Wireless & Zone Enclosures

Enclosures and Mounting Solutions
for the New Cisco Aironet
1850 Series Wireless Access Point

Cisco's new Aironet 1850 Series featuring 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi technology is sure to be a hit with small and medium networks. Oberon has reviewed its enclosures to create a list of over 20 recommended enclosures encompassing all major enclosure types: suspended ceilings, hard lid surfaced or recessed installations, and indoor/outdoor options.

Among the recommendations are two economical wall-mounting solutions. Oberon Model 1011 Right-Angle Bracket has a hinged, snap-down cover to help conceal cabling, and it can be placed directly over data outlet. This white, powder-coated steel bracket mounts the WAP in the preferred horizontal orientation, making it ideal for environments with large open areas, such as hotel conference areas and retail spaces.

The Oberon Model 1015 Surface Mount Non-Metallic Lock Box for WAPS is a compact enclosure for securing wireless access points in residence halls, hotels, retail locations and other indoor venues. The rugged ABS plastic enclosure is virtually transparent to wireless signals, protecting WAPs with integrated antennas or small detachable antennas. The box can be mounted directly over the telecommunication outlet, and the cable raceway or conduit can be conveniently terminated.

Many additional enclosure recommendations can be found via the Enclosure Finder on our Cisco Portal.

Installing Wi-Fi in a Campus Environment

Published in the July/August issue of ICT Today, the official trade journal of BICSI

Article by Oberon President Scott D. Thompson

Read it Now!

5 Billion in E-Rate Funding
for Wi-Fi in Schools

The FCC is taking steps to modernize E-rate for Wi-Fi in schools. Recognizing that students and teachers are more dependent than ever on personal mobile devices, the FCC is moving to promote and fund ubiquitous Wi-Fi in schools and libraries. They need a robust Wi-Fi network that will deliver all of the multimedia instruction and programming required for the future.

Until 2015, schools did not have E-rate funding for building robust Wi-Fi networks. The result was low-budget, poorly-designed, and poorly-implemented Wi-Fi networks in many schools. This left the students with a poor experience and missed learning opportunities. With the E-rate funding and emphasis on designing and installing robust, mission-critical networks, schools have the opportunity to fully engage their students with mobile technologies. Here are some of the details for WiFi E-rate funding.

$2.5-$3.0B in funding is allocated through July 2017 for Wi-Fi in schools.
Actual spend will be higher, as schools get reimbursed only 20-90% of what they spend on Wi-Fi.
30-40% is expected to go to access points. Wi-Fi enclosures and mounting solutions are approved.
Funding doesn't start until July 2015, with many schools not expected to get funding until the end of the year.

Oberon's 104X series Wi-Fi access point enclosures and mounting solutions are designed specifically for K-12 budgets and applications.

1) Model 1044-CCOAP shown with Cisco AP (not included) 2) Exploded view

These products install like recess lighting, secure the access point in the ceiling or the wall, and provide an aesthetic, professional appearance. Oberon has a solution for every building type, ceiling type, and vendor's access points.