Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), with 802.11ax/ac/n backward compatibility
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 2.4 GHz: 2x2:2; 5 GHz: 2x2:2 (4x4:4 when 6 GHz is disabled); 6 GHz: 2x2:2
Aggregate Throughput: 9000 Mbps aggregate data rate (PHY up to 9 Gbps on 2x2 320 MHz 6 GHz)
Radios (bands): Tri-radio: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, plus dedicated scanning radio and BLE/802.15.4 IoT radio
Uplink Port Speed: 1x RJ-45 multigigabit uplink (100M/1G/2.5G); additional 1G LAN ports and pass-through port per reseller listings
Max Clients: Not published for the whole AP; Cisco deployment guide cites 256 clients per radio
PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (UPOE, Class 5, 32 W, USB supported); 802.3at (25.5 W); 802.3af (12.95 W, 1x1 at 1G, no USB)
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) tri-radio across 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz; 9 Gbps PHY on 6 GHz 2x2 320 MHz; Multiple PoE options including 802.3af, 802.3at, and 802.3bt; Built-in BLE and 802.15.4 IoT radio; Trust Anchor security with secure boot and image signing; Works with cloud, on-premises, or hybrid management via Catalyst 9800 controllers
✘ Cons:4x4:4 on 5 GHz only available when 6 GHz is disabled; 6 GHz radio disabled in countries without regional approval or software support; Requires Cisco Networking Subscription (Wireless Essentials or Advantage); Needs Catalyst 9800 controller or Catalyst 9000 SDA/EWC and IOS XE 17.15.2b or later; Performance derates between 40 and 50 °C; Larger and heavier than the 9172H variant
Est. Price:
$850 - $1,237
Compare Against
Cisco Catalyst 9178i
★ 4.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4 MU-MIMO per client-serving radio (4 spatial streams per radio)
Radios (bands): 4 client-serving radios: tri-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz with a 4th radio (quad-radio design)
Uplink Port Speed: 2x 10 Gbps mGig ports (multi-gigabit Ethernet)
Max Clients: 1200 (400 per radio)
PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (PoE++) required for full operation; 802.3at/af supports reduced functionality; draws approx. 30-52 W
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Wi-Fi 7 with tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz and 4x4 MU-MIMO on every radio; 24 Gbps aggregate throughput for high-density environments; dual 10 Gbps mGig uplinks avoid a 1 Gbps bottleneck; rated for up to 1200 clients; supports 802.3bt PoE on the mGig ports with at/af fallback; manageable from Catalyst 9800 WLC/Catalyst Center or Meraki cloud depending on SKU
✘ Cons:Requires 802.3bt PoE for full functionality, which raises switch and injector cost; needs Catalyst 9800 controller running IOS XE 17.15.2 or later for the Catalyst SKU; Wi-Fi 7 benefits need Wi-Fi 7 clients to be realized; list pricing varies widely by reseller and SKU (CFG vs Global vs RTG), and reseller spec figures differ in places; cloud-managed (Meraki) deployment requires separate licensing; premium cost compared with Wi-Fi 6E alternatives
