CW9800H1 – 8x 1/10G SFP+ Ports – 4x 25G SFP28 Uplinks – 6000 AP Wireless Controller
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CW9800H1 Description
The CW9800H1 is a Cisco Catalyst CW9800 series wireless controller, the large 1RU appliance in Cisco's next-generation IOS XE controller family, sized to run WLANs of up to 6000 access points and 64,000 clients with up to 100 Gbps of throughput. It manages Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E, and Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 access points, connects upstream through 8x 1/10G SFP+ ports plus 4x 25G SFP28 ports, and ships from the factory with two hot-swappable power modules in an AC or DC configuration chosen at order time. Dedicated RJ-45 and 10G SFP redundancy ports support 1:1 stateful switchover pairing, and the appliance requires Cisco IOS XE 17.14.1 or later.
Quick Specs
|
Product ID |
CW9800H1 |
|---|---|
|
Access point capacity |
Up to 6000 access points |
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Client capacity |
Up to 64,000 clients |
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Maximum throughput |
100 Gbps |
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Uplink ports |
8x 1/10G SFP+ and 4x 25G SFP28 |
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Redundancy ports |
1x RJ-45 and 1x 10G SFP for SSO pairing |
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Power supplies |
Dual hot-swappable modules included, AC or DC |
|
Maximum power consumption |
500W |
|
Form factor |
1RU appliance |
|
Minimum software release |
Cisco IOS XE 17.14.1 |
|
AP licensing |
Per-AP Cisco DNA or Cisco Networking Subscription |
Application Scenarios
Installed in the campus core or on-site data center as the centralized controller for a headquarters or university-scale WLAN, terminating tunneled traffic from access points across multiple buildings in local mode.
Operates at a central site as the control point for distributed branch networks running Cisco FlexConnect, where remote locations switch traffic locally and the controller handles policy for up to 300 FlexConnect access points per site.
Deployed inside a Cisco SD-Access fabric as the wireless control plane for fabric-enabled campuses, integrating wireless clients into the same segmentation and policy model as the wired network.
Product Comparison
|
Parameter |
CW9800H1 |
CW9800H2 |
CW9800M |
CW9800L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Access point capacity |
Up to 6000 |
Up to 6000 |
Up to 3000 |
Up to 500 |
|
Client capacity |
Up to 64,000 |
Up to 64,000 |
Up to 32,000 |
Up to 10,000 |
|
Maximum throughput |
100 Gbps |
100 Gbps |
50 Gbps |
10 Gbps |
|
Power supply |
Dual AC or DC modules included |
Dual AC or DC modules included |
PWR-CH1-750WACR 750W AC |
C9800-AC-110W 110W AC adapter |
- The CW9800H1 and CW9800H2 share the same 6000 AP, 64,000-client, 100 Gbps platform with dual power modules included, and the order splits on uplink media alone: the CW9800H1 carries 4x 25G SFP28 uplinks while the CW9800H2 replaces them with 2x 40G QSFP+, so an aggregation layer terminating SFP28 takes the CW9800H1 and a 40G QSFP+ core takes the CW9800H2.
- Stepping down to the CW9800M halves the ceiling to 3000 access points, 32,000 clients, and 50 Gbps; a WLAN that will stay under those limits avoids paying for idle headroom, while any growth plan that crosses them needs CW9800H1 capacity from the first order rather than a mid-life controller swap.
- The CW9800L covers a different tier entirely at 500 access points, 10,000 clients, and 10 Gbps, and it runs from a single C9800-AC-110W 110W AC adapter; a site that depends on the factory-installed dual supplies of the CW9800H1 for power redundancy gives up that built-in protection when dropping to the compact appliance.
- For deciding which SKU to order, size the access point and client count first, then match uplink media to the aggregation layer, since all four controllers run Cisco IOS XE with the same per-AP subscription licensing and those dimensions do not separate the models.
Selection Guide
1. Crossing The 3000 AP Boundary
The CW9800M tops out at 3000 access points and 32,000 clients, so a design that crosses either ceiling, or that needs more than 50 Gbps of aggregate throughput, lands on the CW9800H1 with its 6000 AP and 64,000-client capacity; a stable mid-size estate keeps the smaller controller and avoids paying for unused scale.
2. 25G SFP28 Uplink Planning
The four SFP28 uplinks accept dual-rate 10/25G optics such as SFP-10/25G-LR-S alongside 25G-only modules like SFP-25G-SR-S, so a distribution layer still running 10G can adopt the CW9800H1 today and move those ports to 25G later without changing the controller order.
3. Standard Dual Supply Headroom
Every CW9800H1 arrives with two hot-swappable power modules and continues operating on a single module, so power redundancy adds no separate line item to the bill of materials; rack power planning only needs to cover the 500W maximum draw per appliance.
4. Efficiency Gains Over Catalyst 9800-80
Cisco rates the CW9800H1 at up to 36% higher performance and up to 40% lower power consumption than the Catalyst 9800-80, with maximum throughput raised 20% to 100 Gbps, so consolidating a large campus onto the 1RU appliance reduces both rack space and the ongoing facility power budget.
5. Unified Licensing Release Threshold
The CW9800H1 hardware minimum is Cisco IOS XE 17.14.1, but consuming Cisco Networking Subscription unified license SKUs such as LIC-CW-E or LIC-CW-A requires IOS XE 17.15.x or later, so a purchase planned around unified licensing should target the later release train instead of the hardware floor.
Ordering Checklist
|
Check Item |
What to Confirm |
Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
|
Power module configuration |
Confirm the order specifies AC (750W, spare PWR-CH1-750ACR) or DC (950W, spare PWR-CH1-950WDCR) modules for both installed slots. |
A chassis built for the wrong feed type cannot connect to the facility power plant, and AC and DC spares are not interchangeable. |
|
Per-AP subscription coverage |
Confirm one Cisco DNA or Cisco Networking Subscription entitlement for every access point that will join the controller. |
The appliance boots without a license, but access points cannot join until their subscription entitlements are available. |
|
Uplink optics compatibility |
Confirm every planned optic or direct-attach cable is on the CW9800H1 supported list, such as SFP-10G-LR or SFP-H25G-CU1M. |
An optic outside the supported matrix can be rejected by the port even when the form factor fits. |
|
SSO redundancy cabling |
Confirm the RJ-45 or 10G SFP redundancy port link plan between both appliances when a 1:1 SSO pair is ordered. |
Without the redundancy port connection the active-standby pair cannot form and failover protection is lost. |
|
Rear rack-mount kit |
Confirm whether the rack layout needs the C8500-4PT-KIT= rear rack-mount kit as a separate line item. |
The kit is a separate orderable part, and a missing kit stalls installation in racks that need rear support. |
Specifications
| Parameter | Specification | Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product ID | CW9800H1 | Product role | Large 1RU wireless controller appliance |
| Access point capacity | Up to 6000 access points | Client capacity | Up to 64,000 clients |
| Maximum throughput | 100 Gbps | WLANs | 4096 |
| VLANs | 4096 | Site tags | 6000 |
| Policy tags | 6000 | RF tags | 6000 |
| RF profiles | 12,000 | Policy profiles | 1000 |
| Flex profiles | 6000 | FlexConnect APs per site | 300 |
| Uplink ports | 8x 1/10G SFP+ and 4x 25G SFP28 | Uplink port behavior | All 1/10/25G ports independently configurable, hot-swappable optics |
| Console ports | 1x RJ-45 and 1x USB 3.0 | USB storage ports | 2x USB 3.0 |
| Management port | 1x RJ-45 service port | Redundancy ports | 1x RJ-45 and 1x 10G SFP |
| Storage | 240 GB SATA SSD | Supported AP generations | Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2, Wi-Fi 6/6E, Wi-Fi 7 with Standard Power and AFC where applicable |
| Wireless standards | 802.11a/b/g/d/e/h/n/k/r/u/w, 802.11ac Wave 1/2, 802.11ax, 802.11be | Deployment modes | Centralized local mode, Cisco FlexConnect, SD-Access fabric wireless |
| High availability | 1:1 SSO, N+1 redundancy, ISSU, SMU hot patching, intelligent rolling AP upgrade | Security | WPA3, Secure Boot, image signing, Trust Anchor module, hardware crypto offload, ETA, aWIPS |
| Application visibility | NBAR2 with about 1400 signatures, Flexible NetFlow | Application hosting | Cisco IOx Docker containers, User Defined Network Plus |
| Management | WebUI, Cisco Catalyst Center, NETCONF/YANG, RESTCONF, model-driven telemetry | Cloud monitoring | Cloud Monitoring for Catalyst Wireless via Meraki dashboard |
| Policy and location platforms | Cisco ISE, Cisco Spaces | AP licensing | Per-AP Cisco DNA or Cisco Networking Subscription (LIC-CW-E / LIC-CW-A) |
| Power supplies | Dual hot-swappable modules included, AC or DC per order | Power supply spares | PWR-CH1-750ACR 750W AC, PWR-CH1-950WDCR 950W DC |
| Maximum power consumption | 500W | Heat dissipation | 1706 BTU/hr |
| Fans | 4 built-in fans, front-to-back airflow | Acoustic sound power | 73 dBA in normal operation |
| Operating temperature | 0 to 40°C, short-term 0 to 50°C | Operating humidity | 10 to 90% |
| Operating altitude | 0 to 3000 m | Dimensions (W x D x H) | 44.45 x 50.47 x 4.39 cm |
| Weight | 9.3 kg (20.5 lb) | Rack height | 1RU |
| Minimum software release | Cisco IOS XE 17.14.1 | Hardware warranty | Cisco 1-year limited hardware warranty |
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Questions & Answers
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What role does CW9800H1 serve?
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How much wireless capacity does CW9800H1 support?
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Which network and redundancy ports are available on CW9800H1?
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How does CW9800H1 differ from CW9800H2?
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Does CW9800H1 require per-access-point licensing?
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How is power redundancy provided on CW9800H1?
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Where does CW9800H1 fit in a FlexConnect design?
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Can CW9800H1 use both 10G and 25G SFP28 optics?
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