Introduction to of Cisco's Catalyst Family of 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E Access Points
The Cisco Catalyst line of 802.11ax (called Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) wireless access points improve on prior version 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) APs by offering lower delay and more predictable performance, supporting increased client user density, providing greater security, saving energy for battery-dependent handheld devices, and providing more versatility for supporting new types of IoT endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E devices feature compatibility with the 6-GHz spectrum, delivering an extra 1200 MHz of bandwidth for more than twice as much Wi-Fi bandwidth as the 5-GHz spectrum.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified wireless infrastructure experts can provide online or on-premises integration and troubleshooting services to assist you to design, configure, update, optimize, administer and troubleshoot Catalyst Wi-Fi AP environments of any scale or topology. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can also help you to integrate your Wi-Fi ecosystem with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-hosted resources to create a seamless enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is simple to administer and scale. Progent also offers affordable Wi-Fi site surveys to help you to decide the most efficient selection, location and setup of Aironet wireless APs to accommodate your unique office layout, construction, and expected workloads.

Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Experts

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wireless APs deliver the throughput and density of the 802.11ax standard

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 family of Wi-Fi 6 access points are designed for environments ranging from home offices to high-density arenas. Cisco Catalyst 9100 APs are compliant with the 802.11ax standard, 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. Headline enhancements incorporated in Catalyst 9100 Series APs include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for improved dependability, increased device sleep time for reduced power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum use, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Catalyst 9100 wireless access points support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, accommodate as many as 200 client users per Wi-Fi radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Catalyst 9105i Wireless AP Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series wireless access point is a ceiling mount or desktop Wi-Fi 6 AP designed for operation in home offices or in small to midsize networks. The Catalyst 9105AXi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4/5 GH radios plus an Internet-of-Things radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi device supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and provides a combined max speed of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi includes one 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, and two 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 installed, the 9105AXi AP can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9105w Wireless APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi AP is designed specially as a wall-mount appliance and is targeted at hospitality, residence halls, and other high-occupancy dwellings. The 9105AXw's performance is like the 9105AXi access point but has different antenna options and features a set of ports not offered on the 9105AXi unit. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink interface, three 10/100/1000 Ethernet downlink interfaces, a USB 2.0 interface, and one passthru port. One Ethernet downlink port supports 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-compliant wireless access point is intended for small to medium size enterprises. The 9115AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios as well as an IoT radio that supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX features 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and supports an aggregate combined data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series AP includes one 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, integrated antennas, and extra-cost external antennas. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC installed, the 9115AX Series AP can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Wireless APs Solution Design ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series wireless access point is intended for small to midsize enterprises. The Wi-Fi 6 device works with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and includes three Wi-Fi radios plus an IoT radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8 MIMO with eight spatial streams for the 5-GHz radio and band. Maximum combined performance is 5 Gbps. The Cisco Catalyst 9117AX comes with one 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. System memory 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 clients.

Catalyst 9120 Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is designed for for mid-size to large networks. The Catalyst 9120AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes 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 Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9120AX features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and delivers an aggregate top data rate of 5.2 Gbps when both radios run in 5-GHz mode. The Catalyst 9120AX comes with 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also supports PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. External antennas are optional. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the 9120AX can manage 100 APs and 2,000 clients.

Catalyst 9130AX Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 AP is intended for medium to large networks and dense open environments such as convention centers and stadiums. The Catalyst 9130AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO spatial streams. External antennas on the 9130AX device may be divided into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An IoT radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9130AX features a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface and delivers a combined maximum throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The device also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 port, and integrated internal antennas. The 9130AX Series AP includes an intelligent antenna connector that gives you the versatility to set up an external antenna to accommodate challenging venues. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the 9130AX Series AP can manage up to 100 APs and 2,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series represents a breakthrough line of access points targeted at enterprises who need the increased performance, client density, and cybersecurity enabled by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion defined by the Wi-Fi 6E standard. By adding 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and interference-free RF spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E technology supported by Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series APs delivers over twice the spectrum that can be used by earlier model Wi-Fi client devices. Catalyst 9136 access points work with older generation 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi client devices designed for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in addition to the newer generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi devices. Concurrent MU-MIMO spatial streams support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and up to 4x4:4 at 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz. Combined top data rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also featured are a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 radio for IoT and a scan radio. Built-in omnidirectional antennas allow 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 APs have two integrated 5 Gbps mGig (RJ-45) Ethernet ports. Channel width is 20 MHz at 2.4 GHz and 20/40/80/160 MHz for the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. Power options include PoE, PoE+, and UPoE.

Cisco Catalyst 9166 Wi-Fi 6E Access Point ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9160 Series Wi-Fi 6E access points are the first Cisco APs to offer the versatility to be managed on-site via Cisco DNA Center or from the cloud by deploying Meraki management utilities. This permits organizations to transition to cloud-centric or hybrid deployments on their own schedule. All Catalyst 916x APs comply with the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless specifications and fully support the new 6-GHz band. Each AP includes 5 radios and allows up to 400 clients per radio. Every AP also features a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating wireless interference, comes with a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth BLE. The small-footprint Catalyst 9162 Series AP is designed for small businesses, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support.

Catalyst APs System Design and TroubleshootingThe Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E AP is intended to withstand harsh outdoor venues like campuses or stadiums. The 9163E comes with three client serving 2x2 radios, one 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 a GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The AP works with Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series access point is designed for small and middle-size organizations, incorporates 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 suited for large and mid-sized enterprises, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet support. The 9166 also comes with environmental sensors that detect air quality, temperature, and moisture.

Cisco's EWC on Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs
Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) is a software image running on Cisco IOS XE and offered on most Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs. Cisco's EWC includes the majority of functions, but not the scale, of Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi controller devices. APs running EWC can simultaneously support Wi-Fi clients. (Catalyst 9105AXW access points can participate in an EWC network and support clients but cannot run EWC management functions.) Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller can be managed via Cisco DNA Center (DNAC) for multi-site deployments, or by means of a web browser or mobile app for single-site environments. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance features are available. EWC features include always-on with active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates (SMUs) for hot patching, auto configuration, Application Visibility and Control (AVC), and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent's Engineers Can Assist You with Catalyst 802.11ax APs
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified expert to help your business to design, configure, maintain and repair a Wi-Fi environment that incorporates Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can assist you to manage legacy Wi-Fi access points from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current 802.11ax. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller solutions consultants can assist you to determine whether your Wi-Fi network should incorporate Cisco wireless controller hardware or can be managed with Cisco's virtual appliances and utilities such as Cisco's EWC.

Progent's CISA and ISSAP security consultants can show you how to build security into your wireless network and your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planners can show you how to deploy the high availability technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged network delivers continuing business value.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and implement a robust WLAN optimized for your facilities, providing a wireless solution that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and density, Quality of Service to support IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and easy management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered online to reduce time and costs, or on premises for more challenging facilities.

To see additional details about Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco technology, choose 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, maintaining 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.