Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Line of Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst series of 802.11ax (called W-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) access points build on prior version 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering less delay and more predictable performance, supporting increased client user density, having greater security, saving energy for battery-based handheld devices, and offering more flexibility for supporting new types of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi network experts offer online or onsite configuration and troubleshooting services to help you to design, configure, update, tune, administer and troubleshoot Catalyst wireless AP environments of any scale or architecture. Progent's Cisco wireless controller experts can also help you to integrate your Wi-Fi environment with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-based resources to build an enterprise connectivity foundation that is easy to administer and expand. Progent also offers affordable Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to decide the most efficient selection, placement and configuration of Aironet wireless APs to accommodate your specific workplace design, construction, and expected network traffic.

Cisco Catalyst Wireless Access Points Experts

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs support the performance and scale of the 802.11ax standard

The Catalyst 9100 line of Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax access points are intended for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded stadiums. Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax standard, known as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the previous 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Headline enhancements supported by Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better dependability, increased device sleep time for reduced power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum utilization, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 access points can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), accommodate as many as 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wi-Fi 6 AP Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series wireless access point is a low-profile Wi-Fi 6 access point designed for operation in home offices or in small to midsize networks. 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 Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and delivers an aggregate top data rate of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi includes one 10/100/1000 Base-T uplink interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, and two integrated antennas. Channel width for the 2.4 GHz radio is 20 MHz and 20/40/80 MHz for the 5 GHz radio. With EWC activated, the Catalyst 9105AXi can manage 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9105AXw Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi AP is a wall-mount device and is intended for hospitality, residence halls, and other high-occupancy dwellings. The 9105AXw's capability is like the Cisco 9105AXi access point but has different antenna profiles and includes a variety of ports not offered on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) port, three 10/100/1000 Ethernet downlink ports, a USB 2.0 interface, and one passthru port. A Ethernet downlink interface has 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Cisco Catalyst 9115 Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-compliant wireless AP is designed for small to medium size businesses. The Cisco 9115AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. The 9115AX features 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and supports a combined max data rate of 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9115AX comes with a fixed 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 interface, built-in antennas, plus optional external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC activated, the Cisco 9115AX Series AP can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series LAN access point is targeted at small to midsize organizations. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance complies with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios plus an IoT radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9117AX features 8x8 MIMO with eight spatial streams for the 5-GHz band and band. Top combined data rate is 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series AP comes with one 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. RAM includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller installed, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9120AX Wireless APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is intended for for mid-size 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. Cisco's 9120AX features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers a combined top throughput of 5.2 Gbps when both radios run in 5-GHz mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX comes with 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also works with 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. System 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.

Cisco Catalyst 9130AX Wireless APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified AP is intended 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 the 9130AX device can be split into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supports (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9130AX includes a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface and delivers a combined top throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The device also supports PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, and integrated internal antennas. The 9130AX AP includes a smart antenna connector that gives you the flexibility to set up an external antenna to handle challenging environments. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC activated, the 9130AX Series AP can manage 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series represents an innovative family of access points intended for enterprises looking for the increased speed, client density, and cybersecurity brought about by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion introduced with the Wi-Fi 6E specification. By opening up 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and interference-free spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E standard supported by Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series access points more than doubles the bandwidth that can be used by new Wi-Fi clients. Catalyst 9136 access points support legacy 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi clients operating in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands as well as the modern generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi devices. Concurrent MU-MIMO operation support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and up to 4x4:4 at 2.4/6 GHz. Combined top performance rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also included are a Bluetooth BLE 5.0 radio for IoT plus a scan radio. Built-in omnidirectional antennas allow 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 access points come with two integrated 5 Gbps mGig (RJ-45) Ethernet ports. Channel width is 20 MHz for the 2.4 GHz band and 20/40/80/160 MHz at 5/6 GHz. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. Power options include PoE, PoE+, and UPoE.

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

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Company with Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E APs
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consulting professional to help you to plan, configure, manage and repair a wireless environment that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can help you to support early-generation Wi-Fi access points from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to the latest Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller solutions consultants can help you to assess whether your Wi-Fi environment should include Cisco Wi-Fi controller appliances or can be managed using Cisco's software-based management tools such as the EWC.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security specialists can advise you about how to build protection into your WLAN and your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity consultants can assist you to configure the HA features incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged infrastructure provides non-stop return on investment.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and implement a state-of-the-art wireless network optimized for your environment, offering a wireless ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high speed and capacity, QoS to accommodate IP video, enterprise-class security, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered remotely to cut time and costs, or on premises to deal with more difficult environments.

For additional information about Progent's professional help for Cisco networking products, select a subject: Contact Progent for Help with Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Access Points
To find out more about Progent's support for planning, configuring, managing and troubleshooting a Wi-Fi solution incorporating Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax access points, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.