PoE Budget Sizing: How Many Wi-Fi 6/6E APs Can Your Catalyst Switch Power?

Wi-Fi 6 and 6E access points are hungry: a modern enterprise AP can draw 25 to 40 watts under load. If your switch cannot deliver it, the AP throttles radios or drops offline during peak hours.

The Three-Number Calculation

• Take the AP maximum power draw in watts (use the 802.3bt class figure, not the typical figure).
• Multiply by the number of APs on that switch.
• Compare against the switch total PoE budget - not the per-port rating.

Worked Example

Twenty APs at 30W each need 600W. A C9200L-48P-4X-E with its 740W default budget handles that. The same twenty APs at 802.3bt class (up to 51W for tri-band 6E units like the CW9166DI-ROW) would need 1020W+ - that means a 9300 with UPOE or dual power supplies.

Sizing Rules of Thumb

• Always budget the power supply, not the model: the same chassis ships with different PSUs.
• Leave ten percent headroom for AP boot surges.
• Check midspan injectors are rated for your class.
• For mixed floors (cameras + phones + APs), list every powered device before ordering.

AP Uplinks Matter Too

Wi-Fi 6/6E APs with multi-gig radios need mGig switch ports. The C9200-24PXG-A provides 8 mGig ports at 370W, or step up to the C9200-48PXG with 740W for full floors. Pair with the C9130AXI-H or C9120AXI-H APs for a validated design.

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