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 UniFi U7 Pro
Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro
★ 4.8 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 6 (2x2 MIMO on 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands)
  • Aggregate Throughput: 9.3 Gbps
  • Radios (bands): Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)
  • Uplink Port Speed: 2.5 GbE RJ45
  • Max Clients: 300+
  • PoE Requirement: PoE+ (802.3at)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Industry-leading Wi-Fi 7 value; 6 GHz support with 320 MHz channel width; 2.5 GbE uplink for high-speed backhaul; seamless UniFi ecosystem integration.
  • ✘ Cons: Requires PoE+ (won't run on standard PoE); limited to 2x2 MIMO per band; can run significantly warm during operation; 2.5 GbE port is a potential bottleneck for peak wireless speeds.
  • Est. Price: $189 - $215

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