Easy-to-manage Cloud Wifi Solution

The Cisco Meraki MR Series is a comprehensive line of wireless access points designed to meet various networking needs, from small offices to large enterprises and outdoor environments. This guide provides a detailed comparison of the MR series models, highlighting their key features, specifications, and ideal use cases. Whether you need high-efficiency, high-density, general-purpose, or basic wireless solutions, this guide will help you understand which MR series device best suits your specific requirements.

The MR series access points are renowned for their advanced capabilities, including Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 support, MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and robust security features. Additionally, ruggedized models are available for outdoor and industrial applications, ensuring reliable performance in harsh conditions. Cisco Meraki offers a comprehensive portfolio of cloud-managed IT solutions across wireless, switching, and security domains, empowering organizations to build secure, scalable, and flexible networks.

Meraki access points are cloud-managed, offering robust security, intelligent RF optimization, and simplified scalability. With support for Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and now Wi-Fi 7, Meraki is future-ready for next-generation network experiences. The MX, MR, and MS series each serve distinct roles in the networking ecosystem—MX for security and SD-WAN, MR for wireless, and MS for switching—while the MG series acts as a cellular gateway device providing WAN failover or primary connectivity to ensure network redundancy. Selecting the right device for each use case is essential for optimal performance and reliability.

Meraki solutions benefit customers by improving service quality, security, and business outcomes. The people behind Meraki’s innovation and support are dedicated to delivering reliable, cloud-managed infrastructure for organizations of all sizes.

Below is a comparison guide for the main features and functionalities of different models within the Cisco Meraki MR series.

Introduction to Cisco Meraki

Cisco Meraki is a global leader in cloud-managed networking, empowering organizations to build secure, scalable, and adaptable network architectures. With a comprehensive portfolio that includes wireless access points, security appliances, switches, cameras, and IoT sensors, Meraki delivers a unified platform for managing every aspect of your network. The intuitive Meraki dashboard provides centralized visibility and control, enabling IT teams to monitor traffic, enforce security policies, and optimize performance across all sites and devices—from a single, cloud-based interface. Whether you’re deploying Wi-Fi in a single office or managing a distributed enterprise WAN, Cisco Meraki simplifies network management while delivering enterprise-grade security and reliability.

Wi-Fi 7 Indoor Models

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) brings next-level wireless performance with up to 320 MHz channels, ultra-high throughput, and support for 4K-QAM. These models are ideal for organizations planning ahead for high-bandwidth applications, dense environments, and IoT innovation. They are also compatible with both Meraki cloud and Cisco Catalyst Center management platforms.

Model

CW9176I / CW9176D1

CW9178I

9172H

9172I

Usage

High-performance Wi-Fi 7 AP

Ultra-high-performance Wi-Fi 7 AP

Hospitality / Multi-dwelling units

Branch office, small/home office, SMB, retail

Radio Specification

Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, & 6 GHz)

Quad-radio (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 5 GHz, & 6 GHz)

Tri-radio: 2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz (all 2×2:2)

Tri-radio (2×2:2) or dual-radio (5 GHz 4×4)

Spatial streams

12 SS (4×4:4 across 3 radios)

16 SS (4×4:4 across 4 radios)

6 SS

6 SS

WIDS/WIPS

Tri-band

Tri-band

Bluetooth© Low Energy/ IoT Radio

Aggregate throughput

18 Gbps

24 Gbps

9 Gbps

Up to 9 Gbps

Interface

1x 10G multigigabit

2x 10G multigigabit

1x 2.5G uplink, 3x 1G LAN, 1x passthrough

1x 2.5G uplink, 1x RJ45 console

USB 2.0

✓ (9W)

✓ (9W)

No

Management

Cloud-managed with Meraki cloud; managed on premises with Cisco Catalyst Center

Same as CW9176I

On premises or cloud

On premises or cloud

Power

802.3at/bt PoE+ and UPoE compliant

802.3at/bt PoE+ and UPoE compliant

30W for full operation; 45W for PoE out

30W for full operation; 45W for USB port

Performance Features

OFDMA, MU-MIMO, TWT, BSS coloring, UWB, 4K-QAM, up to 320 MHz channels, packet aggregation

Same as CW9176I plus higher throughput

Tri-radio, BLE IoT, scan radio, legacy bracket support

Tri/dual-radio, BLE + 802.15.4, scan radio, USB port

Dimensions

9.54 in × 9.54 in × 2.08 in (242.3 mm x 242.25 mm x 52.8 mm)

9.90 in × 9.90 in × 2.00 in (251.5 mm x 251.5 mm x 50.8 mm)

5.00 in × 7.01 in × 0.98 in (127 mm x 178 mm x 25 mm)

7.99 in × 7.99 in × 1.81 in (203 mm x 203 mm x 46 mm)

Weight

3.44 lb (1.56 kg) (9176I), 3.37 lb (1.53 kg) (9176D1)

4.12 lb (1.87 kg)

1.31 lb (0.60 kg)

1.94 lb (0.88 kg)

Wi-Fi 6E Indoor Models

Feature

CW9162

CW9164

CW9166

CW9166D1

MR57

Usage

General purpose Wi-Fi 6E AP

High-performance Wi-Fi 6E AP

Ultra-high-performance Wi-Fi 6E AP

Ultra-high-performance Wi-Fi 6E AP with integrated directional antenna

Ultra-high- performance Wi-Fi 6E AP

Radio specification

Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, & 6 GHz)

Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, & 6 GHz)

Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, & 6 GHz)

Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, & 6 GHz)

Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, & 6 GHz)

Spatial streams

2x 2:2 MU-MIMO

2x 2:2 MU-MIMO (2.4 GHz), 4x 4:4 MU-MIMO (5 GHz & 6 GHz)

4x 4:4 MU-MIMO

4x 4:4 MU-MIMO

4x 4:4 MU-MIMO

WIDS/WIPS

Tri-band

Tri-band

Tri-band

Tri-band

Tri-band

Bluetooth© Low Energy/ IoT Radio

Aggregate throughput

3.9 Gbps

7.49 Gbps

7.78 Gbps

7.78 Gbps

7.78 Gbps

Interface

One multigigabit 2.5G

One multigigabit 2.5G

One multigigabit 5G

One multigigabit 5G

One multigigabit 5G

Power consumption

4.5 W

4.5 W

4.5 W

4.5 W

9.0 W

Management

Cloud-managed with Meraki cloud; managed on premises with Cisco Catalyst Center

Cloud-managed with Meraki cloud; managed on premises with Cisco Catalyst Center

Cloud-managed with Meraki cloud; managed on premises with Cisco Catalyst Center

Cloud-managed with Meraki cloud; managed on premises with Cisco Catalyst Center

Cloud-managed with Meraki cloud

Power supply

802.3at/bt PoE+ and UPoE compliant or DC power adapter

802.3at/bt PoE+ and UPoE compliant or DC power adapter

802.3at/bt PoE+ and UPoE compliant or DC power adapter

802.3at/bt PoE+ and UPoE compliant or DC power adapter

802.3at/bt PoE+ and UPoE compliant or DC power adapter

Dimensions

7.8 in x 7.8 in x 1.7 in (200mm x 200mm x 43mm)

9.5 in x 9.5 in x 2.2 in (241.3 mm x 241.3 mm x 56.9 mm)

9.5 in x 9.5 in x 2.2 in (241.3 mm x 241.3 mm x 56.9 mm)

9.5 in x 9.5 in x 2.28 in (241.3 mm x 241.3 mm x 57.9 mm)

260 mm x 260 mm x 56 mm, including desk-mount feet or mount plate

Weight

2.05 lb (0.93 kg)

3.54 lb (1.60 kg)

3.54 lb (1.60 kg)

3.50 lb (1.59 kg)

3.75 lb (1.7 kg)

Indoor Wi-Fi 6 Models

Model

MR28

MR36

MR36H

MR44

MR46 / MR46E

MR56

Usage

Entry-level Wi-Fi 6 AP for basic, medium-density deployments

Entry-level high-performance AP

In-room hotel/dorm AP

Medium-density AP with security scanning

High-density/focused coverage AP with ext. antenna option (MR46E)

Ultra-high-density/performance deployments

Radio specification

2.4 GHz + 5 GHz 802.11ax, 1x Bluetooth® radio

2.4 GHz + 5 GHz 802.11ax, 1x WIDS/WIPS, 1x Bluetooth® radio

802.11b/g/n + 802.11a/n/ac, WIDS/WIPS, Bluetooth®

2.4 GHz + 5 GHz 802.11ax, WIDS/WIPS, Bluetooth®

2.4 GHz + 5 GHz 802.11ax, WIDS/WIPS, Bluetooth®

2.4 GHz + 5 GHz 802.11ax, WIDS/WIPS, Bluetooth®

Max Data Rate

1.5 Gbps

1.7 Gbps

1.3 Gbps

3.0 Gbps

3.5 Gbps

5.9 Gbps

Spatial Streams

2×2 MU-MIMO

2×2 MU-MIMO

2×2 MU-MIMO

2×2 + 4×4 MU-MIMO

4×4 MU-MIMO

8×8 MU-MIMO

Interface

1x 1G Ethernet

1x 1G Ethernet

1x 1G passthrough + 1x 1G PoE

2x 1G LAN, 1x 2.5G multigig

1x 2.5G multigig (MR46), Removable antenna (MR46E)

1x 5G multigig

Power

802.3af PoE or AC adapter

802.3af PoE or DC adapter

802.3at with 802.3af PoE out

802.3af/at PoE or DC

802.3at PoE or DC

802.3at PoE or DC

Performance Features

MU-MIMO + OFDMA, U-APSD, WMM, Hardware-accelerated encryption, band steering

MU-MIMO + OFDMA, 160 MHz channels, WMM, HW encryption, band steering

MU-MIMO + OFDMA, WMM, HW encryption, band steering

UL/DL MU-MIMO + OFDMA, 160 MHz, WMM, HW encryption, band steering encryption

160 MHz, UL/DL MU-MIMO, WMM, HW encryption, band steering

UL/DL MU-MIMO + OFDMA, 160 MHz, WMM, HW encryption, band steering

Dimensions

7.95″ x 4.88″ x 1.02″ (20.2 x 12.4 x 2.58 cm)

9.84″ x 4.72″ x 1.42″ (25 x 12 x 3.6 cm)

6.1″ x 4.3″ x 0.9″ (15.5 x 11.0 x 2.3 cm)

12.05″ x 5.06″ x 1.74″ (30.6 x 12.84 x 4.43 cm)

12.05″ x 5.06″ x 1.74″ (MR46) / 9.84″ x 4.72″ x 1.42″ (MR46E)

12.83″ x 5.54″ x 1.76″ (32.6 x 14.08 x 4.47 cm)

Weight

9.6 oz (272 g)

17.35 oz (0.5 kg)

17.35 oz (0.5 kg)

26.07 oz (0.74 kg)

28.21 oz (0.8 kg) (MR46) 29.98 oz (0.85 kg) (MR46E)

35.27 oz (1.0 kg)

Outdoor Wi-Fi 6/6E Models

Feature

MR76

MR78

MR86

CW9163E

Usage

Rugged/outdoor high-performance Wi-Fi 6 wireless for outdoor campuses, industrial, point-to-point links, and outdoor location services.

Rugged/outdoor entry-level Wi-Fi 6 wireless for medium density, basic outdoor deployments.

Rugged/outdoor highest-performance Wi-Fi 6 with multigigabit for tough RF and high-density environments

Outdoor high-performance on-prem or cloud- managed Wi-Fi 6E access point for small and medium density deployments.

Radio specification

1x 802.11b/g/n/ax 1x 802.11a/n/ac/ax 1x WIDS/WIPS 1x Bluetooth® radio 1.5 Gbit/sec max rate 2×2:2 MU-MIMO and OFDMA with beamforming

1x 802.11b/g/n/ax 1x 802.11a/n/ac/ax 1x Bluetooth radio 1.5 Gbits/sec max rate 2×2:2 MU-MIMO and OFDMA with beamforming

1x 802.11b/g/n/ax 1x 802.11a/n/ac/ax 1x WIDS/WIPS 1x Bluetooth® radio 3.0 Gbit/sec max rate 4x 4:4 MU-MIMO and OFDMA with beamforming

1× 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n/ax 1× 5 GHz 802.11a/n/ac/ax 1× 6 GHz 802.11ax 1× 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz tri-band Air Marshal WIDS/WIPS, spectrum analysis, & location analytics radio 1× 2.4 GHz Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio 3.9 Gbits/sec max rate 2×2:2 MU-MIMO and OFDMA with beamforming

Interface

1× Gigabit Ethernet port 4x External N-type connectors (antennas sold separately)

1× Gigabit Ethernet port

1x 2.5 Gbps multigigabit Ethernet port 4x External N-type connectors (antennas sold separately)

1x 2.5 Gbps multigibit Ethernet port 4x External N-type connectors (Omni and directional antennas sold separately) RP-SMA Active GPS/GNSS Antenna Connector

Power

802.3af PoE

802.3af PoE

802.3af PoE

802.3af POE and 802.3at UPOE or DC power adapter

Physical design

Rugged industrial design Water and dust sealed (IP67 rated) Vibration and shock tested

Rugged industrial design Water and dust sealed (IP67 rated) Vibration and shock tested

Rugged industrial design Water and dust sealed (IP67 rated) Vibration and shock tested

Weatherized outdoor design Water and dust sealed (IP67 rated) Vibration and shock tested

Performance Features

Third radio dedicated to security and RF management Priority voice, power save (802.11e/WMM) Hardware-accelerated encryption Band steering Bluetooth Low Energy radio for beacon and scanning

Internal antenna Priority voice, power save (802.11e/WMM) Hardware-accelerated encryption Band steering Bluetooth Low Energy radio for beacon and scanning

Third radio dedicated to security and RF management Priority voice, power save (802.11e/WMM) Hardware-accelerated encryption Band steering High-density support Bluetooth Low Energy radio for beacon and scanning

Scanning radio dedicated to security and RF management Built-in GPS Deploy on-premises or in the cloud Bluetooth Low Energy radio for beacon and scanning

Dimensions

11.81 in x 6.02 in x 2.16 in (30.0 cm x 15.3 cm x 5.5 cm)

9.65 in x 4.53 in x 1.18 inch (24.5 cm x 11.5 cm x 3.0 cm)

11.81 in x 6.02 in x 2.16 in (30.0 cm x 15.3 cm x 5.5 cm)

9.64 x 9.64 x 2.5 in. (24.5 cm x 24.5 cm x 6.35 cm)

Weight

47.27 oz (1.34 kg)

15.87 oz (0.45 kg)

52.91 oz (1.5 kg)

52.8 oz (1.50 kg)

Benefits

Choosing Cisco Meraki for your wireless and network infrastructure brings a host of benefits designed to meet the demands of modern organizations. The cloud-managed Meraki dashboard streamlines network operations, allowing for rapid deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting from anywhere, at any time. Built-in security and SD-WAN features protect your assets and users, with advanced firewall throughput, automated threat detection, and seamless integration with other Cisco security appliances. Meraki’s adaptable solutions support a wide range of use cases, from high-density Wi-Fi environments to remote branch connectivity, all while providing real-time analytics and proactive alerts. With support for the latest Wi-Fi standards, PoE capabilities, and zero-touch provisioning, Cisco Meraki ensures your network is always up-to-date, secure, and ready to scale as your business grows.

Use Cases

Cisco Meraki MR Series access points are trusted by organizations across industries to deliver reliable, high-performance wireless connectivity. Enterprises with multiple locations leverage Meraki’s cloud-managed stack to unify network management and enforce consistent security policies across all sites. In education, Meraki enables secure, high-capacity Wi-Fi for classrooms, campuses, and remote learning. Healthcare providers rely on Meraki’s robust security and compliance features to protect sensitive data and support critical applications. Retailers use Meraki to power guest Wi-Fi, enable location analytics, and secure point-of-sale devices. For organizations embracing hybrid or remote work, Meraki’s SD-WAN and wireless solutions ensure seamless, secure access to corporate resources from any location. No matter the use case, Cisco Meraki delivers the performance, security, and flexibility needed to support your evolving network requirements.

FAQ

DO I NEED HIGH-EFFICIENCY, HIGH-DENSITY, GENERAL PURPOSE, OR BASIC?


FAQ

What are the main Cisco Meraki models and their roles?
Cisco Meraki offers several key product lines:

What are the capabilities of the Cisco Meraki MX series?
The MX series includes:

What are the features of the Cisco Meraki MS series?
MS series switches are cloud-managed, designed for dynamic business environments, and provide robust performance. They support Power over Ethernet (PoE), flexible stacking, and are available as access and aggregation switches for reliable wired connectivity.

What are the features of the Cisco Meraki MG series?
The MG series provides cellular gateways for WAN failover or primary connectivity, ensuring network redundancy and seamless connectivity for critical business operations.

What is the Cisco Meraki vMX?
The vMX is a virtual instance of the MX appliance, designed to extend Auto VPN and SD-WAN into public or private cloud environments such as AWS and Azure.

How does Meraki licensing work?
Meraki uses a simplified licensing model shared across all products. MR access points use interchangeable cloud licenses, while MS switches and MX security appliances require licenses tied to each device. MX series offers Enterprise, Advanced Security, and Secure SD-WAN Plus licenses, available for 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10-year terms. Organizations can choose co-termination or per-device licensing. All licenses include 24/7 support, regular updates, and advanced hardware replacement at no extra cost.

What are some important items to consider when evaluating Meraki performance?
Key items include understanding your unique network environment and traffic profile, as well as the testing methodology. Performance can vary based on the number of sources (clients/servers) used during testing. Always validate with a proof of concept to ensure the selected device meets your needs.

What should I know about deployment or configuration changes?
Making a change, such as a configuration update or policy application, can impact network devices and may affect data or connectivity. It’s highly recommended to test changes in a proof of concept environment, as each network environment is unique.

How do customers benefit from Meraki support and user experience?
Customers receive 24/7 Cisco Meraki technical support, regular security and firmware updates, and advanced hardware replacement. Engaging with Meraki’s support team ensures a positive experience and helps optimize your deployment.

What should I do if I encounter a security verification page?
During certain processes, you may see a security verification page to confirm you are not a malicious bot. This is a standard security measure.

Who are the people behind Meraki’s support and innovation?
Meraki’s dedicated support and engineering teams are the people ensuring continuous innovation and reliable assistance for all customers.


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Conclusion

The Cisco Meraki MR Series stands out as a future-ready solution for organizations seeking secure, cloud-managed wireless networks that are easy to deploy, manage, and scale. With a broad range of models tailored for every environment from basic office setups to high-density campuses and rugged outdoor sites—Meraki empowers IT teams to deliver reliable connectivity and robust security across their entire network architecture. By leveraging the Meraki dashboard, organizations gain centralized control, real-time insights, and the agility to adapt to changing business needs. To explore how Cisco Meraki can transform your network, contact Stratus Information Systems for a free quote, tailored consultation, or hands-on demo. Empower your organization with the performance, security, and simplicity of Cisco Meraki.

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