AIR-AP1852I-S-K9C Cisco Aironet 1852i 802.11ac 1.70 Gbps Access Point

AIR-AP1852I-S-K9C exact order identity

AIR-AP1852I-S-K9C is a 1852i indoor access point with integrated omnidirectional antennas in the Cisco Aironet 1850 Series. This exact SKU combines regulatory-domain token S 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 rates the internal antenna system at 3 dBi for 2.4 GHz and 5 dBi for 5 GHz, with 360-degree horizontal beamwidth. No external antenna is selected by this SKU. Preserve enclosure orientation, bracket, mounting height and post-install coverage because placement determines how the integrated pattern is used.

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.

S regulatory-domain evidence

Cisco lists this profile as 2.4 GHz channels 1-13; 5 GHz blocks at 5.180-5.320, 5.500-5.700, and 5.745-5.825 GHz. The S profile lists lower, middle and upper 5 GHz groups. The separation between middle and upper groups should remain explicit in RF planning and acceptance records. Validate all three groups after controller provisioning and compare enabled channels with the approved survey. Keep the S-domain lookup and controller export together for future audits.

Procurement inference: three listed 5 GHz groups give several planning pools, but destination approval still controls actual use. The survey should state how radios are distributed among lower, middle and upper groups, and acceptance should compare that plan with dynamic assignment. If one group is disabled locally or by policy, recalculate capacity and retain the exception instead of presenting the full S-profile table as deployed capability.

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

Power-state acceptance

Measure power after the access point has joined its controller and the planned radios and services are active. Record switch model, port, negotiated power level, LLDP result and any reduced-capability warning. An idle boot result is not sufficient evidence for the deployed power budget. If an injector is proposed, verify its supported use and include its exact identity in the maintained bill of materials rather than treating it as an unspecified accessory. The 1852 draws up to 20.9 W; 802.3af also disables AUX Ethernet and USB, while the external-antenna 1852e reduces its 2.4 GHz radio from 3x4 to 2x3.

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.

Mechanical installation record

List the bracket, ceiling or wall interface, enclosure requirement, safety restraint, service clearance and cable-entry plan before scheduling installation. Receiving should identify missing mechanical items before the access point reaches site. Photograph the mounted label and final cable entry, then record how the unit can be reached for replacement. A complete electronic order can still be an unusable deployment kit when mechanical dependencies are omitted. The 1852i and 1852e have different operating-temperature ranges, and an external-antenna deployment also requires a complete cable and mounting bill of materials.

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 different access-point order 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.

Controlled spare policy

If purchased as a spare, name the protected site population, compatible controller image, storage location, storage conditions and periodic power-on test. Confirm that regulatory token, antenna architecture and mounting parts match the population it protects. Set a final-use review date. A stored unit can become unsuitable while untouched because controller software, country approval, certificates or network architecture may change. A spare 1852 must be checked against the protected controller release, certificate behavior, regulatory domain, antenna form and 2027 support cutoff before assignment.

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.

Fault-domain separation

Build the acceptance record so power, wired link, controller join, radio state, authentication and application reachability can be reviewed independently. Preserve timestamps and device identifiers across switch and controller logs. When a test fails, identify the failing boundary before replacing hardware. This avoids classifying a cable, policy or controller problem as an access-point defect and creates evidence that can be reused during support escalation. Use controller, switch and client timestamps to separate a PoE/AUX limitation, CAPWAP issue, RF condition and authentication failure before declaring a hardware defect.

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-AP1852E-S-K9 - compare antenna form and domain evidence.
• AIR-AP1852E-S-K9C - compare antenna form and domain evidence.
• AIR-AP1852I-SK910C - 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.