Purpose and Intent of This Diagram
This diagram is intended to provide a high-level architectural lineage of Meraki MR and Cisco Wireless access point models across multiple Wi-Fi generations, from Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) through Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be).
This is not meant to represent a strict “replacement chart” and it does not attempt to show every possible migration path or deployment choice.
The primary goal is readability and conceptual clarity, to show:
- A bit of a history, if you happen to care 😊
- How major AP families evolved over time
- How product lines tended to branch, or converge, or start anew
- How Cisco’s modern CW-series APs relate back to their Meraki MR predecessors
In many real deployments, customers may reasonably move between AP models in ways not explicitly shown here. Those choices can also be valid. However, showing every possible option would quickly make the diagram unreadable and defeat its purpose.
How to Read the Tree
- Left to right represents the progression of Wi-Fi generations.
- Lines represent architectural lineage, not mandatory upgrade paths.
- Models are loosely grouped into functional families (entry, enterprise, high-density, specialty, outdoor).
- Where families converge or split, that tends to reflect design intent, not SKU consolidation.
- A missing line does not imply incompatibility or an invalid migration, but was perhaps intentionally omitted to preserve clarity.
The diagram favors “typical” or “most likely” technology transitions, not edge cases.
Indoor Model Lineage and Capabilities
Across generations, indoor AP families generally scale in radio capability and density, though not always in a perfectly linear way:
- Early Wi-Fi 4 and Wave 1 APs were largely 2x2 designs, with later 3-radio architectures (serving + scanning) introduced to support WIPS and RF optimization on a dedicated radio.
- Wave 2 models introduced broader use of 3x3 and 4x4 radios, particularly in enterprise and high-density environments.
- MR45 and MR55 were early-access predecessors to the MR46 and MR56, and were “Wi-Fi 6 compatible” rather than fully Wi-Fi 6 certified. The primary missing capability was uplink OFDMA, which allowed Cisco to bring these APs to market earlier but prevented full certification. Given that most enterprise WLAN traffic is downstream-heavy, the practical impact was limited, roughly a ~10% efficiency gain affecting a small portion of overall traffic, making this a reasonable and intentional tradeoff for early adopters.
- Wi-Fi 6 and later generations built directly on this foundation, but with increasing architectural complexity driven by multi-gigabit uplinks, expanded use of OFDMA and spatial reuse, the introduction of 6 GHz spectrum in Wi-Fi 6E, and ultimately Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and other Wi-Fi 7 features.
As a result, radio stream count alone (2x2, 3x3, 4x4) no longer reliably defines an “AP family”. Instead, this diagram groups models more by intended role (entry, enterprise default, high density, specialty antenna, etc.), even when two models may share similar RF specs on paper.
I will also point out that it's perfectly valid and common to migrate from MR46 to CW9174I or CW9176I, without any intermediate progression through the CW9164I-MR. However this would have made the diagram messy. So view that portion of the chart as MR46 evolved to both CW9174 and CW9176, the same split as what is shown for the CW9164I-MR.
External Antenna and Specialty Families
Some APs represent deployment-driven families rather than simple RF upgrades. Examples:
- External-antenna variants (e.g. “E” models)
- Integrated directional / patch antenna models (e.g. D1)
- Wall-plate and specialty form factors (e.g. hospitality-focused H models)
These models are shown as parallel branches, not as linear successors, because they exist to solve different use-cases, not necessarily because they replace omni-directional ceiling APs.
This is why certain families (for example, integrated patch D1 antenna models) are shown as distinct lineages rather than branches of a main indoor line.
Outdoor Models and Large-Venue APs
Outdoor APs are treated as their own architectural space, separate from indoor families:
- Early outdoor models represent a pre-modern era of outdoor Wi-Fi, often with mesh-centric designs.
- The modern outdoor lineage begins with cleaner, purpose-built outdoor omni and high-capacity APs.
- High-end stadium and large-venue APs are intentionally not shown as direct successors to traditional outdoor models. For example, there are Meraki stadium deployments with MR86 and stadium antennas, but the CW9179F is a very different animal. Thus, the CW9179F is depicted as a standalone anchor, not the endpoint of a prior line. This reflects the reality that it introduces a different deployment class, with unique RF capabilities, assumptions, antenna options, and scale characteristics.
- You’ll notice a couple “TBD” bubbles there, and it’s no secret that part of the Wi-Fi 7 portfolio should be built out further in 2026-2027.
Exceptions, Edge Cases, and Real-World Flexibility
This diagram intentionally avoids showing some valid or less common paths. For example:
- Certain indoor models (such as the indoor-rated CW9174E and antennas) may be deployed outdoors in specific regions when housed in approved weatherized enclosures.
- Some customers may move from one family to another based on uplink constraints, spectrum availability, or environmental considerations.
- Many customers went from MR42 directly to MR44 and MR46 without ever deploying MR45, however there isn’t a line from MR42 to MR46 which would make the diagram messy. On this same point, if you deployed MR52, you did NOT have to deploy MR55 to get to MR56, but a line from MR52 to MR56 would also impact the clarity of the diagram.
- Not all migrations are driven by Wi-Fi generation alone… physical constraints and use-case sometimes matter more.
In short, some situations are outside the scope of what is clearly shown on a one-page diagram.
Line Crossings and Diagram Discipline
As a general rule, the diagram avoids crossing lines to maintain visual clarity.
One intentional exception (coming from CW9166I-MR) is included where the relationship is straightforward and easily understood. This exception does not change the overall intent of the diagram and is documented here to avoid misinterpretation.
The guiding principle was: When clarity and completeness conflict, clarity wins.
Summary
This family tree should be viewed as:
- A quick, handy reference, a conceptual map, not a SKU-by-SKU migration guide.
- A way to understand how product families evolved.
- A tool for explaining why certain modern APs exist, not just what replaced what.
- Not official Cisco/Meraki documentation.
It reflects most real-world technology transitions, while intentionally omitting edge cases to remain a readable and useful reference. Hope you found this useful!
-Dave Scott, Jan 2026
