Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs D-Link Wireless comparison

Cisco and D-Link are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2, while D-Link is ranked #15 with an average rating of 7.9. Cisco holds a 11.1% 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 121 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

11,730 Views
10,440 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

D-Link Wireless

Read 17 D-Link Wireless reviews

2,003 Views
2,003 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

D-Link Wireless

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 21, 2025

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and D-Link Wireless compete in the wireless networking category. Cisco Meraki seems to have the upper hand due to its centralized cloud-managed capabilities and robust analytics features, despite its higher price point.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers centralized cloud-managed features, robust security protocols, and the ability to generate detailed analytics reports, suitable for organizations of all sizes. D-Link Wireless provides essential wireless, switching, and wiring solutions at competitive prices, offering good performance for smaller setups.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki faces licensing constraints, customization limitations, and high pricing, alongside support quality and GDPR compliance concerns. D-Link needs enhancements in cloud management capabilities, technical support responsiveness, and integration with social media login features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki offers flexible public and hybrid cloud deployment and excellent 24/7 customer service. D-Link is mostly on-premises, with straightforward deployment for smaller enterprises, and generally praised customer service but lacks seamless cloud support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki is a premium option with comprehensive features, reflected in its higher price and subscription-based licensing, possibly offering significant ROI. D-Link is more budget-friendly with a one-time payment model, attractive for small to medium-sized businesses despite fewer features.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless

September 2025

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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

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

4.5

Number of Reviews

121

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

D-Link Wireless

Ranking in Wireless LAN

15th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 11.1%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Wireless is 2.1%, down from 2.3% 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	11.1%
D-Link Wireless	2.1%
Other	86.8%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

Streamline network management with a unified dashboard for seamless device integration

The primary use case for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is mostly for enterprise wireless, including guest Wi-Fi and enterprise Wi-Fi. I use it across various industries with a focus on retail Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers a single pane of glass management. It only comes with a controller on the…

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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.

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

"The emailing of statuses is the most valuable feature."

"What I like best about Meraki is that I can change it from anywhere."

"It is easy to manage and configure. The dashboard of Meraki is easy to use."

"Multiple access ID capabilities, meshing, and the quality of the product itself are all valuable features."

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

"It is cloud-based. It has a GUI rather than a command line, and it just works."

"The setup phase was very easy and user-friendly for me, not only for initial setup but also for ongoing management."

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

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

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

"Overall, I rate D-Link Wireless nine out of ten as a solution."

"The connectivity is good."

"The system simplifies network management."

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

"The tool supports new technologies."

"The initial setup process was easy."

"It's scalable, user friendly, and easy to manage."

More D-Link Wireless pros

Cons

"The licensing model is a terrible idea."

"Despite being enabled, I've encountered an issue where the alert main dashboard fails to detect when any of the devices go down. Hence, the tool's notification feature should improve. We have also faced issues with integration."

"It is not a very stable solution."

"The graphics and call management could be better."

"There should be better Spanish-language technical support."

"Updating the equipment and the scheme they use to bill for the license could be improved."

"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

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

"Password restriction: Sometimes we set a password and it uses that password but, after some days/months, the password gets changed and a few laptops still use old the password while a few use the new password. The password restriction option needs to improve."

"The solution's performance could be improved."

"The performance offered by D-Link Wireless can be a bit problematic at times, owing to which it is an area that can be considered for improvement."

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

"The cloud managed solution needs improvement, and they should focus on the SD-WAN segment with regard to integration."

"Its interface and support system need much improvement. Sometimes, when we use the interface to reset the password and configure SSIDs, or some other changes, the "Save" option does not show and we have to go to some internal setting and then we can "save" the setting. The “Save” option should be in front of or below of the settings."

"Sometimes we configure the SSID with a password but the same AP shows two WiFi connections with the same SSID name (one is protected by a password and another one give access without a password)."

More D-Link Wireless cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I haven't conducted a price comparison yet, but based on information, it appears to be more affordable than the current environment. Therefore, I consider the price to be reasonable."

"We pay licensing fees."

"I don't deal with pricing directly, however, it's my understanding that it is around $40 per unit."

"Since it's been acquired by Cisco, it's an even higher cost."

"The price of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is per unit and it has annual maintenance costs."

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

"It is expensive."

"The pricing is on the higher side."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

"There is no licensing fee for the solution."

"The product is affordable."

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

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

"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

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

11%

Construction Company

11%

Educational Organization

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	69
Midsize Enterprise	26
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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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 30% 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 11% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors

Huawei Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 47% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 12% of the time

Omada Access Points vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 10% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 5% of the time

More D-Link Wireless Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

November 2025

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Buyer's Guide

D-Link Wireless

November 2025

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

September 2025

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