C9115AXE-Q - Cisco Catalyst 9115 Series 802.11ax Indoor Access Points

C9115AXE-Q exact order identity

C9115AXE-Q is a Cisco Catalyst 9115 Series indoor 802.11ax access point. The complete PID selects the E antenna form, controller-based access-point order and regulatory-domain token Q.

Antenna and installation boundary

Cisco documents external antennas as separately ordered and certifies the 9115AXE for antenna gains up to 6 dBi at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The acceptance record must identify antenna PID, gain, pattern, connector, cable loss, mounting and country approval; an AXI antenna statement cannot be reused.

Controller-image boundary

The exact PID has no EWC infix, so it does not establish an AP-hosted Embedded Wireless Controller image. Record the target wireless LAN controller, supported release, licensing, CAPWAP join and recovery result.

Q regulatory evidence

Cisco treats the final token as a regulatory-domain identifier and makes the customer responsible for verifying country approval. Store the Q-domain compliance result with serial, site and antenna form so return or replacement activity remains traceable.

Organize the Q-domain evidence for return and replacement traceability. Preserve the original unit's PID, approval and site, then require the replacement label and controller country to be checked independently. Link both serials to the same service case without copying the old approval blindly. This makes regulatory identity visible during an RMA rather than only during initial purchase.

PoE and environmental reduced states

With 802.3at, the 9115 operates both radios at 4x4, negotiates 2.5G and enables USB; 802.3at full-feature consumption is published as 21.4W. Under 802.3af both radios reduce to 2x2, Ethernet reduces to 1G and USB is disabled. Cisco also documents the same reduced state above 40 degrees C ambient.

Lifecycle and migration decision

Cisco's current hardware bulletin sets 2026-12-31 as the last order date and 2031-12-31 as the last support date for affected Catalyst 9115 orders, with Cisco Wireless 9174E Access Point as the migration form for this antenna architecture.

Deployment evidence worksheet

Ethernet and cabling proof

Preserve the permanent-link test, patch-lead identities, switch port, negotiated Ethernet rate and error counters. Investigate pair faults, excessive length or rate fallback before wireless acceptance begins. A link light only proves connectivity at some rate; it does not demonstrate the intended uplink performance. Tie the cable result to the AP serial so a later throughput problem can be separated from radio, controller and wired-path causes. Confirm 2.5-Gigabit negotiation under full power and retain switch-port counters with the acceptance result.

Survey-to-install reconciliation

Attach the approved RF survey location, mounting height, orientation, expected client density, channel width and neighboring-radio assumptions to the order. After installation, compare measured coverage and interference with that design. If ceiling construction, antenna placement or obstructions changed, document the deviation and repeat the affected measurements. This provides a site-specific acceptance reason for the exact unit instead of relying on a family data sheet alone. Tie the accepted RF survey to the exact integrated or external antenna form shown by the PID.

Software lifecycle file

Record the controller release approved for this unit, the source used to verify support, the last tested date and the owner for software advisories. Available hardware does not prove compatibility with a current or future controller train. Review Cisco support information before every expansion or replacement. The lifecycle file should also state when this Catalyst 9115 generation must leave service and which surrounding dependencies need migration. Apply the published hardware or EWC lifecycle to support and migration planning instead of inventory age.

Roaming acceptance

Define the neighboring access points and client types used for roaming validation. Record handoff behavior, interruption observed, authentication result and controller events along the intended movement path. Compare the outcome with the site's design target rather than declaring success from static association. Where this unit replaces an older AP, test both entry and exit from its cell so a local improvement does not hide a boundary problem. Document roaming path, client type, neighboring cells and controller events rather than only a static join.

Change-window controls

Document staging evidence, production window, installer, rollback owner and measurable success criteria. Preserve the prior controller or AP state needed for recovery. After the change, close temporary credentials, compare authentication, monitoring and RF results with the approved baseline, and record the final decision. The work is not complete merely because the unit powers on or appears in a controller list. A rollback record must restore controller assignment, country setting, switch port and prior RF service.

Security baseline

Retain the approved controller policy, management authorization, certificate or trust workflow, client authentication test and logging destination. Confirm behavior on the deployed controller software instead of promising a protocol from the hardware family name. Remove temporary onboarding access and verify administrative reachability after handover. This keeps product identity separate from software-dependent security claims. Record only security features demonstrated on the deployed controller and software release.

Replacement dependency map

Map this unit to controller, licenses, authentication services, switch power, cable, bracket, antenna design and monitoring objects. For an end-of-sale platform, state which dependencies can be reused by the planned Catalyst migration and which require change. A nominal access-point replacement can fail when the surrounding platform was never inventoried. Keep the map with the asset rather than only in a one-time project file. Compare the relevant 9174I or 9174E migration form, including controller, power, antenna and coverage changes.

Receiving inspection

At receipt, compare model label, regulatory token, antenna form, quantity, serials and visible condition with the authorized order. Photograph labels before cartons are separated. Quarantine shortages, mixed units, damaged connectors or unapproved substitutions. Do not rely on a distributor description as evidence that the exact Cisco order arrived. Close the inspection only when every physical unit is accounted for. Receiving must distinguish AXI from AXE and EWC from non-EWC before the chassis is powered.

Related Catalyst 9115 order records

• C9115AXI-EWC-Q - compare antenna form, controller-image state and regulatory evidence.
• C9115AXI-EWC-Z - compare antenna form, controller-image state and regulatory evidence.
• C9115AXI-EWC-S - compare antenna form, controller-image state and regulatory evidence.

Official evidence: Cisco Catalyst 9115 data sheet; Cisco deployment guide; Cisco Catalyst 9115 lifecycle bulletin; and Cisco compliance lookup.