Comparison of Cisco AP 2600 and Aironet 3600 Series

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The Cisco AP 3600 has a modular design that offers future protection with optional .11ac and security modules. The AP 2600 does not support optional modules. However, the Cisco AP 2600 does have a slightly higher antenna gain in the 2.4 GHz band.

The AP3600 and the AP2600 are the same size, but it is easy to identify each one by noting whether the Cisco logo has an embossed frame (AP 3600) or not (AP 2600).

Front View of the AP2600 and the AP 3600

Front View of the AP2600 and the AP 3600

The Cisco AP 2600 is a 3X4:3SS, so ClientLink does not beamform to 3SS clients; however, it does beam form at legacy, one, and two spatial stream rates. The AP 3600 is a 4X4:3SS, supporting an extra transmitter chain for additional down link performance for all bands and clients. The AP 3600 has slightly higher performance and beamforms to legacy, one, two, and three spatial stream rates and .11ac rates when using the optional .11ac module.

The two series use the same mounting hardware and antennas.

Back View of the AP 2600

Back View of the AP 2600

Cisco 2600 Series AP vs. Cisco Aironet 3600 Series

Cisco Aironet 802.11n G2 Series Indoor Access Points

2600 Series

3600 Series

Ideal for

Small, midsize, large enterprises and mid-market

Midsize or large enterprises

Site type

Indoor office, medium-sized warehouse

Large office, midsize or large warehouse

Application performance profile

Any Device/BYOD optimized
Client scalability
RF interference mitigation

High client density
HD Video/VDI
802.11ac*migration
Comprehensive security

Future-proof modularity

Yes
802.11ac Module
or
WSM (Wireless Security Module)
or 3G Small Cell
Or 802.11ac Wave 2* Module

Crowded areas

Yes

Yes

Number of radios

Dual (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz)

Tri Radios
2.4GHz for 802.11g/n
5GHz for 802.11a/n
5GHz 802.11ac Module for 802.11a/n/ac

Max data rate

450 Mbps

1.3 Gbps (with 802.11ac module)

MIMO radio design: spatial streams

3×4:3

802.11n: 4 x 4:3
802.11ac: 3 x 3:3

Client count/ClientLink client count

200/128

802.11n: 200/128
802.11ac Module: 50/7 (ECBF)

Autonomous access point option

Yes

Yes

ClientLink 2.0

Yes

Yes
ECBF with 802.11ac clients

CleanAir

Yes

Yes

VideoStream

Yes

Yes

BandSelect

Yes

Yes

Rogue access point detection

Yes

Yes

Adaptive wireless intrusion protection system (wIPS)

Yes

Yes

OfficeExtend
(Integrated- antenna models only)

Yes

Yes

FlexConnect

Yes

Yes

Power

802.3af, AC adapter

802.11n: 802.3af, AC adapter
802.11ac*: Enhanced PoE,
802.3at or Universal PoE (UPOE)

Temperature range

2600i: 0 to 40°C
2600e: -20 to 55°C

3600i: 0 to 40°C
3600e: -20 to 55°C
3600p: -20 to 55°C

Antennas

2600i: Internal
2600e: External

3600i: Internal
3600e: External
3600p: External (US only)

Wi-Fi standards

802.11a/b/g/n

802.11a/b/g/n/ac

Government certifications

Limited lifetime warranty

Yes

Yes

*Planned for future support

More Related Cisco Access Point Topics:

How to Connect Cisco Wireless Access Point?

Types of Wireless Network & Wireless Topologies

Cisco Aironet 1600 Series AP Review

Cisco Aironet 1600/2600/3600 Series APs, Main Features and Comparison

Cisco AP 3600 vs. Aironet 3500 Series

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