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Cisco Wireless WAN vs Ubiquiti Wireless comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Wireless WAN
Ranking in Wireless WAN
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
72
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ubiquiti Wireless
Ranking in Wireless WAN
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
73
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Wireless WAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Wireless WAN is 2.8%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti Wireless is 39.9%, down from 40.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless WAN
 

Featured Reviews

Amimul Ehsan - PeerSpot reviewer
Well-developed but needs to improve the licensing part
The main issue associated with the product revolves around the licensing part and some support-related problems. The licensing area and support require improvements. In my country, the technical support offered is not good enough. The technical engineers who can support us are not that good. There is a shortage of technical people in our country. It is difficult for us to find someone who can help us.
Brian Massey - PeerSpot reviewer
It's cheap and easy to use but isn't suitable for large deployments or complex use cases
Ubiquiti isn't as good for larger networks as any of the other wireless solutions. It lacks performance, coverage, and some of the advanced capabilities other solutions have. Take, for example, integration with FortiNAC. Cisco, HP, and the other big names can move devices from one wireless subnet to another with FortiNAC on the fly, but Ubiquiti cannot. When we connect them to this special network, I have to turn them off and on, disconnect them from the wireless, and then reconnect. Then, it can be put into the correct location, but that's it. It's a small thing, but it's noticeable, It's hard to describe it in terms an end user would understand, but on the back end, it lacks some of those capabilities. It's not a true large enterprise solution. They're fantastic for small and medium-sized businesses, especially for the price, and they perform well when needed. For my part, I would actually like to move to something more appropriate for the size of our network, but again, Ubiquiti is so cheap.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Reliability and visibility in the product are most valuable. We are able to see client performance, signal strength for clients, and things like that."
"It's easy to deploy ."
"The security and the capabilities of the platform are the most valuable features."
"It just gives you the ability to use it around the office without being tied up to an actual physical connection."
"The network management is good. We use it to control access, channels, and phones and limit bandwidth."
"I like that it has integrated the cost of our network access."
"Cisco Wireless WAN allowed for time savings."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of configuration."
"It has a user-friendly interface."
"Installation is easy with seamless integration of additional APs."
"This is a high-quality solution that allows us to provide wifi access points in challenging areas."
"Ubiquiti is easier to install than Mikrotik."
"It's very easy to use. The hardware is very easy to use, compared to Microsoft. Microsoft is more complicated. It has software that is okay if you are familiar with it. In my opinion, Ubiquiti hardware is more heavy duty then Microsoft."
"Overall, it's a straightforward solution."
"We have not had an issue with Ubiquiti Wireless since we have been using it. The solution is highly reliable."
"The main strength of Ubiquiti Wireless is the ease of use it provides to users."
 

Cons

"The worst thing about the Cisco controllers is that they only have two ports."
"We feel that Cisco is quite expensive, so we're looking for a reasonable alternative. We are considering Aruba and some other brands that are less expensive. Cisco works fine, but the issue is the annual licensing and support costs."
"You cannot go to different versions or different access points. 9115s cannot interact with 9120s, and 9130s can interact with 9115s. You can add or remove as many subordinates as you want."
"The price of Cisco Wireless WAN could improve, it is expensive."
"The reporting feature needs improvement, especially adding information with regards to availability uptime."
"The network management system is not great."
"If encryption could be added, that would be a feature I'd expect from the build."
"The pricing could be improved in future releases. It's quite expensive."
"After upgrades to the interface, some features disappear."
"The network setup could be a little easier and more straightforward."
"Tech support is mostly remote and could be better."
"We'd like the solution to be more stable and have fewer firmware upgrades."
"We use different models of the solution but in some cases, the security could improve in the adaptive portal, be a little more robust, and easier to use."
"Better third-party integration would be helpful because often, Ubiquity is a product that customers choose after they already have something else from another vendor like HPE."
"We tried to create an access point with built-in voice and sound that we could use in schools, for example. We tried to create something that could play sounds or messages out of the access points. We wanted to, for example, use it as a school bell instead of using other equipment. It didn't work very well. It turns out when you connect to the Ubiquiti Wireless access point, it's not possible to send simple messages (like what is going on in the canteen, or some news update for the school, etc.). We had to use the on-premises version, as the cloud version wouldn't allow for this."
"Everything needs to be professionally done."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is expensive."
"It is very expensive."
"Cisco is much more expensive than the other vendor solutions."
"The pricing is good."
"The product is highly-priced."
"Cisco's pricing is reasonable."
"We pay the licensing fees on a yearly basis."
"I rate the product price a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"The product is around $300 or $400 depending on the device. It's a one-time fee. There aren't ongoing licensing costs."
"The solution has a reasonable price but a very low profit margin."
"We don't have any licensing costs in our use-case. It's low cost, perhaps not the leading edge in the industry, but for the type of industry we work in, the cost suits us perfectly. It's aggressive on price so we can make a margin deploying it, and we can make money managing it for our clients."
"I think the price is okay for the product, but the price could always be cheaper."
"Its price is reasonable for a basic device."
"We don't buy directly. We have our finance department that buys things. My speculation on the price is that because we buy from private companies and because the product is imported, people tend to give us at higher prices. This is due to the fact that it is government procurement. So, sometimes, they are not paid directly, and they have to go through the whole administrative process before they are paid. So, they tend to compensate by increasing the price, but I won't be able to say what is the exact price."
"From a pricing point of view, Ubiquiti is excellent."
"The price of Ubiquiti Wireless is affordable, we pay approximately $100 and $150 per access point."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
92%
Real Estate/Law Firm
1%
Manufacturing Company
1%
Educational Organization
1%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Wireless WAN?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Wireless WAN?
The price point is the main challenge as it seems complicated and unclear. We pay a premium for features we do not use.
What needs improvement with Cisco Wireless WAN?
The price point is contentious as the licensing model seems complicated and unclear. We pay a premium for features we do not use.
Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?
Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise features for a one-time fee and no ongoing licensing fees. Ubiquiti Wireless is ve...
Which is better - Cambium or Ubiquiti Wireless?
For me, Ubiquiti was easy to install, configure, set up, and maintain, while also providing solid coverage and better handoffs between APs. This is especially relevant if you are using Apple produc...
Which is better - Ubiquiti Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Ubiquiti Wireless offers a wide range of WLAN products. We tested their devices before ultimately choosing Cisco Meraki. Ubiquiti devices have good outdoor performance and the connection is very st...
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

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)
NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Moscow - Enforta
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Wireless WAN vs. Ubiquiti Wireless and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.