Primary Device
Aruba AP-515
★ 3.4 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), dual radio, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Target Wake Time
- Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4:4 on 5 GHz; 2x2:2 on 2.4 GHz
- Aggregate Throughput: 5375 Mbps combined (4800 Mbps on 5 GHz + 575 Mbps on 2.4 GHz); some listings cite 2.69 Gbps PHY
- Radios (bands): 2.4 GHz (2x2) + 5 GHz (4x4), concurrent dual-band
- Uplink Port Speed: 1x HPE SmartRate E0 RJ-45 (100/1000/2500BASE-T, 2.5 GbE); 1x E1 10/100/1000BASE-T
- Max Clients: 512 associated clients per radio per the 510 Series spec (one retailer lists 256 per radio)
- PoE Requirement: 802.3af/802.3at PD on E0 (802.3at recommended; 802.3af requires IPM enabled, draws about 13.5 W); 20.8 W at 802.3at/bt
- Bluetooth / IoT: Bluetooth 5 and Zigbee (BLE radio)
- Security: WPA3, TPM
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: Wi-Fi 6 with 4x4 5 GHz radio for high per-client rates; 2.5 GbE uplink on the E0 port relieves a 1 GbE bottleneck; Broad 802.3at PoE support with a 1 GbE fallback port; Built-in Bluetooth 5 and Zigbee for IoT use; WPA3 and TPM support for enterprise security; Managed through Aruba Central or Mobility Conductor; Dual-band, concurrent operation with the 2.4 GHz radio for legacy clients
- ✘ Cons: The 2.4 GHz radio is only 2x2, so it is much slower than the 5 GHz radio; Needs 802.3at PoE for full function; 802.3af with IPM disabled is unsupported; Aggregate throughput and max-client figures vary across listings; Only one multi-gig port, so no second 2.5 GbE uplink; Higher price than many Wi-Fi 6 APs in its class
- Est. Price: $1,135 - $1,757
Compare Against
Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series (CW9166)
★ 4.2 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Wi-Fi Standard: 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E, 6 GHz capable); also 802.11a/b/g/n/ac backward compatible
- Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4:4 on each of the three client radios (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz); MU-MIMO and OFDMA supported
- Aggregate Throughput: Up to 7.78 Gbps tri-radio aggregate (maximum over-the-air PHY/chipset frame rate, not per-client throughput)
- Radios (bands): Tri-radio 4x4:4: 2.4 GHz client radio, 5 GHz client radio, 6 GHz client radio; plus tri-band scanning radio (2.4/5/6 GHz) for security/RF analytics and a 2.4 GHz Bluetooth Low Energy radio
- Uplink Port Speed: 1x multigigabit RJ45 (100 Mbps / 1 Gbps / 2.5 Gbps / 5 Gbps BASE-T); also 1 USB 2.0 Type-A port
- Max Clients: Not published in the sources reviewed
- PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (UPOE) 30.5 W for full functionality including USB; 802.3at (PoE+) 25 W supported with reduced functionality and no USB; 802.3af not supported; 54 V DC option available
- Form Factor: Indoor ceiling/wall-mount access point; omnidirectional (CW9166I) or directional (CW9166D1) antenna variants
- Dimensions: 241.3 x 241.3 x 56.9 mm (CW9166I) / 57.9 mm height (CW9166D1); approx. 1.6 kg
- Management: Catalyst 9800 wireless controllers (IOS-XE) or Meraki cloud (CW9166I-MR / CW9166D1-MR SKUs)
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with 4x4:4 on every client radio for high-density capacity; dedicated tri-band scanning radio for WIPS, spectrum analysis, and location analytics; multigigabit 5 Gbps uplink on a single RJ45 port; Bluetooth Low Energy radio for beacons and asset tracking; supports both Catalyst 9800 controller and Meraki cloud management; full functionality on 802.3bt PoE with USB output
- ✘ Cons: Full feature set requires 802.3bt (UPOE) power, and 802.3at operation reduces functionality; only one uplink port, so no link aggregation or redundancy; premium price compared with many Wi-Fi 6E APs; maximum client count is not published in available sources; Catalyst (CW9166I-B/-E) and Meraki (CW9166I-MR) SKUs are the same hardware under different management licences, which can confuse purchasing; end-of-sale/end-of-life status is unconfirmed and should be checked with Cisco
- Est. Price: $1,136 - $3,317