Cisco Meraki MR42 vs MR44
The Meraki MR42 (MR42-HW) is an end-of-life 802.11ac Wave 2 access point; the MR44 (MR44-HW) is its Wi-Fi 6 successor, lifting throughput from 1.9 Gbps to 2.7 Gbps with OFDMA and a multigigabit uplink. For a refresh, deploy the MR44.
Cisco Meraki MR42 Cloud Managed Access Point
End-of-life high-performance 802.11ac Wave 2 3x3:3 access point with a dedicated scanning radio.
- 802.11ac Wave 2 (Wi-Fi 5), 3x3:3 dual-band
- Up to 1.9 Gbps aggregate with MU-MIMO
- Dedicated security and RF scanning radio plus BLE
- End of sale and end of support; 1 GbE uplink
Cisco Meraki MR44 Wi-Fi 6 Indoor Access Point
Current high-performance Wi-Fi 6 access point with 2x2 + 4x4 radios and a multigigabit uplink.
- 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), 2x2:2 (2.4 GHz) + 4x4:4 (5 GHz)
- Up to 2.7 Gbps aggregate with OFDMA and MU-MIMO
- mGig (2.5 GbE) uplink to remove the 1 Gbps bottleneck
- Dedicated security radio and BLE/IoT; supported lifecycle
Cisco Meraki MR42 Cloud Managed Access Point vs Cisco Meraki MR44 Wi-Fi 6 Indoor Access Point: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco Meraki MR42 Cloud Managed Access Point | Cisco Meraki MR44 Wi-Fi 6 Indoor Access Point |
|---|---|---|
| Status | End of sale / end of support | Current shipping product |
| Wi-Fi standard | 802.11ac Wave 2 (Wi-Fi 5) | 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) |
| Spatial streams | 3x3:3 | 2x2:2 (2.4 GHz) + 4x4:4 (5 GHz) |
| Max aggregate rate | Up to 1.9 Gbps | Up to 2.7 Gbps |
| OFDMA | No | Yes (uplink and downlink) |
| MU-MIMO | Yes (downlink) | Yes (uplink and downlink) |
| Dedicated security radio | Yes | Yes |
| Uplink | 1 x GbE | 1 x mGig (2.5 GbE) |
| IoT / Bluetooth radio | Yes (BLE) | Yes (BLE) |
| Power | 802.3at PoE | 802.3at PoE |
Choose Cisco Meraki MR42 Cloud Managed Access Point if
Choose the MR42 only to match an existing fleet during a phased rollout. As an end-of-life Wi-Fi 5 model with a 1 GbE uplink, it should not anchor new high-density coverage.
Choose Cisco Meraki MR44 Wi-Fi 6 Indoor Access Point if
Choose the MR44 for high-density refresh sites. The 4x4 5 GHz radio, Wi-Fi 6 OFDMA, and 2.5 GbE uplink remove the throughput ceiling that constrained the MR42.
Verdict
Migrate from the MR42 to the MR44. The MR44 adds a 4x4 5 GHz radio, Wi-Fi 6 efficiency, and a 2.5 GbE multigigabit uplink that the 1 GbE MR42 lacked, raising real-world capacity in dense environments while restoring a supported lifecycle.
Frequently asked questions
What replaces the Cisco Meraki MR42?
The MR44 (MR44-HW) is the Wi-Fi 6 successor to the MR42, with higher throughput, a 4x4 5 GHz radio, and a multigigabit uplink.
Is the Meraki MR42 end of life?
Yes. The MR42-HW has reached end of sale and is on its end-of-support track, so it should be refreshed; the recommended path is the MR44.
Why does the MR44's multigigabit uplink matter?
Wi-Fi 6 radios can exceed 1 Gbps of real traffic, so the MR44's 2.5 GbE mGig uplink avoids the wired bottleneck that capped the MR42's single gigabit port in busy deployments.
Does the MR44 need a different switch port than the MR42?
The MR44 works on a standard gigabit port but reaches full performance on a 2.5 GbE multigigabit port, so plan mGig switching (and 802.3at PoE) where you want maximum throughput.
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.