Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Family of Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points
The Cisco Catalyst series of 802.11ax (called Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) access points improve on prior generation 802.11ac (aka Wi-Fi 5) APs by offering lower latency and more predictable operation, supporting higher client user density, having tighter cybersecurity, saving power for battery-based mobile client devices, and providing more flexibility for supporting new types of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi network consultants offer online or on-premises integration and troubleshooting services to help your organization to design, configure, update, tune, manage and debug Catalyst wireless AP environments of any scale or topology. Progent's Cisco wireless controller consultants can also assist you to integrate your Wi-Fi ecosystem with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-hosted resources to create an enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is simple to manage and scale. Progent also can provide affordable wireless site surveys to assist you to determine the most efficient selection, location and configuration of Aironet wireless APs to work with your specific office layout, construction, and expected workloads.

Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax APs Consultants

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of Wi-Fi 6/6E APs support the performance and density of 802.11ax technology

The Catalyst 9100 family of Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax access points are designed for deployments ranging from home offices to crowded enterprise campuses. 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) 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 Catalyst 9100 Series APs include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved reliability, Target Wake Time for conserving power usage in battery-powered 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 up to 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.

Catalyst 9105i Wireless AP Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi AP is a compact Wi-Fi 6 access point designed for use by at-home workers or in small to medium size networks. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and includes dual 2.4/5 GH radios as well as an IoT radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO spatial streams and provides a combined top data rate of 1.2 Gbps. The 9105AXi AP comes with a 10/100/1000 Base-T uplink port with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management 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 allows you to manage 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9105w Wireless APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXw Series wireless AP is a wall-mount device and is targeted at hospitality, dormitories, and other high-occupancy dwellings. The 9105AXw's capability is like the Cisco 9105AXi Wi-Fi access point but has different antenna profiles and features a set of interfaces not offered 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 port, and one passthru port. A Ethernet downlink port supports 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Catalyst 9115 Wi-Fi 6 APs Solution Design ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless AP is intended for small to midsize organizations. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The 9115AX includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers an aggregate combined data rate of 5 Gbps. The Cisco Catalyst 9115AX includes one 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, built-in antennas, and optional external antennas. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC installed, the Cisco 9115AX Series AP lets you manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9117 Wireless APs Solution Design ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series Wi-Fi AP is intended for small to midsize enterprises. The Wi-Fi 6 device works with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and includes three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio covering (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco 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 data rate is 5 Gbps. The Cisco Catalyst 9117AX includes one 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller activated, the Catalyst 9117AX can manage as many as 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9120 Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is intended for for medium 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 run in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The 9120AX Series AP features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers a combined max data rate of 5.2 Gbps when both radios operate in 5-GHz mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX includes 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 port, and integrated internal antennas. External antennas are an option. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With the EWC image installed, the 9120AX can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Catalyst 9130 Wireless APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 AP is targeted at medium to large enterprises and dense open environments like auditoriums and stadiums. The 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 device can be divided into two 4x4 radios. An Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9130AX includes 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 comes with an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. The 9130AX access point includes a smart antenna connector that offers you the flexibility to configure an external antenna to handle special venues. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image installed, the 9130AX Series AP can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series is a breakthrough line of access points targeted at enterprises looking for the enhanced speed, client density, and cybersecurity brought about by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion introduced with the Wi-Fi 6E standard. By adding 1.2 GHz of contiguous and interference-free RF spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E technology implemented in Catalyst 9136 Series access points delivers over twice the spectrum that can be used by the latest Wi-Fi clients. Catalyst 9136 access points 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 newer generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi client devices. MU-MIMO operation support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and 4x4:4 at 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz. Combined max data rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also featured are a Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 radio for IoT plus a scan radio. Built-in omnidirectional antennas support 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 access points have two integrated 5 Gbps mGig (RJ-45) Ethernet interfaces. 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 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 APs with the option of being managed either on-prem with Cisco DNA Center or via the cloud using Meraki Dashboard management tools. This enables businesses to move to cloud-based 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 include support for the 6-GHz band. Each AP has 5 radios and supports up to 400 clients on each radio. Every AP model also features a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, comes with a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth Low Energy. The entry-level Catalyst 9162 Series AP is meant for small businesses, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The Catalyst 9164 Series access point is intended for small and middle-size organizations, incorporates one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet. The Catalyst 9166 Series Wi-Fi access point 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 comes with environmental sensors that detect air quality, temperature, and moisture.

Cisco's EWC on Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 Access Points
Cisco's EWC is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and available for most Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points. Cisco's EWC includes the majority of management functions, but not the expandability, of Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi controller devices. Access points running EWC can simultaneously service Wi-Fi client users. (Catalyst 9105AXW access points can be part of an EWC network and service client users but are not able to provide EWC functions.) Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller can be managed using Cisco DNA Center (DNAC) for multi-location deployments, or by means of a web browser or mobile app for single-site environments. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance features are supported. EWC features include always-on with active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates (SMUs) for hot patching, auto configuration, Application Visibility and Control, and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Company with Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consulting professional to help your business to design, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a Wi-Fi environment that incorporates Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can assist you to support early-generation Wi-Fi APs from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to the latest 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco wireless controller integration consultants can help you to assess whether your wireless environment should incorporate Cisco Wi-Fi controller appliances or can be managed with Cisco's software-based management tools such as the Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security consultants can advise you about how to design security into your wireless network and into your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planning consultants can help you to configure the high availability features built into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged infrastructure delivers continuing business value.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and deploy a robust WLAN customized for your facilities, providing a Wi-Fi solution that provides comprehensive coverage, high speed and density, QoS features to handle IP voice and video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered remotely to cut time and costs, or onsite to deal with more difficult situations.

To learn additional information concerning Progent's consulting support for Cisco products, pick a subject: Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Access Points
To find out more about Progent's consulting services for designing, configuring, managing and debugging a wireless deployment incorporating Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.