Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Line of Wi-Fi 6 Access Points
The Cisco Catalyst line of 802.11ax (referred to as W-Fi 6) wireless access points improve on prior version 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering lower delay and more consistent performance, allowing increased client user density, providing greater security, conserving power for battery-based handheld devices, and offering more configurability for supporting new types of IoT endpoints.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi consultantsCisco CCIE wireless network infrastructure consultants offer remote or onsite configuration and troubleshooting support to help your organization to plan, implement, update, optimize, administer and debug Catalyst wireless access point environments of any scale or architecture. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can also help you to integrate your Wi-Fi ecosystem with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-based resources to create a seamless enterprise connectivity foundation that is easy to administer and scale. Progent also can provide affordable wireless site surveys to help you to determine the most efficient selection, placement and setup of Aironet wireless access points to work with your unique workplace layout, building structure, and expected network traffic.

Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Consultants

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax access points deliver the throughput and density of 802.11ax technology

The Catalyst 9100 line of Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs are intended for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to high-density convention centers. Cisco Catalyst 9100 APs are based on the 802.11ax standard, known as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the previous 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Headline technologies supported by Catalyst 9100 Series access points include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for improved dependability, Target Wake Time for reduced power consumption in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 802.11ax APs support Cisco's EWC, handle as many as 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.

Catalyst 9105i Wireless Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi access point is a compact Wi-Fi 6 AP intended for operation in home offices or in small to medium size businesses. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4/5 GH radios as well as an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supporting Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi AP features 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and delivers an aggregate max speed of 1.2 Gbps. The 9105AXi AP includes one 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink port with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, and a pair of built-in antennas. Channel width for the 2.4 GHz radio is 20 MHz and 20/40/80 MHz for the 5 GHz radio. With Embedded Wireless Controller activated, the 9105AXi AP can manage 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9105AXw Wireless Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi access point is a wall-mount device and is intended for hospitality, dormitories, and other high-occupancy living spaces. The 9105AXw's performance is similar to the Cisco 9105AXi AP but has different antenna options and features a variety of ports not available on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink interface, three 10/100/1000 Ethernet downlink ports, a USB 2.0 port, and a passthru port. A downlink port supports 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Catalyst 9115AX Wireless APs Solution Design ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified LAN access point is designed for small to medium size enterprises. The Cisco 9115AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio covering (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP features 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and supports a combined maximum data rate of 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9115AX Series AP comes with a fixed 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 port, integrated internal antennas, plus optional external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, Cisco's 9115AX Series AP can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9117 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series LAN AP is targeted at small to medium size organizations. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance complies with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios as well as an IoT radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX features 8x8 MIMO with eight spatial streams for the 5-GHz band and band. Max combined throughput is 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP comes with a 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) port with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. RAM includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller activated, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9120 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is intended for for mid-size to large networks. The Catalyst 9120AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and incorporates four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology allows radios to work either in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. Cisco's 9120AX features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and supports a combined maximum data rate of 5.2 Gbps when both radios operate in 5-GHz client serving mode. The Catalyst 9120AX Series AP comes with 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45). The device also supports PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. External antennas are an option. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image activated, the 9120AX Series AP can manage 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Catalyst 9130AX Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified AP is intended for mid-size to large networks and dense public venues such as auditoriums and arenas. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO. External antennas on the Catalyst 9130AX device can be split into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9130AX includes a 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface and supports a combined top throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The device also supports PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. Cisco's 9130AX Series AP includes a smart physical antenna connector that gives you the versatility to configure an external antenna to handle challenging deployments. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With the EWC image activated, the 9130AX can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) on Catalyst 9100 Series Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller is a software image running on Cisco IOS XE and available for most Catalyst 9100 Series wireless access points. EWC includes most functions, but not the scale, of Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi controller appliances. Access points running EWC can concurrently service Wi-Fi client users. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW access points can be members of an EWC LAN and support client users but cannot run EWC functions.) Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller can be managed via Cisco DNA Center for multi-location networks, or via a browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance features are supported. Embedded Wireless Controller features include always-on by deploying active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates for hot patching, auto setup, Application Visibility and Control (AVC), and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent Can Help Your Company with Catalyst 802.11ax Access Points
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consultant to assist you to design, install, manage and troubleshoot a wireless environment that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can help you to manage legacy wireless access points from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to the latest 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller solutions experts can help you to assess whether your wireless environment should incorporate Cisco Wi-Fi controller appliances or can be managed using Cisco's software-based management tools like Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security specialists can advise you about how to build protection into your wireless network and your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can help you to deploy the high availability (HA) technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged infrastructure provides non-stop return on investment.

Progent's Wireless Site Survey assists you to design and implement a state-of-the-art WLAN customized for your environment, offering a wireless ecosystem that provides seamless coverage, high performance and density, Quality of Service features to accommodate IP video, advanced security and compliance, and streamlined management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed online to cut time and expense, or on premises to deal with more difficult environments.

For additional details about Progent's consulting help for Cisco technology, choose a topic: Contact Progent for Help with Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax Access Points
To learn more about Progent's consulting services for planning, integrating, managing and troubleshooting a wireless solution based on Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 access points, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.