Beamwidth is defined as a measure of the ability of an antenna to focus radio signal
energy toward a particular direction in space. Beamwidth is usually expressed in degrees
HB ?(Horizontal Beamwidth); usually, the most important one is expressed in a VB
(Vertical Beamwidth) (up and down) radiation pattern. When viewing an antenna plot
or pattern, the angle is usually measured at half-power (3 dB) points of the main lobe
when referenced to the peak effective radiated power of the main lobe.
Note
An 8-dBi antenna transmits with a horizontal beamwidth of 360 degrees, causing the
radio waves to disperse power in all directions. Therefore, radio waves from an 8-dBi
antenna do not go nearly as far as those radio waves sent from a 17-dBi patch antenna
(or a third-party dish) that has a more narrow beamwidth (less than 360 degrees).
Note
• Polarization—The orientation of the electric field of the electromagnetic wave through space. Antennas
can be polarized either horizontally or vertically, though other kinds of polarization are available. Both
antennas in a link must have the same polarization to avoid an additional unwanted loss of signal. To
improve the performance, an antenna can sometimes be rotated to alter polarization, which reduces
interference. A vertical polarization is preferable for sending RF waves down concrete
canyons,
and
horizontal polarization is generally more preferable for wide area distribution. Polarization can also be
harnessed to optimize for RF bleed-over when reducing RF energy to adjacent structures is important.
Most omnidirectional antennas ship with vertical polarization as their default.
Antenna Options
A wide variety of antennas are available to provide flexibility when you deploy the mesh access points over
various terrains. 5 GHz is used as a backhaul and 2.4 GHz is used for client access.
Table 7: External 2.4- and 5-GHz Antennas, on page 27
lists the supported external 2.4- and 5-GHz antennas
for AP1500s.
Table 7: External 2.4- and 5-GHz Antennas
Gain (dBi)
Model
Part Number
5
2.4-GHz compact omnidirectional
6
AIR-ANT2450V-N
5.5
2.4-GHz compact omnidirectional
AIR-ANT-2455V-N
8.0
2.4-GHz omnidirectional
AIR-ANT2480V-N
8.0
5-GHz compact omnidirectional
7
AIR-ANT5180V-N
7.0
4.9-GHz compact omnidirectional
8
4.0
5-GHz right-angle omnidirectional
AIR-ANT5140V-N
9.5
5-GHz sector
AIR-ANT58G10SSA-N
Cisco Mesh Access Points, Design and Deployment Guide, Release 7.3
OL-27593-01
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Mesh Network Components
Cisco Outdoor Mesh Access Points