Introduction to of Cisco's Catalyst Family of 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 APs
The Cisco Catalyst family of 802.11ax (called W-Fi 6) wireless access points improve on previous version 802.11ac (aka Wi-Fi 5) APs by offering less delay and more consistent performance, allowing increased client density, having tighter cybersecurity, saving power for battery-based mobile devices, and offering more flexibility for handling new kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi consultantsCisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi network infrastructure experts offer remote or on-premises integration and debugging support to help you to design, implement, update, tune, manage and debug Catalyst wireless access point environments of any scale or topology. Progent's Cisco wireless controller consultants can also assist you to combine your wireless environment with your wired network and cloud-hosted resources to build a seamless enterprise connectivity foundation that is easy to manage and expand. Progent also offers affordable wireless site surveys to assist you to decide the most efficient selection, location and configuration of Aironet Wi-Fi APs to work with your specific workplace design, building structure, and anticipated workloads.

Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax Access Points Consultants

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

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 access points are intended for environments ranging from telecommuter homes to crowded enterprise campuses. Cisco Catalyst 9100 APs are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, known 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 able to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz radio bands. Important technologies incorporated in Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for improved dependability, increased device sleep time for reduced power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum utilization, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Catalyst 9100 wireless APs support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC), accommodate as many as 200 client users per Wi-Fi radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi AP is a low-profile Wi-Fi 6 access point intended for operation by at-home workers or in small to medium size enterprises. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios and an Internet-of-Things radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and provides a combined max speed 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 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 EWC installed, the Catalyst 9105AXi can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

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

Cisco Catalyst 9115 Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless access point is intended for small to midsize businesses. The 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. Cisco's 9115AX Series AP includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers a combined max data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX comes with one 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, built-in antennas, and extra-cost external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image installed, the 9115AX Series AP can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9117AX Wireless APs Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series Wi-Fi AP is designed for small to medium size networks. The Wi-Fi 6 device complies with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax specifications and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8 MIMO with eight spatial streams for the 5-GHz band and 4x4:4 MIMO. Top combined performance is 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX comes with one 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated 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 access points and 1,000 clients.

Catalyst 9120AX Wireless APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is designed for for medium to large networks. The Catalyst 9120AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi and incorporates four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology permits radios to run either in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An IoT radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The 9120AX Series AP features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO spatial streams and delivers an aggregate max throughput of 5.2 Gbps when both Wi-Fi radios run in 5-GHz mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX comes with 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45). The device also works with PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. External antennas are optional. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With EWC installed, the 9120AX can manage 100 APs and 2,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9130AX Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is designed for medium to large enterprises and high-density public 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 the Catalyst 9130AX access point may be divided into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An Internet-of-Things radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX includes a built-in 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port and delivers a combined maximum data rate of 5.38 Gbps. The device also works with PoE 802.3at and includes an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. Cisco's 9130AX AP includes an intelligent physical antenna connector that offers you the versatility to set up an external antenna to accommodate special environments. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the 9130AX Series AP can manage 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Cisco's EWC on Catalyst 9100 Series Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and available for most Catalyst 9100 Series wireless APs. Cisco's EWC includes the majority of management functions, but not the scale, of Cisco's Catalyst 9800 family of wireless controller devices. APs running EWC can concurrently support Wi-Fi client users. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW access points can be part of an EWC LAN and support clients but are not able to run EWC functions.) The Embedded Wireless Controller can be managed via Cisco DNA Center for multi-location deployments, or by means of a browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNAC Automation and Assurance features are supported. EWC features include high availability by deploying active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates for hot patching, auto setup, Application Visibility and Control, and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Company with Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 APs
Progent can provide a Cisco-certified consulting professional to help you to design, install, manage and repair a wireless environment that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can help you to maintain legacy Wi-Fi access points from Cisco or migrate seamlessly to current 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco wireless controller solutions experts can assist you to evaluate whether your wireless network should include Cisco wireless controller appliances or can be managed with Cisco's virtual appliances and utilities such as the EWC.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can advise you about how to design protection into your wireless network and into your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planners can help you to set up the high availability (HA) features built into Cisco's wired/wireless products so your converged network provides non-stop return on investment.

Progent's Wireless Site Survey helps you to plan and deploy a state-of-the-art wireless network customized for your facilities, providing a Wi-Fi ecosystem that delivers comprehensive coverage, high performance and density, Quality of Service to accommodate IP video, enterprise-class security and compliance, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered online to cut time and expense, or onsite to deal with more complex environments.

To learn more information concerning Progent's professional assistance for Cisco solutions, choose a topic: Contact Progent for Expertise with Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax Access Points
To learn more about Progent's consulting services for planning, installing, managing and troubleshooting a wireless deployment incorporating Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 access points, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.