Meraki MR46 vs Aruba AP-555: Which Wi-Fi 6 AP Fits?

The Cisco Meraki MR46 and HPE Aruba Networking AP-555 are both high-capacity indoor Wi-Fi 6 access points. The AP-555 has more radio: an 8×8 5 GHz radio against the MR46’s 4×4, plus two 5 Gbps Ethernet ports. The MR46 is simpler to run, managed entirely from the Meraki dashboard on a single PoE+ port.

The short version: the right one is whichever matches the network you already run. Buy the MR46 to extend a Meraki network and the AP-555 to extend an Aruba one. For a new network, look at Wi-Fi 7 first.

MR46 vs AP-555 specs

	Meraki MR46	Aruba AP-555
Standard	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
2.4 GHz radio	4×4:4	4×4:4
5 GHz radio	4×4:4	8×8:8, or two 4×4:4 radios
Combined peak data rate	2.98 Gbps	5.37 Gbps
Ethernet	One port, up to 2.5 Gbps	Two ports, up to 5 Gbps each
Power	PoE+ (802.3at), 30 W max	802.3bt, or two PoE+ feeds, for full operation
Managed from	Meraki dashboard	Aruba Central, a Mobility Controller or Instant

Peak rates add up every radio. No single laptop gets anywhere near them. The AP-555’s extra radio chains matter in rooms where hundreds of devices connect at once: lecture halls, arenas, conference centers.

Which management system do you run?

This decides it. The MR46 joins your Meraki dashboard and behaves like every other Meraki device: same configuration, monitoring and firmware workflow, plus a Meraki license. The AP-555 works with Aruba Central, an Aruba Mobility Controller or Aruba Instant, so match it to the mode your other Aruba APs use.

Mixing brands for a handful of access points means running two Wi-Fi systems side by side. The radio difference between these two is rarely worth that.

Does the AP-555 need more switch power?

Yes. The MR46 runs fully on one PoE+ port at up to 30 W. The AP-555 needs an 802.3bt (PoE++) port, or both of its Ethernet ports fed with PoE+, to run every radio at full capability; on a single PoE+ port it runs with restrictions. Adding AP-555s can mean buying new switches too. Our PoE switch guide explains per-port power and switch budgets.

Are the MR46 and AP-555 end of sale?

The MR46 goes end of sale on December 31, 2026, with support until December 31, 2031. Cisco names the Wi-Fi 7 Cisco Wireless 9176I as its replacement. HPE hasn’t announced end-of-sale dates for the AP-555; its newer high-end model is the Wi-Fi 7 AP-755.

The MR46 has five years of support left and the AP-555 is still supported, so both are sensible buys for extending a network that already runs them. For the smaller Meraki option, see MR36 vs MR46.

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