Configuring Radio Antenna Settings

Configuring Radio Antenna Settings

The Catalyst IW9167E supports eight external antennas with eight N-type female connectors to support multiple antenna options. The antenna ports 1, 4, and 5 can support self-identifying antennas (SIA). Radio 1 connects to ports 1 to 4, and Radio 2 connects to ports 5 to 8. For more information on antennas, see Antennas and Radios.

The Catalyst IW9165E supports four external antennas with Reverse-polarity SMA (RP-SMA) (f) connectors. Radio 1 connects to antenna ports 1 and 2, Radio 2 connects to antenna ports 3 and 4, and antenna ports 1 and 3 can support SIA antennas.

The Catalyst IW9165D has a built-in directional antenna and supports two external antennas with N-type (f) connectors. Radio 1 connects to the internal antenna. Radio 2 connects to antenna ports 1 and 3. Antenna port 3 can support SIA antenna.

The following sections describe the CLI commands to manage antenna port and gain on each antenna for different Radio mode:

Configuring Antenna Gain

To configure an antenna gain, use the following CLI command:

Set the maximum antenna gain value in integer or string UNSELECTED.

For UNSELECTED, the background process automatically configures the minimum supported antenna gain.

Note

Once the SIA is connected, gain sets automatically without any input.

 
Device# configure dot11radio <interface> antenna gain <gain>
gain:
<1-19> antenna gain in dBi
WORD UNSELECTED
Device# write

Configuring Transmit and Receive Antennas

To configure a transmission chain, use the following CLI command:

Note

Catalyst IW9165 does not support abcd-antenna mode.

 
Device# configure dot11radio <interface> antenna < A >
configure antenna chains (A) in use as follows
a-antenna - configure dot11 antenna a
ab-antenna - configure dot11 antenna ab
abcd-antenna - configure dot11 antenna abcd
Device# write

Configuring Transmission Power

To configure a transmission power, use the following CLI command:

Set the maximum transmission power level. For AUTO, the background process automatically configures the maximum allowed power level one.

Note

Eight is the lowest power level and one is the highest power level.

 
Device# configure dot11radio <interface> txpower-level <level>
txpower level:
<1-8> tx power level value
WORD AUTO
Device# write

Validate URWB Individual Antenna RSSI Values

Cisco UIW Release 17.15.1 introduces the URWB Individual Antenna Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) for the Catalyst IW9167E, IW9165E, and IW9165D access points. This feature allows you to view the RSSI value measured for each antenna separately. Multiple RSSI values enable you to monitor the signal strength received separately by each antenna on their radio interface.

For example, with the Catalyst IW9167E's four antennas per radio, you can now check the RSSI for each of the four antennas individually. This detailed information is valuable for troubleshooting and helps identify possible issues with individual antennas or cables. By examining the RSSI for each radio chain, you can determine if a specific antenna is malfunctioning or if its performance varies compared to the others.

Table 1. Radio Chain to Antenna Port Mapping

Access Point

Radio Interface

Radio Chain

Antenna Port
IW9167EH 1 [A,B,C,D] [4, 3,2,1]
2 [A,B,C,D] [5,6,7,8]
IW9165E 1 [A,B] [1,2]
2 [A,B] [3,4]
IW9165D 2 [A,B] [1,3]

Procedure

To validate the RSSI of individual antenna on an AP, use the following command: 

Device#show dot11Radio < n>  wifistats rssi

Replace <n> with the appropriate radio number

Example:

Device#show dot11Radio 1 wifistats rssi
FC:58:9A:15:E4:D2
       MeshID 5.21.201.204 via R1
       rssi [-70, -69, -70, -71]
FC:58:9A:15:B9:12
       MeshID 5.21.200.80 via R1
       rssi [-70, -69, -70, -71]