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Cisco Aironet Series 2700/3700 Access Points Deployment Guide
Cisco Aironet Series 3700 Access Point
Figure 94
List of 802.11ac Clients and Driver Versions
Wi-Fi is a highly variable technology and there are many factors that could impact performance. Some
examples are; the environment, the client, channel, AP placement, and client distance from the AP.
Is the spectrum clean?
If you are not seeing the results you expect, the first thing you will want to check is coexistence with
other Wi-Fi networks. You need to ensure the entire 80 MHz wide channel or whatever you have bonded
together is clear. The easiest way to confirm this is to put your 3600/3700 into SE Connect mode and
have a look on Spectrum Expert or Metageek Chanalyzer Pro. This will allow you to see Wi-Fi and
non-Wi-Fi interference on all channels.
What client are you using?
The client will have a big impact on performance. First, is the client 1, 2, or 3 spatial stream? Second,
what is the interface? A USB 3.0 client will perform much better than a USB 2.0 client. Integrated radios
are the best of all because they are able to take advantage of a fast bus speed as well as the built-in
antennas of the device. For this reason, we recommend devices such as the Samsung Galaxy s4 (1x1) or
the Apple MacBook Air (2x2) over USB clients. We certainly recommend USB 3.0 products over USB
2.0 products.
What channel are you using?
If you will be doing a Rate versus Range demo, it is important to choose your channel carefully.
Obviously you need to ensure that the channel is clear, but beyond that, not all channels are created
equal. Some channels have total output power restrictions. It is for that reason we recommend UNII-3
or UNII-2, over UNII-1 when the goal is to show best performance.
How far is the client from the access point?
The next thing to consider is distance. How far is the client from the AP? 802.11ac introduces 256 QAM,
and it is a more complex modulation so that modulation is harder to maintain over distance. If you want
to consistently show 256 QAM, which equates to m8 and m9, we recommend keeping the client within
25’. Beyond 25’, you will still see m8/m9, but not consistently.