About Cisco Mobility Express

Overview of Cisco Mobility Express

The Cisco Mobility Express wireless network solution provides the virtual WLC functionality that is currently bundled into the Cisco Aironet 1830 and 1850 Series access points (APs). This functionality provides a simplified Wi-Fi architecture with enterprise-level WLAN capability to small and medium deployments.

In the Cisco Mobility Express wireless network solution, one AP, running the Cisco Mobility Express wireless controller, is designated as the master AP. Other APs, referred to as subordinate APs, associate themselves with this master AP.

The master AP operates as a WLC to manage and control the subordinate APs, besides operating as an AP to serve clients. The subordinate APs behave as normal lightweight APs to serve clients.

The Cisco Mobility Express solution provides most of the features of a WLC and has the capability to interface with the following:

  • Cisco Prime Infrastructure—For simplified network management, including managing AP groups.

  • Cisco Identity Services Engine—For advanced policy enforcement.

  • Cisco Mobility Services Engine—For providing presence-level data as well as an advanced spectrum solution.

Supported Cisco Aironet Access Points

In this Cisco Mobility Express Release , the following APs are supported.

APs Supported as Masters (support integrated WLC capability)

APs Supported as Subordinates

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  • Cisco Aironet 1830 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 1850 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 700i Series

  • Cisco Aironet 700w Series

  • Cisco Aironet 1600 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 1700 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 2600 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 2700 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 3500 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 3600 Series

  • Cisco Aironet 3700 Series

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APs supported as master APs can function as subordinate APs also .

Supported Software Images

AP models that are supported as masters can be ordered with either of the following as the default factory-shipped software:

  • A Cisco Mobility Express software image. These models have model numbers (or Product IDs) ending in C.

  • A lightweight AP software image, based on the Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) protocol, for joining a wireless controller. You can manually convert these models on site to have a Cisco Mobility Express software image. For information about this conversion, see Converting from CAPWAP Lightweight AP to Cisco Mobility Express Software.

AP models that are supported only as subordinates require a CAPWAP-based lightweight AP software image.

The Cisco Mobility Express software for your AP model can be downloaded from:

https:/​/​software.cisco.com/​download/​navigator.html:

From the Download Software window, browse to your AP model and then select Mobility Express Software to view a list of currently available software, with the latest the top. The software releases are labeled as follows to help you determine which release to download:

  • Early Deployment (ED)—These software releases provide new features, new hardware platform support, and bug fixes.

  • Maintenance Deployment (MD)—These software releases provide bug fixes and ongoing software maintenance.

  • Deferred (DF)—These software releases have been deferred. We recommend that you migrate to an upgraded release.

Cisco Mobility Express software for Cisco Wireless Release 8.1 is as follows:

Software Type and Purpose

Release

For AP 1850

For AP 1830

Mobility Express controller-capable AP software to be used for conversion from Lightweight Access Points only.

8.1.131.0

AIR-AP1850-K9-8.1.131.0.tar

AIR-AP1830-K9-8.1.131.0.tar

8.1.122.0

AIR-AP1850-K9-8.1.122.0.tar

AIR-AP1830-K9-8.1.122.0.tar

Access Point image bundle, to be used for updating ME controller software and images of supported access points.

8.1.131.0

AIR-AP1850-K9-ME-8-1-131-0.zip

AIR-AP1830-K9-ME-8-1-131-0.zip

8.1.122.0

AIR-AP1850-K9-ME-8-1-122-0.zip

AIR-AP1830-K9-ME-8-1-122-0.zip