Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series Access Points Data Sheet

The Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series Access Points (AP) allow you to choose between on premises and cloud management. They are the next-generation APs perfect for mission critical deployments and support the new 6GHz band for Wi-Fi. They are resilient, secure, and intelligent.

Catalyst 9166 access point

Figure 1.

Catalyst 9166 Series access point

Catalyst 9166D1, pictured with bracket [AIR-AP-Bracket-2] and articulating arm [CW-MNT-ART2-00]

Figure 2.

Catalyst 9166D1, pictured with different configurations utilizing a bracket [AIR-AP-Bracket-2] and articulating arm [CW-MNT-ART2-00]

The Cisco Catalyst 9166 series Wi-Fi 6E access points enable operation in the 6GHz band to produce a network that is more reliable and secure, with higher throughput, more capacity, and less device interference. These access points provide three 4x4 radios and a host of cutting-edge features, including integrated environmental sensors and IoT radios. The Catalyst 9166 Series even offers an internal directional antenna model - the Catalyst 9166D1 - designed for use cases and areas with high ceilings such as auditoriums, warehouses, and other large open space areas. The Catalyst 9166D1 should be leveraged where typically external antennas would be required. And because the Catalyst 9166D1 uses a built-in directional antenna, it eliminates the need for additional hardware to achieve ideal wireless coverage.

Operational management is flexible because customers can change their network management whenever they want. If a network with Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series Access Points was originally an on-premises deployment, it can be changed to cloud-based management without the need to purchase and redistribute additional hardware, saving you money as you network your way.

With the industry’s leading on-premises network platform (Catalyst) joining the industry’s leading cloud IT platform (Meraki), these access points provide an unparalleled network experience. For organizations that need a wireless solution to deliver a reliable, flexible, and superior experience for your users, the Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series Access Points are the best choice.

Table 1. Catalyst 9166 Series features and benefits

Feature	Benefits
Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)	The IEEE 802.11ax standard, also known as High-Efficiency Wireless (HEW) or Wi-Fi 6, builds on 802.11ac. It delivers a better experience in typical environments with more predictable performance for advanced applications such as 4K or 8K video; high-density, high-definition collaboration apps; all-wireless offices; and the Internet of Things (IoT). Wi-Fi 6E is Wi-Fi 6 “extended” into the 6GHz frequency band.
XOR radio	The dual-band XOR radio in the Catalyst 9166 Series enables shifting capacity between 6GHz and a secondary 5GHz radio.
Environmental sensors	These built-in sensors measure air quality (Total Volatile Organic Compounds [TVOC]), temperature, and humidity, and help ensure a safe working environment, avoiding the need to install an overlay of difficult-to-manage independent sensors.
Zero Wait DFS	Allows for continuous monitoring of DFS channels for radar events thus enabling faster channel changes when needed. This enables RRM to minimize client distribution and maximize operational readiness. (Available Fall 2023)
AP power optimizations (AP Power Save Mode)	AP Power optimizations (AP Power save mode) allows the access point to reduce its power consumption by e.g. shutting off radios during off-hours and weekends – whilst still being smart enough to re-engage all features should they be needed. This both saves power and reduces the carbon footprint of running a wireless network.
CleanAir Pro	CleanAir Pro applies Cisco’s industry leading RF Interference detection and classification to the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands.
Client steering	Enhanced to help clients that are 6GHz capable to leave the 5GHz radio and connect to the 6GHz radio. Wi-Fi 6E clients are automatically directed to connect to the 6GHz radio to take advantage of the benefits it offers and free up the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios for legacy clients.
Uplink/downlink OFDMA	Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)-based scheduling splits the bandwidth into smaller frequency allocations called Resource Units (RUs), which can be assigned to individual clients in both the downlink and uplink directions to reduce overhead and latency.
Uplink/downlink MU-MIMO technology	Supporting the highest number with 12 spatial streams, MultiUser Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) enables the access points to split spatial streams between client devices to maximize throughput.
BSS coloring	Spatial reuse (also known as Basic Service Set [BSS] coloring) allow the access points and their clients to differentiate between BSSs, thus permitting more simultaneous transmissions.
Target Wake Time	Target Wake Time (TWT) allows the client to stay asleep and to wake up only at prescheduled (target) times to exchange data with the access point. This offers significant energy savings for battery-operated devices, up to three to four times the savings achieved by 802.11n and 802.11ac.
Intelligent Capture	Intelligent Capture probes the network and provides Cisco DNA Center with deep analysis. The software can track more than 240 anomalies and instantaneously review all packets on demand, emulating the onsite network administrator. Intelligent Capture allows for more informed decisions on your wireless networks.
Application hosting	Application hosting helps simplify IoT deployments and ready them for the future by eliminating the need to install and manage overlay networks. Using the USB interface, containerized applications and hardware modules can be deployed to reduce cost and complexity. Adding Cisco DNA Center provides workflows and deployment-wide application lifecycle management.
Bluetooth 5.1	The integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.1 radio enables location-based use cases such as asset tracking, wayfinding, and analytics.
Container support for applications	Container support enables edge computing capabilities for IoT applications on the host access point.
Choice of management mode	The Catalyst 9166 Series can be managed either on-premises with Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers or cloud-managed through the Meraki Dashboard. It gives you the flexibility to deploy the access points in one management mode and shift to a different management mode in the future.

For more details about Catalyst 9166 Series feature support, see Cisco's Feature Matrix

Secure infrastructure

Trustworthy systems built with Cisco Trust Anchor Technologies provide a highly secure foundation for Cisco products. With the Cisco Catalyst 9166 Access Points, these technologies enable assurance of hardware and software authenticity for supply chain trust and strong defense against man-in-the-middle attacks that compromise software and firmware. Trust Anchor capabilities include:

● Image signing

● Secure Boot

● Cisco Trust Anchor module

Cisco DNA and Catalyst 9800 support

Pairing the Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series Access Points with Catalyst 9800 WLC and Cisco DNA allows for a total network transformation. Cisco DNA allows you to truly understand your network with real-time analytics, quickly detect and contain security threats, and easily provide networkwide consistency through automation and virtualization. The Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series supports Software-Defined Access (SD-Access), Cisco’s leading enterprise architecture.

Working together, the Catalyst 9166 Series and Cisco DNA offer such features as:

● Cisco Spaces

● Cisco Identity Services Engine

● Cisco DNA Analytics and Assurance along with Intelligence Capture (iCAP)

The result? Your network stays relevant, becomes digital ready, and is the lifeblood of your organization.

Note: For information about Cisco DNA, refer to the Cisco DNA Solution Overview.

Cisco Meraki Cloud Management

Pairing the Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series Access Points with the Meraki cloud platform gives organizations a unified IT experience for network monitoring and management. The Meraki dashboard provides an intuitive and interactive web interface connecting your network to the industry’s leading cloud IT platform.

Through the dashboard, Meraki provides sophisticated and scalable tools to automate network optimization, deploy policy and segmentation configurations across thousands of sites and devices, and manage a full-stack network from SD-WAN to Access to IoT technologies. The platform supports over 3.5 million active networks around the world.

Working together, the Catalyst 9166 Series and Cisco Meraki offer such features as:

● Cisco Spaces

● Cisco Identity Services Engine

● Meraki Health intelligent optimization and assurance

● Meraki Vision, smart cameras, and sensors for network closet monitoring

Note: For information about Cisco Meraki, refer to https://meraki.cisco.com/products/

Product specifications

Table 2. Specifications

Item	Specification
Part numbers	Cisco Catalyst access points ● CW9166I-x: Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series with integrated, omni-directional antennas ● CW9166D1-x: Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series with integrated, directional antennas Regulatory domains: (x = regulatory domain) Customers are responsible for verifying approval for use in their individual countries. To verify approval and to identify the regulatory domain that corresponds to a particular country, visit https://www.cisco.com/go/aironet/compliance . Not all regulatory domains have been approved. As they are approved, the part numbers will be available on the Global Price List and/or regional price lists. ● CW9166I-MR: Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series, w/Meraki ● CW9166D1-MR: Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series, w/Meraki Cloud-managed version using Meraki Dashboard Cisco wireless LAN services ● For details on optional WLAN Services, visit Services for Wireless and Mobility
Software	Catalyst 9166I ● Cisco IOS ^® XE Software Release 17.9.1 or later Catalyst 9166D1 ● Cisco IOS® XE Software Release 17.12.1 or later
Supported wireless LAN controllers	● Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers (physical or virtual) ● Cisco Catalyst 9000 switches with Embedded Wireless Controller in SDA mode
802.11n version 2.0 (and related) capabilities	● 4x4 MIMO with four spatial streams ● Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) ● 802.11n and 802.11a/g ● 20- and 40-MHz channels ● PHY data rates up to 1.5 Gbps (40 MHz with 5GHz and 20 MHz with 2.4GHz) ● Packet aggregation: Aggregate MAC Protocol Data Unit (A-MPDU) (transmit and receive), Aggregate MAC Service Data Unit (A-MSDU) (transmit and receive) ● 802.11 Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) ● Cyclic Shift Diversity (CSD) support
802.11ac	● 4x4 downlink MU-MIMO with four spatial streams ● MRC ● 802.11ac beamforming ● 20-, 40-, 80-, and 160-MHz channels ● PHY data rates up to 3.4 Gbps (Dual 4x4 80+80 MHz on 5GHz) ● Packet aggregation: A-MPDU (transmit and receive), A-MSDU (transmit and receive) ● 802.11 DFS ● CSD support ● Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) 3 support
802.11ax	● 1024 QAM ● 4x4 uplink/downlink MU-MIMO with four spatial streams (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz) ● Uplink/downlink OFDMA ● TWT ● BSS coloring ● MRC ● 802.11ax beamforming ● 20-, 40-, 80-, and 160-MHz channels (6GHz) ● 20-, 40-, 80-, and 80+80-MHz channels (5GHz) ● 20-MHz channels (2.4GHz) ● PHY data rates up to 7.78 Gbps (4x4 160 MHz on 6GHz, 4x4 80 MHz on 5GHz, and 4x4 20 MHz on 2.4GHz) ● Packet aggregation: A-MPDU (transmit and receive), A-MSDU (transmit and receive) ● 802.11 DFS ● CSD support ● WPA3 support
Antennas	Catalyst 9166I ● 2.4GHz: Peak gain 3 dBi, internal antenna, omnidirectional in azimuth ● 5GHz: Peak gain 5 dBi, internal antenna, omnidirectional in azimuth ● 5GHz (XOR): Peak gain 5 dBi, internal antenna, omnidirectional in azimuth ● 6GHz: Peak gain 4 dBi, internal antenna, omnidirectional in azimuth Catalyst 9166D1 ● 2.4GHz: Peak gain 6 dBi, directional antenna, (70x70) ● 5GHz: Peak gain 6 dBi, directional antenna, (70x70) ● 5GHz (XOR): Peak gain 8 dBi, directional antenna, (60x60) ● 6GHz: Peak gain 8 dBi, directional antenna, (60x60)
Interfaces	● Catalyst 9166 Series: 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G Multigigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) ● Management console port (RJ-45) ● USB 2.0 at 4.5W
Indicators	● Status LED indicates boot loader status, association status, operating status, boot loader warnings, and boot loader errors
Dimensions (W x L x H)	● Access point (without mounting brackets): ◦ Catalyst 9166I: 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.2 in. (241.3 x 241.3 x 56.9 mm) ◦ Catalyst 9166D1: 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.28 in (241.3 x 241.3 x 57.9 mm)
Weight	Catalyst 9166I Series ● 3.54 lb (1.60 kg) Catalyst 9166D1 ● 3.50 lb (1.59 kg)
Input power requirements	● 802.3bt, Cisco Universal PoE (Cisco UPOE), 802.3at Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+) ● Cisco power injectors: AIR-PWRINJ7=, AIR-PWRINJ6=, MA-INJ-6 ● 802.3af PoE (only for configuration staging, all radios off) ● DC power input (54V/MA-PWR-50WAC)
	Catalyst 9166
	Power Source	2.4GHz radio	5GHz radio		6GHz radio (LPI)		Link speed		USB	Max PoE Power Consumption
	802.3bt (UPOE)	4x4	4x4		4x4		5 Gbps		Y (4.5W)	30.5.W
	802.3at (PoE+)	4x4	4x4		4x4		5 Gbps		N	25.5 W
	802.3af (PoE)	–	–		–		1Gbps		N	14.0 W
	DC power	4x4	4x4		4x4		5Gbps		Y(4.5W)	-
	Catalyst 9166D1
	802.3bt (UPOE)	4x4	4x4		4x4		5 Gbps		Y (4.5W)	30.5.W
	802.3at (PoE+)	4x4	4x4		4x4		5 Gbps		N	25.5 W
	802.3af (PoE)	–	–		–		1Gbps		N	14.0 W
	DC power	4x4	4x4		4x4		5Gbps		Y(4.5W)	-
	Note: Actual power consumption may vary depending on AP usage. It is recommended that you ensure that LLDP/CDP is enabled to allow proper power negotiation.
Environmental	Catalyst 9166 Series ● Nonoperating (storage) temperature: -22° to 158°F (-30° to 70°C) ● Nonoperating (storage) altitude test: 25°C (77°F) at 15,000 ft (4600 m) ● Operating temperature: 32° to 122°F (0° to 50°C) ● Operating humidity: 10% to 90% (noncondensing) ● Operating altitude test: 40°C (104°F) at 9843 ft (3000 m) Catalyst 9166D1 Series ● Nonoperating (storage) temperature: -22° to 158°F (-30° to 70°C) ● Nonoperating (storage) altitude test: 25°C (77°F) at 15,000 ft (4600 m) ● Operating temperature: -4° to 122°F (-20° to 50°C) ● Operating humidity: 10% to 90% (noncondensing) ● Operating altitude test: 40°C (104°F) at 9843 ft (3000 m)
System memory	● 2048 MB DRAM ● 1024 MB flash
Warranty	Limited lifetime hardware warranty (WARR-CW-LIFE-LTD)
Available transmit power settings	2.4GHz ● 23 dBm (200 mW) ● -4 dBm (0.39 mW)			5GHz ● 23 dBm (200 mW) ● -4 dBm (0.39 mW)				6GHz ● 23 dBm (200 mW) ● -4 dBm (0.39 mW) Note: In countries where use of the 6GHz band is not allowed or authorized or if there is no current software support, the 6GHz radio will be disabled and will switch to a 5GHz and operate as a dual 5GHz access point. The 6GHz radio may be enabled with future software, once the product is certified to operate at 6GHz for that country. Numbers above are Low Power Indoor (LPI).
Regulatory domains	Note: Customers are responsible for verifying approval for use in their individual countries. To verify approval and to identify the regulatory domain that corresponds to a particular country, visit https://www.cisco.com/go/aironet/compliance .
Compliance standards	● Safety: ◦ IEC 60950-1 / IEC 62368-1 Ed.3 (with Ed.2 Deviation annex) ◦ EN 60950-1 / EN 62368-1 Ed.3 (with Ed.2 Deviation annex) ◦ UL 60950-1 / UL62368-1 3^rd (with Ed.2 Deviation annex) ◦ CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1 / CAN/CSAC22.2 No. 62368-1 3^rd (with Ed.2 Deviation annex) ◦ AS/NZS60950.1 / AS/NZS62368.1 Ed.3 (with Ed.2 Deviation annex) ◦ UL 2043 ◦ Class III equipment ● Emissions: ◦ CISPR 32 (rev. 2015) +AMD1:2019 ◦ EN 55032:2015/A11:2020 ◦ EN IEC 61000-3-2:2019/A1:2021 ◦ EN61000-3-3:2013+A1:2019 ◦ AS/NZS CISPR32: 2015+AMD1:2020 ◦ 47 CFR FCC Part 15B ◦ ICES-003 (Issue 7, Class B) ◦ VCCI-CISPR 32:2016 ◦ CNS 13438:2006 (95) ◦ KS C 9832:2019 ● Immunity: ◦ EN 55035: 2017+A11:2020 ◦ KS C 9835:2019 ◦ Emissions and immunity: ◦ EN 301 489-1 V2.2.3 (2019-11) ◦ EN 301 489-17 V3.2.4 (2020-09) ◦ QCVN 112:2017/BTTTT ◦ KS X 3124:2020 ◦ KS X 3126:2020 ◦ EN 61000-6-1: 2019					● Radio: ◦ EN 300 328 (v2.2.2) ◦ EN 301 893 (v2.1.1) ◦ EN 303 687 (v0.0.14, draft) ◦ AS/NZS 4268 (rev. 2017) ◦ 47 CFR FCC Part 15C, 15.247, 15.407 ◦ RSP-100 ◦ RSS-GEN ◦ RSS-247 ◦ LP002 ◦ Japan Std. 66, and Std. 71 ● RF safety: ◦ EN 50385:2017 ◦ EN 62311:2020 ◦ AS/NZS 2772.2 (rev. 2016) ◦ 47 CFR Part 2.1091 ◦ RSS-102 ● IEEE standards: ◦ IEEE 802.3 ◦ IEEE 802.3ab ◦ IEEE 802.3af/at/bt ◦ IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax ◦ IEEE 802.11h, 802.11d ● Security ◦ WPA2-Personal (802.11i) ◦ WPA2-Enterprise with 802.1X ◦ WPA3-Personal, WPA3-Enterprise ◦ WPA3-Enhanced Open (OWE) ◦ Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) ● Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) types: ◦ EAP-Transport Layer Security (TLS) ◦ EAP-Tunneled TLS (TTLS) or Microsoft Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (MSCHAP) v2 ◦ Protected EAP (PEAP) v0 or EAP-MSCHAP v2 ◦ EAP-Flexible Authentication via Secure Tunneling (EAP-FAST) ◦ PEAP v1 or EAP-Generic Token Card (GTC) ◦ EAP-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)
Certifications	● Wi-Fi Alliance: Wi-Fi 6 (R2), Wi-Fi 6E, WPA3-R3, WPA3-Suite B, Enhanced Open Security ● Bluetooth SIG: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

Antenna patterns – CW9166I

Antenna profiles

Antenna patterns – CW9166D1

Licensing

For information about licensing and packaging, refer to Cisco Licensing.

Warranty information

The Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series Access Points come with a limited lifetime warranty that provides full warranty coverage of the hardware for as long as the original end user continues to own or use the product. The warranty includes 5-day advance hardware replacement and helps ensure that software media are defect-free for 90 days. For more details, visit https://www.cisco.com/go/warranty.

Cisco environmental sustainability

Information about Cisco’s environmental sustainability policies and initiatives for our products, solutions, operations, and extended operations or supply chain is provided in the “Environment Sustainability” section of Cisco’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report.

Reference links to information about key environmental sustainability topics (mentioned in the “Environment Sustainability” section of the CSR Report) are provided in the following table:

Sustainability topic	Reference
Information on product material content laws and regulations	Materials
Information on electronic waste laws and regulations, including products, batteries, and packaging	WEEE compliance

Cisco makes the packaging data available for informational purposes only. It may not reflect the most current legal developments, and Cisco does not represent, warrant, or guarantee that it is complete, accurate, or up to date. This information is subject to change without notice.

Cisco Services

With Cisco Services, you can achieve infrastructure excellence faster with less risk. From an initial WLAN readiness assessment to implementation, full solution support, and in-depth training, our services for the Cisco Catalyst 9166 Series provide expert guidance to help you successfully plan, deploy, manage, and support your new access points. With unmatched networking expertise, best practices, and innovative tools, Cisco Services can help you reduce overall upgrade, refresh, and migration costs as you introduce new hardware, software, and protocols into the network. With a comprehensive lifecycle of services, Cisco experts will help you minimize disruption and improve operational efficiency to extract maximum value from your Cisco DNA-ready infrastructure.

Smart Account

Creating a Smart Account by using the Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM) enables you to order devices and licensing packages and also manage your software licenses from a centralized website. For more information on Smart Accounts, refer to https://www.cisco.com/go/smartaccounts.

Cisco Capital

Flexible payment solutions to help you achieve your objectives

Cisco Capital makes it easier to get the right technology to achieve your objectives, enable business transformation, and help you stay competitive. We can help you reduce the total cost of ownership, conserve capital, and accelerate growth. In more than 100 countries, our flexible payment solutions can help you acquire hardware, software, services, and complementary third-party equipment in easy, predictable payments. Learn more.

Document history

New or revised topic	Described In	Date
New Catalyst 9166 Series model: Catalyst 9166D1	Updated product specifications and details for the new Catalyst 9166D1 Access Point	May 03, 2023
Cisco DNA Spaces name change	Updated product name to Cisco Spaces and add DC power input part number	November 03, 2022

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