Beamforming - Understanding Clientlink - Cisco Aironet 1700 Deployment Manual

Cisco Aironet Series 3700 Access Point
Figure 7 Feature Module of the Bottom of the AP 3700 and AP 3600
Beamforming – Understanding ClientLink
The AP 3700 supports the new "ClientLink 3.0" and is able to beamform to 802.11ac clients including 1, 2, and 3 spatial
streams. It also supports all ClientLink 2.0 functionality with legacy 11a/g clients and 802.11n 1, 2, and 3 spatial stream clients.
The AP 3600 supports ClientLink 2.0 which beamforms to legacy 11a/g clients and 11n 1, 2, 3 spatial stream but does not
support ClientLink 3.0 (Cisco beamforming method to 11ac clients).
Both the AP 3700 and AP 3600 with module supports the 802.11ac beamforming standard known as ECBF (Explicit
Compressed Beam Forming)–a new IEEE method of beamforming that is emerging but not yet fully supported in 11ac clients.
Cisco ClientLink is similar but can work with all clients today including 11a/g/n as well as 11ac clients. ClientLink also takes
advantage of the extra transceiver in the AP, so it beamforms to clients with 3 spatial streams.
Cisco Aironet Series 1700/2700/3700 Access Point Deployment Guide
6