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 CW9166I
★ 3.2 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), tri-band; also supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac clients
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4:4 on each of the three Wi-Fi radios (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz); 12 spatial streams for MU-MIMO
Aggregate Throughput: Up to 7.78 Gbps PHY (4x4 160 MHz on 6 GHz, 4x4 80 MHz on 5 GHz, 4x4 20 MHz on 2.4 GHz); Cisco does not publish a single aggregate figure
Radios (bands): Five radios: 4x4 2.4 GHz; 4x4 5 GHz; 4x4 XOR radio assignable to 5 GHz or 6 GHz; tri-band CleanAir Pro scanning radio; 2.4 GHz BLE IoT radio (Bluetooth 5.1 LE)
Uplink Port Speed: 1x Multigigabit Ethernet RJ-45 at 100M/1G/2.5G/5G (no 10G port); 1x USB 2.0 (4.5 W); console port
Max Clients: Not stated in the Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series datasheet (not verified)
PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (UPOE) 30.5 W for full operation; 802.3at 25.5 W; 802.3af 14.0 W for configuration staging only with radios off; DC 54 V power jack option
Layer: Wireless access point (managed via Catalyst 9800 WLC or Meraki cloud SKU CW9166I-MR)
Form Factor: Indoor, internal antennas; 241.3 x 241.3 x 56.9 mm (9.5 x 9.5 x 2.2 in); 1.60 kg (3.54 lb); operating temperature 0 to 50 C
✔ Pros:Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with three 4x4 radios and a dedicated XOR radio that can serve 5 GHz or 6 GHz; Dedicated CleanAir Pro scanning radio for RF monitoring and security; Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy 5.1 radio for IoT, location tracking and wayfinding; Multigigabit uplink up to 5 Gbps, which suits 2.5G/5G wired backhaul; Managed on-premises by Catalyst 9800 controllers or cloud-managed via the Meraki SKU; Single 802.3bt PoE connection with no separate power brick needed
✘ Cons:Needs 802.3bt UPOE (30.5 W) for full radio operation; 802.3at or lower limits functionality; Single multigigabit uplink caps wired throughput at 5 Gbps and offers no 10G option; Cisco does not publish a maximum client count in its datasheet; Indoor-only design; Higher cost than Wi-Fi 6 APs and than mid-range Wi-Fi 6E models, with pricing varying widely between resellers (about $1,110 to $3,300 list)
