CW9172I vs CW9176I
Specs, US list prices, licensing and support dates side by side, from official Cisco documentation.
Main differences
The CW9176I lists for $1,200 more than the CW9172I: $2,495 against $1,295 (US list prices).
- Best fit
- CW9172I: Branch, retail, healthcare, hybrid workspace vs CW9176I: Dense office, campus, advanced indoor deployments
- Radios
- CW9172I: Tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz or dual-band 2.4/5 GHz (flex radio) vs CW9176I: Tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz (2.4/5 GHz flex: 2.4/5/6 or 5/5/6)
- Spatial streams
- CW9172I: 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 (dual-band mode: 2×2:2 + 4×4:4) vs CW9176I: 4×4:4 + 4×4:4 + 4×4:4
- Max data rate
- CW9172I: 9 Gbps vs CW9176I: 18 Gbps
- Uplink
- CW9172I: 1 × 100M/1/2.5 GbE RJ45 vs CW9176I: 1 × 100M/1/2.5/5/10 GbE RJ45
1 more row differs in the table below.
The same on both: Wi-Fi standard: Wi-Fi 7; Environment: Indoor.
Both are available to order, with no end-of-sale date announced.
Full comparison
| Attribute |  CW9172I$1,295 |  CW9176I$2,495 |
|---|---|---|
| Best fitDiffers | Branch, retail, healthcare, hybrid workspace | Dense office, campus, advanced indoor deployments |
| List priceDiffers | $1,295 | $2,495 |
| Wi-Fi standardSame | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| RadiosDiffers | Tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz or dual-band 2.4/5 GHz (flex radio) | Tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz (2.4/5 GHz flex: 2.4/5/6 or 5/5/6) |
| Spatial streamsDiffers | 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 (dual-band mode: 2×2:2 + 4×4:4) | 4×4:4 + 4×4:4 + 4×4:4 |
| Max data rateDiffers | 9 Gbps | 18 Gbps |
| UplinkDiffers | 1 × 100M/1/2.5 GbE RJ45 | 1 × 100M/1/2.5/5/10 GbE RJ45 |
| PoE for full operationDiffers | 802.3at (PoE+) | 802.3bt (UPOE) |
| EnvironmentSame | Indoor | Indoor |
| HardwareDiffers | Tri-radio or dual-radio, 2x2:2 per radio; scan and IoT radios; internal omni | Tri-radio 4x4:4 plus scan and IoT radios; internal omni; GPS/GNSS |
| LicensingSame | Co-term MR Enterprise or MR Advanced (add-ons: MR Upgrade); subscription LIC-CW-E or LIC-CW-A | Co-term MR Enterprise or MR Advanced (add-ons: MR Upgrade); subscription LIC-CW-E or LIC-CW-A |
| AvailabilitySame | Available | Available |
| All portsDiffers | 1 × 2.5G RJ45 (Uplink) | 1 × 10G RJ45 (Uplink) |
† US list price recorded from Cisco’s Meraki catalog on Jul 14, 2026. Cisco has since retired that catalog and publishes no newer public list prices, so recorded prices can’t be re-checked. Licenses are priced separately.