Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Series Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points
The Cisco Catalyst line of 802.11ax (referred to as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) access points build on prior generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering lower delay and more consistent performance, supporting increased client user density, having greater cybersecurity, saving energy for battery-based mobile client devices, and offering more flexibility for handling new types of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E products include compatibility with the 6-GHz radio-frequency band, opening up an additional 1200 MHz of bandwidth to provide more than double the Wi-Fi bandwidth compared to the 5-GHz band.

Progent's Cisco CCIE wireless infrastructure consultants can provide remote or on-premises integration and troubleshooting support to help your organization to plan, configure, update, tune, manage and debug Catalyst wireless access point deployments of any scale or architecture. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can also assist you to combine your Wi-Fi ecosystem with your wired network infrastructure 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 assist you to decide the most appropriate selection, location and setup of Aironet wireless APs to accommodate your specific office design, building structure, and expected network traffic.

Catalyst Wireless APs Consultants

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6/6E APs deliver the throughput and scale of 802.11ax technology

The Catalyst 9100 line of 802.11ax wireless access points are designed for environments ranging from home offices to high-density enterprise campuses. Catalyst 9100 access points are based on the 802.11ax standard, referred to as Wi-Fi 6, which is an evolution of the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. As an improvement to 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 OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for improved dependability, increased device sleep time for reduced power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum utilization, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax APs support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), handle as many as 200 clients per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Catalyst 9105i Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series wireless AP is a ceiling mount or desktop Wi-Fi 6 AP intended for use by at-home workers or in small to medium size businesses. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4/5 GH radios as well as an IoT radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 and Zigbee. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi AP features 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and provides a combined top speed of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi includes one 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management 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 (EWC) activated, the Catalyst 9105AXi can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9105AXw Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9105AXw Series wireless AP is designed specially as a wall-mount appliance and is targeted at hospitality, dormitories, and other high-occupancy living spaces. The 9105AXw's capability is like the 9105AXi AP but has special antenna profiles and includes a variety of interfaces not offered on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink port, three 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet downlink interfaces, a USB 2.0 interface, and a passthru port. A Ethernet downlink interface supports 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-supported LAN AP is designed for small to medium size networks. Cisco's 9115AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP features 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers an aggregate combined data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series AP includes a fixed 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 interface, built-in antennas, and extra-cost external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC installed, the Cisco 9115AX Series AP can manage as many as 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9117 Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series wireless AP is targeted at small to midsize networks. The Wi-Fi 6 device works with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio that supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8 MIMO with eight spatial streams for the 5-GHz radio and 4x4:4 MIMO. Top combined data rate is 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series AP includes one 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image installed, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9120AX Wireless APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is designed for for mid-size to large enterprises. The Cisco Catalyst 9120AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and incorporates four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology allows radios to operate either in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An Internet-of-Things radio supports (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's 9120AX Series AP features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and supports a combined max data rate of 5.2 Gbps when both radios run in 5-GHz mode. The Catalyst 9120AX Series AP comes with 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also works with PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 port, and integrated 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 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Catalyst 9130AX Wireless Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 AP is designed for mid-size to large networks and dense open environments such as convention centers and stadiums. The Catalyst 9130AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO spatial streams. External antennas on the 9130AX AP can be split into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9130AX features a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet uplink interface and supports an aggregate maximum data rate of 5.38 Gbps. The device also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. The 9130AX Series AP includes an intelligent physical antenna connector that offers you the flexibility to configure an external antenna to handle challenging environments. 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.

Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series represents a breakthrough family of access points targeted at enterprises who want 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 interference-free RF spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E technology supported by Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series APs more than doubles the spectrum available to earlier model Wi-Fi client devices. Catalyst 9136 access points work with legacy 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi devices designed for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands as well as the newer generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi devices. MU-MIMO operation support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and 4x4:4 at 2.4/6 GHz. Combined top data rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also included are a Bluetooth BLE 5.0 radio for IoT and a scan radio. Internal 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 at 2.4 GHz 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 916x Series Wi-Fi 6E access points are the first Cisco APs to offer the option to be monitored and managed on-premises with Cisco DNA Center or from the cloud by using Meraki Dashboard management utilities. This enables businesses to transition to cloud-centric or hybrid deployments at their own pace. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x access points comply with the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless standards and support the new 6-GHz band. Each device includes 5 radios and supports up to 400 clients per radio. Each model also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for reducing wireless interference, includes a USB 2.0 port, and supports Bluetooth Low Energy. The entry-level Catalyst 9162 Series AP is meant for small organizations, has three 2x2 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity.

Catalyst Access Points Solutions Planning and ConfigurationCisco's Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E access point is built for harsh outdoor deployments like campuses 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 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 9163E works with Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series access point is intended for small and mid-size enterprises, incorporates one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9166 Series Wi-Fi access point is meant for large and medium-sized enterprises, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The 9166 also has environmental sensors that measure air quality, temperature, and moisture.

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs
Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) is a software image running on Cisco IOS XE and available for most Catalyst 9100 wireless access points. Cisco's EWC supports most management functions, but not the scale, of Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi controller appliances. APs running EWC can simultaneously support Wi-Fi clients. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW APs can participate in an EWC network and support client users but cannot provide EWC management functions.) The EWC can be managed via Cisco DNA Center for multi-location deployments, or by means of a web browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNAC Automation and Assurance features are available. EWC features include always-on by deploying active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates for live patching, automatic configuration, Application Visibility and Control, and Site Survey.

How Progent's Engineers Can Help Your Business with Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified expert to help your business to plan, install, maintain and troubleshoot a wireless environment that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can assist you to support legacy Wi-Fi access points from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to the latest 802.11ax. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller solutions experts can assist you to evaluate whether your Wi-Fi network should incorporate Cisco Wi-Fi controller hardware or can be managed using Cisco's software-based management tools such as the EWC.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security specialists can show you how to design security into your wireless network and your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity consultants can assist you to deploy the HA technology incorporated into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged network delivers continuing business value.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to design and deploy a state-of-the-art wireless network customized for your facilities, providing a Wi-Fi solution that delivers comprehensive coverage, high speed and density, QoS features to support IP voice and video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and streamlined management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be performed online to reduce time and expense, or on premises for more difficult facilities.

To find out more details concerning Progent's professional assistance for Cisco products, choose a subject: Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs
To find out more about Progent's support for planning, configuring, maintaining and troubleshooting a Wi-Fi solution incorporating Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.