What is our primary use case?
We're using the latest version. It's deployed on a public cloud. We can get our management interface from the internet, from anywhere.
There are 2,000 people who use this solution in my organization, but we haven't finished the setup yet. Our users are mostly students.
What is most valuable?
It's extremely easy to deploy. Even our access points are behind the net, not using real, public IP. We can easily add to the cloud. For deployment, we just need to let the access point take the DSCP from IP and then, even if it's not a requirement, we can see the serial number from the access points and add the serial number to the cloud directly.
The manageability is also good. We can create some places in the management interface, like different buildings (building A, building B, etc.) and floors.
From our network, I can connect and do the deployments from anywhere.
What needs improvement?
The dashboard and stability need to be improved. We deployed some buildings and nearly 200 access points.
We didn't install the access points for the buildings, so it would be nice for us to see which access point goes to which switch port. For example, it would be nice to know where a switch with a faulty access point is located.
The company didn't document it well, so it's like a discovery process. When there's a problem with the wireless signal, we don't know which access point is causing it. We need to go and see the access point lights. It's like the white LED is not blinking or not stable. It would be nice for us to be able to document the exact location of the access points.
I need to see the license because there are many features that are disabled for now because we are still using the essential license. Many features require the Pilot license.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for about nine months.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's not stable. I watched many videos. I thought I made some mistakes with deployment. I needed to isolate the access points management. In the beginning, it's like the data and access points were in the same zone. I watched some video that said not to do that, so I built a test environment and put the access points in that environment, but nothing changed. Hopefully, it's because we don't have the right license.
When we did the speed test, it's 500 or 600. We don't have the Pilot license, so we weren't expecting more than 150 megabits. Sometimes it's 105 megabits.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable. You can get the serial number and enter from the Extreme portals. We get serial numbers from the product, enter it in the website, and create zones, buildings, areas.
How are customer service and support?
I didn't get the chance to directly communicate with Extreme like with Cisco, but it's okay. The company is helpful, but unfortunately, not like Cisco. They don't have too many engineers, so it was hard to get a response.
At this point, I don't ask for help too often. I did my research by myself. They have certification, but they don't have documents for the certification like in Cisco. With Cisco, I can get wireless certification documents from Amazon or even Cisco Press. I can pay and get the information from the internet, blogs, and the Cisco website.
In our country, many universities and companies use Extreme products, but this cloud solution is very new for us. I don't have friends who I can ask about a performance problem or how to design a network. Cisco is everywhere, but Extreme isn't.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup isn't complex.
We opened a new email account with Extreme Portal and got a new account, like in the technical university. I entered my email address, set up a password, and that was all. We have an essential license actually, which is a limited license, but it was super easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Extreme is twice as cheap compared to Cisco due to the currency exchange. Normally, I think Cisco would be a little bit more expensive, but there wouldn't be that much of a difference.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution six out of ten.
I hope that when we get the license, it will be a nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Aerohives HiveManager NG is very easy to handle. It will show every Access Points and easily identify user interactions from anywhere anytime. No need VPN login to access this.