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

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6 Preparing the AP for Installation
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 and Grounding the Access Point” section
on page 16 for additional information.
• Access point power options: power supplied by the recommended external power supply (Cisco
AIR-PWR-C), 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.
7 Installation Overview
Installing the access point involves these operations:
Step 1 Performing a Pre-Installation Configuration, page 12 (optional)
Step 2 Mounting and Grounding the Access Point, page 16
Step 3 Powering the Access Point, page 17
Step 4 Preparing the AP for Installation, page 11

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8 Performing a Pre-Installation Configuration
For a Cisco Mobility Express deployment, see the Cisco Mobility Express User Guide at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/access_point/mob_exp/1/user_guide/b_ME_User_Guid
e.html
The following procedures ensure that your access point installation and initial operation go as
expected. This procedure is optional.
Note Performing a pre-installation configuration is an optional procedure. If your network
controller is properly configured, you can install your access point in its final location and
connect it to the network from there. See the “Deploying the Access Point on the Wireless
Network” section on page 21 for details.
The following Pre-Installation Configuration procedure given does not include configuring Link
Aggregation. For information on configuring Link Aggregation, see the Cisco Wireless LAN
Controller Configuration Guide, Release 8.1, at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-1/configuration-guide/b_cg81.html
The pre-installation configuration setup is illustrated in Figure 4.

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Figure 4 Pre-Installation Configuration Setup
Controller
Layer 3
devices
Cisco Aironet
access points
354066
Link Aggregation Link Aggregation
To perform pre-installation configuration, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Make sure that the Cisco wireless LAN controller DS port is connected to the network. Use
the CLI, web-browser interface, or Cisco WCS procedures as described in the appropriate
Cisco wireless LAN controller guide.
a. Make sure that access points have Layer 3 connectivity to the Cisco wireless LAN controller
Management and AP-Manager Interface.
b. Configure the switch to which your access point is to attach. See the Cisco Wireless LAN
Controller Configuration Guide for the release you are using, for additional information.
c. Set the Cisco wireless LAN controller as the master so that new access points always join with
it.
d. Make sure DHCP is enabled on the network. The access point must receive its IP address
through DHCP.
e. CAPWAP UDP ports must not be blocked in the network.
f. The access point must be able to find the IP address of the controller. This can be
accomplished using DHCP, DNS, or IP subnet broadcast. This guide describes the DHCP
method to convey the controller IP address. For other methods, refer to the product

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documentation. See also the “Configuring DHCP Option 43” section on page 27 for more
information.
Note The access point requires a gigabit Ethernet (GbE) link to prevent the Ethernet port from
becoming a bottleneck for traffic because wireless traffic speeds exceed transmit speeds
of a 10/100 Ethernet port.
Step 2 Apply power to the access point. See Powering the Access Point, page 17.
a. As the access point attempts to connect to the controller, the LEDs cycle through a green, red,
and amber sequence, which can take up to 5 minutes.
Note If the access point remains in this mode for more than five minutes, the access point is
unable to find the Master Cisco wireless LAN controller. Check the connection between
the access point and the Cisco wireless LAN controller and be sure that they are on the
same subnet.
b. If the access point shuts down, check the power source.
c. After the access point finds the Cisco wireless LAN controller, it attempts to download the
new operating system code if the access point code version differs from the Cisco wireless
LAN controller code version. While this is happening, the Status LED blinks amber.
d. If the operating system download is successful, the access point reboots.
Step 3 Configure the access point if required. Use the controller CLI, controller GUI, or Cisco Prime
Infrastructure to customize the access-point-specific 802.11ac network settings.
Step 4 If the pre-installation configuration is successful, the Status LED is green indicating normal
operation. Disconnect the access point and mount it at the location at which you intend to
deploy it on the wireless network.
Step 5 If your access point does not indicate normal operation, turn it off and repeat the
pre-installation configuration.

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Note When you are installing a Layer 3 access point on a different subnet than the Cisco
wireless LAN controller, be sure that a DHCP server is reachable from the subnet on
which you will be installing the access point, and that the subnet has a route back to
the Cisco wireless LAN controller. Also be sure that the route back to the Cisco
wireless LAN controller has destination UDP ports 5246 and 5247 open for CAPWAP
communications. Ensure that the route back to the primary, secondary, and tertiary
wireless LAN controller allows IP packet fragments. Finally, be sure that if address
translation is used, that the access point and the Cisco wireless LAN controller have
a static 1-to-1 NAT to an outside address. (Port Address Translation is not
supported.)

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9 Mounting and Grounding the Access Point
Cisco Aironet 3800 series access points can be mounted in several configurations – on a suspended
ceiling, on a hard ceiling or wall, on an electrical or network box, and above a suspended ceiling.
Go to the following URL for access point mounting instructions:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/access_point/mounting/guide/apmount.html
The standard mounting hardware supported by the AP is listed in Table 1.
Ta b l e 1 Brackets and Clips for Mounting the AP
Part Number Description
Brackets AIR-AP-BRACKET-1 Low-profile bracket
(This is the default option)
AIR-AP-BRACKET-2 Universal bracket
Clips AIR-AP-T-RAIL-R Ceiling Grid Clip (Recessed mounting)
(This is the default option)
AIR-AP-T-RAIL-F Ceiling Grid Clip (Flush mounting)
AIR-CHNL-ADAPTER Optional adapter for channel-rail ceiling grid
profile.

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10 Powering the Access Point
The AP can be powered using:
• 48 V DC power via the 48VDC port, using Cisco Power Adapter AC DC AIR-PWR-C=. Ensure
that the power cable is routed through the strain relief retention clips cast into the enclosure. See
Figure 5.
• Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) from the Ethernet cable, from an external power source such as the
Cisco Power Injector AIR-PWRINJ4=.You can also use the AIR-PWRINJ5 Cisco Power Injector
but with reduced functionality.
• Any 802.3at (25.5 W) or 802.3af (15.4 W) compliant power injector.
However, when powered by an 802.3af powering source, the AUX and USB ports are disabled.
The 2.4GHz radio will shift to 2x3:2SS operation and the 5GHz radio will remain at full
operation.
With an 802.3at or the AIR-PWR-C= as the power source, the AP provides full operation
including the AUX and USB ports.

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Figure 5 Routing the DC Power Cable
353859
1
23
4 5
1Kensington lock slot 4DC power cable plugged into the 48VDC
port
2Power cable routed through the strain relief
retention clips 5AP secured using a padlock
3DC power cable

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11 Configuring and Deploying the Access Point
This section describes how to connect the access point to a wireless LAN controller. Because the
configuration process takes place on the controller, see the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller
Configuration Guide for additional information.
For a Cisco Mobility Express deployment, see the Cisco Mobility Express User Guide at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/access_point/mob_exp/1/user_guide/b_ME_User_Guid
e.html
The information in this section does not include configuring Link Aggregation. For information on
configuring Link Aggregation, see the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release
8.1, at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-1/configuration-guide/b_cg81.html
The Controller Discovery Process
The access point uses standard Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points Protocol
(CAPWAP) to communicate between the controller and other wireless access points on the network.
CAPWAP is a standard, inter-operable protocol which enables an access controller to manage a
collection of wireless termination points. The discovery process using CAPWAP is identical to the
Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) used with previous Cisco Aironet access points.
LWAPP-enabled access points are compatible with CAPWAP, and conversion to a CAPWAP controller
is seamless. Deployments can combine CAPWAP and LWAPP software on the controllers.
The functionality provided by the controller does not change except for customers who have Layer 2
deployments, which CAPWAP does not support.
In a CAPWAP environment, a wireless access point discovers a controller by using CAPWAP discovery
mechanisms and then sends it a CAPWAP join request. The controller sends the access point a
CAPWAP join response allowing the access point to join the controller. When the access point joins
the controller, the controller manages its configuration, firmware, control transactions, and data
transactions.
Note For additional information about the discovery process and CAPWAP, see the Cisco Wireless
LAN Controller Software Configuration Guide. This document is available on Cisco.com.

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Note CAPWAP support is provided in controller software release 5.2 or later. However, your
controller must be running the release that supports 3800 series access points, as specified in
the access point’s data sheet.
Note You cannot edit or query any access point using the controller CLI if the name of the access
point contains a space.
Note Make sure that the controller is set to the current time. If the controller is set to a time that
has already occurred, the access point might not join the controller because its certificate may
not be valid for that time.
Access points must be discovered by a controller before they can become an active part of the network.
The access point supports these controller discovery processes:
• Layer 3 CAPWAP discovery—Can occur on different subnets than the access point and uses IP
addresses and UDP packets rather than MAC addresses used by Layer 2 discovery.
• Locally stored controller IP address discovery—If the access point was previously joined to a
controller, the IP addresses of the primary, secondary, and tertiary controllers are stored in the
access point’s non-volatile memory. This process of storing controller IP addresses on an access
point for later deployment is called priming the access point. For more information about priming,
see the “Performing a Pre-Installation Configuration” section on page 12.
• DHCP server discovery—This feature uses DHCP option 43 to provide controller IP addresses to
the access points. Cisco switches support a DHCP server option that is typically used for this
capability. For more information about DHCP option 43, see the “Configuring DHCP Option 43”
section on page 27.
• DNS discovery—The access point can discover controllers through your domain name server
(DNS). For the access point to do so, you must configure your DNS to return controller IP
addresses in response to CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER.localdomain, where localdomain is
the access point domain name. Configuring the CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER provides
backwards compatibility in an existing customer deployment. When an access point receives an IP
address and DNS information from a DHCP server, it contacts the DNS to resolve
CISCO-CAPWAP-CONTROLLER.localdomain. When the DNS sends a list of controller IP
addresses, the access point sends discovery requests to the controllers.