Cisco CW9800H2 | Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controller, 6000 APs, 2x 40G

Q: What is the difference between the CW9800H1 and CW9800H2 models?
A: The only difference is the uplink configuration. The CW9800H1 features 4x 25 Gbps uplinks, while the CW9800H2 offers 2x 40 Gbps uplinks. Both models support the same number of access points (6000), clients (64,000), and maximum throughput (100 Gbps).

Q: Which access points are compatible with the CW9800H2?
A: The CW9800H2 supports the full range of Cisco Catalyst and Aironet access points, including Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax 6 GHz), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and earlier generation models. Access points require a Cisco DNA or Cisco Networking subscription to connect to the controller.

Q: Does the CW9800H2 support High Availability deployments?
A: Yes, the CW9800H2 supports redundancy and High Availability configurations with dedicated HA heartbeat ports (1G copper and 1/10G SFP+). This enables seamless failover and ensures business continuity in mission-critical wireless environments.

Q: What are the key improvements over the Catalyst 9800-80?
A: The CW9800H2 offers 36% better performance and 40% lower power consumption while reducing the form factor to 1RU (vs. 2RU). It also includes hardware crypto offload for line-rate encryption, 10G HA ports for flexible data centre deployments, and enhanced support for Wi-Fi 6E access points.

Q: Can the CW9800H2 be managed with Cisco Catalyst Center?
A: Yes, the CW9800H2 integrates with Cisco Catalyst Center for centralised management, AI-driven analytics, automated provisioning, and advanced troubleshooting. It also supports traditional CLI, SNMP, NETCONF, and HTTPS management interfaces.