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Does Cisco have indoor and outdoor AP models that support zigbee?

LQ Wang
Level 1
Level 1

We actually have a hotel project, and we need to deploy APs that support zigbee to realize IoT terminal access.

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Accepted Solutions

Cisco is not the only manufacturer that has three-in-one APs (WiFi, BLE and Zigbee).  

Another alternative is to design a solution where Zigbee is a totally separate solution/vendor.  That one, one does not put all their eggs in one basket.  

 

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11 Replies 11

JPavonM
VIP
VIP

Yes new Catalyst 9100 (c9120, c913x and cw916x) have an IoT radio to integrate with BLE, Zigbee and Thread, but for the integration you need DNA-C (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/access-points/guide-c07-744305.html)

Thank you for your reply! I read the link, can it be understood as deploying the IoX application on the AP through DNA to make it an IoT gateway, and all IoT terminals connect to this AP (IoT gateway) to communicate with the background server application?

Does C9105AX and C9115AX support this feature?

Leo Laohoo
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Yes and no. 

All Catalyst 9k and AP4800 support Zigbee, however, Zigbee functions is turned off because Zigbee customers cannot afford to buy these APs.  So the feature is not enabled.  

Ok,Under the premise of requiring WiFi coverage, it can also support the access of third-party IOT terminals, which is the product advantage


@LQ Wang wrote:
Ok,Under the premise of requiring WiFi coverage, it can also support the access of third-party IOT terminals, which is the product advantage

Cisco APs' Zigbee is software disabled.  

How to activate the zigbee function?


@LQ Wang wrote:
How to activate the zigbee function?

Cisco has software-disabled Zigbee function.  

That is to say, it cannot be put into practical use yet.

The biggest users of Zigbee are the hotel, resorts and hospitality industry with keycard door.  Cisco has been targeting this industry by introducing the ultra-premium 4800 which introduced Zigbee (software disabled, of course).  I was told that Zigbee will only be enabled if-and-only the "demand picks up". 

(And before the pandemic, profits in this industry is razor thin.  When the pandemic hit, tourism stopped overnight.  And a number of industry operators simply did not have the financial capability to survive one year without any paying guests much more two years.)  

Upgrading to an AP that supports Zigbee is not just an answer.  It is the start of a problem.  A financial one.  It is not just a question of swapping out existing AP with a 4800 or Catalyst 9k and Presto, Bob's your uncle.  No, it is not.  4800 requires more than 30.1wac of PoE.  This means the owner of the facility will need to upgrade the switches to something that can do uPoE (60wac).  

Cisco has incorporated Zigbee into premium products while other manufacturer have them working/enabled in lower target market.  

After a switch, the next in the list is the WLC because AireOS cannot-and-will-not support Zigbee.  It will be the new 9800.  And it cannot be an eWLC either.  It has to be a 9800 appliance platform.  

It is yet still unknown if Cisco's Zigbee implementation will be a subscription-based but I am suspecting it will be.  

So now, do the maths:  Even with 50% discount, how many can afford to upgrade?  

(There may be some very rich operator who have made confidential & commercial agreements with Cisco that have Zigbee enabled for themselves.  But I have not yet heard of anything.)

A lot of operators have seen the price and they asked themselves this simple question:  If it ain't broke, why upgrade? 

Thank you for your patience in answering. One of our CBD projects needs to cover WiFi6, and also needs to meet the access of zigbee IOT devices. In addition, we also choose Cisco C9800 series AC controller and DNAC server, so we have this problem to confirm. From this perspective, there are many factors involved in choosing a Cisco AP, thanks again.

Cisco is not the only manufacturer that has three-in-one APs (WiFi, BLE and Zigbee).  

Another alternative is to design a solution where Zigbee is a totally separate solution/vendor.  That one, one does not put all their eggs in one basket.  

 

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