Cisco announced its Wi-Fi 7 access points at Cisco Live Melbourne (CLMEL). Three high-end AP models were introduced, with more expected to follow.
These AP models can be managed via Meraki or Cisco 9800 WLCs. These are ‘
Global Use AP
‘ which means you have a single product that can be deployed anywhere in the world (no hard coded regulatory domain and the ordering process should be simple)
CW9178I
CW9176I
CW9176D1 (Integrated Directional Antenna)
If you like to get more details about Cisco Wi-Fi 7, there was a great presentation (BRKEWN-2024 :
Wi-Fi 6E Adoption and Getting Ready with Wi-Fi 7
) done by one of my close friend, Anand Gurumurthy. You can watch the recorded session when it is available at ciscolive.com
As you know, Wi-Fi 7 operates across three bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz), and you can unlock its full potential with the 6GHz spectrum. If you’re already using 6GHz with Wi-Fi 6E, you’re ahead of the curve. Although most enterprise vendors have announced their Wi-Fi 7 access points, it’s still an early stage for Wi-Fi 7 in the enterprise sector.
It is always good to do thorough planning, and here are the key recommendations highlighted in the presentation for Wi-Fi 7 migration. You should have switch infrastructure with mGig and UPoE (IEEE 802.3bt) for optimal performance, and use WPA3 security for Wi-Fi 7 to function properly.
I have been part of the beta testing for these AP models and look forward to sharing what I’ve learned about Wi-Fi 7 with these AP models.