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Cisco Catalyst 9800-L Wireless Controller

Enterprise-grade wireless control for small campuses. Choose copper or fiber uplinks and scale capacity on demand with performance licensing — no hardware swap required.

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Cisco Catalyst 9800-L Wireless Controller
250 APs 5,000 Clients 5 Gbps Cu or Fiber SSO & ISSU WPA3 & ETA

Product Overview

Capacity & Performance

Up to 250 APs, 5,000 clients, and 5 Gbps throughput. Performance licensing lets you scale capacity on demand without hardware changes.

Deployment & Use Case

Purpose-built for small campus networks, branch offices, and retail environments requiring centralized, FlexConnect, or SD-Access modes in a compact 1RU form factor.

Uplink Compatibility

Choose Copper (C9800-L-C-K9) with 2x 1G + 2x 10G SFP+ or Fiber (C9800-L-F-K9) with 2x 1G SFP + 2x 10G SFP+ to match your infrastructure.

High Availability

SSO with active standby, hot patching, and ISSU keep your wireless running through every update and failover with zero downtime.

Security

Secure Boot, Encrypted Traffic Analytics, SD-Access, Trust Anchor, and runtime defenses protect every layer of your wireless network automatically.

Management & Automation

Cisco IOS XE with NETCONF/YANG APIs, model-driven streaming telemetry, and Catalyst Center integration for automated day-0 to day-N operations.

Features and Benefits

Built for small campus wireless that doesn't compromise.

The Catalyst 9800-L delivers enterprise-grade wireless control in a compact form factor, with the flexibility to choose copper or fiber and scale with licensing.

Copper or Fiber

Choose the uplink model that matches your existing infrastructure — no compromises on performance or compatibility.

Always On

High availability with SSO, hot patching, ISSU, and intelligent rolling AP upgrades keep your wireless running through planned and unplanned events.

Secure by Design

Secure Boot, runtime defenses, image signing, Encrypted Traffic Analytics, and hardware Trust Anchor protect every layer from device to airwave.

Performance Licensing

Start small and scale capacity on demand with a simple license upgrade — no hardware swap required.

Open & Programmable

NETCONF/YANG APIs, model-driven telemetry, and Plug-and-Play provisioning automate day-0 through day-N operations at scale.

Cloud Monitoring

Cloud Monitoring for Catalyst Wireless via the Meraki dashboard provides unified visibility, included with DNA Essentials and Advantage.

Feature & Benefit Details

Feature
Benefit
Dual Uplink Options
Copper (C9800-L-C-K9) or Fiber (C9800-L-F-K9) models let you match the controller to your existing cabling infrastructure.
High Availability
SSO with active standby ensures continuous wireless service during planned and unplanned events.
In-Service Software Upgrade
Zero-downtime image upgrades with all access point and client sessions retained throughout the process.
Performance Licensing
Expand AP count and client capacity beyond the base configuration with a simple license upgrade — no hardware change needed.
Encrypted Traffic Analytics
Identifies malware in encrypted traffic from the access layer without decryption.
Trustworthy Systems
Secure Boot, image signing, integrity verification, and hardware Trust Anchor module.
Wireless Intrusion Prevention
Advanced wireless intrusion prevention detects, locates, and mitigates rogues and RF threats.
Flexible NetFlow
Next-generation flow visibility for capacity planning, optimization, and security incident detection.

Specifications

Performance & Scalability

Max access points250
Max clients5,000
Max throughput5 Gbps
Max WLANs4,096
Max VLANs4,096

Connectivity & Uplinks

Copper model (C9800-L-C-K9)2x 1G copper + 2x 10G SFP+
Fiber model (C9800-L-F-K9)2x 1G SFP + 2x 10G SFP+
HA port1x RJ-45
Console1x RJ-45 + 1x Mini-USB
USB1x USB 2.0

Deployment Options

Deployment modesCentralized, FlexConnect, SD-Access
Operating systemCisco IOS XE
ManagementWebUI, Catalyst Center, NETCONF/YANG

Power & Efficiency

Power supplyInternal AC
Max power consumption~75W

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions (W x D x H)~10.6 x 10.0 x 1.7 in
Weight~6.6 lb
Form factor1RU rack-mountable

Environmental

Operating temp0 to 40°C
Operating humidity10% to 90% noncondensing
Operating altitude0 to 3,000 m

Ordering Information

C9800-L-C-K9

Cisco Catalyst 9800-L, Copper Uplinks

C9800-L-F-K9

Cisco Catalyst 9800-L, Fiber Uplinks

Documentation

Data Sheet

Cisco Catalyst 9800-L Wireless Controller Data Sheet. Full specifications, features, licensing, and ordering information.

Download PDF ›

Ready to deploy the 9800-L?

Our wireless specialists will build a custom quote — including volume discounts, multi-year licensing, and professional services.

  • Volume and multi-year pricing available
  • Cisco Smart Net Total Care bundling
  • Professional deployment & migration services
  • Response within one business day
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Cisco Catalyst 9800-L Wireless Controller