The coverage area of Cisco Wireless could improve. Additionally, the reports when a problem arises could be better, such as how it is done in Aruba Wireless solutions. In the Aruba wireless solutions, there are reports that are provided regarding uploads, downloads, and other internet activity that are useful. If this feature was added to Cisco that would be a benefit.
Network Engineer at Saudi Customs
Reliable, good support, and simple initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Wireless is reliable and stable."
- "The coverage area of Cisco Wireless could improve. Additionally, the reports when a problem arises could be better, such as how it is done in Aruba Wireless solutions. In the Aruba wireless solutions, there are reports that are provided regarding uploads, downloads, and other internet activity that are useful. If this feature was added to Cisco that would be a benefit."
What needs improvement?
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Wireless for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Wireless is reliable and stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The coverage of Cisco Wireless could improve.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
839,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support from Cisco is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other solutions previously, such as Aruba and Huawei wireless.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Cisco Wireless is not complex. However, sometimes when connecting all contact points with the new wireless controller, there is too much configuration.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Cisco Wireless is in the high range compared to other solutions. The solution could be less expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I am satisfied with Cisco Wireless.
I rate Cisco Wireless an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Executive at FFC
Scales well, stable and is easy to use, but installation could be simplified
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Wireless is easy to use."
- "It should be fully compatible with other devices."
What is most valuable?
Cisco Wireless is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Because my wireless controller is not fully compatible with the latest AC and AX compatible devices, we have been experiencing some issues with the wireless controller as technology evolves. We have plans to replace it. Previously it was working fine, but now we have faced several issues.
We will tweak them until we find a good solution. Let's see where this goes in the future.
It should be fully compatible with other devices.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Cisco Wireless for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not experienced any issue with the stability of Cisco Wireless.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable enough. We have a 13-story high-rise building, and I have two wireless controllers to serve the entire structure.
We can easily scale it up. We currently have 50 access points, but I can scale it up to 60 or 70 if necessary.
Cisco Wireless is a scalable product.
This solution is used by 300 people.
How are customer service and support?
We have not contacted technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We plan to deploy Cisco SD-WAN in December.
We use Cisco WLC, and our entire VOQ is Cisco-based.
My core network, distribution network, and access network are all Cisco-based.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was a bit complex.
It took me about a day to finish.
What about the implementation team?
We were able to complete the installation ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are no subscription fees.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I would rate Cisco Wireless a seven out of ten.
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.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
839,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Head of Digital Solutions at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Centralized controls, integration, and provides additional device configuration
Pros and Cons
- "We were able to utilize the elements of the core and provide a solution to our customers similar to that of Cisco Meraki."
- "The main problem that traditional solutions like this one have is that you need to buy packages to deliver a similar solution as a Meraki one."
What is our primary use case?
Before Cisco bought Meraki, we used internal private clouds and offer them to all our customers about five years ago. We wanted a solution that has a centralized core in order to have control, instead of having to install controllers in each customer that you have. We were able to utilize the elements of the core and provide a solution to our customers similar to that of Cisco Meraki. Once the customer's contracts ended, we changed the solution to Aruba or Cisco Meraki.
What is most valuable?
If you think back five years ago, the radios and MIMOs worked better than the other solutions that you had. For now, the Catalyst line has more capabilities to deliver more conductivity for customers for each access point. You can integrate a lot of available solutions on the core to have more enhanced information and allowing businesses to have more control. In distribution centers and in factories it is better to use this solution than Meraki systems because you have more control over the setup and information that you can achieve on those older radios.
What needs improvement?
The main problem that traditional solutions like this one have is that you need to buy packages to deliver a similar solution as a Meraki one. If there was a package that you can buy and have all control features similar to the Meraki dashboard, such as user access control. We can sell this solution more easily if you have those packages available. I do not know if it is a sale strategy for Cisco to limit the functionality.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used and I am still using the IAP model solution from Aruba. This is a solution that can merge different features. For example, we can control the access points locally and there is a cloud platform to manage everything with Meraki that you do not have in traditional Cisco solutions like this one.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated the Cisco Catalyst line solutions in the past.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Wireless a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Support at Za irery
The solution is stable and easy to use
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Wireless products are easy to use."
- "Cisco Wireless is expensive."
What is most valuable?
Cisco Wireless products are easy to use.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Wireless is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Wireless is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
It wasn't easy to set up Cisco the first time, but it got easier once I knew what to do. We have a 12-person technical team to deploy and maintain these solutions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cisco Wireless is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Wireless nine out of 10.
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.
Senior Network Engineer at a museum or institution with 501-1,000 employees
A stable and easy-to-manage solution with a straightforward initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The product is easy to manage."
- "Sometimes our customers do not get proper IP addresses from the DHCP pool."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to broadcast SSIDs. We have around 40 SSIDs with 150 access points across our organization.
What is most valuable?
The product is easy to manage. It is easy to create SSIDs and add access points to wireless controllers.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes our customers do not get proper IP addresses from the DHCP pool.
Clients should see our organization’s pop-up page when they connect to our SSID.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product has been stable for the last two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Two people in my organization use the product.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite easy for me because I have experience using the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is a little expensive compared to other brands.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco is one of the main products in our region. People who want a solution with flexibility and security should choose Cisco. Overall, I rate the product an eight and a half out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Operations Manager at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Scalable, priced well, but difficult configuration
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is highly scalable."
- "The installation is not too difficult but the solution could improve by making the configuration easier."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use of Cisco Wireless is for IT solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I find the solution to be very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is highly scalable.
We have approximately 1500 users using this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have been satisfied with the technical support of Cisco Wireless.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not too difficult but the solution could improve by making the configuration easier.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of the solution ourselves.
We have approximately 10 engineers and managers that do the implementation and maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is fair.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated Aruba, D-Link, and Ruckus solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Wireless a seven out of ten.
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.
Domain Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Scalable, great for large enterprises, and has good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The stability of the solution is good."
- "The new licensing model isn't as good as what they had before."
What is our primary use case?
I've worked with system integrators and I have deployed the product on multiple types of environments. I've worked at the corporate offices. I've worked on 3G, 4G offloading, public Wi-Fi networks, et cetera.
How has it helped my organization?
You don't have to manage or deploy multiple types of Wi-Fi networks for different use cases. With something like Cisco, your one Wi-Fi solution can cover most or all of your use cases.
What is most valuable?
It is a good fit for large enterprises or even service providers.
Overall, it's a good solution.
The product is very scalable.
It's configured well and it supports a lot of configuration options such as the proper corporate SSIDs, tunneling features, and integration with Cisco NACs, or other third-party NACs.
The stability of the solution is good.
The technical support has been helpful.
What needs improvement?
The third-party integration capabilities could be better. It still works within Cisco-related products, however, third-party integration is still something that needs some relaxing.
The new licensing model isn't as good as what they had before.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been dealing with the solution for more than a decade. It's been 10 or 11 years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It can scale into whatever level I want to go to. The actual wireless is quite scalable. Scalability is not any trouble.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've been satisfied with technical support. They are helpful and responsive.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also used Aruba. I actually prefer Aruba to Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
The solution has a moderate level of complexity when it comes to the initial setup. It's not too difficult. However, it's not as straightforward as one would hope, either.
Depending on what type of network the customer wants, the deployment time varies. It can be either one SSID or a proper BYOD case with a corporate SSID, depending on the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
With the new licensing model, the DNA licensing model, it's a bit on the expensive side. It used to have an option for the perpetual and subscription-based models, however, now they've started pushing you to the subscription models.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a Cisco partner.
I'd rate the product at a nine out of ten. Overall, we've been happy with the capabilities of the product.
That said, if I had to choose between Cisco and Aruba, I'd probably choose Aruba.
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
Solutions Architect at Espina IT
Stable product with integration and authentication features
Pros and Cons
- "The product has valuable features for integration and authentication."
- "They should introduce zero interference capabilities."
What is our primary use case?
We have deployed 5000 customer access points to provide product navigation and Wi-Fi connectivity.
How has it helped my organization?
Cisco Wireless enables end-to-end connectivity for endpoints. We can deploy wireless access points indoors and outdoors as well.
What is most valuable?
The product has valuable features for integration and authentication.
What needs improvement?
They should introduce zero interference capabilities.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cisco Wireless for 14 years. At present, we use the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable. Cisco provides good support services in case of outages.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have six medium and large businesses as customers for Cisco Wireless. We have integrated it with multiple solutions. I rate the scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco provides quick and efficient support services. Whenever you call them, they immediately assign the engineers. This is the first time I have seen any other vendor responding this quickly. It is the part of the product.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup process takes two to four months. We collect the essential information for the network implementation document. Further, we deploy a few controllers and integrate the application. Later, we add endpoints to the existing network and create server IDs. We test the connection's speed efficiency and the signal's strength. This is how we complete the deployment process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The platform is expensive for small-scale businesses. There are no extra costs included. We can add essential features to the on-premise version as required.
I rate the pricing an eight or nine out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
They provide good support services for the tenure of the contract and software upgrade. I rate it 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
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Updated: February 2025
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