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
Est. Price:
$1,681 - $2,996
Compare Against
Cisco Catalyst 9136I
★ 3.4 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi Standard: 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E), including 6 GHz band
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4 on 2.4 GHz; 8x8 on 5 GHz; 4x4 on 6 GHz (with 802.3bt power). Under 802.3at: 2x2 / 4x4 / 2x2
Aggregate Throughput: Up to 10.2 Gbps aggregate PHY data rate (radio PHY, not achievable client throughput)
Uplink Port Speed: 2x multigigabit RJ-45 ports (100M/1G/2.5G/5G); combined link aggregation capped at 5 Gbps
Max Clients: 400 per radio and 1,200 per AP (per Cisco deployment guide; not stated on datasheet)
PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (UPOE) for full performance, 47.3 W max; 802.3at (PoE+) supported at 24.4 W with reduced radio config; 802.3af for staging only with radios off
Dimensions (W x L x H): 9.9 x 9.9 x 2.2 in (25.1 x 25.1 x 5.6 cm), excluding mounting brackets
Form Factor: Indoor ceiling/wall-mount access point with internal antennas
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with dedicated 6 GHz radio; High aggregate PHY rate of up to 10.2 Gbps; Two multigigabit uplinks (2.5G/5G) for higher wired throughput; 8x8 on 5 GHz radio with 802.3bt power; Dual-PoE port redundancy (one active, one standby); Integrated Bluetooth for IoT and location services; Supports 400 clients per radio and 1,200 per AP; Managed through Cisco Catalyst/IOS-XE wireless controllers and Cisco DNA tooling
✘ Cons:Wired uplink throughput capped at 5 Gbps even with both ports aggregated; Full performance requires 802.3bt (UPOE) power, which many switches may not provide; Thermal downgrade above 40 C ambient (5 GHz drops to 4x4, uplinks drop to 1G); Max client and throughput numbers are PHY or deployment-guide figures, not datasheet guarantees; Higher cost than Wi-Fi 6 entry-level APs, with reseller prices varying widely; Requires Cisco wireless controller infrastructure for full management features
