CW9163E-MR | Cisco Meraki Wi-Fi 6E Outdoor Access Point

• Tri–radio aggregate frame rate of up to 3.9 Gbps
• IoT and Bluetooth Low Energy Radio
• Automatic Cloud-based RF Optimization
• Integrated Enterprise Security and Guest Access
• Dedicated scanning radio delivers 24x7 Air Marshal and RF analytics
• Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) & Mobile Device Management (MDM) integration
• Application-aware traffic shaping
• Voice and video optimizations
• Self-configuring, self-maintaining, always up-to-date
• Meraki Health
• Choice of Mode
  
  

Options
Access Point Licenses (Mandatory)
Meraki Systems Manager
Power Injectors

Downloads
Datasheet
Meraki Sizing Tool

About This Product
The Cisco Wireless 9163E is a robust, outdoor-rated access point designed for enterprise use, supporting 802.11ax standards. It can be managed either on-premises or via the cloud. This access point features Tri-Band concurrent radios, making it suitable for low to medium density environments. It is compatible with various external antennas to achieve the desired directivity.

Key features include 2x2 Tri-Band traffic radios (covering 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands), a 1x1 Tri-Band scanning radio, and a 2.4 GHz IoT radio supporting BLE, Zigbee, and Thread. Additionally, it incorporates a built-in GNSS receiver to ensure compliance with 6 GHz AFC regulations.

Flexible Deployment Options
The Cisco Wireless 9163E outdoor Wi-Fi 6E access point is built with a durable, weather-resistant enclosure, ensuring reliable wireless access even in harsh outdoor conditions. Part of the Cisco Wireless 916X series, these access points offer the flexibility to switch between on-premises and cloud management, allowing you to tailor your network setup to your needs. This advanced access point is designed to extend Wi-Fi 6E coverage outdoors, making it ideal for various environments such as campuses, municipal Wi-Fi, stadiums, and airport hangars. These access points are not only dependable and secure but also highly adaptable and intelligent, seamlessly adjusting to your network requirements.

The Cisco Wireless 9163E features three client-serving 2x2 radios, one IoT radio, and a tri-band scanning radio. It includes a range of advanced features to meet any outdoor Wi-Fi needs. With options for various external antennas, the CW9163E offers the flexibility to expand your 6GHz wireless coverage as needed.

Ideal for organizations needing extended 6GHz Wi-Fi coverage outdoors, the CW9163E provides high-density coverage with fast and reliable connectivity, even in demanding outdoor scenarios. It includes a built-in GPS antenna to report location data to AFC services, enabling standard power and outdoor operation. An optional external GPS antenna is available for extended satellite coverage. Standard power increases range in both indoor and outdoor deployments, maximizing the potential of the 6 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum. By utilizing the 6 GHz band, these access points reduce interference, minimize latency, and offer wider channels and more spectrum, resulting in higher bandwidth to meet today's critical wireless needs.

Combining the industry's leading on-premises network platform (Catalyst) with the top cloud IT platform (Meraki), these access points provide an exceptional network experience. For organizations seeking a superior outdoor Wi-Fi solution, the Cisco Wireless 9163E Access Points are an excellent choice.

Tri-radio Aggregate Frame Rate Of Up To 3.9 Gbps
The CW9163E access point features 2x2:2 radios for the 6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz bands, delivering a combined tri-radio aggregate frame rate of 3.9 Gbps. With advanced technologies such as transmit beamforming and enhanced receive sensitivity, the CW9163E can accommodate a higher number of clients compared to standard enterprise-class access points, ensuring improved performance for more users per 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.

IOT & Bluetooth Low Energy Radio
The CW9163E features an integrated Bluetooth radio that allows for easy deployment of BLE Beacon functionality and straightforward visibility of Bluetooth devices. This capability supports the development of next-generation location-aware applications and ensures that deployments are future-proof, ready to accommodate new customer engagement strategies.

Automatic Cloud-based RF Optimization
The CW9163E's advanced and automated RF optimization eliminates the need for specialized hardware and RF expertise typically required for wireless network tuning. The dedicated fourth radio continuously collects RF data and sends it to the Meraki cloud, which uses this information to automatically adjust channel selection, transmit power, and client connection settings for optimal performance, even in challenging RF environments.

Integrated Enterprise Security & Guest Access
The CW9163E access point incorporates user-friendly security technologies to ensure safe connectivity for both employees and guests. It offers advanced security features, including AES hardware-based encryption and enterprise authentication with 802.1X and Active Directory integration, delivering wired-like security while remaining easy to configure. Additionally, the CW9163E supports 192-bit encryption and WPA3 for enhanced wireless network security.

For visitors, one-click guest isolation provides secure, Internet-only access. To streamline secure retail deployments, PCI compliance reports verify network settings against PCI requirements.

Dedicated Scanning Radio Delivers 24x7 Air Marshal & RF Analytics
With the CW9163E access point, you don't have to compromise between wireless security (AirMarshal), advanced RF analysis, and client data service. Its dedicated scanning radio ensures that all functions operate in real-time without affecting client traffic or AP throughput.

The CW9163E's dedicated tri-band scanning radio continuously monitors the environment, identifying RF interference and managing wireless threats such as rogue access points. Note that containment is only possible on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, as the 6 GHz band requires Protected Management Frames (PMF).

Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) & Mobile Device Management (MDM) integration
Meraki Systems Manager seamlessly integrates with the CW9163E to provide automatic, context-aware security. Its self-service enrollment feature allows for quick MDM deployment without the need for additional equipment, dynamically linking firewall and traffic shaping policies to the client's status.

Application-aware traffic shaping
The CW9163E features an integrated layer 7 packet inspection, classification, and control engine, allowing you to configure QoS policies based on traffic type. This helps prioritize mission-critical applications while limiting recreational traffic such as peer-to-peer and video streaming. Policies can be applied per network, SSID, user group, or individual user, offering maximum flexibility and control.

Voice and video optimizations
The CW9163E comes with built-in, industry-standard QoS features that are easy to configure. It supports Wireless Multimedia (WMM) access categories, 802.1p, and DSCP standards, ensuring that critical applications are prioritized correctly across the CW9163E and other network devices. Additionally, Unscheduled Automatic Power Save Delivery (U-APSD) and the Target Wait Time feature in 802.11ax clients help minimize battery drain on wireless VoIP phones.

Self-configuring, self-maintaining, always up-to-date
When connected, the CW9163E instantly links to the Meraki cloud, retrieves its configuration, and integrates into the designated network. Administrators can effortlessly schedule automatic firmware updates through the Dashboard, ensuring the network remains current with bug fixes, security patches, and new features.

Meraki Health
The CW9163E will incorporate cutting-edge analytics, offering 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 industry. Additionally, it will provide advanced location analytics through APIs and dashboard graphs, giving a comprehensive view of client density and movement across the floor plan.

Choice of Mode
Cisco Catalyst 9163E Access Points offer versatile management options, allowing for on-premises control via Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN Controllers (WLC) or cloud management through the Meraki dashboard. This flexibility enables customers to deploy these access points in one mode and switch to the other as needed.