Meraki Catalyst 9162 - Wireless Access Point - Wi-Fi 6E - 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz - Cloud-managed - Internal - CW9162I-MR

Introducing the Catalyst 9162 Series Access Point, a cutting-edge solution for ultra-high performance Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity. This tri-band 802.11ax-compatible access point features separate radios dedicated to security, RF management, and Bluetooth®, along with a USB port for seamless integration with hardware peripherals, including third-party solutions.

Key Features:

• Flexible Deployment Options: Choose between cloud-based or on-premises management, ensuring network investment protection and unlocking the potential of hybrid work environments.

• Wi-Fi 6E Compliance: Leveraging the expanded 6-GHz band, this access point delivers a more reliable and secure network, boasting higher throughput, increased capacity, and reduced device interference.

• Industry-Leading Network Architecture: The Catalyst 9162 Series Access Point combines Cisco's renowned network architecture with the Meraki cloud IT platform, providing an unparalleled network experience.

• Dynamic Operational Management: Easily switch between on-premises and cloud-based management without additional hardware purchases, adapting to evolving network needs effortlessly.

Cisco Meraki Cloud Management:

Paired with the Meraki cloud platform, the Catalyst 9162 access points offer unified IT experiences for streamlined network monitoring and management. The intuitive Meraki dashboard provides sophisticated tools for network optimization, policy deployment, and full-stack management, supporting over 3.9 million active networks worldwide.

Integration Capabilities:

• Cisco DNA Center and Catalyst 9800 WLC Support: Seamlessly integrate with Cisco DNA Center and Catalyst 9800 WLC for real-time analytics, threat detection, and network-wide consistency through automation.

• CW9162 and Meraki Cloud Management: Enjoy hassle-free deployment and management via the intuitive Meraki cloud interface, facilitating rapid deployment and remote troubleshooting with minimal IT intervention.

Product Highlights:

• High Performance: Achieve MU-MIMO 802.11ax compatibility with a tri-radio aggregate frame rate of approximately 3.9 Gbps.

• Advanced Security: Benefit from real-time WIDS/WIPS monitoring, integrated Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon, and enterprise-grade security features.

• Enhanced Connectivity: With a 2.5 Gbps mGig Ethernet port and USB 2.0 host interface, this access point offers versatile connectivity options.

• Optimized for Voice and Video: Application-aware traffic shaping ensures optimal performance for voice and video applications.

• User-Friendly Design: Sleek and unobtrusive design blends seamlessly into office environments, offering plug-and-play deployment for enhanced convenience.

The Catalyst 9162 Series Access Point redefines wireless networking, delivering unparalleled performance, security, and flexibility for modern organizations.

Tri–radio aggregate frame rate of up to ~3.9 Gbps*
A 6 GHz 2x2:2, 5 GHz 2x2:2 and 2.4 GHz 2x2:2 radio offer a combined tri–radio aggregate frame rate of ~3.9 Gbps*. Technologies like transmit beamforming and enhanced receive sensitivity allow the CW9162 to support a higher client density than typical enterprise-class access points, resulting in better performance for more clients from each AP.

* Refers to maximum over-the-air data frame rate capability of the radio chipset, and may exceed data rates allowed by IEEE 802.11ax operation.

Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO)
With support for features of 802.11ax, the CW9162 offers DL MU-MIMO and OFDMA for more efficient transmission to multiple clients. Especially suited to environments with numerous mobile devices, MU-MIMO and OFDMA enable multiple clients to receive data simultaneously. This increases the total network performance and improves the end-user experience.

IoT and Bluetooth Low Energy Radio
An integrated Bluetooth radio provides seamless deployment of BLE Beacon functionality and effortless visibility of Bluetooth devices. The CW9162 enables the next generation of location-aware applications while future-proofing deployments, ensuring it’s ready for any new customer engagement strategies.

Automatic cloud-based RF Optimization
The CW9162’s sophisticated and automated RF optimization means that there is no need for the dedicated hardware and RF expertise typically required to tune a wireless network. The RF data collected by the dedicated fourth radio is continuously fed back to the Meraki cloud. This data is then used to automatically tune the channel selection, transmit power, and client connection settings for optimal performance under even the most challenging RF conditions.

Integrated Enterprise Security and Guest Access
The CW9162 features integrated, easy-to-use security technologies to provide secure connectivity for employees and guests alike. Advanced security features such as AES hardware-based encryption and Enterprise authentication with 802.1X and Active Directory integration provide wired-like security while still being easy to configure. CW9162 will also support 192-bit encryption along with WPA3 support for added security of the wireless network.

One-click guest isolation provides secure, Internet-only access for visitors. PCI compliance reports check network settings against PCI requirements to simplify secure retail deployments.

Dedicated scanning radio delivers 24x7 Air Marshal and RF analytics
There’s no need to choose between wireless security (AirMarshal), advanced RF analysis, and serving client data. A dedicated scanning radio means that all functions occur in real-time, without any impact on client traffic or AP throughput.

The CW9162’s dedicated tri-band scanning radio security radio continually monitors the environment, characterizing RF interference and containing wireless threats like rogue access points. Containment is only possible in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies as 6 GHz requires Protected Management Frames (PMF).

Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) & Mobile Device Management (MDM) integration
Meraki Systems Manager natively integrates with the CW9162 to offer automatic, context-aware security. System Manager’s self-service enrollment helps to rapidly deploy MDM without installing additional equipment and then dynamically tie firewall and traffic shaping policies to client posture.

Application-aware traffic shaping
The CW9162 includes an integrated layer 7 packet inspection, classification, and control engine, enabling the configuration of QoS policies based on traffic type, helping to prioritize mission-critical applications while setting limits on recreational traffic like peer-to-peer and video streaming. Policies can be implemented per network, SSID, user group, or individual user for maximum flexibility and control.

Voice and video optimizations
Industry-standard QoS features are built-in and easy to configure. Wireless Multimedia (WMM) access categories, 802.1p, and DSCP standards support all ensure important applications get prioritized correctly, not only on the CW9162 but also on other network devices on. Unscheduled Automatic Power Save Delivery (U-APSD) and Target Wait Time feature in 802.11ax clients ensure minimal battery drain on wireless VoIP phones.

Self-configuring, self-maintaining, always up-to-date
When plugged in, the CW9162 automatically connects to the Meraki cloud, downloads its configuration, and joins the appropriate network. Administrators can schedule automatic firmware upgrades for their Dashboard network seamlessly. This ensures the network is kept up-to-date with bug fixes, security updates, and new features.

Meraki Health
CW9162 will support all the latest and greatest analytics to provide AI/ML anomaly detection, server root cause analysis, wireless client scoring based on performance and connectivity metrics, and network benchmarking for networks of similar size and vertical. Along with these features, CW9162 will provide advanced location analytics via API and graphs in Dashboard to provide a clear picture of client density and their movement across the floor plan.

Choice of Management mode
Cisco Catalyst 9162 Series Access Points can be managed either on-premises with Catalyst 9800 Wireless Lan Controllers (WLC) or cloud-managed through the Meraki dashboard. Customers have the flexibility to deploy these access points in one mode and migrate to the other mode in the future.