We shared an article “It’s Okay to Mix Cisco Access Points” before. The FCC 14-30 Order was published by the FCC in early June 2016. It now allows the use of three additional channels (120, 124, and 128) as well as other power adjustment and updated DFS regulations.
To comply with FCC rules order 14-30, Cisco will introduce new –B domain access point products for use in the United States (U.S.). The –B domain access points will be used only in the U.S. Previously, the –A domain access points were used for the U.S. and other countries (such as Canada). While the –A domain access points will continue to be sold to other countries currently using the –A domain, they cannot be shipped to the U.S. effective June 2, 2016, per the FCC order. Therefore, starting May 1, 2016, Cisco will restrict the ordering of –A and –UX domain access points for sale into the U.S. to ensure that all sales orders received by this date are shipped prior to the June 2, 2016, FCC deadline. Customers are encouraged to migrate to ordering –B domain access points starting May 1, 2016.
Please note that there is no requirement to stop using –A domain access points in the U.S. after the FCC deadline. They can continue to operate and can even coexist with the new –B domain access points in the same network.
New Features
The –B domain access points comply with the FCC order 14-30 rules. A summary of the changes introduced in the –B domain access points is provided below.
- U-NII 1 band (5150 to 5250 MHz) is now allowed for outdoor use.
- In the U-NII 1 band (5150 to 5250 MHz), the allowed TX power level is increased to 1W (for indoor, outdoor, point to point), with extreme restrictions on effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) above a 30-degree horizon when used outdoors.
- The Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) bands (channels 120, 124, and 128) are reopened with new test requirements for dynamic frequency selection (DFS) protection.
- The access points meet new power spectral density and above- and below-band edge emissions requirements for the U-NII3 (5.725 to 5.85 GHz) band.
Upgrade Paths
New software will be made available to support the –B domain access points. Cisco will provide –B domain support on numerous software releases to facilitate customer deployments of –B domain access points. To download software, visit the Cisco Software Center.
Ordering Information
The SKUs for ordering –B domain access points will be similar to those for the –A domain access points, except that they will now reflect –B instead of –A. Table1 shows the SKUs previously used to order –A domain access points for the U.S. and the new corresponding–B domain SKUs that should now be used for U.S. deployments starting on May 1, 2016.
| Product Name | Previously Used Part Number (–A Domain) | New –B Domain Part Number |
| Cisco Aironet 3700 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP3702i-A-K9 | AIR-CAP3702i-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP3702e-A-K9 | AIR-CAP3702e-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP3702P-A-K9 | AIR-CAP3702P-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP3702i-AK910 | AIR-CAP3702i-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP3702e-AK910 | AIR-CAP3702e-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP3702P-AK910 | AIR-CAP3702P-BK910 | |
| Cisco Aironet 2700 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP2702i-A-K9 | AIR-CAP2702i-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP2702e-A-K9 | AIR-CAP2702e-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP27IBO-A-K9 | AIR-CAP27IBO-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP2702i-AK910 | AIR-CAP2702i-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP2702e-AK910 | AIR-CAP2702e-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP27IBO-AK910 | AIR-CAP27IBO-BK910 | |
| Cisco Aironet 1700 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP1702i-A-K9 | AIR-CAP1702i-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP1702I-A-K9C | AIR-CAP1702I-B-K9C | |
| AIR-CAP1702i-AK910 | AIR-CAP1702i-BK910 | |
| AIRCAP1702I-AK910C | AIRCAP1702I-BK910C | |
| Cisco Aironet 3600 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP3602i-A-K9 | AIR-CAP3602i-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP3602e-A-K9 | AIR-CAP3602e-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP36IBO-A-K9 | AIR-CAP36IBO-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP3602i-AK910 | AIR-CAP3602i-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP3602e-AK910 | AIR-CAP3602e-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP36IBO-AK910 | AIR-CAP36IBO-BK910 | |
| Cisco Aironet 2600 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP2602i-A-K9 | AIR-CAP2602i-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP2602e-A-K9 | AIR-CAP2602e-B-K9 | |
| AIR-SAP2602i-A-K9 | AIR-SAP2602i-B-K9 | |
| AIR-SAP2602e-A-K9 | AIR-SAP2602e-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP26IBO-A-K9 | AIR-CAP26IBO-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP2602i-AK910 | AIR-CAP2602i-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP2602e-AK910 | AIR-CAP2602e-BK910 | |
| AIR-SAP2602i-AK9-5 | AIR-SAP2602i-BK9-5 | |
| AIR-SAP2602e-AK9-5 | AIR-SAP2602e-BK9-5 | |
| AIR-CAP26IBO-AK910 | AIR-CAP26IBO-BK910 | |
| Cisco Aironet 1600 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP1602i-A-K9 | AIR-CAP1602i-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP1602e-A-K9 | AIR-CAP1602e-B-K9 | |
| AIR-SAP1602i-A-K9 | AIR-SAP1602i-B-K9 | |
| AIR-SAP1602e-A-K9 | AIR-SAP1602e-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP16IBO-A-K9 | AIR-CAP16IBO-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP1602i-AK910 | AIR-CAP1602i-BK910 | |
| AIR-CAP1602e-AK910 | AIR-CAP1602e-BK910 | |
| AIR-SAP1602i-AK9-5 | AIR-SAP1602i-BK9-5 | |
| AIR-SAP1602e-AK9-5 | AIR-SAP1602e-BK9-5 | |
| AIR-CAP16IBO-AK910 | AIR-CAP16IBO-BK910 | |
| Cisco Aironet 700 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP702i-A-K9 | AIR-CAP702i-B-K9 |
| AIR-SAP702i-A-K9 | AIR-SAP702i-B-K9 | |
| AIR-CAP702i-AK910 | AIR-CAP702i-BK910 | |
| AIR-SAP702i-AK9-5 | AIR-SAP702i-BK9-5 | |
| Cisco Aironet 700w Series Access Points | AIR-CAP702W-A-K9 | AIR-CAP702W-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP702W-AK910 | AIR-CAP702W-BK910 | |
| Cisco Aironet 1530 Series Access Points | AIR-CAP1532E-A-K9 | AIR-CAP1532E-B-K9 |
| AIR-CAP1532I-A-K9 | AIR-CAP1532I-B-K9 |
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