Cisco AP AIR-CAP3702E-E-K9

[support77]

Hello,
We have a cisco 2500 controller.
Version 8.1.102.0

With 7 terminals and two different models.

I have 3 terminals "AIR-CAP3702E-E-K9" which work badly the wifi signal is very weak if I am not stuck to the terminal I have no wifi.

For the 4 others everything is fine,
3 with the model : AIR-AP3702I-UXK9
And 1 with AIR-CAP3702E-E-K9.

Can you help me?

[Leo Laohoo]

What antenna are the APs installed with? 

What Tx Power are they configured with?

[support77]

Hello,

Some use external antenna and others internal

I tried to set the Tx Power to 6 on an AP but it doesn't work better

The others have the value 1

[Leo Laohoo]

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@support77 wrote:

Some use external antenna and others internal

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I want to know what model of antennas.  If they are rubber ducks/duckies, how many antennas are installed on each 3702E.

[support77]

Yes they are ducks/duckies, there are 4 of them
With the letters A,B,C and D

[Leo Laohoo]

(Boy, this is going to be difficult to troubleshoot.  It is going to be like pulling teeth and playing 20 questions!)

How high is this AP installed?   

Describe, in details, what the issue is all about?  

[support77]

@Leo Laohoo 

I think so!
To target the problem I unplugged the terminal and placed it next to my desk.

If I stick my device to the terminal I have a very good signal but if I move away from 5M the signal is almost non-existent.

[Leo Laohoo]

Send us the photo of the AP and the antenna.  

[support77]

@Leo Laohoo 

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

Oh dear!  Those are NOT antennas.  They are rubber caps protecting the antenna connectors.

You need to buy 4 antennas to screw onto those 4 connectors.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/technology/apdeploy/8-0/Cisco_Aironet_3700AP.html#pgfId-97038

You will of course select the correct antenna based on the coverage required and your site survey.

Figure 28 shows what your AP will look like with antennas installed.

So the reason your signal is weak is because there is no antenna on the AP.

[support77]

@Rich R 

I would like to believe you, it would certainly help
But I just got the computer park back in the state and the network is working fine with no antenna on any terminal.
I have 4 other terminals placed at 20Meters.

Do you have any other ideas?

[Rich R]

That wasn't an idea it was a statement of fact - your AP does not have any antennas!

If you choose to operate a Wireless Access Point without any antenna then you'll need to stay really close to the AP. But don't expect it to perform well or at distance.

If you don't believe what we tell you then I think it best that you employ a qualified WiFi installer to check it out for you.

They can do a site survey for you at the same time and recommend which antennas you should use.

If you're hoping somebody here is going to tell you an AP with no antennas will work normally, that is not going to happen.

"the network is working fine with no antenna on any terminal." well you've already stated 3 of those APs are 3702i which means they have internal antennas so they're probably providing most of your coverage.  Those external antenna models without antennas may radiate enough to work for very close direct line of site clients as you've already proven yourself.  But as you also found "the wifi signal is very weak if I am not stuck to the terminal"..

[Leo Laohoo]

I agree with @Rich R, those black rubber caps are just that.  Caps.  Dust caps, to be more precise. 
They are not antennas. 

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@support77 wrote:

But I just got the computer park back in the state and the network is working fine with no antenna on any terminal.

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Prove it. 
Create an SSID and see if anyone can join to this AP with "dust cap" as antenna.  
If anyone connects to this AP from a distance of, say, 3 metres then provide us with the output to the command "sh client details <MAC ADDRESS>".

[Scott Fella]

Well you can buy those pretty cheap if you believe they are antennas.

100pcs Black Plastic Covers Dust Cap for RP-SMA SMA Female Connector RF Adapter | eBay

[Leo Laohoo]

(My coffee exfiltrated through my nose when I saw the pictures.)