Cisco Wireless WAN Reviews

We deployed the solution to update our internal WiFi to a modern, flexible, and secure environment.

Coverage and throughput have both improved significantly over our previous solution.  Also, having advanced QoS capabilities has improved our VoIP performance over WiFi.  

The solution offers very good performance, for all devices.  

Another bonus is that it's really tightly integrated with Apple devices, and makes sure that no one phone or no one WiFi device can hog all of the wireless spectrum. The spectrum-sharing algorithms are proven in independent testing to be the best. Also, roaming is quick and excellent. The security capabilities are incredible, and it offers excellent secure access for guests as well.

The only thing I would like to see is better high availability if you're using the embedded wireless controller (the EWC).

The solution is extremely stable and reliable. I've experienced no recent bugs or glitches.

The solution can scale hugely if you are not using the embedded wireless controller, which is what I am using now. 

The support is the best in the world. It's a big reason why I go with Cisco. The real differentiator for me always is the quality and speed of support. Every manufacturer's products are going to have a bug or performance issues sometime. It's how they respond that makes them different and better. 

Positive

I have had previous experience with Meraki, Ruckus, various prosumer products as well as Aruba. My favorite is Cisco, and my second favorite is Cisco Meraki. The reasons are too many to list here.  

The ease of the initial setup depends on experience always. If you're an experienced WiFi person, it is easy very easy to configure. I'd rate the ease of installation nine out of ten. 

We implemented it in-house.

For enterprise-class WiFi, with best-in-the-world TAC support, the pricing is okay. I'd rate it seven out of ten. There are less expensive solutions, sure. But in this case, my experience over decades (since the very first WiFi APs were released, in fact), is that no one beats Cisco WiFi (for very long, at least), in either the capabilities, performance or support categories.  

This is super flexible, meets our needs, is ultra secure, and offers excellent support. I'd rate it nine out of ten. I'm very happy with the product.

We are using the solution for the long-term to connect our desktops and laptops. For the firewalls, however, we connect the rack network with fiber and other cables. 

It offers good connectivity.

The initial setup is straightforward. 

We find the product to be stable.

It can scale. 

The security is quite good.

We cannot use wireless for the servers due to potential performance issues. They must be connected via fiber.

The solution is a little bit expensive. 

We'd like it if they could improve the integration capabilities. More specifically, if it can be integrated with other applications or any other devices like CCTV cameras that are also running on wireless, that would be ideal. 

We've been using the solution for ten to 15 years. 

The solution has been stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

We can scale the solution. It's not difficult to do so. 

We are a global company and have between 50,000 and 90,000 users. 

There are plans to increase usage in the future.

I've never used technical support services. I don't know how helpful or responsive they are.

It's a solution that is easy to set up. It's not overly complex to implement. 

I'm not sure exactly how long it took to deploy the solution.

We have a dedicated team of 600 IT engineers. They can handle deployment and maintenance. 

I'm not sure of the exact pricing. We have 20 to 30 different premises in India. I'm not sure if they are all using Cisco like us or not. Therefore, I'm not sure what the full cost is to the company.

It could be a bit cheaper. 

We pay a license fee on a yearly basis. 

I'm not sure which version of Cisco we are using. 

I'd recommend Cisco to other users and companies. I would rate it an eight out of ten. We're mostly happy with its capabilities. 

Our use cases span corporate segments, banking, and large enterprises, where we leverage Cisco Wireless WAN for its flexible deployment options and comprehensive feature set.

The platform's most valuable features include the internal wireless controllers, which eliminate the need for external hardware, and the flexible control options, such as virtual and hardware controllers. These features provide significant cost savings and scalability, making managing large and complex networks easier

They could reduce the product's cost of lower-tier products to make them more accessible to smaller companies. They must provide more cost-effective options for those with limited budgets.

Additionally, enhancements to AI-driven capabilities to improve network management and automation could benefit future releases.

The solution is stable and reliable. It provides consistent performance across different environments and scales.

The product is highly scalable. It offers various options for network expansion, including internal, hardware, and virtual controllers. This scalability efficiently supports both small and large deployments.

Cisco provides comprehensive support through various channels, including phone, email, and online resources. The team is generally helpful, though response times can vary.

Positive

The initial setup can be complex depending on the deployment scale and specific requirements. It often requires engineering expertise.

The platform implementation typically involves vendor teams.

Cisco products generally have high list prices, but substantial discounts are available.

We evaluated other solutions, but Cisco's extensive portfolio and flexible deployment options made it the most suitable choice.

Cisco Wireless WAN is a robust solution with extensive capabilities. It's highly recommended for larger organizations or those needing advanced features. Smaller organizations should assess if the features align with their needs and budget.

Overall, I rate it a nine out of ten. 

We are satisfied with the product.

The access points and controllers are good and do not give us any issues. In addition, the individual access points are good.

They recently launched the virtual wireless controller and a new CTI. Unfortunately, it is not scalable, and the performance is not good. Sometimes it hangs, and it has a slow response. We don't have a good experience and are uncomfortable with these elements.

The network management system is not great. It is incapable of handling a large number of access points. They are working on it but have not been able to fix it yet.

We have been using this solution for about six years. We are using different models like the Wi-fi 5 model.

The technical support is good because we have a contract with them. They respond whenever we have an issue.

The pricing is okay compared to other products like Aruba and Huawei. However, to be more competitive, Cisco could lower its price.

We have a big infrastructure of about 15,000 to 20,000. So if it works fine for us, it will suit small companies with small networks. We use the controller, and it is fine. I rate this solution a five out of ten, mainly because of the network issues.

We primarily use the solution for WiFi and for switching switches. It offers a wireless controller device and access points and switches.

It’s stable.

All the hardware, the signal, the communication between access points or switches, et cetera, is good. The devices are all of good quality.

The switches, in particular, are great. I don't remember the model, however, there is a line of Catalyst switches from Cisco - the industrial switches with 24 ports or 48 ports and a POA feature with a fiber optic port - that are great.

The quality of service is excellent.

The only disadvantage of Cisco is maybe the cost. It’s more expensive than other brands, like, for example, HP. You do have to pay for licensing yearly, which is not the case with some others. We’d like to just have a one-time payment option.

The interface could be better. When I connect to the wireless controller, the graphic or the user interface is complicated. It’s hard to understand all the models of the interface. They should work to make it easier.

I’ve used the solution for two months in this current company. I’ve used it for four or five years.

It's very stable. The resolution is very stable. Cisco is working well. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

It’s a scalable product.

In the future, the goal is to migrate to a new Cisco access point version. We are working on this. We have the requirement for a wireless controller, maybe, and an update only on the firmware version.

Maybe 400 people use the solution.

I work in the other companies with Cisco and other brands as well as Aruba and HP.

It’s an easy product to set up. It's not difficult at all. 

You do need to pay for licensing on a yearly basis. It’s a bit expensive. However, I don’t know the exact costs.

I’m a customer.

We use the latest version of the solution.

The solution is a market leader. It works great.

I’d rate it nine out of ten.

The security and the capabilities of the platform are the most valuable features.

Cybersecurity is very strong.

They have good authentication and authorization that is very secure for mobile users and other users as well.

Documentation is an area that needs review. It should be more dynamic and it should be easier. 

The dashboarding capabilities need to be improved. I want to have all of the information on one dashboard. It should show all of the details about the Wi-Fi system, how it has helped, the architectural design, and the KPIs.

Definitely, I would like to have some modules for ML built into the platform. This is something connected with AI. 

I would like more information about the user experience that should be included in the Wi-Fi process and products for every vendor. 

The user experience is important, and digital experience is how we perceive Wi-Fi in the organization. It is what we would like to have also seen on the visualizations such as dashboards.

I have been working with Cisco Wireless WAN for more than five years.

We are using the latest version.

Cisco Wireless WAN is a stable solution.

It is a very scalable solution, we are using it in an organization with more than 100,000 users.

I am satisfied with the technical support. They are awesome.

The initial setup is easy for one location. 

The problem is when you have a complex environment, as in global architecture. When trying to go with their cloud set up, sometimes you cannot.

Overall, it is easy to set up.

Pricing is always a topic of discussion. I would like to see it priced fairly. 

The pricing is based on how much is ordered from the vendor and what type of discount they receive.

I would rate Cisco Wireless WAN a seven out of ten.

We primarily use this product to provide general wireless network access.

The most valuable features are coverage and reliability.

The initial setup and deployment should be easier.

The technical support needs to be improved.

I have been working with Cisco Wireless WAN for between five and six years.

This is a fairly stable wireless solution.

This product is scalable, although we have no plans to increase our usage at the moment. We currently have 300 users.

I would rate the technical support a two out of five. It is an area that should be improved, in all aspects.

Neutral

I have used other similar products in the past, including HPE Wireless WAN and Ubiquity Wireless, but this Cisco product is one that the client already had in place.

The initial setup is complex, and I can't recall how long it took to deploy.

We installed it in-house. We have a team of three or four engineers that are responsible for maintenance.

We pay the licensing fees on a yearly basis.

In summary, this is not a product that I recommend.

I would rate this solution a five out of ten.

We use this solution for our campus network. I work for the university's IT team, so we use it for the faculties, administrative buildings, and labs. We're very happy with it.

The solution is deployed on-premises.

We're using the latest version.

It's a small feature, but Cisco allows me to see access points with blinking lights. This shows me which access point is which.

For example, sometimes we have more than 100 access points, and the company that did the set up unfortunately didn't document it well, so that can be a problem.

The dashboard is wonderful. It's very user friendly.

The price could be better. It's too high.

It's also hard to get the product because of climate problems.

I have been using this solution for a year and a half.

It's very stable. In comparison, Extreme's stability is not good. We do speed tests, and with Cisco, we can get 700 megabits per second.

It's very scalable. 

The solution was already set up, so we didn't need a lot of technical support.

If we need help, we can call them directly. We don't need to open a ticket.

I have dealt with Extreme Wireless, especially Extreme IQ Cloud. Compared to Extreme, Cisco is way ahead.

It's very easy to deploy. I like Cisco's dashboard. I think it's more user friendly than the Extreme dashboard.

Extreme is easy to deploy, and management is very nice, but the performance isn't good so far. We are using the essential license now, not the pilot license, which is the advanced feature license. When we get the pilot license, I don't know if my mind will change, but for now the performance is way better in Cisco.

When I'm deploying Extreme, it's hard to get information from the internet. I'm not talking about the support from the company. 

With Cisco products, there's a ton of information on YouTube, in Cisco documentation, and on Cisco's website. With Extreme, I couldn't get that information.  

With the same infrastructure, switches, logical topology, and physical topology, Extreme's performance isn't very good. It might be because of the license. When I talk with the company, they say, "If you don't have the Extreme pilot license, you can't get high balances." 

For example, you can only get 150 megabits. It's like one channel at a time. They say that when we install the license, we'll get higher balances, but we haven't experienced that yet. We are waiting for the installation to complete, and then we'll get the license.

Cisco's performance is much better.

I also have experience with Huawei. Cisco's deployment is much better in comparison.

The solution was set up before I started working on it, so I continue to deploy it. 

Compared to Extreme, it doesn't take a lot of time to deploy. We have more than 1,000 access points. It takes about several hours to deploy. It's quick to install.

The price is too high. The licensing is on a yearly basis. 

The price was built in with the total price of the access points. We bought other products, like cable covers, and some switches, so I don't know the exact price for the licenses.

The price of Cisco is twice as high as Extreme because of the exchange rate in Turkey. At the time, our currency decreased catastrophically against the dollar.

I would rate this solution nine out of ten.