Introduction to Cisco Wireless 9174E Wi-Fi 7 Access Point

Updated: December 19, 2025

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Introduces access point concepts by detailing wireless features, hardware model numbers and regulatory domains, and antenna and radio configurations with coverage of internal antennas and operating frequency limits.

The Cisco Wireless 9174E Wi-Fi 7 Access Point (CW9174E) is an enterprise-class, tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) access point designed to support Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 transitions. It features an external antenna design and offers a tri-radio 10 spatial stream configuration with an option for a dual-radio 8 spatial stream setup.

The AP hardware is supported on the following platforms:

Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly known as Cisco DNA Center) on-premises
Cisco Wireless Controllers
Meraki cloud-based stack

A full listing of the AP's features and specifications is provided in the Cisco Wireless 9174E Wi-Fi 7 Access Point Data Sheet.

Note

The 6-GHz band is not supported in Europe, Japan, and Taiwan.

Cisco Wireless 9174E Wi-Fi 7 Access Point features

The CW9174E AP is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 enterprise indoor access point. It is designed for seamless integration with the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers. This AP delivers superior connectivity, expanded coverage, and support for advanced IoT applications. The AP includes the following hardware and supporting features:

Radios and wireless capabilities
- Wi-Fi 7 radios supporting 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequencies with external DART8 antenna connector.
- The AP operates in tri-band mode with 10 spatial stream with 2.4 GHz (2x2:2), 5 GHz (4x4:4), 6 GHz (4x4:4), or in dual-band mode with 8 spatial stream as 2.4 GHz (4x4:4), and 5 GHz (4x4:4).
- Dedicated scanning/AUX radio for real-time network monitoring and optimization.
- Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE): Enables IoT applications, such as location tracking and wayfinding.
- USB 2.0 port with 9 watts power output for optional CW-ACC-GPS1= GPS module and other accessories
- Multiuser Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) for simultaneous uplink and downlink connections.
- Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) for efficient traffic scheduling and resource utilization.
- Spatial Reuse (BSS Coloring), enabling differentiation between multiple basic service sets for increased transmission efficiency.
- Target Wake Time (TWT): An energy-saving mode that allows battery-powered devices to stay asleep and wake only at predefined intervals for data exchange, optimizing energy efficiency.
- Multi-Link Operation (MLO): Multi-Link Operation (MLO) allows Multi-Link Devices (MLDs) to maintain associations and simultaneously transmit data across multiple frequency bands, including 2.4-GHz, 5-GHz, and 6-GHz band.
- Preamble Puncturing: Preamble puncturing allows Extremely High Throughput (EHT) stations to transmit and receive Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) efficiently by omitting signals in unused 20-MHz subchannels, even with bandwidth interference like rogue APs.
Power and connectivity
- Ethernet Port: Supports the following speeds: 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, and 5 Gbps.
- Power over Ethernet (PoE): Fully compliant with 802.3at PoE, enabling all device features. 802.3bt class 5 is required to enable full USB power and 5Gbps uplink.
- Before deployment, verify that all PoE injectors and switches provide the necessary power budget to enable all access point features.
Ethernet cable requirements
- CAT 5E or above required, CAT 6/6A: Recommended for distances up to 100m.
- Environmental Considerations: Avoid routing cables near high-interference sources such as electrical panels or motors. Ensure cable installations comply with local building and fire safety codes.
Intelligent network capabilities
- CleanAir Pro Technology: Provides advanced spectrum intelligence for 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. Supports high-speed spectrum analysis across channel widths from 20 MHz to 160 MHz. The technology identifies and mitigates interference sources, optimizing network performance in real-time.
Operating modes
- Local mode: It is the default mode for client servicing, which utilizes CAPWAP tunnels for centralized management. This mode offers central switching capabilities, which handles management and data traffic.
- FlexConnect mode: FlexConnect mode allows local data switching and enables continued operation during controller disconnection.
- Monitor mode: The mode acts as a dedicated sensor for Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), rogue AP detection, and Location-based services (LBS).
- Sniffer mode: Sniffer mode captures and forwards wireless packets for remote analysis using tools like Wireshark or AiroPeek NX. It also includes metadata like timestamps, signal strength, and packet size.
  
  Note
  Requires the receiving server to be on the same VLAN as the controller management VLAN.
- Site survey mode: This mode enables RF parameter configuration for site survey investigations and simplifies network planning and installation.
- SDA/fabric mode: The SDA mode supports Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) for advanced segmentation and policy enforcement.
External interfaces
- USB Port: USB ports support additional device connectivity for enhanced flexibility.
- Uplink Ethernet (100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps)
Software features
- Intelligent Capture: It probes the network to provide deep diagnostic insights, enabling troubleshooting latency, interference, and other performance issues.
- Cisco Catalyst Center Support: The support integrates with Cisco Catalyst Center to enable Cisco Spaces for location services.
- Apple FastLane for optimized iOS device performance.
- Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) support: Integration with ISE for advanced security and network access control.

External antennas

The Cisco Wireless 9174E (CW9174E) supports the following list of external antennas:
- Wi-Fi 7 antennas:
  - CW-ANT-T-O2-D8: Tri-band omnidirectional ceiling-mount antenna
  - CW-ANT-T-D2-D8: Tri-band directional patch antenna with built-in accelerometer, designed to work with the included CW-MNT-ART2 articulating mount.
  - CW-ANT-T-O4-R: Tri-band omnidirectional dipole with RP-TNC
- Other antennas
  - C-ANT9101 (dual band, 8 spatial stream only)
  - C-ANT9102
  - C-ANT9103
  - MA-ANT-3-C6/D6/E6/F6 Series: Scanning Radio and IoT functionality supported (Requires AIR-CAB002-D8-R=)
  - AIR-ANT2524V4C-R/RS, AIR-ANT2544V4M-5/RS, AIR-ANT2566P4W-R/RS, AIR-ANT2566D4M-R/RS Series: Scanning Radio functionality supported (Requires AIR-CAB002-D8-R= or CW-CAB-001-D8-R4 accessory)
  - AIR-ANT2513P4M-N/NS: Requires AIR-CAB003-D8-N accessory
- Accessories:
  - AIR-CAB002-D8-R (DART to RP-TNC accessory)
  - AIR-CAB003-D8-N (DART to N-Type accessory)
  - CW-CAB-001-D8-R4 (DART to 4-port RP-TNC cable)
  - CW-ACC-ADPT1 (C-ANT9103 mount adapter)
  - CW-MNT-9

AP model numbers and regulatory domains


AP Type	Product ID	Details
Access Point for indoor environments, with external antennas	CW9174E	Wi-Fi 7 AP, tri-band, 802.11be with external antenna connector

With the new Wi-Fi 7 APs, Cisco now has one AP portfolio that can be used either with the Meraki cloud native network or Catalyst on-premise controller-based deployments. With the introduction of the one AP portfolio, it is essential to have a single product ID (PID) at manufacturing, to simplify logistics or operations. This AP model is designed for global use under a single PID. To verify approval and to identify the regulatory domain that corresponds to a particular country, see https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/assets/prod/wireless/wireless-compliance-tool/index.html. Regulatory approvals are continually updated as they are obtained.

Antennas and radios

The following sections provide detailed information about the AP's antennas and radios.

Antenna

External antenna

The Cisco Wireless 9174E (CW9174E) has a single Octal DART (DART-8) connector.

Note

C-ANT9101, C-ANT9102, and C-ANT9103 antennas are supported on the Cisco Wireless 9174E Access Point for 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz operation only. These antennas do not support 6 GHz operation on the Cisco Wireless 9174E Access Point.

Wi-Fi 7 antennas

CW-ANT-T-O2-D8: Tri-band omnidirectional ceiling-mount antenna with accelerometer and DART8 connector.
CW-ANT-T-D2-D8: Tri-band directional patch antenna with accelerometer and DART8 connector. Includes CW-MNT-ART2 mount.

Operating frequency and effective isotropic radiated power

Table 1. Cisco 9174E AP values for European Union (CE) region
Evaluation mode	Frequency range	Maximum transmit power
Evaluation mode	(MHz)	(dBm)
2.4GHz WLAN	2400-2483.5	20 (2x2), 23 (4x4)
5GHz WLAN B1	5150-5250	23
5GHz WLAN B2	5250-5350	23
5GHz WLAN B3	5470-5725	30
5GHz WLAN B4	5725-5875	14
Bluetooth	2400-2483.5	10
IEEE 802.15.4	2400-2483.5	10
(Zigbee)	2400-2483.5	10

Table 2. Cisco 9174E values for United Kingdom region
Evaluation mode	Frequency range	Maximum transmit power
Evaluation mode	(MHz)	(dBm)
2.4GHz WLAN	2400-2483.5	20 (2x2), 23 (4x4)
5GHz WLAN B1	5150-5250	23
5GHz WLAN B2	5250-5350	23
5GHz WLAN B3	5470-5725	30
5GHz WLAN B4	5725-5850	23
(IR 2030)	5725-5850	23
Bluetooth	2400-2483.5	10
IEEE 802.15.4	2400-2483.5	10
(Zigbee)	2400-2483.5	10

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