Introduction to of Cisco's Catalyst Family of 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E APs
Cisco's Catalyst line of 802.11ax (referred to as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) wireless access points build on prior version 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering less latency and more predictable operation, allowing higher client user density, providing greater security, conserving power for battery-dependent handheld devices, and offering more configurability for handling new kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E devices add support for the 6-GHz radio-frequency band, opening up an additional 1200 MHz of bandwidth for over twice as much Wi-Fi bandwidth compared to the 5-GHz spectrum.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi network consultants can provide online or on-premises configuration and troubleshooting support to assist your organization to plan, implement, upgrade, optimize, administer and troubleshoot Catalyst wireless AP environments of any scale or topology. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can also assist you to combine your wireless environment with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-based resources to create a seamless enterprise-wide connectivity foundation that is easy to administer and scale. Progent also can provide affordable Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to determine the most efficient selection, location and configuration of Aironet Wi-Fi access points to accommodate your specific office design, building structure, and anticipated workloads.

Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs Consultants

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of 802.11ax APs support the throughput and scale of the 802.11ax standard

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax wireless access points are intended for environments ranging from home offices to high-density stadiums. Catalyst 9100 access points are based on the 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the previous 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Headline enhancements supported by Catalyst 9100 Series access points include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for improved dependability, TWT for reduced power consumption in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax access points can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, handle as many as 200 client users per radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.

Catalyst 9105i Wireless AP Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi access point is a ceiling mount or desktop Wi-Fi 6 AP intended for use by at-home workers or in small to medium size businesses. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and includes dual 2.4/5 GH radios as well as an IoT radio supporting Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. The Catalyst 9105AXi device supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO spatial streams and provides a combined top speed of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi comes with a 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink port with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, 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 the EWC image activated, the Catalyst 9105AXi allows you to manage 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9105AXw Wireless APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi AP is a wall-mount device and is targeted at hospitality, residence halls, and other high-occupancy living spaces. The 9105AXw's capability is similar to Cisco's 9105AXi AP but has special antenna profiles and includes a variety of ports not offered on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink port, three 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet downlink interfaces, a USB 2.0 port, and one passthru interface. One Ethernet downlink port supports 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Catalyst 9115AX Wireless APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless AP is intended for small to midsize enterprises. Cisco's 9115AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. The 9115AX Series AP features 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and supports an aggregate maximum data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX comes with a fixed 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, built-in internal antennas, and extra-cost external antennas. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image installed, the 9115AX can manage as many as 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9117 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series wireless access point is targeted at small to midsize enterprises. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance works with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8 MIMO with eight spatial streams for the 5-GHz band and band. Top aggregate data rate is 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series AP comes with a 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. RAM includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC installed, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage as many as 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9120AX Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is designed for for medium to large networks. The Cisco Catalyst 9120AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and incorporates four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology allows 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 Series AP features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and supports a combined maximum throughput of 5.2 Gbps when both Wi-Fi radios operate in 5-GHz client serving mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series AP comes with 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 port, and integrated internal antennas. External antennas are an option. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With Embedded Wireless Controller 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 AP is intended for medium to large enterprises and dense public environments like convention centers and stadiums. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO spatial streams. External antennas on the Catalyst 9130AX device may be divided into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Catalyst 9130AX features a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet uplink port and delivers a combined maximum throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The device also supports PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. The 9130AX AP includes an intelligent physical antenna connector that offers you the versatility to configure an external antenna to handle special deployments. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) installed, the 9130AX Series AP can manage 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series is an innovative line of access points designed for enterprises who need the increased performance, capacity, and cybersecurity brought about by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion defined by the Wi-Fi 6E specification. By opening up 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and clean spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E technology implemented in Catalyst 9136 Series access points delivers over twice the spectrum that can be used by earlier model Wi-Fi client devices. Catalyst 9136 access points work with legacy 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi clients designed for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in addition to the modern generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi client devices. MU-MIMO spatial streams support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and 4x4:4 at 2.4/6 GHz. Aggregate max throughput rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also featured are a Bluetooth BLE 5.0 radio for IoT and a scan radio. Internal antennas antennas allow 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 APs have two integrated 5 Gbps Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) Ethernet interfaces. Channel width is 20 MHz at 2.4 GHz and 20/40/80/160 MHz at 5/6 GHz. System memory consists of 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. Power options include PoE, PoE+, and UPoE.

Cisco Catalyst 9166 Wi-Fi 6E Access Point ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9160 Series Wi-Fi 6E APs are the first Cisco APs to feature the option of being monitored and managed on-site with Cisco DNA Center or via the cloud by deploying Meraki management tools. This allows businesses to move to cloud-centric or hybrid management environments on their own timetable. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x APs meet the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless standards and fully support the 6-GHz band. Each AP includes 5 radios and allows a maximum of 400 clients per radio. Every model also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for reducing wireless interference, includes a USB 2.0 port, and supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The value-priced Catalyst 9162 Series AP is meant for small businesses, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity.

Catalyst APs ConsultantsThe Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E access point is intended for tough outside venues such as campuses or municipal Wi-Fi. The 9163E includes three client serving 2x2 radios, one IoT radio, and a tri-band scanning radio. Interfaces include 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet, a management console port (RJ-45), 4x N-Type Wi-Fi antenna connectors, and a GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The 9163E works with Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series AP is suited for small and mid-size enterprises, incorporates one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet. The Catalyst 9166 Series AP is designed for large and medium-sized enterprises, includes three 4x4 radios, and features 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The 9166 also comes with environmental sensors to track air quality, temperature, and moisture.

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) on Catalyst 9100 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 APs. Cisco's EWC includes the majority of management functions, but not the expandability, of Catalyst 9800 Series Wi-Fi controller appliances. Access points running EWC can concurrently support Wi-Fi clients. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW APs can join an EWC LAN and service client users but are not able to provide EWC management functions.) The EWC can be managed using Cisco DNA Center for multi-location deployments, or by means of a browser or mobile app for single-site environments. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance features are available. Embedded Wireless Controller features include high availability with active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates (SMUs) for live patching, auto configuration, Application Visibility and Control, and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Company with Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E APs
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consultant to help your business to plan, deploy, maintain and repair a wireless environment that incorporates Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points. Progent can assist you to manage early-generation Wi-Fi APs from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco wireless controller integration experts can help you to assess whether your Wi-Fi environment should incorporate Cisco wireless controller appliances or can be managed with Cisco's software-based management tools like Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can advise you about how to build security into your WLAN and your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can help you to configure the high availability features incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged network provides non-stop return on investment.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey helps you to design and deploy a robust wireless network customized for your environment, providing a Wi-Fi solution that provides seamless coverage, high performance and density, Quality of Service to support IP video, enterprise-class security, and simplified management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed online to reduce time and expense, or on premises to deal with more challenging facilities.

To learn more information about Progent's professional help for Cisco products, select a topic: Contact Progent for Help with Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E Access Points
To learn more about Progent's consulting services for planning, installing, managing and debugging a Wi-Fi solution incorporating Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.