Cisco AIR-AP1815W-B-K9 Access Point

With a sleek design and small form factor, the Cisco Aironet 1815w Access Point brings a full slate of Cisco high-performance functionality to multiple-dwelling-unit deployments.

Product overview

The Cisco^® Aironet^® 1815w Access Point (Figure 1) offers a compact, wall plate–mountable access point, ideal for hospitality, cruise ships, residential halls, or other multiple-dwelling-unit deployments.

Packing 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless support and Gigabit Ethernet wired connectivity into a sleek device, the 1815w is built to take full advantage of existing cabling infrastructure while blending into the visual footprint. This combination provides best-in-class performance while reducing total cost of ownership.

Cisco Aironet 1815w Access Point

Features and benefits

By adhering to the 802.11ac Wave 2 standard, the 1815w provides a data rate of up to 867 Mbps on its 5-GHz radio. This exceeds the data rates offered by access points that support the 802.11n standard. It also enables a total aggregate dual-radio data rate of up to 1 Gbps. This provides the necessary foundation for enterprise and service provider networks to stay ahead of the performance expectations and needs of their wireless users.

In recent years corporate users have increasingly preferred wireless access as their form of network connectivity, due to its convenience. With this shift, there is an expectation that wireless should not slow down users’ day-to-day activities, but should enable a high-performance experience while allowing users to move about freely. The 1815w delivers industry-leading performance with highly secure and reliable wireless connections that provide a robust, mobile end-user experience.

With the 1815w, you can secure remote workers or the micro-office. Any Cisco Aironet or Catalyst access point can function as an OfficeExtend access point (OEAP). With an OEAP, an employee at home or in a temporary micro-office will have access to the corporate SSID and the corporate network without the need to set up a VPN or have any advanced technical know-how.

Cisco User Defined Network, a feature available in Cisco DNA Center, allows IT to give end users control of their very own wireless network partition on a shared network. End users can then remotely and securely deploy their devices on this network. Perfect for university dormitories or extended hospital stays, Cisco User Defined Network grants both device security and control, allowing each user to choose who can connect to their network. (Available second half of calendar year 2020.)

The Wi-Fi 6 readiness dashboard is a new dashboard in the Assurance menu of Cisco DNA Center. It will look through the inventory of all devices on the network and verify device, software, and client compatibility with the new Wi-Fi 6 standard. After upgrading, advanced wireless analytics will indicate performance and capacity gains as a result of the Wi-Fi 6 deployment. This is an incredible tool that will help your team define where and how the wireless network should be upgraded. It will also give you insights into the access point distribution by protocol (802.11 ac/n/abg), wireless airtime efficiency by protocol, and granular performance metrics.

Table 1.        Features and benefits

Increased wireless performance

The Aironet 1815w access point supports the latest 802.11ac Wave 2 standard for higher performance, greater access, and higher-density networks. With simultaneous dual radios and dual band with 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO functionality, this access point can handle the increasing number of high-bandwidth devices that will soon become a common part of the network.

Wired access

The 1815w allows wired access via a single RJ-45 10/100/1000 auto detection port. It supports full operation modes using PoE 802.3af power. The 1815w comes with three local Gigabit Ethernet ports, one uplink Gigabit Ethernet port, and one passive pass-through RJ-45 port, allowing for a variety of connections.

Mounting

This sleek access point with a small form factor is designed with flexible mounting options in mind. You can mount it directly on the wall or to numerous global wall junction standards. The access point is also easy to install.

Product specifications

Table 2 lists the specifications for the Cisco Aironet 1815w Access Point. Table 3 lists the RF specifications.

Table 2.        Specifications

Table 3.        RF specifications

Ordering information

Table 4 provides ordering information for the Cisco Aironet 1815w Access Point.

Table 4.        Ordering information

Cisco Wireless LAN Services

Realize the full business value of your technology investments faster with intelligent, customized services from Cisco and our partners. Backed by deep networking expertise and a broad ecosystem of partners, Cisco Wireless LAN Services enable you to deploy a sound, scalable mobility network that enables rich media collaboration while improving the operational efficiency gained from a converged wired and wireless network infrastructure based on the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. Together with partners, we offer expert plan, build, and run services to accelerate your transition to advanced mobility services while continuously optimizing the performance, reliability, and security of that architecture after it is deployed.

For more details, visit: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/service-listing.html.

Licensing

In order to connect any access points to the controller, Cisco DNA software subscriptions are required. To be entitled to connect to a Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller, the access point requires a Cisco DNA subscription license.

Determining license requirements for access points connecting to Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers

Access points connecting to a Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series controller have new and simplified software subscription packages.

They can support both tiers of Cisco DNA software: Cisco DNA Essentials and Cisco DNA Advantage.

Cisco DNA software subscriptions provide Cisco innovations on the access point. They also include perpetual Network Essentials and Network Advantage licensing options, which cover wireless fundamentals such as 802.1X authentication, Quality of Service (QoS), and Plug and Play (PnP); telemetry and visibility; and Single-Sign-On (SSO), as well as security controls.

Cisco DNA subscription software has to be purchased for a 3-, 5-, or 7-year subscription term. If not renewed by the end of the term, Cisco DNA features will expire, whereas Network Essentials and Network Advantage features will remain.

For the full feature list of Cisco DNA Software, including the perpetual Network Essentials and Network Advantage, please see the feature matrix: https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/products/software/dna-subscription-wireless/en-sw-sub-matrix-wireless.html?oid=porew018984

Two modes of licensing are available:

●      Smart Licensing (SL) simplifies and adds flexibility to licensing. It is:

◦    Simple: Procure, deploy, and manage licenses easily. Devices self-register, removing the need for Product Activation Keys (PAKs).

◦    Flexible: Pool license entitlements in a single account. Move licenses freely through the network, wherever you need them.

◦    Smart: Manage your license deployments with real-time visibility of ownership and consumption.

●      Specific License Reservation (SLR) is a feature used in highly secure networks. It provides a method for customers to deploy a software license on a device (product instance) without communicating usage information to Cisco. There is no communication with Cisco or a satellite. The licenses are reserved for every controller. It is node-based licensing.

Four levels of license are supported on the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers. The controllers can be configured to function at any one of the four levels:

●      Cisco DNA Essentials: At this level the Cisco DNA Essentials feature set will be supported.

●      Cisco DNA Advantage: At this level the Cisco DNA Advantage feature set will be supported.

●      NE: At this level the Network Essentials feature set will be supported.

●      NA: At this level the Network Advantage feature set will be supported.

For customers who purchase Cisco DNA Essentials, Network Essentials will be supported and will continue to function even after term expiration. And for customers who purchase Cisco DNA Advantage, Network Advantage will be supported and will continue to function even after term expiration.

Initial bootup of the controller will be at the Cisco DNA Advantage level.

For more information

For more information about the Cisco Aironet 1815w Access Point, visit https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/aironet-1815-series-access-points/index.html.