Cisco Meraki MR34 vs MR44
The MR34 is an end-of-sale Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac Wave 1) access point; the MR44 is its modern Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) replacement. If you are still running MR34s, the MR44 roughly doubles aggregate throughput, adds OFDMA and a dedicated security radio, and is the supported upgrade path on the Meraki dashboard.
Cisco Meraki MR34
End-of-sale three-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 cloud-managed indoor access point.
- Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac Wave 1), 3x3:3 MIMO on both bands
- Up to ~1.75 Gbps aggregate (450 Mbps 2.4 GHz + 1.3 Gbps 5 GHz)
- Dedicated third radio for WIDS/WIPS and spectrum analysis
- End of sale and approaching end of support; no Wi-Fi 6 features
Cisco Meraki MR44
Current high-performance Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) cloud-managed indoor access point.
- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2:2 (2.4 GHz) + 4x4:4 (5 GHz) radios
- Up to ~2.97 Gbps aggregate; OFDMA, MU-MIMO, BSS coloring, 1024-QAM
- Dedicated security radio plus integrated BLE for IoT/location
- Multigigabit (mGig) 2.5 GbE uplink and full Meraki dashboard support
Cisco Meraki MR34 vs Cisco Meraki MR44: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco Meraki MR34 | Cisco Meraki MR44 |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac Wave 1) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Radio architecture | Dual 3x3:3 + dedicated scanning radio | 2x2:2 (2.4 GHz) + 4x4:4 (5 GHz) + dedicated security radio |
| Spatial streams | 3 (each band) | 2 (2.4 GHz) / 4 (5 GHz) |
| Max aggregate data rate | ~1.75 Gbps | ~2.97 Gbps |
| Max 5 GHz rate | 1.3 Gbps | 2.4 Gbps |
| OFDMA / MU-MIMO | DL MU-MIMO only | OFDMA + MU-MIMO (UL and DL) |
| Channel width | Up to 80 MHz | Up to 80 MHz |
| Bluetooth / IoT | No integrated BLE | Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy radio |
| Uplink port | 1 GbE | 2.5 GbE multigigabit (mGig) |
| PoE | 802.3at PoE+ | 802.3at PoE+ |
| Lifecycle status | End of sale / nearing end of support | Current shipping product |
Choose Cisco Meraki MR34 if
Only keep MR34s if they are still under an active license and you simply need to maintain an existing deployment short-term. There is no scenario where you would buy a new MR34 today.
Choose Cisco Meraki MR44 if
Choose the MR44 for any new purchase or refresh: it brings Wi-Fi 6 efficiency (OFDMA, BSS coloring), higher capacity for dense client environments, mGig uplink, and a long support runway on the Meraki dashboard.
Verdict
Migrate from MR34 to MR44. The MR44 nearly doubles aggregate throughput, adds Wi-Fi 6 efficiency features critical for high-density clients, and keeps you on supported hardware. The only reason to delay is an active MR34 license you intend to run out before swapping.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Meraki MR34 end of life?
Yes. The MR34 is end of sale and on the path to end of support. Cisco positions Wi-Fi 6 access points like the MR44 (and newer Catalyst CW models) as the replacements.
What is the direct replacement for the Meraki MR34?
The MR44 is the closest like-for-like upgrade: a high-performance indoor AP with a dedicated security radio. For new builds, Cisco also steers customers toward the Catalyst Wireless CW916x family.
Does the MR44 need a different license than the MR34?
Both use Meraki per-AP Enterprise or Advanced licensing, but licenses are tied to the device. You will license the MR44 separately when you add it to your dashboard network.
Is Wi-Fi 6 worth it over the MR34's Wi-Fi 5?
In dense or modern client environments, yes. OFDMA and MU-MIMO on the MR44 dramatically improve efficiency and battery life for many simultaneous devices, which the Wi-Fi 5 MR34 cannot match.
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.