Max Clients: 250+ (official Ubiquiti tech specs; some retailers list 300+)
PoE Requirement: PoE powered, 44-57V DC input, 13W max consumption; 802.3af/at not specified by Ubiquiti; no PoE injector in the spec listing
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Wi-Fi 6 with 4x4 MU-MIMO on 5 GHz for good multi-client performance; Aggregate throughput up to 5.3 Gbps across both bands; Low 13W power draw compared with higher-end APs; Works with UniFi Network controller for centralized management; Ceiling or wall mounting with included Pro Mount; Compact, low-profile design (about 197 mm diameter, 35 mm height)
✘ Cons:Only a single 1 GbE uplink, which can bottleneck the 5 GHz radio on fast networks; No 2.5 GbE or multi-gig port; PoE standard not clearly specified, so verify your switch or injector supplies enough power; PoE injector is not included with the US model, which adds cost; Client capacity is lower on the official spec (250+) than some retailer marketing claims (300+); Requires a UniFi controller for full feature use
Est. Price:
$159 - $185
Compare Against
Cisco Catalyst CW9166I
★ 3.2 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), tri-band; also supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac clients
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4:4 on each of the three Wi-Fi radios (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz); 12 spatial streams for MU-MIMO
Aggregate Throughput: Up to 7.78 Gbps PHY (4x4 160 MHz on 6 GHz, 4x4 80 MHz on 5 GHz, 4x4 20 MHz on 2.4 GHz); Cisco does not publish a single aggregate figure
Radios (bands): Five radios: 4x4 2.4 GHz; 4x4 5 GHz; 4x4 XOR radio assignable to 5 GHz or 6 GHz; tri-band CleanAir Pro scanning radio; 2.4 GHz BLE IoT radio (Bluetooth 5.1 LE)
Uplink Port Speed: 1x Multigigabit Ethernet RJ-45 at 100M/1G/2.5G/5G (no 10G port); 1x USB 2.0 (4.5 W); console port
Max Clients: Not stated in the Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series datasheet (not verified)
PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (UPOE) 30.5 W for full operation; 802.3at 25.5 W; 802.3af 14.0 W for configuration staging only with radios off; DC 54 V power jack option
Layer: Wireless access point (managed via Catalyst 9800 WLC or Meraki cloud SKU CW9166I-MR)
Form Factor: Indoor, internal antennas; 241.3 x 241.3 x 56.9 mm (9.5 x 9.5 x 2.2 in); 1.60 kg (3.54 lb); operating temperature 0 to 50 C
✔ Pros:Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with three 4x4 radios and a dedicated XOR radio that can serve 5 GHz or 6 GHz; Dedicated CleanAir Pro scanning radio for RF monitoring and security; Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy 5.1 radio for IoT, location tracking and wayfinding; Multigigabit uplink up to 5 Gbps, which suits 2.5G/5G wired backhaul; Managed on-premises by Catalyst 9800 controllers or cloud-managed via the Meraki SKU; Single 802.3bt PoE connection with no separate power brick needed
✘ Cons:Needs 802.3bt UPOE (30.5 W) for full radio operation; 802.3at or lower limits functionality; Single multigigabit uplink caps wired throughput at 5 Gbps and offers no 10G option; Cisco does not publish a maximum client count in its datasheet; Indoor-only design; Higher cost than Wi-Fi 6 APs and than mid-range Wi-Fi 6E models, with pricing varying widely between resellers (about $1,110 to $3,300 list)
