CW9172I vs MR28
Specs, US list prices, licensing and support dates side by side, from official Cisco documentation.
Main differences
The CW9172I lists for $796 more than the MR28: $1,295 against $499 (US list prices).
- Best fit
- CW9172I: Branch, retail, healthcare, hybrid workspace vs MR28: Indoor access point
- Wi-Fi standard
- CW9172I: Wi-Fi 7 vs MR28: Wi-Fi 6
- Radios
- CW9172I: Tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz or dual-band 2.4/5 GHz (flex radio) vs MR28: Dual-band 2.4/5 GHz
- Spatial streams
- CW9172I: 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 (dual-band mode: 2×2:2 + 4×4:4) vs MR28: 2×2:2 + 2×2:2
- Max data rate
- CW9172I: 9 Gbps vs MR28: 1.5 Gbps
2 more rows differ in the table below.
The same on both: Environment: Indoor.
Both are available to order, with no end-of-sale date announced.
Full comparison
| Attribute |  CW9172I$1,295 |  MR28$499 |
|---|---|---|
| Best fitDiffers | Branch, retail, healthcare, hybrid workspace | Indoor access point |
| List priceDiffers | $1,295 | $499 |
| Wi-Fi standardDiffers | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| RadiosDiffers | Tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz or dual-band 2.4/5 GHz (flex radio) | Dual-band 2.4/5 GHz |
| Spatial streamsDiffers | 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 (dual-band mode: 2×2:2 + 4×4:4) | 2×2:2 + 2×2:2 |
| Max data rateDiffers | 9 Gbps | 1.5 Gbps |
| UplinkDiffers | 1 × 100M/1/2.5 GbE RJ45 | 1 × 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ45 |
| PoE for full operationDiffers | 802.3at (PoE+) | 802.3af (PoE) |
| EnvironmentSame | Indoor | Indoor |
| HardwareDiffers | Tri-radio or dual-radio, 2x2:2 per radio; scan and IoT radios; internal omni | Dual-radio 2x2:2 plus BLE radio; internal antennas |
| LicensingDiffers | 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-MR-E, LIC-MR-A, LIC-CW-E or LIC-CW-A |
| AvailabilitySame | Available | Available |
| All portsDiffers | 1 × 2.5G RJ45 (Uplink) | 1 × 1G 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.