Introduction to of Cisco's Catalyst Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E APs
Cisco's Catalyst line of 802.11ax (called Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) wireless access points build on previous generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) APs by offering less delay and more consistent performance, allowing increased client user density, providing tighter security, saving power for battery-dependent handheld devices, and offering more configurability for supporting new kinds of IoT endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E products include compatibility with the 6-GHz radio-frequency band, delivering an extra 1200 MHz of bandwidth to provide more than double the Wi-Fi bandwidth as the 5-GHz band.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi infrastructure consultants offer remote or on-premises configuration and debugging support to assist your organization to design, configure, update, tune, manage and debug Catalyst Wi-Fi access point environments of any size 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 create a seamless enterprise connectivity solution that is simple to administer and expand. Progent also can provide affordable Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to decide the most efficient selection, location and setup of Aironet Wi-Fi access points to accommodate your specific workplace design, building structure, and expected network traffic.

Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs Experts

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of Wi-Fi 6/6E APs support the throughput and density of 802.11ax technology

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs are designed for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded stadiums. Catalyst 9100 APs are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on 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 technologies supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better dependability, TWT for conserving power usage in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power thresholds for more efficient spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Catalyst 9100 Series wireless access points support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, accommodate as many as 200 clients per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wireless Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi AP is a compact Wi-Fi 6 access point intended for operation in home offices or in small to midsize organizations. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios and an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supporting Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. The Catalyst 9105AXi device features 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers a combined top data rate of 1.2 Gbps. The 9105AXi AP includes a 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink port with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, 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 the EWC image installed, the Catalyst 9105AXi can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9105AXw Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi access point is designed specially as a wall-mount appliance and is targeted at hospitality, dormitories, and other multi-unit living spaces. The 9105AXw's performance is similar to Cisco's 9105AXi AP but has different antenna options and includes a set of ports not offered on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) port, three 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet downlink ports, a USB 2.0 interface, and one passthru port. A downlink port supports 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Catalyst 9115AX Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified wireless access point is designed for small to midsize businesses. Cisco's 9115AX Series AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios as well as an IoT radio that supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers an aggregate max data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX includes a fixed 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) port with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, integrated antennas, and extra-cost external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC installed, Cisco's 9115AX lets you manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9117 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Solution Design ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series LAN AP is targeted at small to medium size enterprises. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance complies with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and includes three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio covering (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9117AX features 8x8:8 MIMO for the 5-GHz band and 4x4:4 MIMO. Top aggregate performance is 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX comes with one 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 port, 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 as many as 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9120 Wireless APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6 AP is designed for for mid-size to large networks. The Cisco Catalyst 9120AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology allows radios to run either in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An IoT radio supports (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9120AX features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers a combined max throughput of 5.2 Gbps when both radios run in 5-GHz client serving mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX comes with 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. External antennas are optional. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image activated, the 9120AX Series AP can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Catalyst 9130 Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 AP is designed for medium to large networks and dense public venues such as auditoriums and arenas. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO. External antennas on Cisco's 9130AX device may be divided into two 4x4 radios. An IoT radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9130AX features a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface and delivers a combined top throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The access point also supports PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. The 9130AX AP includes an intelligent physical antenna connector that offers you the versatility to configure an external antenna to handle challenging venues. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the 9130AX Series AP can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series is a breakthrough line of APs designed for enterprises who need the enhanced speed, client density, and security brought about by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion introduced with the Wi-Fi 6E standard. By opening up 1.2 GHz of contiguous 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 available to earlier model Wi-Fi clients. Catalyst 9136 access points work with older generation 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi clients operating in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands as well as the newer generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi client devices. Concurrent MU-MIMO spatial streams support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and 4x4:4 at 2.4/6 GHz. Aggregate max data rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also included are a Bluetooth BLE 5.0 radio for IoT plus a scan radio. Internal antennas antennas support 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 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 916x Series Wi-Fi 6E APs are the first Cisco APs that have the versatility to be monitored and managed on-site via Cisco DNA Center or through the cloud by deploying Meraki Dashboard management tools. This enables businesses to transition to cloud-based or hybrid management environments on their own schedule. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x APs support the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E Wi-Fi standards and support the new 6-GHz band. Each device has 5 radios and supports up to 400 clients per radio. Every AP also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, has a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Cisco's entry-level Catalyst 9162 Series access point is meant for small organizations, has three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support.

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

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst 9100 Wireless Access Points
Cisco's EWC is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and available for most Catalyst 9100 wireless APs. EWC includes most functions, but not the expandability, of Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family of wireless controller devices. Access points running EWC can concurrently support Wi-Fi client users. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW APs can join an EWC network and support clients but are not able to provide EWC management functions.) The EWC can be managed using Cisco DNA Center for multi-location deployments, 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 with active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates (SMUs) for hot patching, automatic setup, Application Visibility and Control, and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent's Consultants Can Help You with Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E Wireless Access Points
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to help you to design, install, maintain and troubleshoot a wireless solution that incorporates Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 access points. Progent can help you to manage early-generation wireless access points from Cisco or migrate efficiently to the latest 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller integration consultants can help you to determine whether your wireless network should incorporate Cisco wireless controller hardware or can be managed with Cisco's virtual appliances and utilities such as the Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security specialists can show you how to design protection into your wireless network and into your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planning consultants can help you to set up the high availability features incorporated into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged infrastructure delivers continuing return on investment.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and deploy a state-of-the-art wireless network optimized for your environment, providing a Wi-Fi ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high speed and capacity, QoS features to accommodate IP voice and video, advanced security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed remotely to reduce time and expense, or on premises for more difficult situations.

For additional details about Progent's professional help for Cisco technology, select a topic: Contact Progent for Expertise with Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs
To find out more about Progent's support for designing, installing, managing and debugging a wireless solution based on Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E access points, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.