Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points comparison

Cisco and Netgear are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.8, while Netgear is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 10.5% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Netgear’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 81% of Netgear users who would recommend it.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Read 121 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

10,528 Views
9,370 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Read 12 NETGEAR Insight Access Points reviews

1,251 Views
1,251 Comparison Views

81% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and NETGEAR Insight Access Points are both key players in the wireless networking market. Cisco Meraki stands out with advantages in support and built-in security features, whereas NETGEAR Insight is recognized for its cost-effectiveness and adequate features for smaller setups.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers a cloud-based management platform, enhanced security with Layer 7 protections, and robust performance options that include seamless WiFi connectivity and strong network security. On the other hand, NETGEAR Insight provides ease of management via a mobile app, flexibility in scaling for small to medium-sized networks, and strong throughput speeds that are reliable even with multiple users.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki could enhance its offering by improving customizability, as the current guardrails may limit experienced engineers. The initial setup cost is often higher compared to competitors. Meanwhile, the NETGEAR Insight could benefit from expanding its security features offering, enhancing customer service options beyond mobile app support, and providing more comprehensive guidance for setup and management for users without IT expertise.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is known for its straightforward deployment process, complemented by extensive online resources and strong customer support networks ideal for complex environments. In contrast, NETGEAR Insight offers simple setup procedures and real-time management through its app, making it particularly appealing for novice administrators.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki typically involves higher initial setup costs due to its premium services and infrastructure, though its ROI is often validated by high security and management capabilities. In contrast, NETGEAR Insight Access Points are more affordable upfront, catering to budget-conscious buyers and delivering quick ROI for smaller networks due to lower capital expenditure.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points

December 2025

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Helped 881,227 peers since 2012

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

4.5

Number of Reviews

121

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Ranking in Wireless LAN

21st

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 10.5%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Insight Access Points is 1.6%, up from 1.3% 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	10.5%
NETGEAR Insight Access Points	1.6%
Other	87.9%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

MiguelDe Bique

Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees

Provides robust remote configuration and reliable support for managing wireless networks

The best features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN include the excellent reporting; the dashboard reporting aids us a lot in troubleshooting issues, and the platform is very robust. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is very stable, and the performance is there, as we normally do throughput tests that align with the manufacturer's specs. We use Meraki's Layer 7 application traffic shaping. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has helped optimize network traffic very effectively, as we do prioritization for streaming and web conferencing apps, resulting in a clear, visible improvement in performance. The capability to configure network policies remotely is the most important aspect for our organization, as we are an MSP providing remote support for all our clients. We monitor network performance with Meraki's real-time analytics. We find client performance metrics most useful to know how the wireless clients are receiving service and the quality of service.

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Calvin Ong

Business Manager at KAIRA Technologies pte ltd

Reasonably priced product with a straightforward deployment process

I never thought about what could be made better in the product since my company is a customer-centric organization where we provide Aruba or NETGEAR, depending on the demands and needs of our customers. The product's UI needs to be simplified and made more straightforward. It would be great if it was possible to send notifications regarding some errors related to the product that can be sent from our company to our clients through the organization's post-sales team.

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

"The solution is very stable. It is a very manageable and secure system."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...The solution's initial setup process was straightforward."

"The most valuable feature is cloud management."

"The flexibility, since it's a cloud service, is the most valuable feature of this solution."

"The product's cloud availability feature is the most valuable for network management."

"The single dashboard of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is the most valuable feature for me."

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

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

"The product's deployment is straightforward."

"I am all about simplicity. With the Insight management solution, I don’t need an additional cloud controller, appliance, network manager, or PC/server to configure and manage my access points. You have to look at cost, and everything has a cost. There is a cost to using Insight. But if the cost is reasonable, I don't want another layer. The ability to deploy a network and then have that software built-in, without having to go to a third-party, is big. Also, the less pieces that I have to call in on, the better. So, when I'm calling NETGEAR, it's not like I'm using some third-party piece of software to manage their product. It doesn't add that layer of complexity, which is key."

"The internet connectivity is good."

"We use NETGEAR's Insight management solution to do off-property controls. It is user-friendly and provides network management, monitoring, and service deployment across multiple remote and local sites. That means I don't have to be physically at a location to do things if I want to make any changes to the network. It saves time and money."

"The initial setup of NETGEAR Insight Access Points was straightforward."

"I'm able to do a lot of things, because the GUI is designed very well. I'm able to remotely make certain changes via my phone and apply them right away. It makes life easier when it comes to managing the equipment. The Insight management solution phone app is very good. It enables me to do what I want to do."

"Our company sometimes uses the solution's technical support, and we have seen that they sort out our general problems quickly."

"[Being] able to configure the WiFi devices and to see utilization remotely, or from the cloud."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points pros

Cons

"It is expensive. Juniper seems to have a lot more to offer for future expansion. Juniper has some features that are not there in this solution."

"The solution's pricing could be improved."

"We have used technical support for some issues but not many times."

"Meraki is still very much a small office type of solution. It is not a fit for large enterprise networks, as it doesn't have tunneling functionalities."

"They should introduce a grace period of 60 days after license expiry because as it is now, it automatically goes down and there is no grace period."

"The licensing model is a terrible idea."

"The error logs need to be much more comprehensive."

"The product doesn't effectively do its job anymore since some issues crop up in it once you run out of your subscription licensing...Improvements are needed in the licensing part of the tool."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons

"Due to certain shortcomings in the solution's stability, I feel that the solution's stability requires improvement."

"Ubiquiti is a very good company. NETGEAR should look at that model and expand on its remote capabilities. Ubiquiti seems to have a better product."

"My major problem is right now, the area which I need to cover is around 7,000 to 10,000 square feet...I would like NETGEAR Insight Access Points to extend the area coverage they provide."

"I have some frustrations with the ease of use. It tends to be sluggish. The graphical interface is pretty, but not useful. They have this tree that shows connected devices, which makes no sense whatsoever because the labeling field of the tree truncates all the items to the point that it's almost useless. You can't even tell what it is. I would prefer a spreadsheet list of the gear as opposed to a graphical representation."

"The registration is annoying. I have to go back to NETGEAR and log tickets. Access points and router registration are something that they need to address in Insight. They need to fix the bug of getting the devices activated and enrolled in Insight without fighting with them. I have probably done about six of these in the last month. You get to see patterns."

"The biggest issue I've had is that it works very well with the WiFi, but it does not offer any assistance at all with the routers. You can't control them or manage them at all. As soon as you want to use anything on the network side—because I have multiple 28-port switches—you can't manage them using this app."

"A con is the backend system which is very, very slow."

"The pricing and standard connectivity can be further improved."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The platform is highly priced."

"Pricing could be better."

"The platform is more expensive than other solutions."

"It is super expensive for what you get. You also have to buy a license every year. Otherwise, it stops working."

"We do a three-year or five-year license and support. Its price could be better, but overall, we get competitive prices. A lot of times, Cisco puts itself out of range, especially with Meraki. I've dealt with a lot of business development from Cisco, and they have always been accommodating, especially in dealing with hospitals or government. There is also a right time to buy it. July is when they are eager to sell a lot of things because that is the end of their calendar year."

"We pay licensing fees."

"These units cost between $800 and $900 per device and on top of that, you have to pay yearly fees for maintenance."

"It is a relatively expensive solution compared to traditional network alternatives."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

"It wasn't much more than 100 dollars a year. For the devices that we have, the pricing was pretty fair."

"I think that the price of the product is reasonable."

"It is an expensive solution."

"We have some basic models they give without a license."

"My company does not need to pay anything related to the solution's licensing costs."

"Their pricing is perfect for smaller businesses who are money and budget conscious. There are a lot of other solutions out there that are two to three times more expensive."

"Price-wise, it is a little too high, about $20 higher than what it should be, but it's worth it. It's cheaper than Cisco's access point, but the products are not apples to apples."

"I can source the stuff pretty quickly wherever I go through the distributor. There is pricing available at NETGEAR if you can spend between $2,000 and $5,000 on a solution. So, there is special pricing that they can help with. The vendor's reps are very responsive. They have a good channel system."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

University

Outsourcing Company

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	1
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...

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

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

What do you like most about NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

The product's deployment is straightforward.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

We have some basic models they give without a license.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

The pricing and standard connectivity can be further improved.

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 33% 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 10% 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

Ubiquiti WLAN vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 19% of the time

Omada Access Points vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 12% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 12% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 5% of the time

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

January 2026

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Buyer's Guide

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

January 2026

Download NETGEAR Insight Access Points product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

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

At NETGEAR, we turn ideas into innovative networking products that connect people, power businesses, and advance the way we live. Easy to use. Powerful. Smart. And designed just for you.

Netgear

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points

December 2025

Free Report: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points

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