Cisco C9800-80-K9 Full English Product Description
1. Short Official Part & License Label
C9800-80-K9: Cisco Catalyst 9800-80 Series Flagship High-Density Modular Intent-Based Wireless LAN Controller, 2U Rack-Mount Appliance, Base Configuration with 8×10G SFP+ Ports, Expandable Modular Uplink Bay, 80 Gbps Maximum Non-Blocking Throughput, DNA-Ready IOS-XE Platform, Supports Wi‑Fi 6/6E APs, CleanAir RF Intelligence, FlexConnect Local Switching, NBAR2 AVC Layer7 Application Control, Advanced aWIPS, ETA Encrypted Traffic Analytics, Full AP+Client Stateful Switchover (SSO) HA, ISSU In-Service Software Upgrade, Smart Licensing Using Policy, Active Supported Enterprise & Service Provider WLC
2. Full Product Overview
The Cisco Catalyst C9800-80-K9 is the flagship modular high-density wireless LAN controller within the Catalyst 9800 portfolio built on modern modular Cisco IOS‑XE, belonging to Cisco’s Intent-Based Networking (IBN) architecture. Designed for ultra-large enterprise campus core gateways, regional university and K‑12 multi-building districts, national retail central headquarters, hybrid datacenter wireless boundaries, and carrier-grade MSSP multi-tenant wireless environments that demand massive AP scale, modular high-speed uplink options and robust zero-trust security.
This platform supports up to6000 lightweight Catalyst / Aironet Wave 2 / Wi‑Fi 6/6E access points and 64,000 concurrent wireless clients. It adopts Cisco Smart Licensing Using Policy (SLP) with flexible capacity scaling, eliminating fixed base AP-count SKUs. It terminates DTLS‑encrypted CAPWAP tunnels from all remote and campus APs, supporting three primary deployment modes: Central Local Mode for dense campus networks, FlexConnect distributed branch switching to minimize WAN backhaul traffic, and SD‑Access Fabric integration for software-defined zero-trust campus architectures. It delivers unified RF orchestration, enterprise wireless security, seamless Layer 2/3 client mobility, VoWLAN QoS, VideoStream multicast optimization, and embedded advanced wireless intrusion prevention (aWIPS).
The C9800-80 provides up to 80 Gbps non-blocking forwarding throughput. Base hardware ships with eight fixed 10G SFP+ ports; an additional modular expansion bay supports optional uplink modules including 10×10G SFP+, 1×40G QSFP+, 2×40G QSFP+, or 1×100G QSFP28 for future bandwidth growth. The chassis supports dual hot-swappable redundant AC power supplies and redundant fans to eliminate single points of failure for mission-critical infrastructure. Key enterprise capability: full AP + Client Stateful Switchover (SSO) high availability synchronizes CAPWAP tunnel state, PMK cache and all active client sessions between HA peers for sub-second zero-outage failover. Modular IOS‑XE supports hot patching and ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade) for non-disruptive firmware updates without wireless service interruptions.
The Catalyst 9800-80 remains fully supported hardware, not End-of-Sale. It interoperates with all Aironet Wave 2 and Catalyst 9100 series Wi‑Fi 6/6E lightweight APs. Management options include embedded HTTPS web UI, IOS‑XE SSH CLI, serial console, and centralized automation via Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center) or Cisco Prime Infrastructure with NETCONF/YANG and RESTCONF open programmable APIs.
Key Upgrade vs C9800-40-K9: Larger maximum AP and client scale, modular uplink expansion bay supporting 40G/100G interfaces, higher 80Gbps throughput, expanded memory and session tables for ultra-large consolidated campus and service provider deployments.
3. Complete Hardware Physical & Interface Specifications
Form Factor & Mechanical
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Rack Form Factor: Standard 2U 19-inch rack-mount chassis
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Dimensions: 88.1 mm (H) × 439.4 mm (W) × 520.7 mm (D) / 3.47 × 17.3 × 20.5 inches
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Unit Weight: 14.29 kg (31.5 lbs) single PSU; up to 15.42 kg fully loaded with dual PSUs and modules
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Cooling System: Multiple hot-swappable redundant internal cooling fans
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Power Supply: Single AC PSU standard; optional second redundant AC PSU for fault tolerance
Front Panel Interface Layout
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8× 10G SFP+ fixed uplink slots (Supports SFP+ copper, SR, LR, LRM fiber transceivers; LAG EtherChannel and MACsec supported)
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Modular expansion bay for optional uplink modules (10×10G, 40G, 100G options)
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1× Dedicated 1G RJ45 Redundancy Port for low-latency SSO inter-controller synchronization
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1× 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 dedicated out-of-band Service Port for isolated management traffic
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Dual console ports: RJ45 RS‑232 serial console + mini‑USB console port for local CLI configuration and recovery
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USB 3.0 Type‑A port for local firmware upload, configuration backup and restore
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Dual AC power supply slots (primary + optional redundant secondary PSU)
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Physical security lock slot for anti-theft security cable attachment
Front Panel LED Status Indicators
Global status LEDs: Power, System Health, Critical Fault Alarm, Fan Status, Storage Status
Per-port Link/Activity LEDs for all SFP+ uplinks, service port and redundancy port
Power & Environmental Parameters
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Input AC Range: Universal 100–240 VAC, 50/60 Hz power input
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Maximum Total Power Consumption: 750 W fully loaded
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Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
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Storage Temperature: -20°C to 70°C (-4°F to 158°F)
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Humidity: 10%–90% non‑condensing (operation & storage)
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Regulatory Certifications: UL 60950‑1 safety, CE, FCC Class A EMC, ICES‑003, VCCI
Official Licensed Capacity & Performance Benchmarks
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Maximum Supported Lightweight APs: Up to 6000 APs (capacity controlled via Smart Licensing RTU entitlements)
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Maximum Concurrent Active Wireless Clients: 64,000 total across all managed APs
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System Non-Blocking Throughput: Up to 80 Gbps
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Supported Unique WLAN SSIDs: Up to 4,096 broadcast/hidden SSIDs
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Maximum 802.1Q Tagged VLAN Interfaces: Up to 4,096 VLANs
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Max AP Groups for Segmented Wireless Policy Control: 6,000 independent AP groups
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Max FlexConnect Remote Branch Groups: 6,000 groups (max 100 APs per group)
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Roaming Capabilities: Intra‑controller Layer2 seamless roaming, Layer3 inter‑controller mobility groups, 802.11r fast secure roaming (supports 64,000 PMK cache roaming clients)
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Supported Wireless Standards: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave 2, Wi‑Fi 6/6E, WMM, 802.11k/r/u/w/h, Hotspot 2.0 Passpoint, WPA3‑SAE Enterprise
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Max Detected Rogue APs: 5,000; Max Rogue Wireless Clients: 10,000
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Max RFID Location Tags Tracking: 50,000 tags for location-based services
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Supports Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), TLS/SSL Decryption and IPsec VPN processing
4. Complete Unified Wireless & Security Feature Suite
1. Centralized Lightweight AP Lifecycle Management
DTLS encrypted CAPWAP tunnel termination for all joined APs; zero-touch AP auto-discovery via DHCP Option 43; bulk AP firmware upgrades, unified RF profiles and global security policy deployment. Supports three core deployment modes: Central Local Mode, FlexConnect local switching to reduce WAN bandwidth consumption, and SD‑Access Fabric integrated mode. Compatible with OfficeExtend teleworker APs; wireless mesh supported on matching AP hardware.
2. Cisco CleanAir Intelligent RF Spectrum Management
Continuous real-time 2.4GHz/5GHz RF interference monitoring, dynamic transmit power control, automatic channel assignment, wireless coverage hole detection, rogue AP detection, classification and active wireless containment, persistent historical RF analytics for capacity planning and wireless troubleshooting.
3. Enterprise-Grade Wireless Security Stack
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Authentication Standards: IEEE 802.1X EAP‑TLS/PEAP/EAP‑FAST, local internal user database, external RADIUS/TACACS+ AAA integration
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Encryption Protocols: WEP, WPA2‑PSK/Enterprise, WPA3‑SAE/Enterprise, AES‑CCMP, TKIP
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Wireless Threat Mitigation: Built-in advanced aWIPS wireless intrusion prevention, rogue AP containment, wireless client isolation, dynamic per‑SSID VLAN assignment, downloadable per‑user ACLs
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Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA): Identify threats hidden within encrypted traffic without full packet decryption
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TrustSec integration for software-defined segmentation, Cisco ISE BYOD device profiling
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Compliance: PCI DSS validated architecture for retail wireless POS payment deployments
4. Identity-Aware Zero Trust Policy Enforcement
Native integration with Active Directory, Cisco ISE and AnyConnect Secure Client to deploy user/group context-based zero-trust access control, enabling granular segmentation based on user identity, device posture and network location.
5. Mobility, Voice & Video QoS
Wi‑Fi Multimedia (WMM) traffic prioritization, Call Admission Control (CAC) for VoWLAN VoIP handsets, Cisco VideoStream multicast optimization for wireless IPTV, configurable bidirectional per‑client bandwidth policing, fast secure roaming via 802.11r to eliminate voice call interruptions during client movement.
6. Application Visibility and Control (AVC)
Layer 7 deep application identification powered by NBAR2 for thousands of enterprise, SaaS, social media and cloud applications; application‑based traffic filtering, DSCP QoS marking, rate limiting and Flexible NetFlow v9 reporting for granular traffic governance.
7. Integrated VPN Services
Site‑to‑Site IPsec IKEv1/IKEv2 tunnels with AES‑256 encryption; AnyConnect SSL remote access VPN with split tunneling, customizable clientless web portal and secure mobility for distributed global remote workforce.
8. High Availability & Linear Scalability
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Active/Standby Full AP+Client Stateful Switchover (AP+Client SSO): Complete synchronization of AP registration, CAPWAP tunnel state, PMK cache and active client sessions for zero service interruption during failover or maintenance
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Multi-node mobility groups for cross-controller Layer 3 roaming and unified guest anchor tunneling across multiple 9800-80 controllers
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LAG EtherChannel link aggregation supported on all fixed and modular uplink ports for bandwidth aggregation and link redundancy
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Optional dual redundant power supplies and hot-swappable fans eliminate hardware single points of failure
9. Traffic Visibility, Logging & Compliance
Real-time monitoring via embedded HTTPS web GUI; secure encrypted syslog, SNMP v3 and Streaming Telemetry export to third-party SIEM platforms. Persistent audit logging meets enterprise PCI DSS, HIPAA and GDPR regulatory requirements.
10. Programmability & Centralized Orchestration
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Standalone local administration: Embedded HTTPS WebUI, IOS‑XE CLI via SSH v2, serial console
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Centralized multi-controller orchestration, unified policy distribution and cross-network reporting via Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center) or Cisco Prime Infrastructure
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Open standard APIs: NETCONF, YANG, RESTCONF for automated zero-touch provisioning and wireless lifecycle management
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Cisco Smart Licensing / Smart Licensing Using Policy (SLP)
5. Typical Deployment Scenarios
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Ultra-large enterprise campus core wireless security gateway supporting up to 6000 APs
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Multi-building university and K‑12 district large-scale unified wireless consolidation projects
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National retail headquarters wireless hubs with PCI DSS wireless POS compliance requirements
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Premium carrier-grade MSSP multi-tenant hosted wireless infrastructure with isolated policy domains
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Hybrid campus + FlexConnect global multi-site enterprise wireless architectures
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Hybrid multi-cloud perimeter wireless access deployments leveraging modular 40G/100G uplink scalability
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Legacy CUWN migration replacing older AireOS 8540 controllers with modern IOS‑XE Wi‑Fi 6-ready modular platform
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Lab, staging and pre-production environments for SD‑Access, zero-trust and high-density service provider wireless testing
6. Short Sales Listing Tagline
Cisco C9800-80-K9 Modular 2U Rackmount Flagship IOS-XE Intent-Based Wireless LAN Controller, Supports Max 6000 Lightweight Aironet/Catalyst APs & 64,000 Concurrent Wireless Clients, 8×10G SFP+ Fixed Ports + Modular Expansion Bay for 40G/100G Uplinks, 80Gbps Non-Blocking System Throughput, Optional Dual Redundant PSU, DNA-Ready, Supports Wi‑Fi 6/6E, CleanAir RF, FlexConnect, NBAR2 AVC, aWIPS & ETA Encrypted Traffic Analytics, Full AP+Client SSO Stateful HA, ISSU Non-Disruptive Upgrades, Smart Licensing, Managed via Local WebUI, IOS-XE CLI or Catalyst Center, Modern Modular WLC for Ultra-Large Enterprise Campuses & Service Provider Wireless Deployments
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