Cisco Aironet Access Points

Autonomous and controller-based Aironet access points across 802.11n and 802.11ac

About Wireless Access Points

Cisco Aironet access points are ordered by the full part number, and that part number encodes two things people routinely miss: whether the unit is controller-based, and which regulatory domain it is locked to.

The regulatory domain suffix is not cosmetic

Aironet part numbers end in a regulatory domain code, for example -A-K9, -B-K9 or -E-K9. The domain determines which channels and power levels the radio is permitted to use, and it is set to comply with the regulations of the region the unit was sold into. It cannot simply be reconfigured in software.

An access point bought for the wrong domain may refuse to join a controller, or may come up with an unusable channel set. If you are buying for a US deployment, the domain has to match what the rest of your estate uses. This is the single most common ordering mistake on Aironet hardware.

Autonomous and controller-based

The prefix tells you the operating mode the unit shipped in:

AIR-AP - historically autonomous, running standalone with its own configuration
AIR-CAP and AIR-LAP - controller-based, expecting to join a wireless LAN controller over CAPWAP and take its configuration from there

A controller-based access point without a controller is of limited use, and a standalone deployment wants the autonomous image. Some models can be converted between images; treat that as model-specific rather than assumed.

Generations in stock

Our Aironet stock spans the 802.11a/b/g/n generations through 802.11ac, across series including 1130, 1140, 1310, 1532, 2600, 2700, 2800 and 3800. Indoor and outdoor-rated models both appear; the outdoor units are built for environmental exposure and mount differently.

Power

Most Aironet access points are powered over Ethernet. Higher-throughput models can require more power than older PoE switch ports deliver, so the switch and its power supply are part of the specification. Antennas and mounting brackets are separate parts on the models that take external antennas.

Tell us the controller you run, or that you need standalone units, and your region and we will match the model, the regulatory domain and the power requirement together.

Featured Wireless Access Points Products

Browse all 2,242 Wireless Access Points SKUs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the -A-K9 at the end of an Aironet part number mean?

It is the regulatory domain. The code determines which channels and transmit power levels the radio may use, set to comply with the regulations of the region the unit was sold into. It is not a software setting that can be changed later, so the domain must match your region and the rest of your estate.

What is the difference between AIR-AP and AIR-CAP?

It reflects the image the access point shipped with. AIR-AP units were historically autonomous, running standalone with their own configuration. AIR-CAP and AIR-LAP units are controller-based and expect to join a wireless LAN controller over CAPWAP. A controller-based unit is of limited use without a controller.

Will an Aironet access point work on my existing PoE switch?

Often, but not always. Higher-throughput models draw more power than older PoE ports supply, and the switch power supply sets the overall budget shared across ports. If you are deploying newer access points onto older switches, check the per-port power class and the total budget before ordering.

Do access points come with antennas?

Only the internal-antenna models have them built in. Models designed for external antennas take them as separate parts, along with mounting brackets. Tell us the model and the coverage you need and we will confirm which parts the installation requires.