Cisco Announces End of Life for Popular Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

Cisco Announces End of Life for Popular Wi-Fi 6 Access Points

In March 2026, Cisco announced end of life for some of its most widely deployed Wi-Fi 6 access points across both the Catalyst 9100 and Meraki MR product lines. If your organisation runs any of the following models, now is the time to start planning.

Affected Cisco Catalyst APs

  • C9105AXI-Z
  • C9105AXW-Z
  • C9115AXE-Z
  • C9115AXI-Z
  • C9120AXE-Z
  • C9120AXI-Z
  • C9120AXP-Z
  • C9130AXE-STA-Z
  • C9130AXE-Z
  • C9130AXI-Z

Affected Meraki APs

Key dates

The last day to order these models through Cisco is 31 December 2026, with final shipments ending 31 March 2027.

Software maintenance ends 31 December 2027, while full support, including security updates, continues until 31 December 2031.

What replaces them?

Cisco's primary successor platform is the CW917x Wi Fi 7 series, designed to support both Catalyst and Meraki environments from shared hardware.

The CW9171I, for example, is a common upgrade path for MR36 and C9105 deployments and can operate with either the Catalyst 9800 controller platform or the Meraki dashboard.

As Cisco manufacturing winds down, quality used and refurbished stock typically becomes increasingly important for organisations maintaining existing environments, particularly where standardisation on a specific AP model or mounting format matters.

Why this matters

End of life does not mean these access points suddenly stop working in 2026. Security support continues through to the end of 2031.

What it does mean is that the window to source new hardware at normal pricing is beginning to close. As inventory tightens globally, lead times and pricing can become less predictable, especially for organisations managing larger rollouts, spare pools, or staged refresh projects.

Cisco Catalyst APs: new, used, and buyback

We stock both new and used/refurbished Catalyst access points across the affected models, along with their Wi Fi 7 successors.

For some organisations, that means extending the life of an existing deployment with cost effective used hardware. For others, it means securing replacement stock below list pricing while planning a broader migration strategy.

We also purchase decommissioned Cisco hardware, helping offset upgrade costs while keeping usable equipment in circulation.

Meraki APs: local stock and buyback options

As these models approach end of sale, sourcing new Meraki hardware can become slower and more expensive, particularly for organisations rolling out larger deployments or requiring matching hardware.

We hold stock in Sydney of both new and used Meraki access points across the affected MR series, including replacement models. That means customers can source hardware locally, avoid extended lead times, and keep projects moving.

For customers not ready to migrate immediately, we also supply tested used/refurbished Meraki APs as a cost effective way to maintain or expand existing deployments.

When it is time to refresh, we also purchase decommissioned Meraki hardware, helping offset upgrade costs and reduce e waste.

Planning ahead

Whether you are a reseller looking to secure stock, a network team managing a staged refresh, or an IT manager reviewing upgrade options, planning early will provide significantly more flexibility than waiting until inventory becomes constrained.

Need pricing, availability, or advice on replacement options? Contact XS Network Tech to discuss current stock and migration paths for affected Cisco and Meraki wireless hardware.

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