Upgrading home setup – which access points to target?

[Andreas_Augdahl]

Dear community,

I'm looking to upgrade my home Meraki installation and would appreciate some recommendations.

Current setup:

• 1x MR42
• 1x MR36

What I'm looking for:

• New access points with better performance – I am considering taking the step all the way to Wi-Fi 7
• License renewal is still 3 months out, so good timing to refresh hardware

Questions:

• Which current-gen MR models would you recommend for a home setup?
• Would you consider any other cloud-managed access point models (CW), and if so why?
• Any particular considerations I should keep in mind when upgrading from MR42/36?

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Andreas

[alemabrahao]

For a complete Wi-Fi 7 experience, I would go with the CW9172I or the CW9176I.

https://documentation.meraki.com/Wireless/Product_Information/Overviews_and_Datasheets/CW9172I_Datas...

https://documentation.meraki.com/Wireless/Product_Information/Overviews_and_Datasheets/CW9176I_%2F%2...

[Andreas_Augdahl]

Thanks Alessandro!

Quick follow-ups on CW9172I/9176I:

• Meraki mode experience: Any limitations vs. native MR products when operating through dashboard.meraki.com?
• Why CW over MR46E? Is this primarily for Wi-Fi 7, or are there other advantages?
• I read about some issues converting/upgrading CW to MR SW. Is this something I should just disregard?

//Andreas

[alemabrahao]

The CW operates with the same capabilities as the MR.

In the future, the MR  will no longer exist, the trend is for everything to become CW.

You can already purchase the CW with Meraki software without needing any conversion.

[Andreas_Augdahl]

Okay, thanks a lot for the clarification.

Are these the correct SKUs?

CW9172I-RTG

CW9176I-RTG

//Andreas

[alemabrahao]

To be honest, I've never heard of RTG. To me, the correct SKU should be something like CW9172I-MR, but I confess I'm having second thoughts now.

[Andreas_Augdahl]

Thanks anyway, I'll get in touch with our Cisco partner manager here in Norway – I am sure we'll be able to figure it out.

Thanks again!

[Mloraditch]

Those are the skus that come with the default bracket and accessories. The CFG skus allow you to customize the brackets. You will see them both and explanations when loading in CCW

[AndyEspo]

We do a lot of high-end residential networks with Meraki systems. IMHO. unless you have one of the very few brandy-new computers or phones that support WiFi 7, it's likely you won't see any performance difference between the MR36 and the CW APs. Better to get one used MR36, replace the MR42 and wait on the WiFi 7 APs until there's more device support and the AP prices come down. Cabling, termination quality, switching and AP placement matter, as always.

[Andreas_Augdahl]

Thanks, I appreciate it, but I really would like to future-proof my setup when I decide to upgrade.

[rhbirkelund]

What is the purpose of your Home setup? Labbing?

If you are going to use them in order to lab different setups, I'd go with 2x CW9176-RTG, and perhaps spice it up with an additional CW9172H. Look into getting the MR Advanced license, as it will give you access to AI-RRM features. 

The -RTG or Ready-To-Go SKU is the one to use, as @Mloraditch points out. The -CFG SKU is used, if you plan on orderings lots of them, and need specific packaging options, like omitting the bracket.

RTG is built to stock, which means it is ready to be shipped, and comes with mounting brackets. With 917x APs there is no longer the concept of fixed regulatory domain APs as we know it from 916x or earlier. 

In addition to the APs, if you are going with 9176, to get the full experience, look into also getting a UPOE switch to power them. They can boot with PoE+, but with reduced capability. 

[rhbirkelund]

If you are good friends with your Channel Partner, and they can hook you up with CW9178, that'll be nice. 🙂

[BlakeRichardson]

Remember for Wifi 6 and 7 you need mGbit switching