Antenna Configuration: Internal dual-band antenna with 4x4 MIMO
Form Factor: Wall/Ceiling mount
Security: 802.1X, WPA3, AES encryption
Band Steering: Yes
Airtime Fairness: Yes
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) delivers 4x higher throughput and 4x lower latency than Wi-Fi 5; Excellent for high-density deployments (600+ clients); Energy-efficient with lower power consumption than previous generations; Supports fast roaming (802.11k/v/w) for seamless mobility; Compact form factor suitable for modern office aesthetics; Strong security with WPA3 support; Dual-band reduces interference with simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz operation
✘ Cons:Requires PoE+ infrastructure which adds deployment cost; 1 Gigabit uplink can become bottleneck in high-throughput scenarios; Premium pricing compared to Wi-Fi 5 alternatives; Single uplink port limits failover options without additional equipment; Requires compatible Catalyst wireless controller or cloud-managed dashboard; May be overkill for basic office needs with lower client density
Est. Price:
$1,250 - $1,650
Compare Against
Cisco Catalyst 9178i
★ 4.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Switching Capacity: 204.8 Tbps (full chassis)
Forwarding Rate: 204.8 Tbps
Ports: Up to 288 u00d7 10/25/40/100 Gbps (via modular line cards)
Layer: L2/L3
Stacking Support: Yes (up to 9 units via Stacking Cables)
Chassis Type: 3-slot modular chassis
PoE Budget: Up to 5.6 kW per module (optional PoE+ modules)
Max Power Consumption: 10.2 kW (full chassis)
Backplane Bandwidth: 204.8 Tbps
Throughput per Port: Up to 100 Gbps per port
Cooling: Redundant, variable-speed fans
Uplinks: Multiple 100 Gbps QSFP28 capable
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Industry-leading 204.8 Tbps switching fabric supports next-generation high-density deployments; Modular architecture allows flexible line-card configurations for different port densities and speeds; Full redundancy support (PSU, fan, uplinks) ensures carrier-grade reliability; Native support for Cisco DNA Center and SD-Access intent-based networking; Excellent in-service upgrade capabilities with no traffic disruption
✘ Cons:Significantly higher capital cost compared to fixed-configuration switches; Requires skilled technical staff for modular line-card installation and configuration; Power and cooling infrastructure overhead for large deployments; Complexity of managing modular chassis in smaller networks may be overkill; Limited flexibility in port mix compared to disaggregated options
