Cisco 1522AG - Aironet Lightweight Outdoor Mesh Access Point Datasheet page 3

Data Sheet
Deployment and management costs for the Cisco Aironet 1520 Series are reduced through
support of zero-configuration deployments and through the ability of the access points to self-heal
in response to interference or outages. The mesh access point can act as a relay node and can
associate clients at the same time.
The Cisco Aironet 1520 Series has a dedicated radio for the backhaul and another radio for local
access, allowing the mesh network to maximize use of the total available channels and minimize
the occurrence of interference. This results in more capacity than is available with solutions that
use only a single radio. When more capacity is needed, additional sectors can be enabled—for
example, by provisioning a network connection to a remote access point. The mesh dynamically
re-optimizes itself when this is done.
Zero-Touch Configuration
Using the Cisco Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) features, the Cisco Aironet 1520
Series mesh access point can discover its LWAPP controller and automatically download the
correct configuration and software for its role in the wireless mesh network.
Cisco Adaptive Wireless Path Protocol (AWPP)
Wireless mesh networks have unique features and requirements, and to address these features
and requirements Cisco has built a new protocol that allows each node to determine its neighbor
or parent intelligently, choosing the optimal path toward the controller. Unlike traditional routing
protocols, AWPP takes RF details into account.
The AWPP automatically determines the best path back to the LWAPP controller by calculating
the cost of each path in terms of signal strength and number of hops. After the path is established,
AWPP continuously monitors conditions and changes routes to reflect changes in conditions.
AWPP also performs a smoothing function by signaling condition information to ensure that the
ephemeral nature of RF environments does not impact network stability.
Robust Embedded Security
A core component of the Cisco Unified Wireless Solution is the use of X.509 certificates and AES
encryption for LWAPP transactions. This X.509 and AES encryption is embedded into the wireless
mesh solution with LWAPP transactions and by AES encrypting all traffic between mesh nodes.
The complete packet path is from the Cisco controller to the access points and eventually to the
users. The controller encapsulates user packets and forwards them to the correct rooftop access
point (RAP) over Ethernet. RAP then encrypts the user data packets and transfers them over the
backhaul. Data packets may travel through multiple mesh access points (MAPs) before reaching
the destination MAP. After receiving the encrypted user data, the destination MAP decrypts them
and sends them over the air to the client using the encryption method specified by the client.
For mutual authentication, Extensible Authentication Protocol / Pre-Shared Key (EAP / PSK) is
now supported between the mesh access point nodes.
Seamless Mobility
The same seamless mobility features delivered through the Cisco Unified Wireless Solution are
delivered in the Cisco Outdoor Wireless Networking solution. Users can seamlessly roam in
outdoor environments between the various Cisco Aironet 1520 mesh access points at different
locations. If there is a Cisco indoor wireless network infrastructure, the user can also roam
between the indoor and outdoor environment.
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