Introduction to of Cisco's Catalyst Family of 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E Access Points
Cisco's Catalyst line of 802.11ax (called Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) access points build on previous version 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering less latency and more consistent performance, supporting higher client density, having tighter cybersecurity, saving energy for battery-dependent handheld devices, and offering more versatility for handling different kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E devices add compatibility with the 6-GHz spectrum, delivering an additional 1200 MHz of bandwidth to provide over twice as much Wi-Fi bandwidth compared to the 5-GHz band.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi network consultants offer online or onsite configuration and debugging support to help your organization to plan, implement, update, optimize, administer and debug Catalyst wireless AP deployments of any scale or architecture. Progent's Cisco wireless controller consultants can also assist you to combine your wireless ecosystem with your wired network and cloud-based resources to create a seamless enterprise connectivity foundation that is simple to administer and scale. Progent also can provide affordable wireless site surveys to assist you to decide the most appropriate selection, placement and configuration of Aironet wireless access points to accommodate your specific office layout, building structure, and expected workloads.

Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax APs Experts

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6/6E access points deliver the performance and capacity of the 802.11ax standard

The Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax wireless access points are intended for environments ranging from home offices to crowded convention centers. Catalyst 9100 APs are compliant with the 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Important enhancements supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for improved dependability, Target Wake Time for conserving power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for better spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Catalyst 9100 802.11ax access points support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, handle as many as 200 client users per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wi-Fi 6 AP Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi access point is a low-profile Wi-Fi 6 access point intended for operation in home offices or in small to medium size enterprises. The Catalyst 9105AXi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and includes dual 2.4/5 GH radios and an IoT radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO spatial streams and provides an aggregate top data rate of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi comes with one 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink interface with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, 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 access points and 1,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9105w Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Catalyst 9105AXw Series wireless AP is a wall-mount device and is targeted at hospitality, residence halls, and other high-occupancy dwellings. The 9105AXw's performance is similar to the 9105AXi access point but has different antenna profiles and includes a variety of ports not available on the 9105AXi unit. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink, three 10/100/1000 Ethernet downlink interfaces, a USB 2.0 port, and a passthru interface. A downlink interface has 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Cisco Catalyst 9115 Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified wireless access point is intended for small to medium size businesses. The Cisco 9115AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX features 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers an aggregate maximum data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series AP comes with one 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, built-in antennas, and optional external antennas. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller installed, the 9115AX can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9117 Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series LAN access point is designed for small to medium size enterprises. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance complies with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things radio that supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8 MIMO with eight spatial streams for the 5-GHz radio and band. Maximum aggregate throughput is 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP includes one 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller activated, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage as many as 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9120AX Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6 AP is targeted at for mid-size to large enterprises. The Catalyst 9120AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology permits radios to operate in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An IoT radio supports (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9120AX Series AP features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers a combined max data rate of 5.2 Gbps when both Wi-Fi radios operate in 5-GHz client serving mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series AP includes 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45). The device also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. External antennas are optional. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) installed, the 9120AX can manage up to 100 APs and 2,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9130AX Wireless APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is intended for mid-size to large networks and dense public environments such as convention centers and arenas. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO spatial streams. External antennas on Cisco's 9130AX AP can be split into two 4x4 radios. An Internet-of-Things radio supports (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9130AX features a 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet uplink port and supports an aggregate maximum throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The access point also supports PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. The 9130AX access point includes an intelligent antenna connector that offers you the versatility to configure an external antenna to handle challenging deployments. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With the EWC image activated, the 9130AX Series AP can manage 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series is an innovative line of access points intended for enterprises who need the enhanced speed, capacity, and security enabled by the 6-GHz spectrum addition introduced with the Wi-Fi 6E specification. By adding 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and clean spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E standard implemented in Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series access points delivers over twice the spectrum that can be used by earlier model Wi-Fi client devices. Catalyst 9136 APs support older generation 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi clients operating in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in addition to 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 2.4/6 GHz. Combined max throughput rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also included are a Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 radio for IoT and a scan radio. Built-in antennas antennas support 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 APs come with two integrated 5 Gbps mGig (RJ-45) Ethernet interfaces with redundant powering. Channel width is 20 MHz for the 2.4 GHz band 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 access points are the first Cisco access points to feature the option of being managed either on-site with Cisco DNA Center platform or from the cloud by deploying Meraki management utilities. This enables organizations to transition to cloud-based or hybrid deployments on their own timetable. All Catalyst 916x access points comply with the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E Wi-Fi standards and fully support the new 6-GHz band. Each device has 5 radios and allows a maximum of 400 clients on each radio. Every AP also contains a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for reducing wireless interference, includes a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth BLE. Cisco's entry-level Catalyst 9162 Series AP is designed for small organizations, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support.

Catalyst Access Points ConsultantsThe Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E AP is intended to withstand harsh outside deployments like campus environments or stadiums. The 9163E includes three client serving 2x2 radios, one IoT radio, and a tri-band scanning radio. Interfaces include 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G Multigigabit Ethernet, a management console port (RJ-45), 4x N-Type Wi-Fi antenna connectors, and a GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The AP supports Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. The Catalyst 9164 Series access point is meant for small and mid-size organizations, incorporates 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 mid-sized organizations, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The 9166 also comes with environmental sensors that track air quality, temperature, and moisture.

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst 9100 Wireless APs
Cisco's EWC is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and available for most Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Cisco's EWC includes most management functions, but not the expandability, of Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi controller appliances. Access points running EWC can concurrently support Wi-Fi client users. (Catalyst 9105AXW access points can participate in an EWC LAN and service client users but cannot run EWC functions.) Cisco's EWC can be managed via Cisco DNA Center for multi-site networks, or via a web browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNAC Automation and Assurance features are supported. Embedded Wireless Controller features include high availability by deploying active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates (SMUs) for hot patching, automatic setup, Application Visibility and Control, and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent Can Assist Your Business with Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax Wireless Access Points
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified CCIE consultant to assist your business to plan, deploy, maintain and troubleshoot a wireless environment that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 access points. Progent can assist you to support early-generation wireless APs from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to current Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco wireless controller integration consultants can help you to evaluate whether your Wi-Fi network should incorporate Cisco Wi-Fi controller hardware or can be managed with Cisco's virtual appliances and utilities such as the EWC.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security consultants can advise you about how to build protection into your WLAN and into your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planners can assist you to set up the HA features built into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged network provides continuing return on investment.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to design and implement a state-of-the-art WLAN optimized for your environment, providing a Wi-Fi ecosystem that provides seamless coverage, high performance and capacity, QoS to support IP video, advanced security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered online to reduce time and expense, or on premises for more challenging environments.

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To find out more about Progent's support for planning, integrating, maintaining 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.