Introduction to of Cisco's Catalyst Line of Wi-Fi 6/6E APs
The Cisco Catalyst line of 802.11ax (referred to as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) wireless access points build on prior generation 802.11ac (aka Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering less latency and more consistent operation, supporting higher client density, having tighter security, conserving energy for battery-based handheld client devices, and offering more versatility for handling different types of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E products add support for the 6-GHz radio-frequency band, offering an additional 1200 MHz of bandwidth for more than double the Wi-Fi bandwidth as the 5-GHz spectrum.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified wireless infrastructure consultants offer remote or on-premises configuration and troubleshooting services to assist your organization to design, configure, update, optimize, manage and debug Catalyst Wi-Fi access point environments of any size or topology. Progent's Cisco wireless controller experts can also help you to integrate your Wi-Fi ecosystem with your wired network and cloud-hosted resources to create a seamless enterprise connectivity solution that is easy to manage and expand. Progent also can provide affordable Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to decide the most efficient selection, location and setup of Aironet Wi-Fi APs to accommodate your specific workplace design, building structure, and anticipated workloads.

Catalyst 802.11ax Access Points Consultants

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of Wi-Fi 6/6E access points support the throughput and capacity of the 802.11ax standard

The Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax wireless access points are intended for deployments ranging from telecommuter homes to high-density convention centers. Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax standard, known as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the previous 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. As an improvement to 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Headline technologies supported by Catalyst 9100 Series APs include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for better dependability, Target Wake Time for reduced power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive power and sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs can run Cisco's EWC, handle up to 200 client users per radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series Wi-Fi access point is a compact Wi-Fi 6 AP designed for operation in home offices or in small to medium size businesses. Cisco's Catalyst 9105AXi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and features dual 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios plus an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supporting Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 and Zigbee. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and delivers a combined top speed of 1.2 Gbps. The Catalyst 9105AXi includes a 10/100/1000 Base-T uplink interface with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, 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 Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) installed, the Catalyst 9105AXi allows you to manage 50 APs and 1,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9105w Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning and Deployment ConsultantsThe Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi 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 similar to the 9105AXi AP but has special antenna options and features a set of interfaces not offered on the 9105AXi unit. 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 downlink interface has 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Catalyst 9115 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless access point is designed for small to midsize businesses. The 9115AX Series AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers an aggregate maximum data rate of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX includes one 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 interface, integrated antennas, plus optional external antennas. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With the EWC image installed, the 9115AX Series AP lets you manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9117AX Wireless Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series LAN AP is targeted at small to midsize organizations. The Wi-Fi 6 appliance works with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and incorporates three Wi-Fi radios plus an Internet-of-Things radio that supports (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX features 8x8:8 MIMO for the 5-GHz band and 4x4:4 MIMO. Maximum combined throughput is 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP includes a 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. RAM includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9120AX Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is intended for for mid-size to large enterprises. The Catalyst 9120AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and incorporates four radios. Flexible Radio Assignment technology permits radios to operate either in 2.4-GHz/5-GHz mode or in Dual 5-GHz mode. An IoT radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco 9120AX features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and supports an aggregate maximum data rate of 5.2 Gbps when both radios run in 5-GHz mode. Cisco's Catalyst 9120AX comes with 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also supports PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management console interface, a USB 2.0 port, and built-in internal antennas. External antennas are an option. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With EWC activated, the 9120AX Series AP can manage 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Catalyst 9130 Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified AP is intended for mid-size to large networks and high-density open environments such as auditoriums and arenas. The Catalyst 9130AX complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO. External antennas on the Catalyst 9130AX access point may be split into two 4x4 radios. An IoT radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9130AX features a fixed 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 Catalyst 9130AX AP includes a smart physical antenna connector that gives you the flexibility to configure an external antenna to accommodate challenging deployments. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the 9130AX can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 client users.

Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E APs Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series is a breakthrough family of APs intended for enterprises looking for the enhanced performance, client density, and cybersecurity brought about by the 6-GHz spectrum addition defined by the Wi-Fi 6E specification. By opening up 1.2 GHz of contiguous and clean spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E standard supported by Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series access points more than doubles the spectrum that can be used by earlier model Wi-Fi client devices. Catalyst 9136 access points support legacy 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi devices operating in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in addition to the newer 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 top data rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also included are a Bluetooth BLE 5.0 radio for IoT and a scan radio. Built-in omnidirectional antennas allow 2.4 GHz, 5-GHz, and 6 GHz operation. Catalyst 9136 APs have 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 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 APs that have the versatility of being managed on-premises via Cisco DNA Center or through the cloud by using Meraki Dashboard management utilities. This permits organizations to transition to cloud-based or hybrid deployments on their own timetable. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x APs comply with the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E wireless specifications and include support for the new 6-GHz band. Each device includes 5 radios and supports a maximum of 400 clients per radio. Each model also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for reducing interference, comes with a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth Low Energy. Cisco's value-priced Catalyst 9162 Series AP is meant for small businesses, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity.

Cisco Catalyst APs Solutions Planning and ConfigurationThe Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E access point is designed to withstand tough outside venues like campus environments or stadiums. The 9163E includes three client serving 2x2 radios, an 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 9163E works with Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series access point is designed for small and middle-size organizations, includes one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9166 Series access point is meant for large and medium-sized enterprises, includes three 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The 9166 also has environmental sensors to detect air quality, temperature, and humidity.

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) on Catalyst 9100 Series Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and offered on most Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 APs. Cisco's EWC includes the majority of functions, but not the scale, of Catalyst 9800 Series wireless controller devices. APs running EWC can concurrently service Wi-Fi client users. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW access points can be part of an EWC network and service client users but are not able to provide EWC management functions.) Cisco's EWC can be managed via Cisco DNA Center for multi-site deployments, or by means of a web browser or mobile app for single-site environments. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance use cases 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 (AVC), and Site Survey.

How Progent Can Help Your Business with Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E APs
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified expert to assist you to plan, install, manage and repair a wireless solution that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can help you to manage early-generation wireless APs from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to current Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller solutions consultants can help you to determine whether your Wi-Fi environment should include Cisco Wi-Fi controller hardware or can be managed with Cisco's virtual appliances and utilities such as Cisco's EWC.

Progent's CISA and ISSAP security consultants can show you how to design security into your WLAN and into your company's operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity consultants can show you how to set up the high availability features incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged network delivers continuing business value.

Progent's Wireless Site Survey helps you to design and implement a state-of-the-art WLAN optimized for your environment, providing a wireless ecosystem that delivers seamless coverage, high speed and density, Quality of Service to support IP voice and video, advanced security, and streamlined management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed online to cut time and expense, or on premises to deal with more complex situations.

To find out more information concerning Progent's professional expertise for Cisco products, select a topic: Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E Access Points
To learn more about Progent's support for designing, configuring, maintaining and debugging a wireless solution incorporating Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E access points, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.