Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Family of Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst family of 802.11ax (referred to as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) wireless access points build on previous generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering lower latency and more predictable performance, supporting increased client user density, providing tighter security, saving power for battery-based mobile client devices, and offering more flexibility for supporting new kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi network consultants can provide remote or onsite integration and debugging services to assist your organization to design, implement, update, tune, administer and troubleshoot Catalyst Wi-Fi access point environments of any size or architecture. Progent's Cisco wireless controller experts can also help you to integrate your wireless ecosystem with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-hosted resources to build a seamless enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is simple to administer and scale. Progent also offers affordable wireless site surveys to assist you to determine the most appropriate selection, location and setup of Aironet wireless access points to work with your specific workplace design, building structure, and anticipated workloads.

Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Consultants

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wireless access points deliver the throughput and scale of 802.11ax technology

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax access points are intended for deployments ranging from home offices to crowded enterprise campuses. Cisco Catalyst 9100 APs are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the preceding 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 technologies incorporated in Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved dependability, increased device sleep time for conserving power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Catalyst 9100 802.11ax APs can run Cisco's EWC, accommodate as many as 200 clients per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series wireless AP is a compact Wi-Fi 6 AP intended for operation in home offices or in small to medium size networks. 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 (BLE) 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi device supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO spatial streams and provides a combined max data rate of 1.2 Gbps. The 9105AXi AP comes with one 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink interface with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, and a pair of internal 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 installed, the 9105AXi AP can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9105w Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi AP is designed specially as a wall-mount appliance and is intended for hospitality, residence halls, and other high-occupancy dwellings. The 9105AXw's capability is similar to the Cisco 9105AXi AP but has special antenna profiles 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 Ethernet downlink ports, a USB 2.0 interface, and one passthru interface. A downlink port has 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Cisco Catalyst 9115 Wireless Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-compliant LAN access point is designed for small to midsize enterprises. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios as well as an IoT radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers an aggregate maximum data rate of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX includes one 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 interface, integrated internal antennas, and extra-cost external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image activated, the 9115AX lets you manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9117 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series Wi-Fi access point is intended for small to midsize enterprises. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance works with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and includes three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8:8 MIMO for the 5-GHz band and 4x4 MIMO with four spatial streams for the 2.4-GHz {radio. Maximum combined performance is 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX includes a 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. RAM includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the Catalyst 9117AX can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9120 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is targeted at for mid-size to large networks. The Cisco Catalyst 9120AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology allows radios to work in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An IoT radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The 9120AX Series AP features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and delivers a combined maximum throughput of 5.2 Gbps when both Wi-Fi radios run in 5-GHz client serving mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX 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 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 Series AP can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Catalyst 9130 Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is targeted at mid-size to large networks and high-density open environments such as auditoriums and arenas. The Catalyst 9130AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO. External antennas on Cisco's 9130AX access point can be split into two 4x4 radios. An Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX includes a 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet uplink interface and delivers a combined max throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The access point also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 interface, 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 handle special venues. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller activated, the 9130AX can manage 100 APs and 2,000 client users.

Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series is an innovative family of access points designed for enterprises looking for the increased speed, client density, and cybersecurity enabled by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion defined by the Wi-Fi 6E standard. By opening up 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and clean spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E standard implemented in Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series APs delivers over twice the bandwidth available to earlier model 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 clients. 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. Aggregate top data rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also featured are a Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 radio for IoT and a scan radio. Internal omnidirectional antennas allow 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 APs have two integrated 5 Gbps mGig (RJ-45) Ethernet interfaces with redundant powering. 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. 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 access points to offer the option of being managed on-prem with Cisco DNA Center or via the cloud using Meraki management tools. This permits organizations to move to cloud-centric or hybrid deployments on their own timetable. All Catalyst 916x access points meet the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless specifications and support the new 6-GHz band. Each device has 5 radios and allows a maximum of 400 clients on each radio. Every model also features a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for reducing interference, includes a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth Low Energy. Cisco's value-priced Catalyst 9162 Series access point is suited for small organizations, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series access point is meant for small and middle-size organizations, includes one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9166 Series AP is intended for large and medium-sized enterprises, includes three 4x4 radios, and features 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet support. The 9166 also includes environmental sensors to track air quality, temperature, and moisture.

Cisco's EWC on Catalyst 9100 Wireless APs
Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and offered on most Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. EWC supports most management functions, but not the scale, of Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi controller devices. Access points running EWC can simultaneously service Wi-Fi clients. (Catalyst 9105AXW APs can be members of an EWC LAN and service client users but are not able to provide EWC management functions.) Cisco's EWC can be managed using Cisco DNA Center (DNAC) for multi-location deployments, or via a web browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance use cases are supported. EWC features include high availability by deploying active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates (SMUs) for live patching, auto setup, Application Visibility and Control, and Site Survey.

How Progent Can Help You with Catalyst 802.11ax APs
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to help you to design, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a wireless solution that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can assist you to maintain legacy Wi-Fi APs from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to current Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco wireless controller integration consultants can assist you to evaluate whether your Wi-Fi environment should include Cisco wireless controller hardware or can be managed with Cisco's software-based management tools such as the Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security professionals can advise you about how to design security into your WLAN and into your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planning consultants can assist you to set up the high availability (HA) features built into Cisco's wired/wireless products so your converged infrastructure delivers significant return on investment.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to design and deploy a robust WLAN customized for your facilities, offering a Wi-Fi solution that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and density, Quality of Service features to support IP voice and video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and easy management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be delivered remotely to reduce time and costs, or onsite for more complex facilities.

To see more information about Progent's consulting help for Cisco networking products, select a topic: Contact Progent for Help with Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs
To learn more about Progent's consulting services for planning, configuring, maintaining and debugging a wireless deployment incorporating Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.