AP1600 Antennas

[Roger Alderman]

Hi All

Has anyone had any experience with the new AP1600 with external antennas that was released a couple of months ago.

The data sheet shows only 3 antenna connectors although it's a dual band radio AP.

This suggests the need for dual band antennas.

Can anyone confirm this for me please?

Regards

Roger                

[Leo Laohoo]

That is correct.  The antennas for the 1600E/2600E/3600E are dual band.  You can easily identify the antennas because they will have an orange stripes around the base.

[Roger Alderman]

Thanks for that information.

However, it looks like the antenna options for the 1600 are limited to dual band omni antennas so there's not a great deal of advantage in going for external antennas.

I was hoping to find some dual band patch antennas to work with the 1600. I don't really want to have to go to a 3500.

[Leo Laohoo]

I was hoping to find some dual band patch antennas to work with the 1600.

Look at Table 6.

I don't really want to have to go to a 3500.

Have you seen the 2600?

[Roger Alderman]

I already have looked at that document. There's nothing in there that's suitable for a 1600. The only options are the standard dipoles.

I'll have to use a 3500 in those areas where I need to use patch antennas or revert back to a 1242 (not a good move). The client only needs 2.4GHz at the moment for scanners in a warehouse and that's unlikely to change. I wanted to use 11n APs as they provide far better coverage.

[Leo Laohoo]

Yes and no. You are correct it's not suitable because the patch antenna has FOUR pigtail because the 1600 only has three RP-TNC socket.

The answer is you can still use them, just connect three sockets. You will not be doing any damage to the AP.

If the client only wants 802.11n then 1260 is what you should be looking for. Use the 1600/2600/3600 or 3500 in the office.

I've never heard of a barcode scanner that'll support 802.11n.

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPad App

[Roger Alderman]

You can't use the patch antenna as its only single band. The AP is dual band.

The client doesn't want 11n. If you look at my previous post I stated that the client only needs 2.4Ghz for scanners (implying 11g) and that I only wanted to use 11n APs for the improved coverage. There are currently no scanners that I know of that support 11n.

[Leo Laohoo]

The client doesn't want 11n. If you look at my previous post I stated that the client only needs 2.4Ghz for scanners (implying 11g) and that I only wanted to use 11n APs for the improved coverage. There are currently no scanners that I know of that support 11n.

Sorry.  Misread your earlier post. 

You can't use the patch antenna as its only single band. The AP is dual band.

Yes you can.  Look at the PDF link I've attached.  Look at Table 6, which reads "Dual-Band Omnidirectional Antenna for Cisco Aironet 1600e, 2600e, and 3600e Series Access Points".

Heck, look at Table 7, which reads "Dual-Band Directional Antenna for Cisco Aironet 1600e, 2600e,and 3600e Series

Access Points".  Hmmm ... Directional antenna.  Ok, scratch Table 7.