Wireless at Events - Cases of maximum users at an Access point

Jalmeida · ‎05-06-2025

Hello community,

I need use cases where a Cisco access point supported more than 200 simultaneous users. Has anyone seen this?

I saw it once at Rock In Rio (with another vendor), but I don't remember the details.

Has anyone worked at an event with a dense environment and observed a large number of users associated with a Cisco AP (5520, 8500, 9800...)?

If so, could you share the location, how many users and the respective access point and WLC models?

I'm asking because I participated in an event with the AP 9130 with 400 users and I wanted to base myself on whether the data I collected is correct.

Leo Laohoo · ‎05-06-2025

Let me just say that I have several sites with AP3700 and have >100 simultaneous wireless clients (up to 125) per day. What is entirely weird is we have received ZERO complaints about it. 90% to 95% of the users connected to the AP are rarely doing any internet traffic. Instead, users do anything BUT do internet traffic. They plonk their things down on the desk and do something else: Read a book, sleep (take a nap), chat with someone, etc.

Can an AP support up to 200 simultaneous wireless clients? This question routinely gets asked every year and the answer has never changed. Yes and no.

Yes, an AP can support 200 wireless clients ... as long as the wireless clients are just "pinging" the AP and nothing else. But 200 wireless clients pushing traffic simultaneously? Nope. Not gonna happen.

Jalmeida · ‎05-07-2025

I appreciate your feedback.
AP3700? Which controller, 9800?
I have an AP 9130 External 4x4, and I saw it working with approximately 380 users.
I went under the AP, and connected from both my cell phone and my notebook.
I wanted to know how I can guarantee that the others who are associated were using data (social networks, etc.)

Leo Laohoo · ‎05-07-2025

@Jalmeida wrote:
AP3700? Which controller, 9800?

Currently, it is a 3700 but it started with 1142.

Controller is a 9800-80.

@Jalmeida wrote:
I wanted to know how I can guarantee that the others who are associated were using data (social networks, etc.)

I will never guarantee anything about 50 wireless clients.

Get a wireless site survey and AP placement design done and done right. What a lot of venues have done is multiple APs with high data rates enabled (20 Mhz bond) and Tx power tuned low- to mid-power to exactly cover a small area.