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ExtremeWireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

Extreme Networks and SonicWall are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Extreme Networks is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.0, while SonicWall is ranked #25. Extreme Networks holds a 2.3% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to SonicWall’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Extreme Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.
ExtremeWireless
Read 30 ExtremeWireless reviews
  • 1,841 Views
  • 1,694 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
SonicWall SonicWave Access ...
Read 4 SonicWall SonicWave Access Points reviews
  • 637 Views
  • 637 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

ExtremeWireless and SonicWall SonicWave Access Points compete in the wireless access point market. ExtremeWireless is often noted for its favorable pricing and support, while SonicWall SonicWave leads in advanced features.

Features: ExtremeWireless offers scalable solutions, seamless system integration, and easy manageability for large enterprises. SonicWall SonicWave provides enhanced security features, advanced network management capabilities, and detailed performance insights. ExtremeWireless targets scalability, whereas SonicWall SonicWave focuses on security and management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ExtremeWireless is known for simple deployment guided by clear instructions and backed by efficient customer support. SonicWall SonicWave involves a more complex setup due to advanced configuration options but compensates with comprehensive support, which helps in resolving intricate setup challenges.

Pricing and ROI: ExtremeWireless is recognized for competitive pricing and a positive ROI, appealing to cost-sensitive organizations. SonicWall SonicWave has higher initial costs but offers long-term benefits through its enhanced security features and performance, making it a strategic investment for organizations prioritizing these aspects.

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To learn more, read our detailed ExtremeWireless vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Report (Updated: February 2026).
Buyer's Guide
ExtremeWireless vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
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

ExtremeWireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
14th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SonicWall SonicWave Access ...
Ranking in Wireless LAN
25th
Average Rating
10.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of ExtremeWireless is 2.3%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SonicWave Access Points is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
ExtremeWireless2.3%
SonicWall SonicWave Access Points1.0%
Other96.7%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

KO
Karel Ondracek
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
We manage complex networks with seamless guest and user access while ensuring device authorization
I use enterprise connections where users need to be authorized against radius servers. This feature is common across various products, including ExtremeWireless. Generally, the network management is valuable to me. However, I am unsure how the security architecture enhances our network protection as we typically use the latest firmware for access points. Nonetheless, we had some troubles with roaming, requiring me to install specific firmware to avoid issues.
Read full review
Winsley De Oliveira - PeerSpot reviewer
Winsley De Oliveira
Owner at ANOC
An industry-leading security and wireless solution packaged in one box
We make our customers SonicWall clients. We have a solution package: If you have a contract to network with us, we will deliver SonicWall firewalls, access points, VPN clients, and all the other equipment with the SonicWall solution. We have been selling this solution for the past 30 years. We had a customer three months ago struggling with a Fortinet solution. We convinced them that the Fortinet solution would not work perfectly during renewal. We made a bet and delivered SonicWall equipment for free for one week, and if they had no more issues, they would buy it. That's precisely what happened. The customer ended up purchasing an $80,000 SonicWall solution. The SonicWall SonicWave Access Points are a good product compared to Cisco, Sophos, and Fortinet. In Brazil, Ruckus is taking market share in some key areas, such as hotels and hospitals. They are into big solutions with thousands of access points. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
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 wireless security solution is the most valuable feature of ExtremeWireless."
"The monitoring system is integrated with AI features."
"The stability of the solution has been fine."
"The cloud-based solution allows for easy management and monitoring of traffic and congestion."
"The initial setup process is simple."
"The central control is valuable."
"I like Cloud IQ, ExtremeWireless' cloud controller and analytics platform. It's full of information, easy to use, and provides excellent visibility into my network."
"The customer service and support provided by Extreme are excellent."
More ExtremeWireless pros
"The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices."
"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."
"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."
"Unlike the Cisco solution that needs a dedicated wireless controller outside of a firewall, SonicWall has everything in one box. Fortinet is close to it."
"A good management tool that can be managed through the cloud or firewall."
 

Cons

"The cost is a little high."
"They should develop more troubleshooting tools for system management. Additional troubleshooting tools should be created by the engineers."
"They should develop more troubleshooting tools for system management."
"The solution needs to improve its portfolio."
"The performance of the access points could be improved. ExtremeWireless coverage and signal stability could be enhanced to match the level of Ruckus Wireless and other vendors."
"The management portal is in need of improvement."
"It is a subscription model, so it is maybe a bit pricey."
"The current product line is very high-level and is well suited for enterprise-level organizations, but they need a more cost-effective solution for smaller businesses."
More ExtremeWireless cons
"They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."
"Integrating with the firewall and management console was a little complex."
"We have a lot of overlapping wireless networks with a lot of cheap equipment that does not run on any rules or regulations. The best way to improve the wireless network, like in SonicWaves, is to defeat these networks by isolating, preventing them, or overcoming their wireless signal. We try to do that, but I live near an airport, and the AirPortRadar glitches my wireless network every nine seconds."
"The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."
"The product's pricing is high and could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay approximately $30,000 per year."
"The solution is priced well and we currently are only paying for a license for maintenance."
"Our access points device is at its end of life. I can buy one more and then I must buy a new device, but if it is a new device it will not support the old virtual appliance. I would need to upgrade our virtual appliance to the next version or build a new virtual appliance with new devices, and it's not good for us. The overall licensing subscription could be better."
"The purchase of 350 access points cost approximately $250,000 USD."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The solution has a yearly subscription, and we have to pay additional costs for technical support."
"ExtremeWireless isn't budget-friendly. The hardware costs around 20,000 Indian rupees. We're still using an older controller, so it doesn't require a license, unlike the newest versions of the ExtremeWireless controller."
"ExtremeWireless is subscription-based for both cloud and on-prem solutions, and it's quite expensive."
More ExtremeWireless pricing and cost advice
"The pricing of the SonicWave Access Points solution is different in the US and Brazil. In the US, the solution is priced more competitively than other vendors. In Brazil, the exchange rate is a problem. To address this, SonicWall managers in Brazil are running several sales promotions and improving the price of new units."
"The platform offers yearly licenses."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
9%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise8
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ExtremeWireless?
There are concerns regarding the stability of ExtremeWireless. It could be an area of improvement, especially when compared to previous solutions such as Motorola before their acquisition. Another ...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for ExtremeWireless?
We mainly use ExtremeWireless ( /products/extremewireless-reviews ) for the warehouse, specifically for the Zebra handheld devices and printers.
See all answers
What advice do you have for others considering ExtremeWireless?
Overall, ExtremeWireless has a lot of room for improvement. The main concern is stability. As a user, I focus on supporting the devices and ensuring they meet my client’s needs. While I do not hand...
See all answers
What needs improvement with SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration.
See all answers
What is your primary use case for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
I am using the SonicWall SonicWave Access Point for our Proof of Concept (POC) to our customers.
See all answers
What advice do you have for others considering SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten. It should provide training to end users to enhance their knowledge.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeWireless Logo
Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeWireless
Compared 31% of the time
Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeWireless Logo
Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeWireless
Compared 16% of the time
Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs ExtremeWireless Logo
Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs ExtremeWireless
Compared 6% of the time
Aruba Access Points vs ExtremeWireless Logo
Aruba Access Points vs ExtremeWireless
Compared 5% of the time
Huawei Wireless vs ExtremeWireless Logo
Huawei Wireless vs ExtremeWireless
Compared 5% of the time
More ExtremeWireless Competitors
Ruckus Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Logo
Ruckus Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
Compared 20% of the time
Ubiquiti WLAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Logo
Ubiquiti WLAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
Compared 16% of the time
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Logo
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
Compared 10% of the time
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Logo
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
Compared 9% of the time
Cisco Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Logo
Cisco Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
Compared 8% of the time
More SonicWall SonicWave Access Points Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
ExtremeWireless
February 2026
ExtremeWireless reportDownload ExtremeWireless product report
Buyer's Guide
Wireless LAN
February 2026
SonicWall SonicWave Access Points reportDownload SonicWall SonicWave Access Points product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
SonicWave 200 Series, SonicWave 200 Series Access Points, SonicWave 400 Series, SonicWave 400 Series Access Points
 

Overview

Extreme ExtremeWireless Access Points deliver wired-like performance, at scale for high-density in every environment. Smart Access Points are equally adept for both distributed and centralized deployment models. ExtremeWireless Controllers provide advanced functionality to allow organizations to define how wireless voice/video/data traffic is processed without architectural constraints and in accordance with business needs.
Extreme Networks

SonicWall SonicWave series wireless access points (APs) combine high-performance IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology with flexible deployment options. These APs can be managed via the cloud using SonicWall WiFi Cloud Manager (WCM) or through SonicWall's industry-leading next-generation firewalls.

SonicWall
 

Sample Customers

St. Xavier High School, Americatel, Diamond Light Source
St. Dominic's School for Girls
Buyer's Guide
ExtremeWireless vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
February 2026
Free Report: ExtremeWireless vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points
Find out what your peers are saying about ExtremeWireless vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
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