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 CW9174
★ 3.5 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), backward compatible with 802.11ax/ac/n/a/g/b; 320 MHz channels on 6 GHz
Spatial Streams (MIMO): Tri-band mode: 10 SS total (2.4 GHz 2x2:2, 5 GHz 4x4:4, 6 GHz 4x4:4). Dual-band mode: 8 SS total (2.4 GHz 4x4:4, 5 GHz 4x4:4)
Aggregate Throughput: About 17.5 Gbps PHY aggregate (reseller figure; Cisco does not state an aggregate throughput in its published specs)
Radios (bands): Five radios: serving radios for 2.4 GHz (20 MHz), 5 GHz (20/40/80/160 MHz), 6 GHz (20/40/80/160/320 MHz); dedicated scanning radio; dedicated 2.4 GHz IoT radio. Dual-radio dual-band mode (5 GHz + 2.4 GHz) also supported; 6 GHz only where regionally permitted
Uplink Port Speed: 1x 5 Gig mGig PoE-IN RJ-45 (1G on 802.3af, 2.5G on 802.3at, 5G on 802.3bt/DC); plus USB 2.0 (9W on 802.3bt/DC, 2.5W on 802.3at), console, and DC 54V input
Max Clients: 768 total (256 per radio) per Cisco deployment guide
PoE Requirement: 802.3bt Class 5 (UPOE) or MA-PWR-50WAC DC supply for full 10-SS, 5G operation; 802.3at (30W max) gives 10 or 8 SS at 2.5G with reduced USB power; 802.3af gives 1x1 at 2.4 GHz only at 1G with 5/6 GHz disabled. Compatible injectors: CW-INJ-8, AIR-PWRINJ7, MA-INJ-6. AP power draw in watts not stated by Cisco
Form Factor: Indoor ceiling/wall-mount AP; 8.9 x 8.9 x 2.5 in (22.6 x 22.6 x 6.3 cm); CW9174I 3.36 lb (1.52 kg), CW9174E 3.26 lb (1.47 kg)
Operating Temperature: CW9174I: 0 to 50 C; CW9174E: -20 to 50 C
Management: Catalyst 9800 WLC (IOS XE 17.18.2 or later), Catalyst Center (2.3.7.11 / 3.2.3 or later), or Meraki dashboard (MR 32.1.5 or later); embedded wireless controller mode not supported
Pricing Notes: No official Cisco list price published. Observed USD reseller prices roughly $1,140 to $1,170 for CW9174I-CFG and CW9174I-RTG (sale prices; reference/struck-through prices are higher). Confirm with Cisco price list or an authorized partner
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Wi-Fi 7 with 320 MHz 6 GHz channels and MLO support; Tri-radio design with dedicated scanning radio and 2.4 GHz IoT radio for security and IoT workloads; Five-gigabit mGig uplink, faster than standard 2.5G APs at the same price tier; Flexible indoor (CW9174I) and external-antenna (CW9174E) models; Works with on-premises Catalyst 9800 WLC, Catalyst Center, or Meraki cloud depending on firmware; Lower price than the CW9176 and CW9178I tri-radio flagships
✘ Cons:Only one 5 Gbps uplink, so there is no link aggregation for higher throughput; Full 10-stream, 5 Gbps performance requires 802.3bt (UPOE) or a DC power supply; 802.3at and 802.3af significantly reduce radio streams and USB power; Cisco publishes no aggregate throughput figure or list price; Max clients (768 total) is below the 1,200 of the CW9176/CW9178 models; CW9174E 6 GHz use is restricted to US/Canada standard power, so 6 GHz availability varies by region
