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White square ceiling-mountable wireless access point with four internal antennas

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco Systems WAP581 2.80 Gbit/s Wireless Access Point

SKU CH-A8PK-JHMZ5

Ceiling or wall-mountable dual-band access point with four internal antennas, 2.5 GbE uplink and 2.80 Gbit/s aggregate throughput

  • Product typeOffice Products
  • IEEE 802.11 ac delivers 2.80 Gbit/s wireless throughput
  • 5 Gigabit Ethernet uplink removes wired bottlenecks
  • PoE PD port enables flexible placement without power outlets
  • Ceiling, wall or desktop mounting suits any office layout
  • Four internal antennas provide broad, reliable coverage

Product identity

The Cisco WAP581 is a dual-band Wireless-AC Wave 2 access point rated at 2.80 Gbit/s aggregate throughput. It targets small to mid-size offices that need ceiling, wall or desktop mounting with a single PoE-powered device. Four internal antennas serve both 2.40 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously using MU-MIMO.

Pre-installation checks

Verify that your switch or injector can deliver PoE to the PD port and that at least one 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet uplink is available to avoid bottlenecking the wireless capacity. Confirm the mounting surface can accommodate the 9-inch square footprint and 1.5-inch profile. Ensure existing clients support 802.11ac to benefit from the full feature set.

Sustained-load behaviour

Under continuous multi-user traffic the dual-radio design keeps both bands active while MU-MIMO streams serve several clients at once, reducing airtime contention. The 2.5 Gbit/s wired backhaul prevents the Ethernet link from becoming the limiting factor during prolonged high-density usage. Thermal performance is maintained within the compact enclosure without external ventilation requirements.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in Wi-Fi Access Points, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $345.99
Pricier than about 56% of the 782 comparable items (median $253.99).

Specifications

Product
Brand nameCisco Systems
Product typeOffice Products

Questions about this item

Does the WAP581 ship with mounting hardware and a network cable or must they be bought separately?

The box includes the access point, a ceiling and wall-mounting kit, a quick-start guide and an Ethernet network cable so no extra accessories are required for installation.

Should I choose the 2.40 GHz or 5 GHz band for the 2.80 Gbit/s headline speed?

The 2.80 Gbit/s figure is the combined wireless transmission speed across both bands operating together under IEEE 802.11 ac; each band contributes its own portion.

What does the 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port mean for real-world throughput on the WAP581?

The 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet uplink can carry up to 2.5 Gbit/s of wired traffic, so the wireless aggregate of 2.80 Gbit/s will not be bottlenecked by the LAN connection.

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