Cisco wireless controller comparison
C9800-80-K9 vs CW9800H1
C9800-80-K9 and CW9800H1 share limits of 6,000 access points and 64,000 clients. The newer controller moves to 1RU and fixed 25G uplinks, raises rated throughput to 100 Gbps and removes the older controller’s optional uplink-module bay.
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 | C9800-80-K9 | CW9800H1 |
|---|---|---|
Maximum Access PointsSame |
6,000 | 6,000 |
Maximum ClientsSame |
64,000 | 64,000 |
Maximum ThroughputDifferent |
80 Gbps | 100 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 |
6 x 10G SFP+; 2 x 1/10G SFP+ | 8 x 1/10G SFP+; 4 x 25G SFP28 |
Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | C9800-80-K9 | CW9800H1 |
| Product and ordering | ||
| Product Type | Cisco Catalyst 9800-80 Wireless Controller | Cisco Catalyst CW9800H1 Wireless Controller |
| Scale and performance | ||
| Maximum Access Points | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Maximum Clients | 64,000 | 64,000 |
| Maximum Throughput | 80 Gbps | 100 Gbps |
| Maximum Site Tags | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Maximum FlexConnect APs per Site | 100 | 300 |
| 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 GHz |
| 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 17.14.1 |
| Deployment Modes | Centralized, FlexConnect and fabric (SD-Access) | Centralized, FlexConnect and fabric (SD-Access) |
| Ports and interfaces | ||
| Uplink Ports | 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. | 8 x 1/10G SFP+; 4 x 25G SFP28 |
| Modular Uplinks | 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. | Not applicable |
| 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 1/10G SFPSFP redundancy port optics: GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-LH-SMD, SFP-10G-SR, SFP-10G-SR-S, SFP-10G-LR or SFP-10G-LR-S. |
| 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 micro-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 | Dual 1,100 W AC or 950 W DC power supplies | Dual 750 W AC or 950 W DC power supplies |
| Power Redundancy | 1+1 with dual AC or DC power supplies | 1+1 with dual AC or DC power supplies |
| Maximum Power Consumption | 600 WWith uplink modules installed. | 500 W |
| Heat Dissipation | 2,047 BTU/h | 1,706 BTU/h |
| Physical and environmental | ||
| Form Factor | 2RU | 1RU |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 88.1 × 439.4 × 520.7 mm | 43.9 × 444.5 × 504.7 mm |
| Weight | 14.29 kg | 9.3 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 9800-80 Wireless Controller Data Sheet and Cisco Catalyst CW9800H1 and CW9800H2 Wireless Controllers 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.
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