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AirMagnet Survey vs Ekahau Site Survey comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

AirMagnet Survey
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
Network Troubleshooting (8th)
Ekahau Site Survey
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey is 37.1%, down from 38.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ekahau Site Survey is 48.3%, up from 46.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Modeling and Simulation
 

Featured Reviews

David Olofson - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
ALEXANDRE VIANNA - PeerSpot reviewer
Good optimization capabilities, automatic network planning tool and saves time
Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports. Currently, it's possible to make changes to the Word report using Python, but it could be improved. For example, when I create an AP on a survey report, information like the cable view, distance, and support assessments could be enhanced. Only one comment about Ekahau Optimizer. It needs improvement. I tried to upload site products, and for five products, I needed to involve Ekahau's supply chain. When I try to solve that, it's not possible. For example, I uploaded one product for a large bank, and the optimizer didn't finish. I needed to involve Ekahau support, and they sent me the file two or three days after I opened the case.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I would like to rate the product as eight of ten."
"Using the products to ensure the safety of our equipment that we have a lot invested in."
"The most valuable feature is the predictive survey. The antennas' RF patterns are reflected correctly on the drawing when preparing predictive heat maps."
"We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks."
"Clear and easy to use 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."
"Customer service is great."
"The troubleshooting tools are the most valuable feature of the solution."
"We reviewed the maps as a team and determined if any changes needed to be made or if we could just replace APs as they are. We got into this by upgrading our access points to Meraki, and we wanted to make sure that we weren't leaving trouble behind us as we were doing it."
"The spectrum analysis capability is very good. It provides deep insights into the Wi-Fi environment. It's not just about troubleshooting interference but also optimizing access points and modifying power levels and channels."
"Ekahau Site Survey is scalable."
"We are satisfied with the way this product is working."
"Ekahau Site Survey can be crucial for troubleshooting our Wi-Fi network."
"I have found the most valuable feature is the RF interference and integration capabilities."
"The most valuable features of the Ekahau Site Survey for us are the combination of using the tool."
 

Cons

"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."
"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 moment, you can filter by channel or SSID, but grouping all those SSIDs together is a difficult task."
"Less time consumed doing the real surveys."
"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."
"The user interface needs a lot of improvement. The auto-placement of access points is not accurate."
"When you conduct an active survey and then want to use it for design work, it's actually not very useful."
"It'd be nice if it was cheaper, however, you get value for your money."
"I would say some of our newer techs that are going out to job sites can be a little bit intimidated by the interface."
"Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports."
"I wish there were a competitor to keep Ekahau Site Survey's pricing in line, but there's none."
"I wish the solution was better at making different survey modes."
"The report generation has room for improvement and is missing small details."
"Our CTO was not real happy with their support."
"Most features are there, but the network adapter support should be better. Ekahau should support all laptops and versions. There's an issue with the driver too."
"We were actually able to recover some access points in some areas that were over saturated. So I I can leave at least two areas where we probably had twice as many access points as we needed to. So we actually redesigned it and pulled some of those access points where I don't know that there was any proper planning done when they were initially deployed. It was before my time, but it just seemed way over saturated, and they were all beaten on each other. So Site wasn't helping. It was probably hurting, and we saved equipment that we could then deploy somewhere else. This can be improved."
"The only issue is the price. The overall price is a bit high, especially compared to our other vendor. Ekahau is considered expensive."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This product is very expensive."
"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."
"The tool's pricing is medium."
"The pricing needs improvement."
"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."
"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."
"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."
"The pricing is quite expensive. Not all companies can afford it"
"This solution is not cheap. If you only need an occasional site survey, you are better off contracting a wireless engineering professional that has one."
"9,000 Euro per year."
"We pay $6,000 yearly for the licensing, but each piece of hardware, the Ekahau Sidekick, is $5,000."
"The pricing could be lower because the Huawei radial planning is free for the partner. When I asked my boss about buying Ekahau and the USB key, it was complicated because of the high cost, which is €5,000."
"I believe that it is approximately $2,000 per year for us. I know we pay for it on an annual basis."
"We pay a licensing fee."
"The product is quite expensive."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Educational Organization
9%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Educational Organization
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
 

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.
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...
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...
What do you like most about Ekahau Site Survey?
We reviewed the maps as a team and determined if any changes needed to be made or if we could just replace APs as they are. We got into this by upgrading our access points to Meraki, and we wanted ...
What needs improvement with Ekahau Site Survey?
Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensional perspective. They need to include backhaul features and improve the ease of in...
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops
Presidio, Planet Earth, Ruckus
Find out what your peers are saying about AirMagnet Survey vs. Ekahau Site Survey and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.