresponds to a particular country, visit
http://www.cisco.com/go/aironet/compliance. Not all regulatory domains have been approved. As
and when they are approved, this compliance list will be updated.
• Multi-Gigabit Ethernet (mGig) Support, providing multiple gigabit uplink speeds of 2.5G and 5G
in addition to 100M and 1G speeds.
• Radio Role Flexibility, allowing for either manual configuration or for the APs to intelligently
determine the operating role of the integrated radios based on the available RF environment. The
AP can operate in the following modes:

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– 2.4GHz and 5GHz role, where one radio serves clients in 2.4GHz mode, while the other serves
clients in 5GHz mode.
– Dual 5GHz role, with both radios operating in the 5GHz band, actively serving client devices
to maximize the benefits of 802.11ac wave 2 and to increase client device capacity.
– Wireless Security Monitoring and 5GHz role, where one radio serves 5GHz clients, while the
other radio scans both 2.4GHz and 5GHz for wIPS attackers, CleanAir interferers, and rogue
devices.
• Cross-AP Noise Reduction, a Cisco innovation that enables APs to intelligently collaborate in real
time about RF conditions so that users connect with optimized signal quality and performance.
• Optimized AP Roaming for ensuring that client devices associate with the AP in their coverage
range that offers the fastest data rate available.
• Cisco ClientLink 4.0 technology for improved downlink performance to all mobile devices,
including one-, two-, and three-spatial-stream devices up to 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2. The
technology also improves battery life on mobile devices.
• Cisco CleanAir technology enhanced with 160MHz channel support. CleanAir delivers proactive,
high-speed spectrum intelligence across 20-, 40-, and 80-, and 160-MHz-wide channels to combat
performance problems arising from wireless interference.
• MIMO equalization capabilities, which optimize uplink performance and reliability by reducing
the impact of signal fade.
Antennas and Radios
The 3800 series access point contains two simultaneous dual-band radios, the 2.4GHz and 5GHz
MU-MIMO radio, and the 5-GHz 802.11ac MU-MIMO radio. The 3800P series access point
(AIR-AP3802P-x-K9) has two 2.4-GHz/5-GHz dual-band radios, up to 4 external dual-band dipole
antennas.
The radio and antennas support frequency bands 2400–2500 MHz and 5180–5865 MHz through a
common dual-band RF interface. Features of the external dual-band dipole antennas are:
• Four RTNC antenna connectors on the top of the access point
• Four TX/RX antennas

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Supported External Antennas
Frequency Part Number Antenna Type
2.4GHz AIR-ANT24020V-R
AIR-ANT2452V-R Diversity Omni-directional
AIR-ANT2430V-R MIMO 3-Element Omni
AIR-ANT2440NV-R MIMO Wall-Mount Omni Antenna
AIR-ANT2460NP-R MIMO 3-Element Patch
5GHz AIR-ANT5140V-R MIMO 3-Element Omni
AIR-ANT5140NV-R MIMO Wall-Mount Omni Antenna
AIR-ANT5145V-R Diversity Omni-directional
AIR-ANT5160NP-R MIMO 3-Element Patch
2.4GHz and 5GHz AIR-ANT2451V-R
AIR-ANT2451NV-R
AIR-ANT2524DB-R Dual-resonant black dipole
AIR-ANT2524DW-R Dual-resonant white dipole
AIR-ANT2524DG-R Dual-resonant gray dipole
AIR-ANT2524V4C-R Dual-resonant ceiling mount omni (4-pack)
AIR-ANT2535SDW-R Dual-resonant "stubby" monopole
AIR-ANT2544V4M-R Dual-resonant omni (4-pack)
AIR-ANT2566P4W-R Dual-resonant "directional" antenna
(4-pack)
AIR-ANT2566D4M-R Dual-Band Polarization-Diverse Directional
Array
AIR-ANT2513P4M-N Dual-resonant cross-pol "directional"
antenna (4-pack)
For additional details on the supported antennas, such as antenna gain, and information such as
channels and maximum power settings, see the Channels and Maximum Power Settings for Cisco 3800
Series Access Points sheet at the following URL:
(To be added when available, before FCS)

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3 Safety Instructions
Translated versions of the following safety warnings are provided in the translated safety warnings
document that is shipped with your access point. The translated warnings are also in the Translated
Safety Warnings for Cisco Aironet Access Points, which is available on Cisco.com.
Warning IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 

This warning symbol means danger. You are in a situation that could cause bodily injury.
Before you work on any equipment, be aware of the hazards involved with electrical
circuitry and be familiar with standard practices for preventing accidents. Use the
statement number provided at the end of each warning to locate its translation in the
translated safety warnings that accompanied this device.
Statement 1071 

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Warning Read the installation instructions before you connect the system to its power source.
Statement 1004
Warning Installation of the equipment must comply with local and national electrical codes.
Statement 1074
Warning This product relies on the building’s installation for short-circuit (overcurrent)
protection. Ensure that the protective device is rated not greater than:

20A. Statement 1005
Warning Do not operate your wireless network device near unshielded blasting caps or in an
explosive environment unless the device has been modified to be especially qualified for
such use. Statement 245B
Warning In order to comply with FCC radio frequency (RF) exposure limits, antennas should be
located at a minimum of 7.9 inches (20 cm) or more from the body of all persons. 
Statement 332

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Caution The fasteners you use to mount an access point on a ceiling must be capable of
maintaining a minimum pullout force of 20 lbs (9 kg) and must use all 4 indented holes
on the mounting bracket.
Caution This product and all interconnected equipment must be installed indoors within the same
building, including the associated LAN connections as defined by Environment A of the
IEEE 802.af Standard.
Note The access point is suitable for use in environmental air space in accordance with section
300.22.C of the National Electrical Code and sections 2-128, 12-010(3), and 12-100 of the
Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, C22.1. You should not install the power supply or power
injector in air handling spaces.
Note Use only with listed ITE equipment.
4 Unpacking
To unpack the access point, follow these steps:
Step 1 Unpack and remove the access point and the accessory kit from the shipping box.
Step 2 Return any packing material to the shipping container and save it for future use.
Step 3 Verify that you have received the items listed below. If any item is missing or damaged, contact
your Cisco representative or reseller for instructions.
– The access point
– Mounting bracket (selected when you ordered the access point)
– Adjustable ceiling-rail clip (selected when you ordered the access point)

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5 AP Views, Ports, and Connectors
Figure 1 Face of the AP
1Dual-band antenna connector A. 5Location of the ports and connectors on the
head of the AP.
2Dual-band antenna connector B. 6Status LED.
3Dual-band antenna connector C. 7Location of the module connector port on
the base of the AP.
4Dual-band antenna connector D.
The ports and connections on the bottom of the access point are shown in Figure 2.

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Figure 2 Access Point Ports and Connections on the Head
1Kensington lock slot. 5
2Mode button. 6
3Gigabit Ethernet port. 7DC power port.
4USB port.

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Figure 3 AP Module Connector Port on the Base