Wi-Fi 7 access points for business

What Wi-Fi 7 adds

Wi-Fi 7 is the IEEE 802.11be standard. The changes that matter to a business network:

• Wider channels in 6 GHz: up to 320 MHz, twice the widest Wi-Fi 6E channel. HPE's AP47 guide notes that "Wi-Fi 7 can support 320 MHz wide radio channels in the 6GHz band and offers 4K QAM".
• 4K QAM (4096-QAM): denser modulation for higher peak rates close to the access point. WatchGuard lists a maximum channel width of up to 320 MHz and 4096-QAM for its AP340.
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): a device can use more than one band at once or switch between them quickly. WatchGuard lists MLSR, MLMR and eMLSR modes on the AP340.
• More spatial streams and radios on the larger models: Cisco's CW9178I and CW9179F have four radios with "up to 16 spatial streams".

The benefit is capacity: more devices at good speed per access point, especially laptops and phones that support 6 GHz. Older devices still connect on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

What a Wi-Fi 7 access point needs

• Multigigabit uplinks: Wi-Fi 7 models have 2.5G, 5G or 10G ports (for example 2.5G on the Cisco CW9172I, 10G on the CW9176I and WatchGuard AP340). A 1G switch port will work but caps the AP.
• PoE budget: Cisco lists 30 W for full function on the CW9172I, 802.3bt Class 5 (39 W maximum) on the CW9176I and 802.3bt Class 6 (47 W maximum) on the CW9179F. The WatchGuard AP340 runs on PoE+ (802.3at). Check each model's data sheet, linked from its range page, and size the switch with the PoE budget guide.
• A controller or cloud subscription: Cisco Wi-Fi 7 APs need Cisco Wireless Essentials or Advantage; HPE Mist APs need Wireless Assurance; FortiAP runs from the controller built into your FortiGate; HPE Aruba Networking APs use HPE Aruba Networking Central; WatchGuard uses Standard or USP Wi-Fi (opens in a new tab).
• 6 GHz clients: to get the full benefit, laptops and phones need Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 radios. Cisco notes that in countries where 6 GHz is not allowed, "the 6-GHz radio will be disabled", and Fortinet says use of the 6 GHz band "is subject to regional regulatory authority approval"; we can set each access point up for UK use as part of installation, with the scope confirmed at quote.

Switches with multigigabit and 802.3bt ports are on managed PoE switches.

Every Wi-Fi 7 access point we list

39 Wi-Fi 7 access points across five ranges, one row per model with its first listed part number ("Confirmed at quote" where we give the UK code in your quote). Open the range page for every variant, the subscription options and the data sheets.

Wi-Fi 7 by vendor

WatchGuard's Wi-Fi 7 wireless firewalls combine a Firebox and an access point in one box for small sites; see Firebox tabletop firewalls.

Wi-Fi 7 APs by range

Cisco Wi-Fi 7 on premises or in the cloud

Cisco's Wi-Fi 7 access points run "in a cloud, on-premises, or hybrid deployment mode". This shop covers on-premises use with a Catalyst 9800 or CW9800 controller; for the Meraki dashboard, see Meraki Wi-Fi 7 (opens in a new tab) on our sister store cloudnetworking.uk.

How to order Wi-Fi 7 access points

How ordering works. Press Add next to a part number and it goes into your basket; where the hardware needs a subscription or support term, you pick it in the same step. Add mounts, injectors and accessories, then View basket and Request a quote. We check every line, quantity and term against your site and come back with a personalised quote by email. Nothing is charged online. We can also design, supply, stage, install and configure the wireless network as a project, with the scope confirmed at quote (see network installation).

Upgrading from Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6? Contact us with your current AP models and switch part numbers and we will check uplinks and PoE before you buy.