PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Cisco Catalyst CW9164
Cisco Catalyst CW9164
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 2.4GHz: 2x2, 5GHz: 4x4, 6GHz: 4x4
  • Aggregate Throughput: 7.49 Gbps
  • Radios (bands): Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) + Scanning + BLE 5.1
  • Uplink Port Speed: 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig
  • Max Clients: Up to 1,200 (Catalyst mode) / 1,536 (Meraki mode)
  • PoE Requirement: 802.3at (PoE+) or 802.3bt (PoE++)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Supports ultra-wide 6GHz band (Wi-Fi 6E); Unique dual-boot capability for Meraki cloud or Catalyst on-prem management; Includes dedicated WIDS/WIPS security radio; High density client support.
  • ✘ Cons: Requires recurring licensing (Cisco DNA or Meraki); High price point for enterprise environments; Full throughput requires mGig switching infrastructure and high-power PoE.
  • Est. Price: $1,150 - $1,400

Compare Against

Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max
Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max
★ 5.0 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: WiFi 7 (802.11be)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 8 Streams (6GHz: 2x2, 5GHz: 4x4, 2.4GHz: 2x2)
  • Aggregate Throughput: 15.1 Gbps
  • Radios (bands): Tri-band (2.4, 5, 6 GHz)
  • Uplink Port Speed: 2.5 GbE RJ45
  • Max Clients: 500+
  • PoE Requirement: PoE+ (802.3at)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Industry-leading WiFi 7 performance, massive 15.1 Gbps aggregate throughput, dedicated spectral scanning engine for interference analysis, and excellent price-to-performance ratio.
  • ✘ Cons: Requires PoE+ power, needs 2.5GbE infrastructure to reach full potential, and 6GHz range is inherently shorter than lower bands.
  • Est. Price: $279 - $295

Popular Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst CW9164 vs Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro Max Cisco Catalyst CW9164 vs Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro Wall Cisco Catalyst CW9164 vs Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max Cisco Catalyst CW9164 vs Ubiquiti U7 Pro Cisco Catalyst CW9164 vs Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro