Cisco launches intelligent Wi-Fi 7 access points

Cisco has taken the wraps off a pair of intelligent WiFi-7 access points and introduced a new way of licensing wireless gear across cloud, on-premises and hybrid networks.

The new access points, the CW 9176 and 9178, incorporate a blend of Cisco and Meraki management and security features that previously required significant integration work from the customer or a third party. 

The high-end models are global, converged access points that are smart enough to detect their location the moment they’re plugged in, wrote Lawrence Huang , senior vice president and general manager of Cisco networking, Meraki & wireless, in a blog about the new access points.

“We’ve eliminated regional SKUs, creating a single product model that works anywhere in the world, automatically and seamlessly switching between cloud or on-premises management as needed,” Huang wrote. 

“AI and security aren’t just add-on features—they’re built into every layer. Whether you’re using Cisco AI-Enhanced Radio Resource Management (AI-RRM) to automate the RF tuning of your wireless network and improve user experience or automatically identifying and applying policies to every connected device on your network with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), our access points are built to adapt and scale to any organization,” Huang wrote. 

In terms of security, the APs feature advanced threat detection capabilities, and they can secure every connection with AI-native device profiling, threat prevention, and advanced wireless security and data encryption, Huang stated.

The APs come with built-in Bluetooth Low Energy, ultra-wideband, and GPS capabilities. They can support any IoT use case imaginable—from precise asset tracking in hospitals to immersive AR experiences in retail—all through a single, intelligent platform, Huang stated.

Support for Cisco ThousandEyes network performance and intelligence platform is built in. This integration lets customers from a central location identify and remediate performance bottlenecks across wireless, owned and unowned networks. 

The new APs can be managed via Cisco Catalyst Center, which features real-time analytics to help customers quickly detect and contain security threats as well as automate network optimization, deploy policy and segmentation configurations across thousands of sites and devices and offer networkwide consistency through automation and virtualization, Huang stated.

The Cisco Wireless 9178 Series supports Software-Defined Access (SD-Access), which lets customers automate network configuration and management based on user identity, device type, and application needs.

Unified subscription model eases licensing

The new Cisco Networking Subscription is designed to streamline the purchasing and use of Cisco software, hardware, services, and platforms.

“With it customers can purchase our new unified licenses (Cisco Wireless Essentials or Advantage) in a Cisco Networking Subscription. These licenses include product support for both hardware and software. With an active subscription, you can align renewal dates to your cost-center needs, add licenses without changing renewal dates, and upgrade entitlements midterm,” Huang stated. 

Wi-Fi 7 set to rise

Wi-Fi 6E adoption is still growing, but industry watchers predict Wi-Fi 7 will eclipse previous generations in 2025. 

Wi-Fi 7 is expected to reduce latency, increase network capacity, boost efficiency, and support more connected devices. Also known as 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT), Wi-Fi 7 is promised to deliver peak data rates of more than 40Gbps, making it significantly faster than previous generations.

A key feature of Wi-Fi 7 is multi-link operation (MLO), which lets devices simultaneously send and receive data across different frequency bands and channels, enhancing the efficiency of wireless connections. Additional features such as encryption and authentication further strengthen Wi-Fi security.

The evolution of Wi-Fi 7 has included more than a decade of spectrum changes and standards updates. Now it’s exciting to see Wi-Fi 7’s “deterministic” features come to fruition, because that means Wi-Fi can be used for next-generation networking requirements, including distributed data centers, SD-WAN and more, Matt MacPherson, wireless CTO at Cisco, told Network World in a recent interview.

The Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points can be ordered now and will ship in December.

Source:: Network World