• 2x2:2 and 4x4:4 MU-MIMO 802.11ax compatible
  
• 7.49 Gbps tri-radio aggregate frame rate
• 24x7 real-time WIDS/WIPS and spectrum analytics via dedicated fourth radio
• Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon and scanning radio
• 1 x 2.5 Gbps mGig Ethernet port 
• USB 2.0 host interface (Type A connector) with a 4.5W power budget 
• Enhanced transmit power and receive sensitivity
• Full-time Wi-Fi location tracking via dedicated 3rd radio
• Integrated enterprise security and guest access
• Application-aware traffic shaping
• Optimized for voice and video
• Self-configuring, plug-and-play deployment
• Sleek design blends into office environments
  
  

Options
Access Point Licenses (Mandatory)
Meraki Systems Manager
50W Power Adapter
Power Injectors

Downloads
Datasheet
Meraki Sizing Tool

About This Product
A tri-band access point compliant with 802.11ax, featuring distinct radios for security, RF management, and Bluetooth®, along with a USB port for additional connectivity options.

Flexible Deployment Options
The Catalyst 9164 Series Access Point offers the flexibility to choose between cloud and on-premises management, ensuring network investment protection and enabling hybrid work. This Wi-Fi 6E-compliant access point leverages the 6-GHz band expansion to create a more reliable and secure network with higher throughput, increased capacity, and reduced device interference. It features one 2x2:2 radio and two 4x4:4 radios, along with a range of advanced capabilities.

By integrating the leading network architecture (Catalyst) with the top cloud IT platform (Meraki), this access point delivers an exceptional network experience. It is ideal for organizations seeking solutions to support hybrid work, allowing employees to work from anywhere with enhanced, secure, and connected experiences. The Cisco Catalyst 9164 Series Access Points are the optimal choice.

Customers can switch their network management at any time, whether they initially deployed the Cisco Catalyst 9164 Series Access Points on-premises or in the cloud, without needing additional hardware.

Cisco Meraki Cloud Management
Combining the Cisco Catalyst 9164 Series Access Points with the Meraki cloud platform offers organizations a seamless IT experience for network monitoring and management. The Meraki dashboard provides an intuitive and interactive web interface, linking your network to the industry's leading cloud IT platform.

The Meraki dashboard delivers advanced and scalable tools to automate network optimization, implement policy and segmentation configurations across numerous sites and devices, and manage a comprehensive network from SD-WAN to Access to IoT technologies. This platform supports over 3.5 million active networks globally.

Together, the Catalyst 9164 Series and Cisco Meraki provide features such as:

• Cisco DNA Spaces
• Cisco Identity Services Engine
• Meraki Health intelligent optimisation and assurance
• Meraki Vision, smart cameras, and sensors for network closet monitoring
  
  

Cisco DNA Center & Catalyst 9800 WLC Support
The Cisco Catalyst 9164 Series Access Points can also be integrated with the Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) and Cisco DNA Center. Cisco DNA Center provides real-time analytics to help you understand your network, swiftly detect and mitigate security threats, and ensure network-wide consistency through automation and virtualization.

Together, the Catalyst 9164 Series and Cisco DNA Center offer features such as:

• Cisco DNA Spaces
• Cisco Identity Services Engine
• Cisco DNA Analytics and Assurance along with Intelligence Capture
  
  

6 GHZ Radio Architecture
The tri-band configuration of the CW9164 unlocks the new 6GHz frequency range, offering additional channels to enhance throughput and reduce interference and noise from older devices. With 6GHz support, the CW9164 is prepared for future technologies.

Designed for next-generation deployments in various environments such as offices, schools, hospitals, retail shops, and hotels, the CW9164 provides high throughput, enterprise-grade security, and straightforward management.

The CW9164 achieves a maximum aggregate frame rate of 7.49 Gbps* with simultaneous 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6GHz radios. It includes a dedicated fourth radio for real-time WIDS/WIPS with automated RF optimization, and a fifth integrated IoT radio for Bluetooth scanning and beaconing.

Combining cloud management, high-performance hardware, multiple radios, and advanced software features, the CW9164 is an excellent choice for demanding applications. It supports high-density deployments and bandwidth-intensive uses such as voice (Cisco WebEx) and high-definition video.

CW9164 & Meraki Cloud Management
The CW9164 is managed through the Meraki cloud, featuring an intuitive browser-based interface that allows for rapid deployment without the complexity and time-consuming staging process. Being self-configuring and web-managed, the CW9164 can be set up at a remote location within minutes, even without on-site IT personnel.

The Meraki cloud provides 24/7 monitoring, delivering real-time alerts if any network issues arise. Remote diagnostic tools enable immediate troubleshooting over the web, ensuring that distributed networks can be managed with minimal hassle.

Firmware updates for the CW9164 are automatically handled via the cloud. New features, bug fixes, and enhancements are seamlessly delivered over the web, eliminating the need for manual software updates or concerns about missing security patches.

Tri–radio aggregate frame rate of up to 7.49 Gbps
The CW9164 features a 6 GHz 4x4:4 radio, a 5 GHz 4x4:4 radio, and a 2.4 GHz 2x2:2 radio, providing a combined tri-radio aggregate frame rate of 7.49 Gbps*. With technologies such as transmit beamforming and enhanced receive sensitivity, the CW9164 can support a higher client density compared to typical enterprise-class access points, delivering improved performance for more clients 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.

Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO)
Supporting 802.11ax features, the CW9164 includes DL and UL MU-MIMO and OFDMA for more efficient data transmission to multiple clients. Ideal for environments with many mobile devices, MU-MIMO and OFDMA allow multiple clients to receive data simultaneously, enhancing overall network performance and improving the end-user experience.

IoT and Bluetooth Low Energy Radio
An integrated Bluetooth radio allows for seamless deployment of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon functionality and easy visibility of Bluetooth devices. The CW9164 supports the next generation of location-aware applications and future-proofs deployments, ensuring readiness for new customer engagement strategies.

Automatic cloud-based RF Optimisation
The CW9164’s advanced and automated RF optimization eliminates the need for dedicated hardware and specialized RF expertise typically required for wireless network tuning. The dedicated fourth radio continuously collects RF data and sends it to the Meraki cloud. This data is then used to automatically adjust channel selection, transmit power, and client connection settings, ensuring optimal performance even in challenging RF environments.

Integrated Enterprise Security and Guest Access
The CW9164 incorporates user-friendly security technologies to ensure secure connectivity for both employees and guests. It includes advanced security features such as AES hardware-based encryption and enterprise authentication with 802.1X and Active Directory integration, offering wired-like security while remaining easy to configure. Additionally, the CW9164 supports 192-bit encryption and WPA3 for enhanced wireless network security.

One-click guest isolation provides secure, Internet-only access for visitors. PCI compliance reports help verify network settings against PCI requirements, simplifying secure retail deployments.

Dedicated scanning radio delivers 24x7 Air Marshal and RF analytics
The dedicated scanning radio of the CW9164 provides 24/7 Air Marshal and RF analytics, ensuring that wireless security (AirMarshal), advanced RF analysis, and client data services all function in real-time without affecting client traffic or AP throughput.

The CW9164’s dedicated tri-band scanning radio continuously monitors the environment, identifying RF interference and addressing wireless threats like rogue access points. Note that 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 seamlessly integrates with the CW9164 to provide automatic, context-aware security. The self-service enrollment feature of Systems Manager facilitates rapid MDM deployment without additional equipment, dynamically linking firewall and traffic shaping policies to client posture.

Application-aware traffic shaping
The CW9164 includes an integrated layer 7 packet inspection, classification, and control engine, allowing for the configuration of QoS policies based on traffic type. This helps prioritize mission-critical applications while setting limits on recreational traffic like peer-to-peer and video streaming. Policies can be applied per network, SSID, user group, or individual user for maximum flexibility and control.

Voice and video optimisations
Built-in industry-standard QoS features are easy to configure. Wireless Multimedia (WMM) access categories, 802.1p, and DSCP standards ensure that important applications are prioritized correctly, not only on the CW9164 but also on other network devices. Features like Unscheduled Automatic Power Save Delivery (U-APSD) and Target Wait Time in 802.11ax clients help minimize battery drain on wireless VoIP phones.

Self-configuring, self-maintaining, always up-to-date
When connected, the CW9164 automatically links to the Meraki cloud, downloads its configuration, and joins the appropriate network. Administrators can schedule automatic firmware upgrades through the Dashboard, ensuring the network stays updated with bug fixes, security updates, and new features.

Meraki Health
The CW9164 supports advanced analytics, including AI/ML anomaly detection, server root cause analysis, wireless client scoring based on performance and connectivity metrics, and network benchmarking for similar-sized networks and verticals. Additionally, the CW9164 offers advanced location analytics via API and dashboard graphs, providing a clear picture of client density and movement across the floor plan.

Choice of Management Mode
Cisco Catalyst 9164 series access points can be managed either on-premises with Catalyst 9800 wireless LAN controllers (WLC) or through the Meraki dashboard. Customers have the flexibility to deploy these access points in one management mode and switch to the other in the future.