Cisco's Aironet 1200 Series AP, true to its Aironet heritage, delivers superior performance, impressive range and a strong feature set to give administrators plenty of control over their networks' wireless segments. We tested the 1200 configured with dual 802.11b and 802.11a capabilities; it's also available in single 802.11b and 802.11a builds.
Encased in a sturdy cast-aluminum shell, the 1200 features mounting brackets that accommodate almost any installation. This coupled with the 1200's plenum-rating and support for PoE (Power over Ethernet) mean the device can be installed in nearly any location. Clearly overengineered to meet future needs, the 1200 is based on a modular radio design that will stave off obsolescence by letting future radio chipsets, like the upcoming 802.11g standard, be incorporated via field upgrades.
The 1200's 802.11b capabilities are handled by an internal mini-PCI card. Once the standards have been finalized, this module will be supplanted by an 802.11g-capable card, Cisco says. As for 802.11a, the 1200 was the only AP we tested that didn't incorporate the ubiquitous Atheros chipset. Instead the 11a module, developed in-house by Cisco through its acquisition of Radiata, is a PCMCIA card with an attached paddle antenna capable of both omni- and directional-patch configurations. Marrying the antenna to the radio complicates the installation somewhat, but that's a requirement for FCC certification of 5-GHz products that make use of the lower four nonoverlapping channels. To thwart thieves, the module can be padlocked to the AP, though nothing keeps passersby from altering its omni or patch orientation, which could prove to be a headache.
We got the 1200 running quickly. After connecting to our test network, the 1200 grabbed an IP address from our DHCP server. We could then access the device from any PC on our network. Cisco offers an impressive range of functionality via the 1200's Web-based management interface, though we found it somewhat cluttered and difficult to navigate. Managing to sidestep a shortcoming of many dual-mode APs, Cisco nicely integrated options for both radios into its configuration pages.
The 1200 supports SNMP, is compatible with Cisco's CiscoWorks network management tool and has enough horsepower to migrate to the company's IOS in the future, a plus for environments with Cisco switching/ routing infrastructures.
As for performance, the 1200 led the pack. At just more than 6 Mbps, Cisco's 802.11b throughput beat rivals by a margin of 1 Mbps or more, and at just shy of 24 Mbps, the 1200 came out on top in 802.11a mode as well. Total aggregate throughput of tests with 802.11b and 802.11a clients running simultaneously reached 28 Mbps, proving that the AP could easily handle the traffic load of both radio spectrums concurrently.
In range testing, however, the 1200 lost a little ground. The device's range for the 802.11b module was greater than that of the other units tested, but 802.11a range lagged behind that of the Proxim, Intermec and Linksys boxes. We were able to squeeze a 20 percent increase in 802.11a range in the direction the AP was pointed by changing the paddle antenna's orientation from omni to patch. Of course, in omni mode the signal is propagated in all directions; patch mode focuses it in one direction only, leaving all other areas uncovered.
The 1200 is ahead of the curve when it comes to security. As expected, the unit supports 128-bit WEP keying and 802.1x authentication, as well as Cisco's proprietary LEAP (the company's version of the Extensible Authentication Protocol). In addition, as a replacement for WEP, Cisco offers the more robust and dynamic TKIP.
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Cisco's Aironet 1200 Series AP, true to its Aironet heritage, delivers superior performance, impressive range and a strong feature set to give administrators plenty of control over their networks' wireless segments. We tested the 1200 configured with dual 802.11b and 802.11a capabilities; it's also available in single 802.11b and 802.11a builds.
The 1200's 802.11b capabilities are handled by an internal mini-PCI card. Once the standards have been finalized, this module will be supplanted by an 802.11g-capable card, Cisco says. As for 802.11a, the 1200 was the only AP we tested that didn't incorporate the ubiquitous Atheros chipset. Instead the 11a module, developed in-house by Cisco through its acquisition of Radiata, is a PCMCIA card with an attached paddle antenna capable of both omni- and directional-patch configurations. Marrying the antenna to the radio complicates the installation somewhat, but that's a requirement for FCC certification of 5-GHz products that make use of the lower four nonoverlapping channels. To thwart thieves, the module can be padlocked to the AP, though nothing keeps passersby from altering its omni or patch orientation, which could prove to be a headache.
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