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 CW9171
★ 3.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi Standard: 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7), 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E), 802.11ac, 802.11n v2.0, with 802.11a/b/g support
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 2x2:2 on each radio (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz or 6 GHz)
Aggregate Throughput: 6120 Mbps aggregate data rate (PHY rates up to 6.0 Gbps on 6 GHz, 2x2, 320 MHz channels)
Radios (bands): Dual-radio, tri-band: 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz or 6 GHz, plus dedicated scanning/aux radio and IoT radio (802.15.4), plus BLE radio
Uplink Port Speed: 1x multigigabit RJ-45 at 100M/1G/2.5G (Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6A)
Max Clients: 256 per radio (per Cisco deployment guide; not stated on the datasheet)
PoE Requirement: 802.3at (PoE+) for full functionality; 802.3af (PoE) supports only a reduced 1x1 2.4 GHz radio with 1G link; 54V DC input also supported (max power 30W)
Power Consumption: 9.8W idle, 11.4W typical on 802.3at (dual radio)
Bluetooth / IoT: BLE radio (datasheet lists BLE 5.3 in features and BLE 6 upgrade path in specs); IoT radio supports 802.15.4
Form Factor: Indoor AP, 20 x 20 x 5.3 cm, 874 g; mounts with AIR-AP-BRACKET-1 or -2
Management: Cisco IOS XE 17.18.2+ with Catalyst 9800 controllers or Catalyst 9000 EWC; Meraki MR 32.1.5+ cloud management (CW9171I-RTG); requires Cisco Networking Subscription (Wireless Essentials or Advantage)
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 6 GHz support and 320 MHz channels; 6120 Mbps aggregate rate; 2.5G multigigabit uplink for a single PoE+ cable; dedicated scanning radio for security and RF monitoring; integrated BLE and 802.15.4 IoT radios; low power draw (about 11.4W typical); flexible management via Catalyst 9800 or Meraki cloud
✘ Cons:Only one uplink port, with no secondary Ethernet for redundancy or link aggregation; 2x2 radios trail 4x4 or 6x6 Wi-Fi 7 APs in high-density environments; full functionality requires 802.3at PoE+ (802.3af gives only a reduced 1x1 2.4 GHz radio); requires a paid Cisco Networking Subscription; max client count not published on the datasheet; BLE version is stated inconsistently across Cisco's pages
