Cisco Meraki MR24 vs Catalyst CW9164I
The MR24-HW is an end-of-life dual-band 3x3 802.11n access point; the Catalyst CW9164I (CW9164I-MR) is its modern Wi-Fi 6E, Meraki-managed replacement with roughly 8x the aggregate throughput. For any wireless refresh, migrate to the CW9164I for 6 GHz spectrum, multigigabit uplink, and current cloud management.
Cisco Meraki MR24
A premium dual-band 802.11n cloud-managed indoor access point with 3x3 MIMO and three spatial streams.
- Dual-concurrent 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n radios
- 3x3 MIMO, three spatial streams (~450 Mbps per radio, ~900 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 MR24 vs Cisco Catalyst CW9164I: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco Meraki MR24 | 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 | 3x3 (3 streams per radio) | 2x2 (2.4 GHz), 4x4 (5 GHz), 4x4 (6 GHz) |
| Aggregate data rate | Up to ~900 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 MR24 if
There is no reason to deploy a new MR24; keep existing units only briefly in lower-density areas 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 MR24 to the Catalyst CW9164I. Even with 3x3 802.11n, the MR24 is end of life and capped around 900 Mbps, while the CW9164I adds the 6 GHz band, OFDMA, a multigigabit uplink, and roughly 8x the aggregate throughput under the Meraki dashboard. Keep MR24 units only as a short-term stopgap.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cisco Meraki MR24 end of life?
Yes. The MR24-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 MR24?
The Catalyst CW9164I in its Meraki dashboard variant (CW9164I-MR) is a current Wi-Fi 6E replacement managed from the same Meraki cloud.
Is the CW9164I much faster than the MR24's 3x3 radios?
Yes. The MR24 tops out around 900 Mbps aggregate on 802.11n, while the CW9164I supports up to a 7.49 Gbps tri-radio aggregate with Wi-Fi 6E.
Does upgrading to the CW9164I change my PoE needs?
Yes. Plan for 802.3at/bt PoE+ on the CW9164I, whereas the MR24 ran on 802.3af, so verify your access switch PoE budget.
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.