Benefits of Upgrading to Cisco Wireless Access Points
Get free Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 access points when you purchase qualifying Cisco Catalyst 9000 multigigabit switches with our Cisco DNA Advantage or Cisco DNA Premier software licenses.
| Network requirements for the Digital Organization | Feature | Wi-Fi 3 Cisco® Aironet® Access Points | Wi-Fi 4 Cisco Aironet Access Points | Wi-Fi 5 Cisco Aironet Access Points | Wi-Fi 6 Cisco Catalyst Access Points | Benefits |
| 1600/2600/3600 Series | 1700/2700/3700 Series | 1800/2800/3800/ 4800 Series | 9100 Series | |||
 Insights and Experiences |
Maximum data rate | 450 Mbps (3600 Series) |
1.3 Gbps (2700 and 3700 Series) |
5.2 Gbps (2800, 3800 and 4800 APs) |
Up to 9.6 Gbps | Users will gain a better experience through a better- performing network |
| Cisco Catalyst Spaces | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Analyze visitor behavior, make guest Wi-Fi access easier, track assets quickly and accurately, and provide visitors with a better experience | |
| Cisco Application Visibility and Control (AVC) | No | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Visibility into 1000+ applications for capacity planning and prioritization | |
| Future-ready modularity | 3600 Series only | 3700 Series only | 3800 Series only | No | Prepare for next- generation technology today | |
| OFDMA | No | No | No | ✓ | Allows scheduling which splits the bandwidth into smaller chunks called Resource Units (RU). These RUs can be allocated to individual clients only in the downlink direction to reduce overhead and 50% less latency resulting in faster working apps | |
| Target Wake Time | No | No | No | Future | A power savings mode called this lets users determine pre-scheduled times to exchange data with the AP. This allows for significant energy savings for batteryoperated devices, up to 3-4x versus prior 802.11n and 802.11ax | |
| Multi gigabit uplink support | No | No | 3800 and 4800 only | ✓ | Supports up to 5Gbps with NBase-T and IEEE 802.3bz Ethernet compatibility to seamlessly offload network traffic without bottlenecks. Existing Cat 5e or Cat 6 cabling to achieve speeds up to 5 Gbps which provides higher throughputs and saves money by conserving existing cabling | |
| BLE Radio | No | No | 4800 only | ✓ | Proximity technology to enhance location services for mobile devices | |
| Intelligent Capture | No | No | 2800, 3800 and 4800 APs only | 9130 Series only | Probes the network and provides the Cisco Catalyst Center with deep data analysis | |
 Automation and Assurance |
Cisco High Density Experience (HDX) | No | ✓ | ✓ | Future – on select models | Automatically manages the airwaves and improves Wi-Fi performance |
| Flexible, softwaredefined, dual radios, 5 GHz | No | No | 2800 and 3800 Series only (4800 has four radios) |
9120 and 9130 Series only | Automated support for client surges with dual 5-GHz radios | |
| Best practices | No | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Advanced features easily enabled through Mobility Express and WLAN Express Setup | |
| Apple FastLane | No | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Enables iOS devices to intelligently communicate and fast-track a connection to the best-suited access point, quickly and efficiently, all while saving battery power | |
| Cisco Jabber®/ Lync SDN API | No | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Allows employees to access instant messaging, voice, video, voice messaging, desktop sharing, and conferencing from anywhere | |
| Cisco Catalyst Center | No | No | ✓ | ✓ | Simplifies network management by reducing risk and allowing for automating device deployment. Not only that but it lowers costs too | |
 Security and Compliance |
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | A next-generation identity and access control policy platform that enforces compliance, enhances infrastructure security, and streamlines service operations |
| NetFlow | No | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Provides a key set of services for IP applications, including network traffic accounting, usage-based network billing, network planning security, denial-of-service monitoring capabilities, and network monitoring | |
| Cisco Stealthwatch | No | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Enables advanced network visibility, analytics, and protection by showing everything that happens across your network and data center |
Learn more at https://www.cisco.com/go/wireless.
To assist in your transition to next-gen Wireless with end-end Intent-Based Networking, review this table:
| Aironet 11ac Wave 2 | Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 series | Applications |
| AIR1830 | C9115AX or C9117AX | Small and Medium-size deployment |
| AIR1850 | C9115AX or C9117AX | Small and Medium-size deployment |
| AIR2800 | C9120AX | Large-size deployment |
| AIR3800 | C9130AX | Large-size deployment, mission-critical |