Introduction to of Cisco's Catalyst Series Wi-Fi 6/6E APs
Cisco's Catalyst family of 802.11ax (called Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) wireless access points build on previous generation 802.11ac (aka Wi-Fi 5) access points by delivering lower delay and more predictable operation, allowing increased client user density, providing tighter cybersecurity, saving energy for battery-based handheld devices, and providing more flexibility for supporting new kinds of Internet-of-Things (IoT) endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E devices feature compatibility with the 6-GHz spectrum, delivering an extra 1200 MHz of bandwidth to provide over twice as much Wi-Fi bandwidth compared to the 5-GHz spectrum.

Progent's Cisco CCIE Wi-Fi infrastructure experts can provide online or on-premises integration and troubleshooting services to assist you to design, implement, update, optimize, manage and debug Catalyst Wi-Fi access point deployments of any size or architecture. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller consultants can also assist you to combine your wireless environment with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-based resources to build an enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is simple to manage and expand. Progent also can provide affordable wireless site surveys to assist you to determine the most efficient selection, location and setup of Aironet wireless access points to work with your specific workplace design, construction, and expected workloads.

Catalyst Wi-Fi 6 APs Experts

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Line of 802.11ax APs support the performance and density of the 802.11ax standard

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 family of 802.11ax wireless access points are designed for deployments ranging from home offices to high-density stadiums. 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. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is designed to utilize both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Headline enhancements supported by Catalyst 9100 Series access points include OFDMA scheduling for high density deployments, dual NAVs for improved reliability, Target Wake Time for conserving power usage in battery-powered endpoints, adaptive power thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. All Catalyst 9100 802.11ax APs can run Cisco's EWC, accommodate as many as 200 clients per radio, and are powered by Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series wireless AP is a low-profile Wi-Fi 6 access point intended for use by at-home workers or in small to midsize networks. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and includes dual 2.4/5 GH radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio supporting (BLE) 5.0 and Zigbee. The Catalyst 9105AXi AP supports 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO and delivers an aggregate maximum speed of 1.2 Gbps. The 9105AXi AP comes with a 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink port with PoE 802.3at, an RJ-45 management port, and a pair of integrated 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 activated, the Catalyst 9105AXi can manage 50 access points and 1,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9105w Wireless APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXw Series wireless AP is designed specially as a wall-mount device and is intended for hospitality, residence halls, and other multi-unit living spaces. The 9105AXw's capability is like Cisco's 9105AXi AP but has special antenna options and features a set of interfaces not available on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) uplink port, three 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet downlink ports, a USB 2.0 interface, and one passthru interface. A Ethernet downlink port supports 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 AP is intended for small to medium size enterprises. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and includes three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things radio that supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco 9115AX Series AP includes 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers a combined combined data speed of 5 Gbps. The Cisco Catalyst 9115AX comes with one 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, a USB 2.0 port, built-in antennas, and optional external antennas. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC activated, Cisco's 9115AX Series AP lets you manage as many as 50 access points and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9117 Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9117AX Series LAN AP is designed for small to medium size networks. The Wi-Fi 6 device complies with the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and includes three Wi-Fi radios as well as an Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio that supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0. Cisco's Catalyst 9117AX features 8x8:8 MIMO for the 5-GHz band and band. Max aggregate throughput is 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9117AX comes with one 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and built-in internal antennas. RAM includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With EWC activated, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

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

Catalyst 9130 Wireless Access Points Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 access point is designed for medium to large networks and dense public environments such as convention centers and stadiums. The Cisco 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 AP may be divided into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An Internet-of-Things (IoT) radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX features a 100/1000/2500/5000 Ethernet uplink port and delivers an aggregate maximum throughput 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 Catalyst 9130AX access point includes an intelligent physical antenna connector that gives you the flexibility to set up an external antenna to handle special environments. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With Embedded Wireless Controller activated, the 9130AX Series AP can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E APs Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series represents a breakthrough family of APs intended for enterprises who want the increased performance, capacity, and cybersecurity enabled by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion defined by the Wi-Fi 6E specification. By adding 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and clean spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E technology supported by Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series APs delivers over twice the bandwidth that can be used by earlier model Wi-Fi client devices. Catalyst 9136 APs support older generation 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi client devices designed for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in addition to 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 GHz and 6 GHz. Aggregate top performance rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also included are a Bluetooth BLE 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 Multigigabit Ethernet (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. Power options include PoE, PoE+, and UPoE.

Cisco Catalyst 9166 Wi-Fi 6E Access Point ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 916x Series Wi-Fi 6E APs are the first Cisco access points that have the versatility of being monitored and managed on-prem with Cisco DNA Center or via the cloud by deploying Meraki management utilities. This allows businesses to transition to cloud-based or hybrid deployments at their own pace. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x access points support the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E Wi-Fi standards and include support for the 6-GHz band. Each AP has 5 radios and supports as many as 400 clients per radio. Each AP also comes with a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, has a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The value-priced Catalyst 9162 Series access point is meant for small organizations, incorporates three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity.

Cisco Catalyst Access Points ConsultantsThe Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E access point is designed to withstand tough outdoor deployments like campuses 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 (RJ-45), a management console port (RJ-45), 4x N-Type Wi-Fi antenna connectors, and a GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The 9163E supports Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series access point is suited 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 AP is intended for large and medium-sized enterprises, has three 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet support. The 9166 also includes environmental sensors that measure air quality, temperature, and humidity.

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst 9100 Wireless Access Points
Cisco's EWC is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and offered on most Catalyst 9100 Series wireless access points. Cisco's EWC supports most management functions, but not the expandability, of Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi controller appliances. APs running EWC can simultaneously support Wi-Fi client users. (Cisco Catalyst 9105AXW APs can be members of an EWC LAN and support clients but are not able to provide EWC functions.) Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller can be managed via Cisco DNA Center (DNAC) for multi-location networks, or via a web browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance features are supported. EWC features include high availability with active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates (SMUs) for hot patching, automatic configuration, Application Visibility and Control, and Site Survey.

How Progent's Consultants Can Assist Your Company with Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E APs
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consulting professional to assist your business to design, install, manage and troubleshoot a wireless environment that incorporates Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs. Progent can help you to support early-generation wireless access points from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current 802.11ax. Progent's Cisco Wi-Fi controller solutions consultants can help you to determine whether your wireless environment should include Cisco wireless controller hardware or can be managed using Cisco's virtual appliances and utilities such as the Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can advise you about how to design protection into your wireless network and your business processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity consultants can assist you to configure the high availability features built into Cisco's wireless and wired technologies so your converged network delivers non-stop business value.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to plan and deploy a state-of-the-art wireless network customized for your facilities, offering a wireless solution that delivers comprehensive coverage, high speed and density, Quality of Service features to accommodate IP video, advanced security, and simplified management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be performed online to reduce time and expense, or onsite to deal with more challenging situations.

To learn additional details concerning Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco networking products, pick a topic: Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E Access Points
To find out more about Progent's consulting services for planning, integrating, managing and debugging a Wi-Fi deployment based on Cisco Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.