Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be); 6 GHz capable, up to 320 MHz channel width
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4:4 SS per serving radio (tri-radio, tri-band 12SS total)
Aggregate Throughput: Up to 18 Gbps (vendor/reseller-listed aggregate; no official per-radio breakdown in the datasheet)
Radios (bands): Tri-radio: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz serving radios; plus dedicated tri-band scanning/security radio and dedicated 2.4 GHz IoT radio; UWB radio present
Uplink Port Speed: 1x 10GbE mGig PoE-In port (10G/2.5G/1G negotiated; datasheet dimensions section mentions two 10G mGig ports, so this conflicts)
Max Clients: 1200 (400 per radio)
PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (PoE++/UPOE, Class 6) for full performance; 802.3at reduces 2.4 GHz radio to 2x2 and limits USB/IoT/GNSS; 802.3af disables radios
GNSS: Built-in GPS/GNSS module with external GPS antenna port
Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.0 in (24 x 24 x 5.1 cm)
Weight: 3.4 lb (1.56 kg)
Form Factor: Indoor ceiling/wall-mount access point
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Wi-Fi 7 tri-radio design with 4x4 MIMO on each serving radio; Dedicated scanning radio supports continuous RF monitoring and rogue AP containment; 10G mGig uplink supports high-throughput clients; Built-in GNSS for location analytics; Supports up to 1200 clients; Cloud-managed option via Meraki-branded variants
✘ Cons:Requires 802.3bt (PoE++) for full performance, which increases switch cost; Official Cisco datasheet does not publish per-radio or aggregate throughput, so the 18 Gbps figure is reseller-sourced; Price varies widely between resellers and is high compared with Wi-Fi 6E alternatives; Uplink port count conflicts between datasheet sections; Indoor-only form factor with no outdoor rating
Est. Price:
$1,183 - $2,507
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
