Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Cisco Wireless comparison

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Cisco Wireless are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco Wireless is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.6. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN holds a 13.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Cisco Wireless’s 12.1% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Cisco Wireless users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 8, 2024

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Cisco Wireless are major competitors in the wireless networking solutions category. Cisco Meraki seems to have the upper hand in ease of management and deployment, making it ideal for smaller organizations or those with limited IT resources.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers centralized cloud management, easing monitoring and configuration. Its comprehensive security features, such as Layer 7 protections, provide significant insights and control, complemented by easy deployment. On the other hand, Cisco Wireless features extensive security measures, robust RF management, and high performance. Integration with existing Cisco products grows its scalability, making it a favorable option for large enterprises.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki users desire more detailed error logs and enhanced security features. Advanced enterprise users see room for feature expansion. Pricing and licensing models are also seen as steep and could benefit from flexibility. Cisco Wireless primarily faces cost-effectiveness challenges, and its complex management and licensing structures could be simplified for non-technical organizations. Users also seek improvements in user interfaces and system compatibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is appreciated for its cloud-based management simplicity and remote access capabilities, well-suited for less tech-inclined environments. Although customer support is generally good, inconsistencies are sometimes noted. Cisco Wireless requires more complex on-premises deployment but promises reliability with broad Cisco channel support. Users appreciate this comprehensive support but express a need for more efficient customer interaction processes.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki is regarded as expensive but worthwhile, offering high ROI by decreasing overhead and streamlining IT management. It requires annual licensing that adds to the cost but is offset by operational savings. Cisco Wireless is also deemed costly due to complex licensing and high initial costs. However, it provides significant ROI through robust security and seamless integration with other Cisco products, making it a strong choice for enterprises needing extensive network solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless

December 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 824,053 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Juniper Mist Wireless Acces...

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points is 5.7%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 13.0%, up from 12.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 12.1%, down from 16.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Gyan Sharma

Assistant Programmer at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha

Offers good performance, good solution and smooth implementation

I do have a suggestion: it would be helpful to have even stronger security features to help protect against interference from other nearby access points that aren't part of our network. If there are access points from other brands installed nearby; they can cause interference and disrupt the range of our Mist access points. So, the security features could be stronger, especially in terms of authentication. The connectivity is excellent, but security needs improvement. In future releases, integrating more AI features would be beneficial. If Mist had stronger AI features, it could provide better security against network threats and cyberattacks. So, this solution still needs to improve its AI capabilities. It would be great if the AI could improve the range of the access points, and auto-protect functionality should be there to avoid interference by other nearby access points and enhance threat detection. In the future, I'd like to see stronger threat detection features integrated with Mist, as well as better detection of nearby access points that might cause interference.

Read full review

JoseAlmonte

Network Engineer at TechProc

Offers good mobility, stability and scalability

The main company is a hotel resort with around 120 rooms. They have approximately 90 devices deployed throughout the complex, and they haven't had any issues with the streamlined version or established information Cisco offers a service where they provide internet access to clients. This allows…

Read full review

Michael Lees

Production Director at Whitespider

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"You can easily monitor, manage, and cover all your IT equipment."

"With Mist, every Wednesday they roll out new features."

"Juniper Mist offers valuable features like comprehensive network insight, granular policy control, fast device setup, strong security, and efficient SSL traffic management."

"The solution is very secure."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is Marvis, the AI-driven network management system."

"The solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of Juniper Mist is the Virtual Network Assistant, powered by artificial intelligence."

"For the most part, it does what it's supposed to do, and I like it. It's a great product."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pros

"Meraki WLAN is easy to deploy, includes a cloud controller, and updates continuously. It also offers high visibility."

"The most valuable aspect of this solution is the single pane of glass management and reliability."

"The most valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are the ease of use and the ability to manage it from the cloud."

"The network security the solution provides is its most valuable aspect."

"With Cisco products and third-party products, integration of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good."

"Great architecturally based dashboard and the solution is accessible from anywhere."

"The product's most beneficial feature impacting network security is the ability to provide centralized security management."

"The fact that Cisco Meraki is cloud based and is reasonably priced has been most valuable."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

"Stability is fine."

"One of the main advantages of Cisco Wireless is its DNAT compatibility. When we have dynamic segmentation, or the DNAT enabled on the LAN, Cisco Access Point integrates with the DNAT architecture. Aruba Switches cannot integrate with the Cisco DNAT architecture."

"The product is easy to manage."

"It's a reliable solution."

"Authentication is the important feature for us. My IT staff no longer has to look after catering to clients who come from overseas."

"The most valuable features of this solution are the Cisco CleanAir and Cisco RRM."

"The CleanAir features and the fast transition."

"The switches can even detect cable issues which quite often can be the main cause for a call-out within my business."

More Cisco Wireless pros

Cons

"Enrolling into the tool is a tedious process."

"Though certain security features are integrated into the product, my company has to always look forward to tightening certain security functionalities in the solution."

"Improvement is needed in the user-friendliness of Juniper Mist, particularly in enhancing the interaction with AI features."

"Improving third-party integration is key for Juniper Mist's next release."

"Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points’ support services need improvement."

"The product should include adaptive Wi-Fi to show a more accurate location."

"I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features."

"There is room for improvement in terms of support and installation."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points cons

"In the future, I would like to see IP telephony in Saudi Arabia."

"The price could be slightly lowered to make it more competitive in the market."

"We would like the solution to work on the pricing of the solution. It would be ideal if it could bring the overall costs down."

"I would like to see integration with sensors."

"Integration with the corporate LAN where Catalyst products are installed is a major challenge."

"This solution could benefit from a heat mapping ability so that you can tell where the hotspots are, and where the good signals are."

"The customization needs to be improved because it's pretty locked down."

"The solution's pricing could be improved."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons

"The bind configuration between a physical port and an IP address is missing."

"Sometimes our customers do not get proper IP addresses from the DHCP pool."

"In the next release, they should add a better reporting feature. The reporting will tell you if you have a problem. That will make the diagnostics easier."

"The pricing of Brazil is very expensive. When you look at other options, they are much cheaper."

"It's expensive."

"The solution could improve by having more advanced features, such as AI that is able to do diagnosis on the network or detect incorrect configurations and is able to tell you what is the recommended practice. Additionally, it would be a benefit to have smart antennas that are able to track your movement, Wi-Fi 6 support, better transfer rates, low latency, stronger signals that can penetrate thick walls, and zero packet losses."

"The product’s interface must be improved."

"The reporting of the product could be improved. When I needed to troubleshoot, I couldn't get sufficient information from the controller."

More Cisco Wireless cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is fair."

"I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."

"Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."

"The pricing is too high."

"We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."

"I rate the product price as a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is expensive. It is a reasonably priced tool."

"I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive."

"If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pricing and cost advice

"The price is good, but it could be improved."

"The price/benefit ratio is great."

"It is expensive."

"It's a pretty good value, but not great. Pricing is on a yearly basis for the Meraki solution."

"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. It can be for three, five, or ten years. I'm happy with the pricing. You basically pay for what you get. It is that simple. When you look at Ubiquiti or Aruba, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN far outweighs what you get. If you're in the UK, Ubiquiti gives a three-year or five-year warranty, whereas here in the UAE, they only give a one-year warranty, which is no good to me. Who buys a piece of equipment with only one year warranty on it? It doesn't make sense."

"We are on a SmartNet contract. All of our Cisco products are licensed under one contract. I do not think there are any additional costs."

"Having a good price is important when we are providing quotations for projects."

"The price of the product could be cheaper."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

"The price of Cisco Wireless is expensive and there is an additional cost for support."

"The solution is a little expensive compared to other brands."

"The product is expensive."

"I feel the product's pricing is a good value."

"This product's pricing is good. It's not too expensive."

"The licensing system is very rigid. I work for a school and we are just treated like big companies. At some point, there's a limit to what we can do about that."

"From a pricing point of view, it's a little bit expensive compared to competitors like Aruba and others."

"Its price is a bit high. It is more expensive than its competitors, but when I look at the return on investment, it is worth it."

More Cisco Wireless pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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

Answers from the Community

Netanya Carmi

Content Manager at PeerSpot (formerly IT Central Station)

Nov 10, 2021

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

See 2 answers

Aws Al-Dabbagh

IT Manager at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees

Sep 7, 2021

The standard answer to such a question is: it depends. The pricing for both solutions is very similar: per-AP, Meraki is more expensive than Cisco Wireless. Cisco APs are cheaper, but the controller raises the solution price to be almost equal to Meraki. Meraki is subscription-based and requires constant internet access to manage the system. If the annual license expires, the APs will work, but you can't manage them or read reports of the Meraki portal. Cisco Wireless is a one-time payment for the hardware with annual support payments. if you have a small office with only a few APs needed, you can use the Cisco Mobility Express Controller (which uses one of the APs or a Catalyst Switch as the controller) but that has a limit of 100 APs.

Read full answer

reviewer1650858

Works

Nov 10, 2021

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 helped us get more network access to more people wirelessly across some very large spaces. It is expensive, though. The Cisco Wireless portal, like many Cisco products, can be very complex. The flexibility of the controllers needs fixing and Cisco Wireless requires a bit of tweaking to get the stability right. We would also like to see the reporting improved - this would help make troubleshooting easier. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is very user-friendly. You don’t have to be a wireless engineer to set it up. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is cloud-based, which is very convenient as you don’t have to have a physical controller, saving valuable space, power, and redundancy. This solution offers advanced configurations that are a great fit for small to medium-sized businesses that can’t employ an advanced tech team. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is high-performance, stable, scalable, and very easy to deploy, and offers a dashboard that makes managing the solution very easy. Some of the built-in capabilities and filtering with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs to be made easier to use. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs to better identify devices, and the TAC reading and interpretation capabilities are not always accurate. There are also some processing limitations when you have multiple SSIDs. Conclusion As these are both Cisco products, they offer brand recognition you can trust, great quality, and good durability. We found that Cisco Wireless offered slightly better access points and improved coverage, allowing the creation of better networks. Cisco Wireless takes a one-time payment for the hardware, and then annual payments. If you employ Cisco’s knowledgeable team members, this will be a good fit for you. The huge selling point for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is its ease of use. You don’t need to have a lot of knowledge to deploy or manage processes, which makes this a great product for smaller businesses with a less tech-savvy team.

Read full answer

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

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 Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

The solution is very secure.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Juniper Mist is cheaper than Meraki, placing it in the middle of the pack.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Supporting multiple protocols would be beneficial.

See all answers

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they h...

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...

See all answers

How does Ruckus Wireless compare to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are...

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 frie...

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 ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Wireless?

Cisco Wireless improves mobility and flexibility. The only case we are working on is with hospitals, focusing on the ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 18% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 15% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% of the time

ExtremeWireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 2% of the time

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 32% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 10% of the time

Mist AI and Cloud vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 7% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 7% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN 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 7% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 4% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 1% of the time

More Cisco Wireless Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

December 2024

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points report

Download Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

December 2024

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Wireless

December 2024

Download Cisco Wireless product report

Also Known As

Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points

MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN

Cisco WLAN Controller

Learn More

Juniper

Video not available

Cisco

Overview

Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience. The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage, and fewer support calls. The Cisco Meraki dashboard gives visibility into the network users, their devices, and their applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the end-user experience and network security.

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

Information Not Available

Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins

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)

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless

December 2024

Free Report: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

DOWNLOAD NOW

824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless report.

See our list of best Wireless LAN vendors.

We monitor all Wireless LAN 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.