Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued) vs. Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller

Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points is very well suited for large enterprises and high-density environments. It is not well suited for high ceiling buildings like warehouses and storage places because of low antenna gain. In our main office, it is working very well. For around thirty or so wireless devices this access point works very well and after forty or so wireless devices it starts to suffer.

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Overall I could see myself recommending these to others if they have the right set of circumstances at their place of business. Those would be like ours, if they had a location that couldnt be served by a WLC. Once setup they are easy to manage and self healing as in they wont go down when one is offline.

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• It is an 802.11ac wave 2 access point capable of reaching rates above 2Gbps
• 5ghz
• MU-MIMO to achieve higher transmission rates over the wireless network
• 160Mhz channels
• CleanAir prevents interference on 2.4Ghz radio
• Beamforming for better signal routing to the device
• Easily installed and configured by a wireless controller

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• They seem solid and well built, hardly ever fail
• Once you get a hand of the setup they're easy to add/remove
• Automatic failover is seamless and super helpful

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• CleanAir - Put this technology into all the APs.
• GPS Tracker - I can't understand why only the Cisco 1570 has this option as well as larger Cisco 3800 APs. Why can't this be in all APs so they can be easily mapped in Google for positioning and later plotted for the coverage zone.

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• The GUI is difficult to understand
• The process of setting up the Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller is cumbersome, but I like its reliability

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Because until now I haven't had any issues or cases where I needed to create a ticket with Tac from Cisco related to their performance or availability. They have a small size that permits or allows you to install it in each place that you need to mount it, their design is small and appropriate for every kind of office.

Lately we had less issues. Most probably because we reduced the number of Wireless LAN controllers. So less trouble for upgrades as well. We don't have any access point in stand alone mode. It's something I don't suggest, unless it's just for a small office and not for a larger company with different sites.

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This access point does not usually randomly shut off. It can't happen but it's generally due to a power over ethernet failures which would could be considered a user error.

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Performance wise [Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points] are among of the best pieces of technology we have on premise. I don't say that lightly, we have a lot of cool tech. But if you consider how many users are connecting to these day in and day out without a single blip when they're downloading large files, roaming to new AP's or needing a boosted signal at a far end of the range then these are unmatched.

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I believe that there is always room for improvement.

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Make sure to get a professional wireless assessment before purchasing AP's. That way you will only purchase what you need and know where the wiring infrastructure will need to be to streamline the installation and tuning process.

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We are a Cisco shop and have been very happy with Cisco, so purchasing these APs was a natural choice for us. We are also an educational institution, and Cisco offers us amazing pricing.

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Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller provides the ability to manage and deploy the wireless network from a web UI or mobile application, and without the expense or complexity of a wireless controller appliance.

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When it comes to deploying the Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points in locations around the school district it has become easier as you get used to putting 4 screws in the mounting plate to the bracket and then slide the access point onto the bracket.

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• There are cost savings in buying a separate WLAN network controller because the 1850 Access Point already has this integrated feature.
• It allows for remote management and saves time on administration.
• The return on investment is achieved in a short period of time.

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• Money saved not needing a WLC and separate APs.
• Time saved during setup if you're using a Cisco DNA.
• Long term it may be more time spent diagnosing issues.

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