AIR-AP1852E-A-K9C Cisco Aironet 1852e 1.733Gbps Thoughput AP

AIR-AP1852E-A-K9C exact order identity

AIR-AP1852E-A-K9C is a 1852e indoor access point for separately purchased external antennas in the Cisco Aironet 1850 Series. This exact SKU combines regulatory-domain token A with a single-unit configurable K9C order. The platform is a dual-band 802.11ac Wave 2 access point with four 5 GHz spatial streams in single-user operation and three in multiuser operation.

Antenna and environmental boundary

Cisco states that external antennas are sold separately and certifies the platform for antenna gains up to 6 dBi at both 2.4 and 5 GHz. Record the approved Cisco antenna part numbers, four radio paths, gain, pattern, cable loss, connectors and mounting orientation. A compatible connector alone is not regulatory or RF-design evidence.

Order and controller boundary

Cisco lists K9C as a configurable controller-based order, and its lifecycle table describes affected K9C lines as Mobility Express products. Retain the final domain and software role on the quotation and received unit. Prove the intended controller or Mobility Express state instead of inferring it from the suffix alone.

A regulatory-domain evidence

Cisco lists this profile as 2.4 GHz channels 1-11; 5 GHz blocks at 5.180-5.320, 5.500-5.700 excluding 5.600-5.640, and 5.745-5.825 GHz. The A plan combines lower, middle and upper 5 GHz blocks, but the documented gap inside the middle block matters. The RF design and controller template must preserve that exclusion instead of treating the listed span as continuous. Export the controller channel list after provisioning and compare it with the approved A-domain record. Investigate any channel inside the excluded middle sub-block or any missing approval evidence before service activation.

Procurement inference: this profile is useful only when the destination approval and controller expose the documented lower, split-middle and upper choices. The middle exclusion should appear explicitly in the site worksheet, because a broad frequency-range label can conceal it. When migrating controllers, compare exported enabled-channel lists before and after the move; do not use unchanged SSID service as proof that the regulatory plan remained intact.

Power and interface boundary

The 1852 provides a PoE Gigabit uplink and a Gigabit AUX port for link aggregation. Cisco states that 802.3af disables AUX and USB on both antenna forms and reduces the 1852e 2.4 GHz radio from 3x4 to 2x3. Record negotiated power before promising the complete interface and radio state.

Deployment evidence worksheet

Controller join evidence

Stage the access point on the controller release intended for production. Retain the controller model, software version, discovery path, authorization method and first successful CAPWAP join. Confirm that configuration download completes and that both radios reach an expected operational state. Remove any temporary staging authorization before handover. This evidence separates an orderable access point from a unit that has actually been proven compatible with the planned controller environment. For this 1852 order, include the AireOS or Catalyst 9800 release actually used and note whether the unit is controller-managed or operating in an approved Mobility Express role.

Ethernet and cabling proof

Preserve the permanent-link test, patch-lead identities, switch port, negotiated Ethernet rate and error counters. Investigate pair faults, excessive length or rate fallback before wireless acceptance begins. A link light only proves connectivity at some rate; it does not demonstrate the intended uplink performance. Tie the cable result to the AP serial so a later throughput problem can be separated from radio, controller and wired-path causes. The platform has one PoE Gigabit interface and one Gigabit AUX interface used for link aggregation, so preserve both link states and the power condition under which AUX is available.

Survey-to-install reconciliation

Attach the approved RF survey location, mounting height, orientation, expected client density, channel width and neighboring-radio assumptions to the order. After installation, compare measured coverage and interference with that design. If ceiling construction, antenna placement or obstructions changed, document the deviation and repeat the affected measurements. This provides a site-specific acceptance reason for the exact unit instead of relying on a family data sheet alone. Relate the survey result to the 1852's 4x4:4 single-user and 4x4:3 multiuser 5 GHz design rather than treating the published 1.7 Gbps PHY rate as measured site throughput.

Quotation substitution gate

Compare antenna form, regulatory token, configuration suffix, pack quantity and complete Cisco part number on the authorized quotation. Treat any changed token as a substitution that requires a new technical and regulatory review. Procurement should not accept a nearby Aironet 2802 line merely because the family name matches. Preserve the approved line, received label and exception decision so the final asset can be traced to the exact order reviewed here. A K9, K9C, K910, K910C, antenna-form or regulatory-token change is a different 1852 procurement line and must not be accepted as a cosmetic substitution.

Software lifecycle file

Record the controller release approved for this unit, the source used to verify support, the last tested date and the owner for software advisories. Available hardware does not prove compatibility with a current or future controller train. Review Cisco support information before every expansion or replacement. The lifecycle file should also state when this Aironet generation must leave service and which surrounding dependencies need migration. Cisco ended 1850 Series software maintenance in 2023, so controller compatibility evidence is especially important for inventory purchased late in the lifecycle.

Capacity observation

Define the expected concurrent clients, application mix, airtime utilization and channel-width assumptions for this location. After commissioning, capture radio utilization, retry behavior and representative throughput during a meaningful load period. Compare the observation with the survey design and state any shortfall. A peak link rate from a data sheet is not a site capacity result and should not replace measured operating evidence. Capacity acceptance should show actual client mix, airtime and retries under the available regulatory-domain channels, not only a maximum PHY figure.

Receiving inspection

At receipt, compare model label, regulatory token, antenna form, quantity, serials and visible condition with the authorized order. Photograph labels before cartons are separated. Quarantine shortages, mixed units, damaged connectors or unapproved substitutions. Do not rely on a distributor description as evidence that the exact Cisco order arrived. Close the inspection only when every physical unit is accounted for. Receiving inspection should distinguish the internal-antenna 1852i from the external-antenna 1852e and should verify all carton quantities before labels are separated.

Operational log retention

Store the initial controller events, switch-port state, radio assignment, channel list and client test results with a consistent asset identifier. Define how long commissioning evidence is retained and who can retrieve it. A later firmware, controller or RF change should add a new dated observation rather than overwrite the original. The resulting history supports lifecycle decisions and distinguishes a new regression from the accepted baseline. Preserve the original 1852 controller join, power mode, AUX state, channel list and client tests so later changes can be compared with an accepted baseline.

Lifecycle decision

Cisco ended sale of the Aironet 1850 Series on 1 May 2022, ended software maintenance on 1 May 2023 and lists 30 April 2027 as the last support date. Cisco identifies Catalyst 9115AX as the migration family. Available inventory does not extend those milestones.

Related Aironet 1852 order records

• AIR-AP1852I-AK910C - compare antenna form and domain evidence.
• AIR-AP1852I-A-K9C - compare antenna form and domain evidence.
• AIR-AP1852E-A-K9 - compare order form and domain evidence.

Official evidence: Cisco Aironet 1850 Series data sheet; Cisco Aironet 1850 hardware guide; Cisco Aironet 1850 lifecycle bulletin; and Cisco wireless compliance tool.