Cisco Catalyst CW9178I Full English Description

Listing Title

Full Commercial Product Description

1. On-premises CAPWAP lightweight mode, managed by Catalyst 9800 Series physical/virtual Wireless LAN Controllers and Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center) automation & assurance stack
2. Meraki cloud-native zero-touch provisioning mode via Meraki Dashboard for multi-site centralized cloud orchestration, remote maintenance and real-time wireless analyticsCisco.

Five Concurrent Independent Radio Architecture

1. Fixed 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi 7 Client Serving Radio: 4×4:4 MU‑MIMO with four spatial streams, supports only 20MHz channel bandwidth, fully backward compatible with legacy 802.11b/g/n IoT devices, POS terminals and low-bandwidth mobile clients; maximum single-band PHY throughput 1.5 Gbps.
2. Primary 5 GHz Wi‑Fi 7 Client Serving Radio: 4×4:4 MU‑MIMO, supports 20/40/80/160MHz wide channels, DFS radar frequency avoidance, 4096-QAM high-efficiency modulation; peak single-band PHY throughput 4.8 Gbps.
3. Secondary Concurrent 5 GHz Wi‑Fi 7 Client Serving Radio: Independent parallel 4×4:4 MU‑MIMO radio running simultaneously with primary 5GHz radio to double 5GHz client capacity; supports identical wide channel widths and Wi‑Fi 7 modulation standards, peak throughput 4.8 Gbps.
4. Fixed LPI 6 GHz Wi‑Fi 7 Client Serving Radio: Exclusive clean interference-free unlicensed 6GHz band radio with 4×4:4 MU‑MIMO, supports 20/40/80/160/320MHz ultra-wide channels; maximum single-band PHY throughput 4.8 Gbps.
   Total aggregate quad-tri-band Wi‑Fi 7 PHY throughput reaches24 GbpsCisco.
5. Dedicated AI/ML CleanAir Pro Tri-Band Scanning Radio: Runs 24×7 independently of all four client serving radios, continuously scans full 2.4/5/6GHz spectrum to decode EHT Wi‑Fi 7 frames, detect RF interference, rogue access points and malicious wireless intrusions, delivering automatic Air Marshal WIDS/WIPS rogue containment and real-time RF spectrum analytics without occupying user traffic radio resources.
6. Embedded Multi-Function IoT Radio Subsystem: Separate built-in omnidirectional internal antenna with three integrated modules:
   • BLE 5.3 beacon & scanning radio for location analytics, visitor flow counting, asset tracking and proximity marketing
   • UWB Ultra-Wideband high-precision indoor location tracking module for centimeter-level indoor navigation
   • Built-in GNSS/GPS receiver with geolocation calibration functionality for AFC automatic frequency coordination

• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Ultra-low-latency parallel multi-band transmission for real-time AR/VR, high-definition video conferencing and cloud desktop workloads
• Uplink & Downlink OFDMA: Splits wireless spectrum into miniature resource units to drastically reduce multi-client transmission latency
• 4096-QAM high-density modulation for maximum single-channel throughput
• Downlink MU‑MIMO: Simultaneous parallel data transmission to multiple Wi‑Fi 7 compatible clients to maximize airtime capacity
• BSS Coloring Spatial Reuse: Mitigates co-channel interference between adjacent APs in dense auditorium and retail layouts
• Target Wake Time (TWT): Extends battery service life of smartphones, tablets and battery-powered IoT sensors via scheduled sleep cycles
• Transmit Beamforming & MRC Maximal Ratio Combining: Extends omnidirectional indoor RF coverage range and strengthens weak-client connection stability
• Full LPI-compliant 6GHz indoor operation, 320MHz ultra-wide channel support, A-MPDU/A-MSDU packet aggregation, Cyclic Shift Diversity (CSD) and complete DFS radar avoidance support

Integrated Internal Omnidirectional Tri-Band Antenna Array (CW9178I Exclusive Feature)

• 2.4GHz omnidirectional antenna gain: 4 dBi, uniform full 360° horizontal azimuth coverage
• 5GHz omnidirectional antenna gain: 5 dBi wide-area indoor coverage
• 6GHz Wi‑Fi 7 omnidirectional antenna gain: 6 dBi optimized for clean low-interference 6GHz band high-throughput transmission
• Separate dedicated omnidirectional internal antenna for BLE/UWB/GNSS multi-function IoT radio

Dual 10G Uplink Wired Interfaces & Power Specifications

Wired Interfaces (CW9178I Exclusive Dual Redundant 10G Ports Design)

1. Dual Independent 100M/1000M/2500M/5000M/10GBASE-T Multigigabit (mGig) RJ45 PoE‑In uplink ports, IEEE 802.3bz NBASE‑T compliant, supports Cat5e/Cat6 cabling for 10Gbps high-speed copper uplink transmission. Dual ports enable link aggregation (LACP) or active/standby redundant uplink failover for mission-critical network resilience, both ports receive PoE power input from upstream PoE switch/injector.
2. RJ45 RS‑232 local console port for manual initial configuration, firmware recovery and field troubleshooting
3. USB 2.0 Type‑A auxiliary port with 4.5W power output, compatible with third-party IoT peripherals and local diagnostic logging; USB functionality only active under full 802.3bt UPOE power supply
4. Single multi-color LED status indicator for boot sequence, WLC/cloud dashboard connectivity, runtime operation and hardware fault alerts
5. Physical reset button for one-touch factory default configuration recovery
6. Kensington lock slot for physical anti-theft protection

Power Supply Compatibility

• Full-performance operation: IEEE 802.3bt UPOE / 802.3at PoE+ (Class 6, 60W maximum power budget), required to activate all five concurrent radios, dual full 10G multigigabit uplink ports, USB port and integrated GNSS/UWB/BLE IoT subsystem functionality
• Degraded limited operation via IEEE 802.3af PoE: All serving Wi‑Fi radios downgrade to 1×1 MIMO streams, both multigigabit Ethernet ports automatically drop to 1Gbps, USB port, UWB and GNSS modules fully disabled to reduce thermal load
• Supported power sources: 802.3af/at/bt UPOE PoE switches, dedicated 802.3bt PoE injectors, external 54V DC power adapters

Supported Deployment Operation Modes

1. CAPWAP Lightweight On‑Prem Controller Mode (Factory Default Firmware): Unified global wireless policy management via Catalyst 9800 Series physical/virtual WLCs, automated RF group resource tuning, seamless inter‑AP client roaming, centralized layered security enforcement and full Cisco Catalyst Center analytics integration. Supports SD‑Access fabric architecture and Cisco ISE identity services engine integration.
2. Meraki Cloud‑Managed Mode (Firmware Reflash Required): Zero‑touch cloud provisioning; once powered on, the AP automatically connects to Meraki cloud servers, downloads pre‑assigned network configurations and joins the managed site. Administrators deploy global wireless policies, run automated RF optimization, schedule seamless background firmware upgrades and monitor all APs via centralized Meraki Dashboard.
3. Auxiliary diagnostic modes: Monitor Mode, Sniffer Mode for full tri‑band RF spectrum capture and wireless traffic packet inspection

Enterprise‑Grade Layered Wireless Security Suite

• WPA3‑Enterprise 192‑bit / WPA3‑Personal / WPA2 / WPA wireless encryption suites with AES hardware acceleration
• Secure Boot, runtime integrity defense and digital firmware signing to prevent malicious firmware tampering, supported by Cisco Trust Anchor module for supply chain security
• Full IEEE 802.1X AAA authentication, native Active Directory integration and complete EAP protocol stack (EAP‑TLS, PEAP, EAP‑FAST, EAP‑TTLS, LEAP)
• Air Marshal WIDS/WIPS: 24/7 dedicated scanning radio detects, classifies and contains rogue wireless devices with full threat audit logs
• Layer 7 application‑aware traffic shaping: Classifies hundreds of business/streaming/gaming applications to prioritize productivity traffic and restrict non‑work bandwidth consumption
• Cisco Umbrella native DNS‑layer cloud security for automated malicious domain blocking (Meraki cloud management mode)
• Isolated VLAN segmentation to separate corporate employee, guest and IoT device wireless networks
• Hardware‑accelerated DTLS encrypted control tunnels between AP and Catalyst WLC / Meraki cloud data centers

Physical & Environmental Specifications

• Dimensions (without mounting bracket): 251.5 × 251.5 × 50.8 mm (9.9 × 9.9 × 2.0 inches)
• Weight: 1.87 kg (4.12 lb), slim white low-profile plastic ceiling chassis
• Operating temperature range: 0°C ~ 50°C (32°F ~ 122°F)
• Storage temperature range: -40°C ~ 70°C (-40°F ~ 158°F)
• Operating humidity: 10% – 95% non‑condensing
• Operating altitude: Up to 4205 meters (13.8K ft) at 45°C ambient temperature
• Mounting compatibility: Universal Cisco ceiling T‑bar rail brackets and standard wall mounting kits
• System memory: 4GB DRAM, 16GB Flash storage
• Regulatory certification: Global single‑SKU design compliant with FCC (North America), CE (EU), KC (Korea), MIC (Japan) and other regional RF regulatory standards
• Warranty: Limited lifetime hardware warranty (WARR‑CW‑LIFE‑LTD)

Cisco Catalyst Center & Meraki Cloud Ecosystem Compatibility

1. Cisco Catalyst Center (Catalyst On‑Prem Mode): Supports DNA Assurance AI/ML predictive wireless analytics, Intelligent Capture deep wireless traffic inspection, end‑user client performance monitoring, automated fault troubleshooting and predictive wireless network capacity planning, native integration with Cisco ISE identity services engine, SD‑Access fabric networks and Cisco Spaces indoor location & IoT beacon analytics (UWB high‑precision positioning supported).
2. Meraki Cloud Dashboard (Cloud‑Managed Mode): Supports Meraki Health AI anomaly detection, real‑time visitor density mapping, dwell time tracking, repeat visitor reporting via cloud API, native integration with Meraki Vision smart IP cameras and Meraki MX SD‑WAN security appliances for unified full‑stack network visibility

Key Specification Bullet Points

• Model: CW9178I (Catalyst 9178I Global Single‑SKU Ultra‑High‑Density Indoor Tri‑Band Wi‑Fi 7 Access Point, Integrated Omnidirectional Internal Antennas, Dual Redundant 10G mGig PoE++ Uplink Ports, Built‑In GNSS/UWB/BLE 5.3 Multi‑Function IoT Subsystem)
• Wi‑Fi Standard: IEEE 802.11be Wi‑Fi 7, backward compatible with Wi‑Fi 6E / Wi‑Fi 6 / 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
• Radio Architecture: Five concurrent independent radios
  1. Fixed 2.4GHz serving radio: 4×4 MU‑MIMO
  2. Fixed primary 5GHz serving radio: 4×4 MU‑MIMO
  3. Parallel secondary 5GHz serving radio: 4×4 MU‑MIMO (dual concurrent 5GHz design)
  4. Fixed dedicated LPI 6GHz serving radio: 4×4 MU‑MIMO
  5. Dedicated full‑time tri‑band AI/ML CleanAir Pro Air Marshal WIDS/WIPS scanning radio
  6. Embedded multi‑function IoT radio (BLE 5.3 beacon scanner + UWB high‑precision indoor positioning + GNSS/GPS geolocation, separate internal omnidirectional antenna)
• Spatial Streams: 4 spatial streams for all four client Wi‑Fi radios (total 16 spatial streams); Max total aggregate quad‑tri‑band PHY throughput 24 Gbps
• Antenna Design: Factory integrated omnidirectional tri‑band internal antenna array; gain: 4 dBi (2.4GHz), 5 dBi (5GHz), 6 dBi (6GHz); no external RF antenna ports
• Exclusive Hardware Features: Dual independent 10G multigigabit PoE++ uplink ports for link redundancy/LACP, built‑in GNSS/GPS receiver, UWB ultra‑high‑precision indoor positioning module, BLE 5.3 IoT beacon radio, maximum 16 spatial stream quad concurrent Wi‑Fi client radio architecture
• Core Wi‑Fi 7 Exclusive Features: Multi‑Link Operation (MLO), 4096‑QAM modulation, 320MHz wide 6GHz channel support, AI/ML‑driven CleanAir Pro full‑spectrum scanning, four parallel 4×4 client radio design for extreme high‑density client capacity
• Supported Operation Modes: CAPWAP Catalyst 9800 on‑prem controller mode (factory default), migratable Meraki cloud‑managed Dashboard mode, Monitor / Sniffer RF diagnostic modes
• Wired Interfaces:
  2 × Independent 10G Multigigabit PoE‑In RJ45 copper uplink ports
  1 × RJ45 RS‑232 local console port
  1 × USB 2.0 auxiliary IoT/peripheral port
  1 × DC 54V external power jack
  Multi‑color single status LED, physical reset button, Kensington anti‑theft lock slot
• Power Compatibility: IEEE 802.3bt UPOE / 802.3at PoE+ (full 5‑radio + GNSS/UWB/BLE + dual 10G port performance); IEEE 802.3af PoE (limited radio/port functionality, IoT modules disabled); compatible with UPOE switches, dedicated 802.3bt PoE injectors and 54V DC power adapters
• Environmental Parameters: Operating temp 0°C ~ 50°C; storage temp -40°C ~ 70°C; humidity 10%–95% non‑condensing
• Physical Specs: Dimension 251.5 × 251.5 × 50.8 mm; weight 1.87 kg
• Mounting: Flush ceiling T‑bar rail / wall bracket mounting, universal Cisco AP mounting kit compatible
• Security Suite: WPA3/WPA2/AES hardware encryption, Secure Boot + Cisco Trust Anchor firmware anti‑tampering, 24/7 Air Marshal WIDS/WIPS rogue AP containment, Cisco Umbrella DNS cloud security (Meraki), Layer7 application traffic shaping, full 802.1X multi‑EAP authentication, isolated VLAN segmentation for wired/wireless users, DTLS encrypted CAPWAP/cloud control tunnels
• Ecosystem Support: Dual‑stack Cisco Catalyst Center on‑prem management + Meraki cloud dashboard, DNA Assurance / Meraki Health AI network analytics, Intelligent Capture wireless traffic inspection, containerized edge IoT application hosting, Cisco Spaces UWB high‑precision indoor location & IoT beacon analytics, ISE identity integration, Meraki MX SD‑WAN / Meraki Vision camera unified stack integration
• Typical Deployment Scenarios: Ultra‑high‑density university lecture halls, stadium spectator concourses, large convention centers, big-box shopping malls, all‑wireless corporate headquarters, multi‑floor healthcare campuses, student dormitory buildings, mission‑critical AR/VR training facilities, multi‑stream 8K video conferencing spaces, hybrid on‑prem Catalyst WLC or Meraki zero‑touch cloud managed flagship indoor Wi‑Fi 7 AP deployments requiring maximum concurrent client capacity, redundant 10G uplink resilience and high‑precision indoor location tracking

Model Quick Reference

• CW9178I: Global single‑SKU flagship ultra‑high‑density indoor tri‑band Wi‑Fi 7 enterprise AP with integrated omnidirectional internal antennas, five concurrent radios (four parallel 4×4 Wi‑Fi client radios + dedicated CleanAir Pro scanning radio + integrated GNSS/UWB/BLE 5.3 multi‑IoT radio), exclusive dual independent 10G mGig PoE++ uplink ports for network redundancy, dual unified Catalyst 9800 on‑prem CAPWAP or Meraki cloud dashboard management, slim low‑profile ceiling/wall mount for stadiums, convention centers, university lecture halls, shopping malls and mission‑critical high‑client‑density indoor deployments
• CW9176I: Mid‑tier indoor Wi‑Fi 7 AP with three 4×4 client radios, single 10G uplink port, without dual concurrent 5GHz radios and UWB positioning
• CW9172I: Entry mid‑range indoor Wi‑Fi 7 AP with only 2×2 client radios, lower throughput capacity for medium‑density spaces
• CW9177 Series: Outdoor IP67 rated Wi‑Fi 7 APs for exterior campus, smart city and industrial deployments
• Catalyst 916x Series: Previous generation Wi‑Fi 6E APs without Wi‑Fi 7 MLO / 4K‑QAM capabilities, fewer spatial streams and no UWB/GNSS integrated IoT modules