Cisco Meraki MR16 vs Catalyst CW9164I
The MR16-HW is an end-of-life dual-band 802.11n access point; the Catalyst CW9164I (CW9164I-MR) is its modern Wi-Fi 6E, Meraki-managed replacement with roughly 12x the aggregate throughput. For any wireless refresh, migrate to the CW9164I for 6 GHz spectrum, multigigabit uplink, and current cloud management.
Cisco Meraki MR16
An entry dual-band 802.11n cloud-managed indoor access point with 2x2 MIMO.
- Dual-concurrent 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n radios
- 2x2 MIMO with up to ~300 Mbps per radio (~600 Mbps aggregate)
- 10/100/1000 Ethernet uplink, 802.3af PoE
- End-of-life and end-of-support Meraki MR hardware
Cisco Catalyst CW9164I
A tri-band Wi-Fi 6E enterprise indoor access point, available in Meraki dashboard managed (CW9164I-MR) form.
- Tri-band 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E): 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz
- 2x2 on 2.4 GHz, 4x4 on 5 GHz, 4x4 on 6 GHz; up to 7.49 Gbps aggregate
- Multigigabit 100/1000/2.5G BASE-T uplink, 802.3at/bt PoE
- Meraki cloud managed with OFDMA, MU-MIMO, and integrated IoT radio
Cisco Meraki MR16 vs Cisco Catalyst CW9164I: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco Meraki MR16 | Cisco Catalyst CW9164I |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi standard | 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) | 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E) |
| Bands | 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz (dual-band) | 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz + 6 GHz (tri-band) |
| Spatial streams | 2x2 (per radio) | 2x2 (2.4 GHz), 4x4 (5 GHz), 4x4 (6 GHz) |
| Aggregate data rate | Up to ~600 Mbps | Up to 7.49 Gbps |
| Uplink port | 10/100/1000 (1G) | 100/1000/2.5G mGig (RJ45) |
| PoE | 802.3af | 802.3at / 802.3bt |
| OFDMA / MU-MIMO | No | Yes (uplink and downlink) |
| Antennas | Internal omnidirectional | Integrated omnidirectional (tri-band) |
| Management | Meraki cloud (legacy firmware) | Meraki cloud (current firmware) |
| Lifecycle status | End of sale and end of support | Current, actively supported |
Choose Cisco Meraki MR16 if
There is no reason to deploy a new MR16; keep existing units only briefly in low-density spaces until you can replace them, accepting that they are unsupported.
Choose Cisco Catalyst CW9164I if
Choose the CW9164I-MR for any wireless refresh that needs Wi-Fi 6E, 6 GHz capacity, multigigabit uplink, and high client density under Meraki management.
Verdict
Migrate from the Meraki MR16 to the Catalyst CW9164I. The MR16 is an end-of-life Wi-Fi 4 AP, while the CW9164I adds the 6 GHz band, OFDMA, a multigigabit uplink, and more than ten times the aggregate throughput, all under the Meraki dashboard. Retain MR16 units only as a short-term stopgap.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cisco Meraki MR16 end of life?
Yes. The MR16-HW has reached end of sale and end of support, so it no longer receives firmware or security updates and should be replaced.
What is the Meraki-managed replacement for the MR16?
The Catalyst CW9164I in its Meraki dashboard variant (CW9164I-MR) is a current Wi-Fi 6E replacement that is managed from the same Meraki cloud.
Does the CW9164I need more PoE than the MR16?
Yes. The Wi-Fi 6E CW9164I uses 802.3at/bt PoE, so plan PoE+ switch ports, whereas the older MR16 ran on basic 802.3af.
Will the CW9164I work with my existing 1G switch uplinks?
It will link at 1G, but its multigigabit 2.5G port performs best on a mGig switch port so the radios are not bottlenecked.
More Meraki MR comparisons
Specs are for planning and may change; Uniqcli confirms the current Cisco bill of materials and pricing on your quote. Cisco, Catalyst, Nexus, Meraki, and Firepower are trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc.; Uniqcli LLC is an independent authorized Cisco partner.