Overview of Cisco's Catalyst Line of Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points
The Cisco Catalyst family of 802.11ax (called Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E) access points improve on prior version 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) APs by offering lower delay and more consistent operation, supporting increased client user density, providing greater security, conserving energy for battery-dependent handheld devices, and offering more flexibility for handling new types of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Cisco's Wi-Fi 6E products include compatibility with the 6-GHz radio-frequency band, delivering an additional 1200 MHz of bandwidth for over double the Wi-Fi bandwidth compared to the 5-GHz band.

Progent's Cisco CCIE-certified Wi-Fi network experts can provide remote or on-premises configuration and troubleshooting support to help your organization to plan, implement, update, tune, manage and debug Catalyst Wi-Fi access point environments of any size or architecture. Progent's Cisco wireless controller consultants can also assist you to integrate your wireless ecosystem with your wired network infrastructure and cloud-hosted resources to create a seamless enterprise-wide connectivity solution that is easy 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 office layout, building structure, and anticipated network traffic.

Catalyst 802.11ax APs Consultants

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wireless APs deliver the throughput and capacity of 802.11ax technology

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 line of 802.11ax wireless access points are intended for deployments ranging from home offices to crowded convention centers. Cisco Catalyst 9100 access points 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. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Headline enhancements incorporated in Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better dependability, Target Wake Time for conserving power usage in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive sensitivity thresholds for more efficient spectrum use, and extended guard intervals for improved outdoor performance. All Catalyst 9100 Series 802.11ax APs can run Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, accommodate up to 200 clients per Wi-Fi radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.

Cisco Catalyst 9105i Wi-Fi 6 AP Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9105AXi Series wireless AP is a compact Wi-Fi 6 AP intended for operation in home offices or in small to medium size businesses. The Catalyst 9105AXi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/acW2/ax and includes dual 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios as well as an IoT radio covering Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0 and Zigbee. The Catalyst 9105AXi device features 2x2:2 MU/SU-MIMO spatial streams and provides a combined top data rate of 1.2 Gbps. The 9105AXi AP comes with one 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet uplink interface with Power over Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management interface, 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 Embedded Wireless Controller installed, the Catalyst 9105AXi can manage 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Cisco Catalyst 9105w Wi-Fi 6 Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9105AXw Series Wi-Fi access point is a wall-mount appliance and is intended for hospitality, dormitories, and other high-occupancy dwellings. The 9105AXw's performance is similar to Cisco's 9105AXi access point but has special antenna profiles and includes a variety of interfaces not available on the 9105AXi device. These include a 100/1000/2500 Base-T (Ethernet) port, three 10/100/1000 Ethernet downlink interfaces, a USB 2.0 port, and a passthru port. One downlink interface has 10.5W PSE Power Budget.

Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Wireless Access Points Planning and Deployment ExpertsThe Cisco Catalyst 9115AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified LAN access point is designed for small to midsize enterprises. The 9115AX 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. Cisco's 9115AX features 4x4:4 + 4x4:4 spatial streams and delivers an aggregate maximum data speed of 5 Gbps. Cisco's Catalyst 9115AX Series AP comes with a fixed 100/1000/2500 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink port with Power-over-Ethernet 802.3at, an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, built-in internal antennas, and optional external antennas. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash. With Embedded Wireless Controller installed, the Cisco 9115AX lets you manage up to 50 APs and 1,000 client users.

Catalyst 9117AX Wireless APs Solution Design ConsultantsThe Cisco Catalyst 9117AX Series Wi-Fi AP is intended for small to midsize 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 radio covering (BLE) 5.0. The Catalyst 9117AX Series AP features 8x8:8 MIMO for the 5-GHz radio and 4x4 MIMO with four spatial streams for the 2.4-GHz {radio. Top aggregate data rate is 5 Gbps. The Catalyst 9117AX includes 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 Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) activated, the Catalyst 9117AX Series AP can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9120AX Wireless Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9120AX Series Wi-Fi 6-certified access point is intended for for mid-size to large enterprises. The Cisco Catalyst 9120AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi 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 features 4x4:4 MU-MIMO and supports a combined maximum throughput of 5.2 Gbps when both Wi-Fi radios operate in 5-GHz client serving mode. The Catalyst 9120AX Series AP comes with 100/1000/2500 Ethernet (RJ-45). The access point also supports PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management console port, a USB 2.0 interface, and integrated internal antennas. External antennas are optional. Memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With EWC activated, the 9120AX can manage 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9130AX Wireless APs Solution Design ConsultantsCisco's Catalyst 9130AX Series Wi-Fi 6 AP is targeted at medium to large enterprises and high-density open environments like convention centers and arenas. The Catalyst 9130AX supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and features 8x8:8 MU-MIMO. External antennas on the 9130AX device may be split into two 4x4 Wi-Fi radios. An IoT radio supports Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. The Cisco Catalyst 9130AX features a fixed 100/1000/2500/5000 Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) uplink interface and delivers an aggregate top throughput of 5.38 Gbps. The device also supports PoE 802.3at and comes with an RJ-45 management port, a USB 2.0 port, and integrated internal antennas. The Catalyst 9130AX Series AP includes an intelligent antenna connector that gives you the versatility to set up an external antenna to handle special environments. System memory includes 2048 MB DRAM and 1024 MB flash memory. With Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) installed, the 9130AX Series AP can manage up to 100 access points and 2,000 clients.

Cisco Catalyst 9136 Wi-Fi 6E Access Points Solution Design ExpertsCisco's Catalyst 9136 Series is an innovative line of access points intended for enterprises who need the increased performance, capacity, and cybersecurity brought about by the 6-GHz spectrum expansion introduced with the Wi-Fi 6E standard. By adding 1.2 GHz of uninterrupted and interference-free RF spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the Wi-Fi 6E technology implemented in Cisco Catalyst 9136 Series APs delivers over twice the bandwidth available to earlier model Wi-Fi clients. Catalyst 9136 access points work with legacy 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax Wi-Fi clients designed for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in addition to the newer generation of 6 GHz Wi-Fi devices. Concurrent MU-MIMO spatial streams support up to 8x8:8 at 5 GHz and up to 4x4:4 at 2.4/6 GHz. Combined max performance rate is 10.2 Gbps. Also included are a Bluetooth BLE 5.0 radio for IoT and a scan radio. Built-in 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 at 5/6 GHz. System memory includes 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 access points to offer the versatility of being monitored and managed on-site via Cisco DNA Center or through the cloud by deploying Meraki management utilities. This allows organizations to transition to cloud-based or hybrid deployments at their own pace. All Catalyst 916x access points support the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E Wi-Fi specifications and support the new 6-GHz band. Each AP has 5 radios and allows as many as 400 clients per radio. Each model also contains a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating wireless interference, includes a USB 2.0 port, and supports Bluetooth Low Energy. The value-priced Catalyst 9162 Series AP is suited for small organizations, has three 2x2 radios, and includes 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet connectivity.

Catalyst Access Points ConsultantsThe Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E AP is designed for harsh outdoor venues such as campuses or municipal Wi-Fi. The 9163E comes with three client serving 2x2 radios, one 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 an RP-SMA active GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The AP works with Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. The Catalyst 9164 Series access point is suited for small and mid-size organizations, has one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support. The Catalyst 9166 Series AP is intended for large and mid-sized enterprises, incorporates three 4x4 radios, and features 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet connectivity. The 9166 also includes environmental sensors to detect air quality, temperature, and humidity.

Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller (EWC) on Catalyst 9100 Wireless APs
Cisco's EWC is a software image powered by Cisco IOS XE and available for most Catalyst 9100 Series wireless access points. Cisco's EWC supports the majority of features, but not the expandability, of Cisco's Catalyst 9800 Series wireless controller devices. APs running EWC can concurrently service Wi-Fi client users. (Catalyst 9105AXW access points can be part of an EWC LAN and service client users but cannot provide EWC functions.) The EWC can be managed via Cisco DNA Center for multi-location networks, or by means of a web browser or mobile app for a single location. All Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance features are available. Embedded Wireless Controller features include high availability by deploying active and standby controllers, software maintenance updates for live patching, automatic setup, Application Visibility and Control, and Flexible Radio Assignment.

How Progent's Engineers Can Help Your Business with Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax APs
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consultant to assist you to design, install, maintain and troubleshoot a wireless environment that includes Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Series Wi-Fi 6 access points. Progent can assist you to manage legacy wireless APs from Cisco or upgrade seamlessly to current Wi-Fi 6. Progent's Cisco wireless controller solutions experts can help you to determine whether your Wi-Fi environment should include Cisco Wi-Fi controller hardware or can be managed with Cisco's software-based management tools like the Embedded Wireless Controller.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can show you how to design security into your wireless network and your company's processes. Progent's disaster recovery consultants and business continuity planning consultants can assist you to deploy the HA features incorporated into Cisco's wired/wireless technologies so your converged network provides non-stop return on investment.

Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey assists you to design and deploy a state-of-the-art wireless network optimized for your environment, providing a wireless solution that provides seamless coverage, high speed and density, Quality of Service features to accommodate IP video, enterprise-class security, and easy management. Progent's Wireless Site Survey can be delivered remotely to reduce time and costs, or onsite for more challenging situations.

To see additional information concerning Progent's consulting expertise for Cisco products, choose a topic: Contact Progent for Consulting Support for Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E Wireless Access Points
To find out more about Progent's consulting services for designing, installing, managing and debugging a wireless solution based on Catalyst WiFi 5 and WiFi 6/6E APs, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.