Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs D-Link Wireless comparison

Cisco and D-Link are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.8, while D-Link is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 10.3% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to D-Link’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of D-Link users who would recommend it.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Read 122 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

10,406 Views
9,261 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

D-Link Wireless

Read 17 D-Link Wireless reviews

2,035 Views
2,035 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

D-Link Wireless

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and D-Link Wireless compete in enterprise and SMB wireless networking. Cisco Meraki holds an edge due to its comprehensive feature set and cloud management capabilities.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN stands out with its cloud management, IoT integration, and advanced network visibility. The centralized dashboard facilitates easy configuration and monitoring. On the other hand, D-Link Wireless offers essential features like centralized management, good coverage, and reliable performance, making it ideal for cost-effective SMB solutions.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could improve by lowering hardware costs, enhancing sensor integrations, and making the security dashboard more versatile. D-Link Wireless should focus on introducing cloud-managed solutions, better stability, and support services, as well as integrating advanced features like social media access for guests.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN supports both hybrid and cloud environments, offering flexibility and a reportedly comprehensive support model, although occasionally inconsistent. D-Link Wireless provides a straightforward on-premises setup, but customer feedback on support services varies.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN incurs high initial and recurring costs but offers potentially better ROI for large deployments through feature richness and reduced on-site management needs. D-Link Wireless is notable for its one-time purchase model, delivering an affordable option for SMBs despite a less extensive feature set.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless

February 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Ranking in Wireless LAN

3rd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

4.4

Number of Reviews

122

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

D-Link Wireless

Ranking in Wireless LAN

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 10.3%, down from 13.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Wireless is 2.1%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN	10.3%
D-Link Wireless	2.1%
Other	87.6%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

DolfKrikke

Senior Network Architect at Previder

Centralized management has simplified remote branch control and improved network visibility

Cisco Meraki Wireless is very powerful and very easy to manage. The solution is also integrating Cisco Catalyst Wireless products into their portfolio, and they are managing the Catalyst switches as well. The seamless roaming capabilities function well. I monitor network performance with Meraki's real-time analytics. The most useful metrics to my team are the internet performance metrics, as there is a lot of information in the dashboard that I can access. All auditing and event logs are centralized in the dashboard. When I need to apply to compliance requirements or other regulatory needs, I can have my auditing in one place, which is an advantage. I use Cisco Meraki Wireless's Layer 7 application traffic shaping with the MX and the Meraki MX Firewalls.

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NadirShahzad

System Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Wireless projects run smoothly with more access point support and competitive pricing

D-Link Wireless offers more supported APs to the WLC with the default license compared to other brands like Cisco. With Cisco, only four to five APs are connected with the default license, but D-Link Wireless provides more flexibility. Local support in Pakistan is necessary for those with limited budgets, creating a reach in the market.

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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 most important feature is flexibility."

"It is easy to set up. You can do everything on the GUI. You don't need to trace cables. You don't need to connect to the switch. Everything is there, right in front of you."

"It makes the process much easier by providing visibility and centralized control over the network."

"It is more robust for me to deploy networks. And because of the field we are in where offices open up and others close, it helps my turnaround time to deploy these networks for the customers."

"Provided reliability and a good price."

"The most valuable feature is the stability. It works and doesn't stop."

"The tool's most valuable feature is report generation. Its dashboard helps me a lot with user analytics."

"I have found the scalability to be very good."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

"The connectivity is good."

"This is an affordable product that offers good performance. This is why it is popular with our customers. It offers good speed and bandwidth."

"D-Link is a good product that is quite affordable and I recommend it."

"D-Link Wireless is a tool that is used since it is an easy and user-friendly product."

"This product is user-friendly and we can manage it as per the requirements of the user."

"The setup process is very easy."

"It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"The initial setup process was easy."

More D-Link Wireless pros

Cons

"It's performing well, really well. We don't have any issues. We only have issues if there is a lot of rogue APs in the neighborhood and that not Meraki's fault."

"It would be nice to have licensing that stays in place while the system is being renovated or changed."

"The biggest pain point is that they limit you through firewall throughput. I understand why they do it, but that really grates me. For instance, for 450 Mbps throughput, you're looking at £800 for a router, whereas if you look at the one gig connection, for some of us are lucky enough to have a gig connection, you could almost be spending £3,000 for the option to have one gig connectivity. That's one of the pain points I've got. I don't mind paying for throughput, but I should at least have the option to be able to update that throughput, maybe through extra licensing or something else. It is crazy expensive to jump through to the next one."

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

"An area for improvement would be that Meraki doesn't work well in a warehouse environment. The device is too sensitive to other wireless devices, which provokes noise and can require a reboot to erase this."

"Some of their first level support staff does not seem to be well-versed in the solution, so support for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs improvement."

"There is only one particular thing that needs improvement. Sometimes, for example, when you need to open a ticket, although it's under the umbrella of Cisco, you still need to go to the Meraki support."

"I'd like better integration with security providers."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons

"D-Link Wireless should include the 'cleaner' feature similar to Cisco's APs. This feature reduces signal interference with access points."

"D-Link Wireless’s stability needs improvement."

"In future, it would also be good to have a switch within D Link that works as well as the Cisco 9200 Switch."

"It would definitely help if we had more advanced features for distributing bandwidth."

"The only issue is with the controller visibility of the devices connecting to the network."

"The stability could be a bit better."

"The solution doesn't have hotspots. Users can't set it up so that visitors can log in via Facebook or social media as they can at, for example, airports. D-Link should include hotspots that offer integration with social media. That way, visitors don't need to be asking people for passwords. They can just use Facebook."

"D-Link has some catching up to do in terms of advancing and improving its technology."

More D-Link Wireless cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It could be more affordable than other solutions."

"This solution is slightly more expensive than others, such as Ruckus Wi-Fi."

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

"If you are wondering if Meraki can work for you, contact one of their representatives because they will do onsite trials where you can set up their system. If it does not work, you can send it back to them for no charge."

"Cisco products are generally recognized for their performance and quality, which may justify the higher price point compared to other options on the market."

"The solution is pretty expensive."

"Users have to pay a yearly license fee for the solution."

"At this price point, I would not mind seeing a four-way channel, instead of a 3x3 or a 4x4, like they do in the Cisco Aironet system with their other brand. For the same price point in this other Cisco brand, it is a lot cheaper, and you can get a slightly better throughput than you can with these."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

"There is no licensing fee for the solution."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."

"The cost can range from $100 to $400."

"The product is affordable."

"D-Link Wireless is cheaper than Ruckus or Cisco."

"D-Link pricing is very competitive when you consider other OEMs."

"D-Link Wireless' price is the same as Aruba's. You need to pay one-time costs for the product."

"This solution is more affordable than others on the market."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Construction Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	69
Midsize Enterprise	27
Large Enterprise	31

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

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 have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...

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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...

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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 a great feature. The dashboard is a simple interface and easy to learn. It feat...

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Which wireless solution would you choose - Huawei or D-Link?

Huawei wireless is a strong and solid product that has a lot of features - and for all that it offers, it happens to be very cost effective. As a wireless solution, it is simple and its user interf...

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What do you like most about D-Link Wireless?

The tool supports new technologies.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Wireless?

D-Link Wireless is notably more affordable than Cisco and Juniper. It suits SMB needs without the financial burden of purchasing additional licenses for extended APs.

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 34% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors

Huawei Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 31% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 9% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 9% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 4% of the time

More D-Link Wireless Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

February 2026

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Buyer's Guide

D-Link Wireless

February 2026

Download D-Link Wireless product report

Also Known As

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

D-Link WLAN

Overview

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

D-Link Wireless offers a wide range of robust wireless Access Points (APs) operating in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, supporting the latest wireless standards including 802.11ac and 802.11n. These access points can be managed independently as standalone devices, or collectively by using Central Wi-Fi Manager, a free centralized controller software that can be installed on a Windows server or PC.

D-Link

Sample Customers

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

Metropolitan Public Defender, Mission Motorcycles

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless

February 2026

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