This product bulletin describes the content and delivery information for Cisco IOS® Software Release 12.4(21a)JA supporting Cisco® Aironet® 1130, 1140, 1240, and 1250 Series Access Points, Cisco Aironet 1300 Series Outdoor Access Points and Bridges, and Cisco Aironet 1400 Series Outdoor Wireless Bridges.
This release provides support for the Cisco Aironet 1140 Series a business-class 802.11n indoor access point that offers six times the performance of 802.11a/g networks for reliable connections to Wi-Fi voice, streaming video, and business applications. The sleek design of the 1140 Series is powerful and efficient. It blends into enterprise environments and can be powered with standard 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE).
Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(21a)JA is available as a free software upgrade. Figure 1 displays the release train and recommended migration path for Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(21a)JA. Due to memory limitations, only bug fixes are provided for the Cisco Aironet 1100, 1200, and 1230 Series Access Points. For these platforms please see Cisco IOS Software Release 12.3(8)JED.
Figure 1. Release Train and Recommended Migration Path for Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(21a)JA
Table 1 describes the new Cisco Aironet access point features available with Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(21a)JA.
Table 1. New Cisco Aironet Access Point Features
Feature
Description
Benefit
Cisco Aironet 1140 Series Access Point
Business-ready 802.11n access point designed for simple deployment and energy efficiency.
The Cisco Aironet 1140 Series features:
• Six times the throughput of existing 802.11a/g networks
• A sleek, industrial design that blends into any enterprise environment
• 802.11n performance from standard 802.3af Power over Ethernet
• Intel Connect that is Centrino Certified and 802.11n compliant for guaranteed interoperability with a variety of client devices
• Environmentally friendly multiunit Eco-Packs and EnergyStar certified power supplies
Cisco ClientLink Technology
Cisco ClientLink is an intelligent beamforming technology that directs the RF signal to 802.11a/g devices to improve performance by 65% and coverage by up to 27% and that reduces coverage holes
Cisco ClientLink helps extend the useful life of existing 802.11a/g devices in mixed-client networks. It is beneficial for organizations that move to 802.11n and want to ensure that all clients on the network, regardless of type, are guaranteed the bandwidth and throughput they need.
European Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) Support for EN 301 893 Version 1.4.1 and 1.5.1
This feature disables channels 120, 124, and 128 to achieve compliance with draft EN 301 893 version 1.4.1 and 1.5.1. New products that ship with the SKU's listed below will automatically support this feature. Cisco recommends that products shipped prior to April 1, 2009, should upgrade to Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(21a)JA or 12.3(8)JED to ensure compliance.
ETSI EN 301 893 Version 1.4.1 and 1.5.1 specify DFS requirements that improve radar detection capabilities so that 802.11 equipment operating in the 5-GHz band can better coexist with radar systems..
Regulatory Update for Japan
W56 support for the Japanese regulatory domain allows the Cisco Aironet 1130 and 1240 Series Access Points to operate in the 5500- to 5700- MHz bands.
Wireless LAN clients experience improved performance due to the expanded channel support for the 5-GHz band.
Manual channel selection in the 5GHz bands
For 802.11a equipment operating in the 5- GHz band, this feature provides customers with the flexibility to manually choose the channels in which to operate. The Americas (A) Regulatory domain supports manual configuration for UNII-1 and UNII- 3. The European (E) and Korean (K) regulatory domains support manual configuration on any channel.
The feature improves network capacity by providing customers the flexibility to enable all channels that are supported by their local regulatory body.
Point-to-Point and Point-to- Multipoint Bridging Support for 802.11n Platforms
This feature provides point-to-point and point-to-multipoint bridging on the Cisco Aironet 1140 and 1250 Series Access Points. The 5-GHz bands support 20 and 40 MHz and the 2.4-GHz bands support 20 MHz.
With this feature, the Cisco Aironet 1140 and 1250 Series can be configured for both access point and bridge functions. Bridging support on 802.11n access points offers added performance, reliability and throughput for basic wireless LAN coverage, wireless LAN coverage with wireless backhaul, and more traditional bridging applications.
Firefox Support
This feature provides customers the ability to use the Firefox browser to view and configure the access points web GUI.
Support for the Firefox browser provides added flexibility and simplified management for network administrators.
Cisco Wireless LAN Services Engine (WLSE) Support
This feature provides customers the ability to use the Cisco Wireless LAN Services Engine (WLSE) to view and configure Cisco Aironet 1140 Series Access Points. WLSE Software Release 2.15.3 is supported on the following access point firmware images:
• Cisco IOS 12.4(21a)JA
• Cisco IOS 12.3(8)JED
Support for the WLSE provides added flexibility and simplified management for network administrators.
WLSE Network Management modules supported include the Discovery, Inventory, Faults, Reports, and Configuration Firmware modules.
Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(21a)JA feature sets, images, and memory recommendations are listed in Table 2. The products supported by this release are listed in Table 3.
