Planner · Wireless
Plan your Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7 refresh: AP count by density, 1G vs mGig switching uplift, PoE+/UPoE budget, WLC sizing, and phased rollout.
Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 aren't a like-for-like AP swap. New radios need more PoE, wired-side mGig (2.5G/5G/10G), more Wi-Fi spectrum planning, and a fresh WLC tier. This planner turns square footage and density into a defensible parts list.
The AP count assumes coverage by area. High-density scenarios require a wireless site survey on top. The switching uplift is the under-budgeted part of most upgrades — 9200 with 1G ports will cap a Wi-Fi 6E AP at ~800Mbps throughput vs ~4Gbps potential.
Wi-Fi 6E adds the 6GHz band (up to 1200MHz of clean spectrum in the US). Wi-Fi 7 adds 320MHz channels and Multi-Link Operation. Both require: mGig switching (2.5G minimum, 5G recommended), UPoE (60W) or 802.3bt (90W), and a modern WLC (Catalyst 9800 family). Aruba / Mist / Juniper equivalents exist — this planner uses Cisco defaults. Capacity-wise, assume 30-40 clients per AP in office, up to 80 in classroom, and 200+ only with directional high-density designs.
If refreshing now and budget allows, go to Wi-Fi 6E minimum. Wi-Fi 7 is worth it for new builds; for brownfield, the switch uplift usually dominates the decision.
Wi-Fi 6E runs on PoE+ (30W) at full performance. Wi-Fi 7 tri-radio likes UPoE (60W). Legacy 15W PoE will underpower the AP and disable radios.
30 × Cat 9136 APs, Cat 9300-48P mGig switches replacing 9200s, Cat 9800-CL WLC, UPoE across stacks. Phased over 3 waves by floor.
~900 APs across sites. Standardize on Cat 9136, 9300-24P mGig for IDF closets, 9800-40 WLC pair. Summer break rollout.