Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 APs
Cisco's Catalyst line of 802.11ax (referred to as W-Fi 6) wireless access points improve on prior generation 802.11ac (aka Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering less latency and more predictable performance, allowing increased client user density, having tighter security, saving energy for battery-dependent mobile client devices, and offering more configurability for supporting new kinds of IoT endpoints.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi consultantsCisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi infrastructure consultants can provide online or on-premises integration and troubleshooting support to help your organization to design, configure, update, optimize, administer and troubleshoot Catalyst Wi-Fi AP deployments of any size or architecture. Progent's Cisco wireless controller consultants can also help you to integrate your wireless ecosystem with your wired network and cloud-based resources to build a seamless enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is simple to manage and expand. Progent also can provide affordable wireless site surveys to help you to decide the most efficient selection, location and configuration of Aironet wireless access points to work with your specific office design, building structure, and anticipated network traffic.

Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Experts

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of 802.11ax access points support the performance and capacity of the 802.11ax standard

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs are intended for environments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded convention centers. Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the previous 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Important technologies supported by Catalyst 9100 Series APs include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved reliability, Target Wake Time for conserving power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, accommodate up to 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi access point is a compact Wi-Fi 6 access point designed for operation by at-home workers or in small to medium size businesses. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios as well as an IoT radio supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi AP features 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and delivers a combined top speed of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi includes a 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink interface with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, and a pair of integrated 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 Catalyst 9105AXi allows you to manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9105w Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Catalyst 9105AXw Series wireless access point is a wall-mount appliance and is targeted at hospitality, dormitories, and other multi-unit living spaces. The 9105AXw's capability is similar to the 9105AXi access point but has different antenna profiles and includes a variety of ports not available on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink, three 10/100/1000 Ethernet downlink interfaces, a USB 2.0 port, and one passthru interface. A Ethernet downlink interface has 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Wireless Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-compliant wireless access point is designed for small to midsize networks. Cisco's 9115AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and supports an aggregate max data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series AP includes one 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, built-in antennas, plus extra-cost external antennas. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image activated, Cisco's 9115AX Series AP lets you manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9117AX Wireless APs Solution Design ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series wireless AP is targeted at small to medium size networks. The Wi-Fi 6 device complies with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio covering (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8:8 MIMO for the 5-GHz band and 4x4:4 MIMO. Max combined throughput is 5 Gbps. The Cisco Catalyst 9117AX comes with one 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. RAM includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage as many as 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9120 Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified AP is targeted at for medium to large enterprises. The Catalyst 9120AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology permits radios to run in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9120AX features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and supports a combined top data rate of 5.2 Gbps when both Wi-Fi radios operate in 5-GHz 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 console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. External antennas are optional. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With EWC installed, the 9120AX Series AP can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Catalyst 9130 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is designed for mid-size to large networks and high-density open environments such as convention centers and stadiums. The Catalyst 9130AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO. External antennas on Cisco's 9130AX AP may be divided into two 4x4 radios. An Internet-of-Things radio supports (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9130AX includes a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet uplink port and delivers an aggregate top data rate of 5.38 Gbps. The access point also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. The Catalyst 9130AX Series AP includes a smart antenna connector that offers you the flexibility to set up an external antenna to handle special deployments. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller activated, the 9130AX Series AP can manage up to 100 APs and 2,000 client users.

Cisco's EWC on Catalyst 9100 Wireless Access Points
Cisco's EWC is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and offered on most Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs. EWC supports the majority of management functions, but not the scale, of Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi controller devices. Access points running EWC can concurrently support Wi-Fi client users. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW access points can be members of an EWC network and support clients but are not able to provide EWC management functions.) The Embedded Wireless Controller can be managed using Cisco DNA Center for multi-site deployments, or via a web browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNAC Automation and Assurance features are available. EWC features include always-on with active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates for live patching, auto configuration, Application Visibility and Control, and Site Survey.

How Progent Can Help You with Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax Access Points
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified expert to help your business to design, install, manage and troubleshoot a Wi-Fi solution that incorporates Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can help you to manage legacy Wi-Fi access points from Cisco or migrate efficiently to current 802.11ax. Progent's Cisco wireless controller integration consultants can assist you to determine whether your Wi-Fi environment should incorporate Cisco wireless controller hardware or can be managed using Cisco's software-based management tools like the Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security consultants can advise you about how to build security into your wireless network and into your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planning consultants can show you how to configure the HA technology built into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged network delivers non-stop business value.

Progent's Wireless Site Survey helps you to design and deploy a state-of-the-art WLAN optimized for your environment, providing a Wi-Fi ecosystem that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and density, QoS features to accommodate IP voice and video, advanced security and compliance, and easy management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed remotely to reduce time and costs, or onsite to deal with more challenging environments.

For additional details concerning Progent's professional assistance for Cisco solutions, choose a subject: Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Access Points
To find out more about Progent's support for planning, installing, maintaining and troubleshooting a Wi-Fi deployment incorporating Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 access points, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.