Cisco wireless controller comparison

C9800-40-K9 vs C9800-80-K9

C9800-40-K9 supports 2,000 APs and 40 Gbps in 1RU; C9800-80-K9 supports 6,000 APs and 80 Gbps in 2RU. The larger controller adds a modular uplink bay and dual AC/DC supply options, while client capacity increases from 32,000 to 64,000.

2models compared

31specs published for every model

14confirmed differences

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At a glance

Key specifications

Capacity, connectivity and performance at a glance.

Specification	C9800-40-K9	C9800-80-K9
Maximum Access PointsDifferent	2,000	6,000
Maximum ClientsDifferent	32,000	64,000
Maximum ThroughputDifferent	40 Gbps	80 Gbps
Wi-Fi Standards and BandsSame	Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2, Wi-Fi 6/6E and Wi-Fi 7 APs; 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz	Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2, Wi-Fi 6/6E and Wi-Fi 7 APs; 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz
Wi-Fi 7 SupportSame	From Cisco IOS XE 17.15.2, with Multi-Link Operation and 320 MHz channels in 6 GHz	From Cisco IOS XE 17.15.2, with Multi-Link Operation and 320 MHz channels in 6 GHz
Uplink PortsDifferent	4 x 1/10G SFP+	6 x 10G SFP+; 2 x 1/10G SFP+

Detailed comparison

Full specification comparison

Differences only

Comparison parameter	Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controllers View price & datasheet	Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controllers View price & datasheet
Product ID	C9800-40-K9	C9800-80-K9
Product and ordering
Product Type	Cisco Catalyst 9800-40 Wireless Controller	Cisco Catalyst 9800-80 Wireless Controller
Scale and performance
Maximum Access Points	2,000	6,000
Maximum Clients	32,000	64,000
Maximum Throughput	40 Gbps	80 Gbps
Maximum Site Tags	2,000	6,000
Maximum FlexConnect APs per Site	100	100
Maximum WLANs	4,096	4,096
Maximum VLANs	4,096	4,096
Wi-Fi and software
Wi-Fi Standards and Bands	Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2, Wi-Fi 6/6E and Wi-Fi 7 APs; 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E) access points need Cisco IOS XE 17.7.1 or later.	Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2, Wi-Fi 6/6E and Wi-Fi 7 APs; 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E) access points need Cisco IOS XE 17.7.1 or later.
Wi-Fi 7 Support	From Cisco IOS XE 17.15.2, with Multi-Link Operation and 320 MHz channels in 6 GHzWi-Fi 7 WLANs need WPA3; from Cisco IOS XE 17.15.3 a WLAN that does not meet the Wi-Fi 7 requirements runs as 802.11ax. Each access point model has its own minimum release.	From Cisco IOS XE 17.15.2, with Multi-Link Operation and 320 MHz channels in 6 GHzWi-Fi 7 WLANs need WPA3; from Cisco IOS XE 17.15.3 a WLAN that does not meet the Wi-Fi 7 requirements runs as 802.11ax. Each access point model has its own minimum release.
Operating System	Cisco IOS XE	Cisco IOS XE
Minimum Software Release	Cisco IOS XE 16.10.1	Cisco IOS XE 16.10.1
Deployment Modes	Centralized, FlexConnect and fabric (SD-Access)	Centralized, FlexConnect and fabric (SD-Access)
Ports and interfaces
Uplink Ports	4 x 1/10G SFP+	6 x 10G SFP+; 2 x 1/10G SFP+Ports Te0/0/6 and Te0/0/7 also take 1G SFPs; the other six run at 10G only.
Modular Uplinks	Not applicable	Optional module: 18 x 1G SFP, 10 x 10G SFP+, 1 x 40G QSFP, 2 x 40G QSFP or 1 x 100GC9800-18X1GE, C9800-10X10GE, C9800-1X40GE, C9800-2X40GE or C9800-1X100GE; like the controller, the modules are no longer sold.
HA Redundancy Ports	1 x RJ-45; 1 x 1G SFPSFP redundancy port optics: GLC-LH-SMD or GLC-SX-MMD.	1 x RJ-45; 1 x 1G SFPSFP redundancy port optics: GLC-LH-SMD or GLC-SX-MMD.
Management Ports	1 x RJ-45 service port	1 x RJ-45 service port
Console Ports	1 x RJ-45 console; 1 x mini-USB console	1 x RJ-45 console; 1 x mini-USB console
USB Ports	2 x USB 3.0	2 x USB 3.0
High availability and power
Stateful Switchover (SSO)	Supported (1:1 active-standby)	Supported (1:1 active-standby)
N+1 Redundancy	Supported	Supported
Default Power Supply	Single 750 W AC power supply	Dual 1,100 W AC or 950 W DC power supplies
Power Redundancy	1+1 with an optional second AC power supply	1+1 with dual AC or DC power supplies
Maximum Power Consumption	381 W	600 WWith uplink modules installed.
Heat Dissipation	1,300 BTU/h	2,047 BTU/h
Physical and environmental
Form Factor	1RU	2RU
Dimensions (H × W × D)	43.7 × 439.4 × 495.3 mm	88.1 × 439.4 × 520.7 mm
Weight	10.34 kg	14.29 kg
Operating Temperature	0 to 40 °C; 0 to 50 °C short term	0 to 40 °C; 0 to 50 °C short term
Operating Humidity	10% to 90%; 5% to 90% short term	10% to 90%; 5% to 90% short term
Operating Altitude	Up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft)	Up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft)
Warranty	1-year limited hardware warranty	1-year limited hardware warranty

Specifications from Cisco Catalyst 9800-40 Wireless Controller Data Sheet and Cisco Catalyst 9800-80 Wireless Controller Data Sheet (checked 2026-10-11).

“Not published by Cisco” and “Not listed” indicate that a confirmed direct comparison is unavailable. These rows are not counted as confirmed differences.

Comparison notes

AP, client and throughput limits do not grow by one multiplier: The larger controller triples AP capacity but doubles client count and rated throughput. These are independent limits, so a threefold AP allowance does not imply threefold traffic capacity.
The uplink module is an additional configuration: Only the larger controller has a module bay, with supported options up to 100G. The chosen module and optics must be included when comparing the actual port configuration.
Capacity differences prevent treating them as interchangeable standbys: The models cannot form one mixed stateful-switchover pair. An installed HA design needs identical hardware within its pair, independent of the shared IOS XE software family.

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Product details

Specifications, documentation and purchasing information for each model.

C9800-40-K9 View price & datasheet C9800-80-K9 View price & datasheet

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