Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Family of 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E APs
Cisco's Catalyst series of 802.11ax (called Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) wireless access points build on previous version 802.11ac (aka Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering less delay and more consistent operation, allowing increased client user density, providing tighter cybersecurity, conserving energy for battery-dependent handheld devices, and providing more configurability for supporting different kinds of Internet-of-Things endpoints.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi network infrastructure experts offer remote or on-premises integration and debugging support to assist you to design, implement, upgrade, optimize, administer and troubleshoot Catalyst Wi-Fi access point environments of any size 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-wide connectivity solution that is easy to manage and expand. Progent also offers affordable wireless site surveys to help you to decide the most efficient selection, placement and setup of Aironet wireless APs to work with your unique workplace design, building structure, and anticipated network traffic.

Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs Experts

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wireless access points support the performance and capacity of 802.11ax technology

The Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax APs are intended for environments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded enterprise campuses. Catalyst 9100 access points are based on the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the previous 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 Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better dependability, increased device sleep time for conserving power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Catalyst 9100 802.11ax access points can run Cisco's EWC, handle up to 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Catalyst 9105i Wi-Fi 6 AP Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi access point is a compact Wi-Fi 6 access point designed for use by at-home workers or in small to midsize organizations. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4/5 GH radios and an Internet-of-Things radio covering (BLE) 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers a combined maximum speed of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi includes a 10/100/1000 Base-T uplink port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, 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 Embedded Wireless Controller installed, the Catalyst 9105AXi can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9105w Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi AP is designed specially as a wall-mount device and is targeted at hospitality, residence halls, and other multi-unit dwellings. The 9105AXw's capability is similar to the 9105AXi AP but has special antenna profiles and includes a set of interfaces not available on the 9105AXi unit. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink interface, three 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet downlink ports, a USB 2.0 interface, and one passthru interface. A Ethernet downlink interface supports 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Catalyst 9115 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-compliant wireless access point is designed for small to medium size networks. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio covering (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and supports an aggregate maximum data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series AP includes one 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, built-in antennas, plus extra-cost external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC activated, Cisco's 9115AX lets you manage as many as 50 access points and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9117 Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series wireless AP is designed for small to medium size businesses. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance works with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and includes three Wi-Fi radios plus an IoT radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX features 8x8:8 MIMO for the 5-GHz band and 4x4 MIMO with four spatial streams for the 2.4-GHz {radio. Top combined throughput is 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP comes with one 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated 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.

Cisco Catalyst 9120 Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is targeted at for medium to large enterprises. The Cisco Catalyst 9120AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and includes four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology permits radios to work 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. Cisco's 9120AX features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers a combined top throughput of 5.2 Gbps when both radios operate in 5-GHz mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series AP includes 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45). The device also works with PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. External antennas are optional. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) installed, the 9120AX can manage 100 APs and 2,000 clients.

Catalyst 9130 Wireless APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is designed for mid-size to large enterprises and high-density open environments like auditoriums and stadiums. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO spatial streams. External antennas on Cisco's 9130AX access point can be divided into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX includes a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet uplink port and supports an aggregate max data rate of 5.38 Gbps. The device also supports PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, and integrated internal antennas. The 9130AX access point includes an intelligent antenna connector that offers you the versatility to set up an external antenna to handle special deployments. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC activated, the 9130AX can manage 100 APs and 2,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series represents an innovative line of access points designed for enterprises who want the increased performance, client density, and cybersecurity brought about by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion introduced with the Wi-Fi 6E standard. By opening up 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and interference-free RF spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E standard implemented in Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series access points delivers over twice the spectrum available to earlier model Wi-Fi clients. Catalyst 9136 APs work with legacy 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi client devices designed for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands as well as the modern generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi clients. Concurrent MU-MIMO operation support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and 4x4:4 at 2.4/6 GHz. Combined max data 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 allow 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 access points 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 for the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands. 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 APs to feature the versatility of being managed on-site via Cisco DNA Center platform or through the cloud using Meraki Dashboard management tools. This allows businesses to transition to cloud-centric or hybrid deployments at their own pace. All Catalyst 916x APs support the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless standards and support the new 6-GHz band. Each device has 5 radios and supports as many as 400 clients per radio. Every AP model also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, comes with a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth BLE. The value-priced Catalyst 9162 Series AP is suited for small businesses, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9164 Series access point is designed for small and middle-size enterprises, has one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet. The Catalyst 9166 Series Wi-Fi access point is meant for large and mid-sized organizations, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and offers 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 Series Wireless Access Points
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 supports the majority of features, but not the scale, of Catalyst 9800 family of wireless controller appliances. APs running EWC can simultaneously service Wi-Fi clients. (Catalyst 9105AXW access points can be part of an EWC network and service clients but cannot run EWC management functions.) The Embedded Wireless Controller can be managed via Cisco DNA Center for multi-site deployments, or via a web browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance use cases are available. EWC features include always-on with active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates for live patching, auto configuration, Application Visibility and Control (AVC), and Site Survey.

How Progent's Engineers Can Help You with Catalyst 802.11ax Access Points
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified expert to assist you to design, install, manage and repair a wireless solution that incorporates Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points. Progent can assist you to maintain legacy Wi-Fi APs from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to current 802.11ax. Progent's Cisco wireless controller integration experts can assist you to evaluate whether your wireless network should include Cisco Wi-Fi controller hardware or can be managed using Cisco's software-based management tools such as Cisco's EWC.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security specialists can show you how to design security into your WLAN and into your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can assist you to configure the high availability (HA) technology built into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged infrastructure provides continuing return on investment.

Progent's Wireless Site Survey helps you to plan and implement a robust wireless network optimized for your facilities, offering a Wi-Fi ecosystem that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and density, QoS features to handle IP video, enterprise-class security, and streamlined management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed online to reduce time and costs, or onsite for more challenging situations.

To find out more details concerning Progent's professional expertise for Cisco products, choose a topic: Contact Progent for Expertise with Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs
To learn more about Progent's support for planning, installing, maintaining and debugging a wireless solution based on Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E access points, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.