AirMagnet Survey vs Cisco Wireless comparison

The compared NetAlly and Cisco solutions aren't in the same category. NetAlly is ranked #2 in NM , with an average rating of 7.0, and holds a 36.9% mindshare in the category. Cisco is ranked #3 in Wireless LAN , with an average rating of 8.5, and holds a 12.5% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of NetAlly users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

AirMagnet Survey

Read 39 AirMagnet Survey reviews

3,791 Views
2,019 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Cisco Wireless

Read 150 Cisco Wireless reviews

20,710 Views
19,138 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

AirMagnet Survey

Cisco Wireless

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 2, 2024

Cisco Wireless and AirMagnet Survey are both leading offerings for wireless network management. Cisco Wireless has an upper hand in performance monitoring, while AirMagnet Survey excels in survey tools.

Features: Cisco Wireless offers robust performance, comprehensive monitoring capabilities, and network stability. AirMagnet Survey provides advanced survey capabilities, accurate heat maps, and detailed site surveys.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Wireless needs better integration with other products, simplified configuration settings, and improved customer service responsiveness. AirMagnet Survey requires enhanced real-time troubleshooting, better technical support, and reduced complexity in setup.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Wireless is easy to deploy but has less responsive customer service. AirMagnet Survey is complex to set up but offers responsive and helpful customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Wireless is priced higher but is valued for extensive features and reliability. AirMagnet Survey has mixed reviews on cost-effectiveness but is appreciated for its specialized survey tools.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Modeling and Simulation Report (Updated: October 2024).

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Network Modeling and Simulation

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

AirMagnet Survey

Average Rating

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Modeling and Simulation (2nd), Network Troubleshooting (8th)

Cisco Wireless

Average Rating

8.2

Number of Reviews

150

Ranking in other categories

Wireless LAN (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

AirMagnet Survey and Cisco Wireless aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. AirMagnet Survey is designed for Network Modeling and Simulation and holds a mindshare of 36.9%, down 37.8% compared to last year.
Cisco Wireless, on the other hand, focuses on Wireless LAN, holds 12.5% mindshare, down 16.4% since last year.

Network Modeling and Simulation

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

David Olofson

Manager at DD&P Services LLC

Oct 12, 2022

It fixes so many problems quickly that we don't regret spending more on high-end tools than most companies

It would be nice to have some more training resources for younger techs. We can use them if we need some assistance, but that usually requires one of us who knows what we're doing to calibrate the programs properly. There's one thing our nXG handhelds do that AirMagnet doesn't do out of the box. The nXG devices can analyze the wired and wireless networks simultaneously and map the networks out. We find it handy. However, if I have that plugged into our older OptiView XG tablets or our laptops, I have no way to analyze both the WiFi and the wired network at the same time and build a single picture with all that data. So far, that's something only our nXG handhelds can do. It would be nice if there were a way to integrate all the network discovery, troubleshooting, and mapping of the WiFi and the wired at the same time. There are almost no products that do that currently. If they managed to do that, they'd probably open up their market pretty quickly.

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Michael Lees

Production Director at Whitespider

Feb 19, 2024

Affordable, resilient, and performs better than other solutions in the market

Assurance capabilities must be improved. There should be more Assurance features on the Wireless LAN Controller. A lot of it is bundled into the DNA Center. Having a little more Assurance regarding what the RF Spectrum looks like will be good. Juniper Mist has a lot of analytical data on the dashboard. The customers would be compelled to look at DNA Center as a longer-term and more comprehensive solution if Cisco were to give them an insight into some of the Assurance capabilities that might be available in DNA Center. The tool must provide something like RF Neighbor. It must enable organizations to receive signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio and see how clients perform in their wireless network. It must have a cap. If we want additional functionality to see our entire network, that's where DNA Center fits in.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The heat maps are quite good, and some features are easy to use."

"The benefit is with the ease of use of the software, I am able to show the customer, "Here is what your wireless coverage looks like." It is set up in a fashion that non-technical people can understand it."

"The addition of the AirMapper software on the nXG and our AirCheck G2s has helped a lot because we're mostly not drilling down into the data. Local managers only need to see the coverage on their end and whether there are performance bottlenecks. These things are easy enough for us to ascertain with iPerf."

"The most valuable feature is the predictive survey. The antennas' RF patterns are reflected correctly on the drawing when preparing predictive heat maps."

"The AirMagnet Survey allows you to see the list of APs in the live view. It only supports certain adapters, which can be limiting, but it's also beneficial because these adapters are more comparable to real-life devices like laptops. With Ekahau, Sidekick needs to be used for full features, but I find the Sidekick too strong, which can hamper results. Therefore, I prefer AirMagnet's approach because the adapters provide more realistic readings."

"It is reliable and easy to use (user-friendly). The heat mapping, passive network surveying, and doing the heat mapping of a building's wireless network allows me to see what level of coverage an area has."

"Clear and easy to use maps."

"The most valuable features are the survey, spectrum analysis, and reporting."

More AirMagnet Survey pros

"Cisco's support team is the best in the industry."

"I find this solution easy to configure and use."

"The stability of the solution is good."

"It is a very stable solution."

"The most important thing for me is that all the access points are in one group and use one access code. So, when you move from one area to another, you don't disconnect and reconnect again. The device is also very easy to install and control."

"Cisco Wireless is easy to use."

"Cisco Wireless is highly stable."

"It is a very scalable solution."

More Cisco Wireless pros

Cons

"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."

"AirMagnet Survey doesn't cover certain devices in the system."

"I would say some of our newer techs that are going out to job sites can be a little bit intimidated by the interface."

"The user interface needs a lot of improvement. The auto-placement of access points is not accurate."

"Printouts are JPEG printouts. The AirMagnet software is proprietary. I can't send my customers a file, because it is AirMagnet file, even for building projects. I can only send JPEGs or screenshots of heat maps."

"It'd be nice if it was cheaper, however, you get value for your money."

"But it's definitely a more expensive solution than other ones."

"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."

More AirMagnet Survey cons

"The technical support could be better. They aren't as helpful as they need to be when we run into issues."

"The product could be improved with interference reduction. Because wireless frequency interferes with microwave or Bluetooth technologies, this causes issues. A lot of users still use legacy wireless adapters and black box and they do not experience the speed that they could get using the latest technologies. The number of devices on the market makes wireless communications complex. If the problem of interference could be resolved it would further improve utility and ease of system design."

"It would be great if it is compatible with other products."

"It was expensive. Considering the challenges faced in third-world countries like Pakistan or India, cheaper solutions are preferred."

"The solution could improve by having an advanced model with a controller. Additionally, the solution could be more secure."

"The integration with our CM and other technologies could improve this solution."

"The price could be improved."

"It requires a few tweaks in order to stabilize it. Its portal is complex. Cisco solutions are complex in general."

More Cisco Wireless cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."

"The tool's pricing is medium."

"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."

"This product is very expensive."

"The pricing needs improvement."

"The licensing of AirMagnet Survey is different when compared to Ekahu. It is a third of the cost of Ekahau but there are no dedicated laptops to the Sidekick. AirMagnet allows you to license an adapter and share that adapter."

"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."

"I rate the tool's pricing a seven out of ten."

"It's a bit expensive but it's professional and works properly."

"Users have to pay a yearly licensing fee for Cisco Wireless."

"As far as I know Cisco is very competitive, price-wise. Talk to your third-party vendor. It all depends on the company size - how many employees, how big the building is. If it's wireless, and you have only 50 employees but you're using a large building floor, in that case you need many access points. But if you have 50 employees using two or three rooms, then you probably don't need it and it's going to be high density, so there is a different design. So you need to talk to a subject matter expert. Talk to them and design accordingly."

"Cisco licensing is usually provided on a yearly basis rather than monthly. You can get a hardware SLA or hardware and software SLA for a period of years. Longer terms influence the level of support that you get when it comes to Cisco SLA."

"The price for this product is a little bit high, which is why I am not using the most recent version."

"The price of Cisco Wireless is in the high range compared to other solutions. The solution could be less expensive."

"The license is a one-time purchase."

More Cisco Wireless pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user212721

President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Mar 24, 2015

Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions

Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Educational Organization

11%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AirMagnet Survey?

We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AirMagnet Survey?

AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the momen...

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What is your primary use case for AirMagnet Survey?

We use AirMagnet Survey, for site verifications after the wireless system has been installed. We conduct pre and post-install surveys with it. We have reduced the use since now our customers requir...

See all answers

Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...

See all answers

Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?

Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...

See all answers

How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?

On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...

See all answers

Comparisons

Ekahau Site Survey vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 82% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 4% of the time

iBwave Wi-Fi vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 4% of the time

AirCheck G3 vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 3% of the time

NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs AirMagnet Survey

Compared 2% of the time

More AirMagnet Survey Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 37% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 25% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 6% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Wireless Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

AirMagnet Survey

November 2024

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Wireless

November 2024

Download Cisco Wireless product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco WLAN Controller

Learn More

NetAlly

Cisco

Overview

AirMagnet Survey PRO enables network professionals to design, deploy, and validate Wi-Fi 6 networks for optimal performance, security, and compliance. It also calculates the ideal quantity, placement, and configuration of APs for a successful wireless LAN deployment. AirMagnet Survey PRO goes beyond simply verifying RF coverage by plotting actual end-user network performance in terms of connection speed, throughput, and packet statistics by allowing you to use any Wi-Fi adapter or AirMapper™ Site Survey on the AirCheck™ G2 and EtherScope® nXG. Survey PRO helps you get Wi-Fi installations right the first time, preventing costly rework and user complaints.

Cisco Wireless is a comprehensive suite of wireless solutions designed to deliver secure, high-performance connectivity for enterprises of all sizes. Offering a range of access points, controllers, and advanced management tools, Cisco Wireless ensures seamless and reliable network access, enhancing mobility and productivity.

Cisco Wireless solutions provide robust, scalable wireless networks capable of supporting high-density environments and diverse applications. With features such as seamless roaming, advanced security protocols, and detailed analytics, Cisco Wireless addresses the needs of modern businesses. The solutions include the Cisco Catalyst and Aironet series access points, wireless LAN controllers, and the Cisco DNA Center for centralized management and automation.

What are the key features of Cisco Wireless?

High-Density Performance: Optimized for environments with a high number of devices, ensuring reliable connectivity and performance.
Advanced Security: Incorporates robust security measures such as WPA3, Secure Boot, and segmentation to protect data and devices.
Seamless Roaming: Enables uninterrupted connectivity as users move across different areas within the network.
Centralized Management: Cisco DNA Center provides a single pane of glass for managing and automating wireless networks, enhancing operational efficiency.
Flexible Deployment Options: Supports various deployment models, including on-premises, cloud-managed, and hybrid solutions.

What benefits should users look for in reviews when evaluating Cisco Wireless?

Improved Mobility and Productivity: Users often highlight how Cisco Wireless enhances user mobility and productivity through reliable and consistent connectivity.
Scalability: Reviews frequently mention the scalability of Cisco Wireless, making it suitable for growing businesses.
Ease of Management: Many users appreciate the centralized management capabilities, which simplify network administration and troubleshooting.
Enhanced Security: The advanced security features are often noted for providing peace of mind and compliance with industry standards.
User Experience: The overall user experience, including ease of use and seamless integration with other Cisco products, is a common point of praise.

Cisco Wireless solutions are implemented across various industries, including healthcare, education, retail, and manufacturing. In healthcare, they support critical applications like patient monitoring and electronic health records. Educational institutions use Cisco Wireless to provide reliable internet access for students and staff. Retailers benefit from enhanced customer experiences through in-store connectivity, while manufacturers use wireless networks to improve operational efficiency and automation.

Pricing and licensing for Cisco Wireless solutions are typically based on the scale of deployment and specific product selections. Cisco offers various support plans, including 24/7 customer service, technical support, and access to software updates and patches.

In summary, Cisco Wireless provides robust, scalable wireless networking solutions that enhance connectivity, security, and management for diverse enterprise environments.

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops

Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)

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October 2024

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We monitor all Network Modeling and Simulation reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.