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Primary Device

Cisco Cisco Wireless 9178I (CW9178I)
Cisco Cisco Wireless 9178I (CW9178I)
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be, also supports 802.11ax/ac/a/b/g/n); tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz; 6 GHz up to 320 MHz channels
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4:4SS per client-serving radio; 12 SS total in default tri-radio mode, 16 SS total in quad-radio mode
  • Aggregate Throughput: Up to 24 Gbps aggregate PHY rate (reseller figure; not stated in Cisco's datasheet, and not measured throughput)
  • Radios (bands): Default tri-radio: 2.4 GHz (20 MHz), 5 GHz (20/40/80/160 MHz), 6 GHz (20/40/80/160/320 MHz). Quad-radio mode adds a second 5 GHz radio (20/40/80/160 MHz). Plus a dedicated scanning radio and a dedicated 2.4 GHz IoT radio
  • Uplink Port Speed: Two 10 Gig mGig ports (mGig0, mGig1) plus console; 10 Gbps needs CAT6 (up to 50 m) or CAT6a (up to 100 m); LAG caps aggregate at 10 Gbps
  • Max Clients: 1,200 total (400 per radio); 16 SSIDs per band
  • PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (PoE++, Class 6) for full performance with both 10G ports and 16 SS; 802.3at reduces radios to 8 SS (quad-radio uses 2.5G ports, tri-radio uses 1G); 802.3af runs a single 1G port with most radios disabled and no MLO. Power budget in watts not stated
  • Antenna: Integrated omnidirectional; 4 dBi (2.4 GHz), 5 dBi (5 GHz), 6 dBi (6 GHz); built-in GPS/GNSS with external antenna option
  • Dimensions / Weight: 9.9 x 9.9 x 2.0 in; 4.1 lb (1.87 kg)
  • Operating Temperature: 0 to 50 C (32 to 122 F)
  • Pricing Notes: No official Cisco list price found; resellers cite MSRP $3,009.98; observed street prices roughly $1,300 to $2,360 (RTG and CFG SKUs differ)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Wi-Fi 7 tri-band (2.4/5/6 GHz) with 320 MHz channels on 6 GHz; 4x4 per serving radio gives up to 16 spatial streams in quad-radio mode; Dedicated scanning and IoT radios for security and BLE/IoT workloads; Dual 10G mGig uplinks for high-throughput backhaul; High client capacity (1,200 clients, 400 per radio); Built-in GNSS for location services; Optional quad-radio mode adds a second 5 GHz radio for capacity
  • ✘ Cons: Full performance requires 802.3bt (Class 6) PoE, which many switches don't provide; 802.3at or 802.3af significantly reduce radio and port capability; Premium price compared with typical Wi-Fi 6/6E APs; Official datasheet does not state a PoE wattage budget or aggregate throughput; Pricing and SKU variants (RTG vs CFG) vary widely across resellers; Cisco's own deployment guide has a typo ('803.2bt') in the PoE section, so verify requirements before purchase
  • Est. Price: $1,442 - $2,360

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