In general, for the wireless LAN controller, Cisco is coming up with new solutions every day, they're improving their products. Networking is getting serious, becoming easier to be done for clients, configurations are becoming easier to be done.
Wireless Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Makes network configuration easier, the hardware is very reliable
How has it helped my organization?
What is most valuable?
Cisco 5500 Wireless Controller, for example, has a number of features:
- supports a lot of access points
- better GUI
- better management
- better control.
If an issue comes up, the GUI of this particular wireless controller is well supported, very good to use.
Recently, one of our clients had a problem with their wireless connection at their location. The problem was that they were using the old series for the access points. We suggested that they use Cisco Aironet 3800 Series Access Point because, if you go to the actual data sheet of the access point, there are way more lines, the radio is better, the broadcasting system is better, the control is better.
What needs improvement?
Maybe the actual Cisco products can also be made cloud-based, though it would be competing with the Meraki. But I think that would improve the market. It would improve configuration. It would help the clients a lot, because if everything was cloud-based, we could just guide the clients through the situation, so they could do the configurations on their own. It would help the clients to save money as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Everything is fine. Cisco products are perhaps the most reliable on the market. While deploying, we have never faced an issue.
Different issues come up for the different companies because they need different things done in their networks, so that depends on the company. But in the deployment, hardware-wise, there isn't any problem. There is always room for the improvement but, from my perspective, no problems with stability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not switch to Cisco. We suggest products based on the clients' needs. It depends on the different scenarios we come across. It depends on the clients, what their requirements are and what their budgeted is, because Cisco is more on the expensive side, as compared to Aruba, but I must say Cisco's quality is unmatched, for sure.
How was the initial setup?
It’s a standard thing. For the switches it's a standard thing, for the router it's a standard thing, same with the wireless LAN controller or the access points. It's not difficult. For a person who's doing it for first time, it's going to be complicated, but once you get used to it, it’s pretty much the same thing all the time.
What other advice do I have?
My suggestion would be to go with Cisco products.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
Project Manager at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Guest WiFi is an option but older WAP's can be an issue as the firmware makes them problematic
What is most valuable?
Scalability
How has it helped my organization?
- Multiple SSID's
- Ability to offer WI-FI to guest in a secure environment
What needs improvement?
None.
For how long have I used the solution?
Two years. (WLC 5508)
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Older WAP's can be an issue as the firmware makes them problematic. Requires upgrading the WLC firmware to see units properly.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
None.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
None.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
8 out of 10.
Technical Support:8 out of 10.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Several. Cisco is more scalable and actually less costly over time.
How was the initial setup?
Fairly straightforward - need to understand the Cisco way of breaking things out but otherwise no issues.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented it in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Approximately $20,000 with no additional costs.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
- Meraki
- SonicWALL
What other advice do I have?
Understand your need. Let the need drive the purchase not the other way around.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Administrator at SOURTHERN WAVES Solution
Improves our productivity
Pros and Cons
- "The tool is mainly improving our productivity."
- "The price could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
Cisco is a console controller. We can use it on a server for business purposes, control channels, and ensure a quality user experience.
How has it helped my organization?
The tool is mainly improving our productivity.
What is most valuable?
The solution has good technology and security.
What needs improvement?
The price could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Wireless for over 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. 20 users are using this solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy and takes a week to complete.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
My target customers include individuals in banking, industry professionals, and employees of enterprise companies. They have existing affiliations and connections with a good level of connectivity. Cisco wireless effectively safeguards data and assets within homes or other environments.
We can use some firewalls from Cisco.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Mar 31, 2024
Flag as inappropriateHead of IT Infrastructure at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Stable with an easy initial setup and pretty scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is straightforward."
- "The technical support could be better. They aren't as helpful as they need to be when we run into issues."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for the internal network connection.
What is most valuable?
The management solutions the product has on offer are the most valuable aspects of the solution. It makes everything easy to manage from the perspective of an IT administrator.
The initial setup is straightforward.
The solution can scale well.
We've found the product to be very stable and quite reliable.
So far, we've found that the product offers everything we need it to.
What needs improvement?
I don't see any features that are really lacking.
The technical support could be better. They aren't as helpful as they need to be when we run into issues.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for the last ten years at this point. It's been about a decade. We've used it for quite a long time now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There aren't bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is pretty scalable. If a company needs to expand it, they can do so fairly easily. It's not hard.
We have between 300 to 400 people on the solution currently.
How are customer service and technical support?
We aren't fully satisfied with technical support at this time. They are getting better, however, they need to improve their services still.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is not complex at all. it's very straightforward. We didn't face any issues.
The deployment process was also very quick. It didn't take long to have everything up and running.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our procurement team handles the contracts for this solution. Therefore, I don't have any insights into pricing.
What other advice do I have?
We're just end-users. We don't have a business relationship with Cisco.
Currently, just doing the upgrade. I'm just doing the upgrade in order to have Wi-Fi 6 enabled, which is the new technology.
I would recommend the solution to others.
Overall, I would rate the solution nine out of ten. We've been pretty happy with it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
FlexConnect allows us to have multiple locations and a central WLC to control them
Pros and Cons
- "For me, there are two important features: 1) WLAN grouping – Allows us to have different groups and, within those groups, specific WLANs, so there is no overlapping. 2) FlexConnect – Enables us to have remote offices at different locations. We can have a central WLC to control all the locations."
- "There is room for improvement regarding HA issues and Radius integration."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to provide Wi-Fi solutions at business centers, malls, for healthcare, and in public parks.
What is most valuable?
For me, there are two important features:
- WLAN grouping – Allows us to have different groups and, within those groups, specific WLANs, so there is no overlapping.
- FlexConnect – Enables us to have remote offices at different locations. We can have a central WLC to control all the locations.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement regarding HA issues and Radius integration.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No real issues with stability. It’s pretty stable. We can have a backup, and restoring is easy.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability depends on the design. It supports most variations like VOIP and Multicast. At times, we may face interference issues with other devices like 3G, 4G, or smartphones.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco TAC (technical assistance center) is one of the best tech support teams around.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did use HPE's Aruba solution, but not that extensively.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Anyone who knows VLAN and radio/frequency concepts can set it up. It’s pretty self-explanatory.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is a bit on the high side compared to its competitors but we have to consider the support and usages of the solution.
Licensing is now RTU and smart licensing. We need three types of licenses, one for the:
- APs
- HA
- controller.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
HPE Aruba.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Cisco Wireless at eight out of 10 because of its ease of installation on virtual platforms, on appliances. It is easy to maintain and configurations are straightforward. It provides the flexibility to create and integrate with many social Wi-Fi solutions. It is a reliable and stable solution. The ROI is very good.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Cisco Gold Partner.
It specialist
Easy to configure with good functionality and performance
Pros and Cons
- "I've found it to be quite secure."
- "We've recently had hardware issues which have caused us some problems."
What is our primary use case?
We moved to the solution after we had some hardware issues.
We use it with laptops for wireless connection via the cloud.
What is most valuable?
The performance is very good. If you compare it to Aruba, we find the ability to roam much better.
The functionality has been very good.
The stability is very good overall.
It's easy to configure.
I've found it to be quite secure.
What needs improvement?
We've recently had hardware issues which have caused us some problems.
There are some models that have more coverage than ours. We'd like for them to work towards providing more coverage across models.
The solution is a bit expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a year and a half. It hasn't been too long.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We've had a good experience with the stability of this product. There are no bugs or glitches. It's reliable for the most part I don't recall it crashing or freezing.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have about 90 users of the solution in our office at this time.
How are customer service and support?
We don't really deal with support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Meraki as well.
I'm aware of Aruba's capabilities and find Cisco to be better. However, it costs a bit more than Aruba.
How was the initial setup?
The installation process isn't too difficult.
I cannot speak to exactly how long it took to deploy. I can't remember the length of time off-hand.
Three people worked on the implementation. They were a manager and two technicians.
What about the implementation team?
While we did have some access to information to help us, we mostly handled the implementation process on our own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is on the high side. For example, it is more expensive to use than Aruba.
We have a license, however, I do not manage it.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the solution to others, however, it depends on the capabilities of the end-user. Some may find it difficult.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We are pleased with it so far.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Network Operations Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
An easy-to-use solution with valuable FlexConnect feature and great support
Pros and Cons
- "The FlexConnect feature is the most valuable."
- "It would be great if it is compatible with other products."
What is most valuable?
The FlexConnect feature is the most valuable.
What needs improvement?
It would be great if it is compatible with other products.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for almost six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Until now, it has been stable in spite of some upgrades.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. Our clients are large companies.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is great.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We worked with Cisco Prime and Cisco Controller.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was quite straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
It is quite simple. Even if you are not a wireless network expert, you will be able to use it by doing some research. It is not difficult or super complex.
I would rate Cisco Wireless a nine out of ten. I am satisfied with this solution.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
IT Architect at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Feature-rich, reasonably-priced, and the technical support is fine
Pros and Cons
- "I like many of the features that Cisco Wireless has to offer."
- "Code stability is something that needs to be improved."
What is most valuable?
I like many of the features that Cisco Wireless has to offer.
What needs improvement?
Code stability is something that needs to be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Cisco Wireless for 10 years.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is fine.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of this product is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for anybody who is implementing Cisco Wireless is that they need to know the products. There are a lot of features that you can turn on and off, so they need to know the product itself. It's not as simple as it seems.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Wireless Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
Product Categories
Wireless LANPopular Comparisons
Aruba Wireless
Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Ruckus Wireless
Ubiquiti WLAN
Huawei Wireless
Mist AI and Cloud
Omada Access Points
D-Link Wireless
Fortinet FortiWLM
Aruba Instant
ExtremeWireless
NETGEAR Insight Access Points
Aruba Instant On Access Points
Fortinet FortiAP
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Wireless Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- Can Cisco Meraki and Cisco Wireless work in the same environment?
- Cisco Wireless Aironet 3802i vs. ALE OmniAccess Stellar AP1230. Which one is the best for the industry?
- Which wireless controller has maximum client connectivity and high throughput?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Aruba And Cisco Wireless?
- What is the biggest difference between Cisco Wireless and Ruckus Wireless?
- What are the biggest differences between Ruckus Wireless, Aruba Wireless, and Cisco Wireless?
- Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
- Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
- How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
- Does Cisco wireless access points support LDAP/AD authentication?
Just a single comment: Meraki is currently a Cisco company. If you plan to acquire some product of them, keep in mind that you're buying from Cisco. :-)