Built in mapping ability, built in survey ability, Client Classification Policy (to be able to move clients to the appropriate VLAN), and PPSK are the most valuable features.
Network / Telephony Coordinator at a university with 501-1,000 employees
Built in mapping ability, built in survey ability, Client Classification Policy (to be able to move clients to the appropriate VLAN), and PPSK are the most valuable features.
What is most valuable?
How has it helped my organization?
It gives us the ability to make guest connections to our wireless network easier. We don't have to worry about issues with getting 802.1x authentication set up, which can be tricky depending on Cert chains, virus scanners, and 3rd party hardware software that controls the wireless settings. Also give our residents the ability to have a better gaming experience with their gaming consoles, the Client Classification Policies let us move their gaming console to a less restrictive VLAN so they can make connections to do online gaming better.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if they could get better from separating an XBOX One console from a regular windows machine.
I think their bandwidth steering could use some tweaking, in a high density deployment with a lot of 2.4Ghz only clients it causes problems and we had to turn it off in those areas.
Maybe give the ability to turn off the newest HiveOS for the devices. When you go to push out a complete config to the wireless APs you have to be carful and uncheck the box to push out the latest OS. It would be easy to do on accident if you were in a hurry and were not paying close enough attention
For how long have I used the solution?
9 Months
Buyer's Guide
ExtremeCloud IQ
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about ExtremeCloud IQ. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
844,944 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
No, once the local Hive Manager VM was set up it was pretty simple to get the APs going. If you haven't ever had experience with an enterprise wireless system though, you would defiantly want training first.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Just some problems with bandwidth steering and 2.4Ghz only clients being able to connect regularly.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
No.
How are customer service and support?
Customer Service:
8
Technical Support:7
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Yes we used Extreme/Enterasys. They were starting to charge to much for their product, also some of the features that are included out of the box with Aerohive cost big $$$ with Extreme.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Security and Infrastructure at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Initial deployment is very easy but tuning and understanding can take some time
What is most valuable?
- Very easy deployment
- Great radio performance
- Application signatures – very powerful L7 firewall
- Tools for troubleshooting of Wi-Fi clients
How has it helped my organization?
We implemented more advanced Visitors networks on our sites and also more strict security rules for bring your own device and other wireless access networks. That wasn't possible without L7 firewall on AP itself. Also before we didn't have central management for all APs at our organization – now we can change anything we want from within one place.
What needs improvement?
Aerohive configuration management can be little hard to understand for someone who has never worked with it. The initial configuration is easy but advanced tuning needs deeper knowledge of Wi-Fi technology and also about Aerohive management.
On the other hand – the support is very helpful and documentation is very large and contains almost everything that can be found at HIVE console.
For how long have I used the solution?
One year and 6 months.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
No. Deployment was smooth with any major problems
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We had/have some problems with stability, but it’s not problem with Aerohive itself. We are covering manufacturing/industrial environment, which is emitting lots of interference on the 802.11 b/g/n band. Stability on this band is very poor due to the environment, but on 802.11 a/n band (because of more channels) stability is very good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is not a problem at all. At some places we have “high density mesh” and L2 roaming along with automatic channel distribution is working very well.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
Customer service is very helpful. Before deployment we were speaking with our regional customer service and then directly with Aerohive. Both gave us the necessary information for deployment and initial configuration.
Technical Support:Customer service is very helpful. I am using two different ways to solve the problems – one is through my regional contact (Aerohive reseller + support) and second is directly with Aerohive support. We submitted some cases and all were solved with an explanation of function or a bug fix in a new release.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had “non central management” wireless solution before Aerohive. That was our primary goal for switch – to have central control over wireless connection at whole company and enforce different set of security policies.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup was straightforward – it’s very easy to deploy it. We had a pilot on one site, where all our needs were tested and then solution was deployed to the rest of company.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed by “in-house company” team. Initial/tuning configuration was done by me and physical deployment was done by local IT support on remote sites.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes – we did evaluations of some other products.
We tested Cisco Meraki – Meraki is very good product, straightforward with configuration, but they don't provide central management which can be kept in-house, but only hosted on their cloud. We were not satisfied with it, because we want to keep all our info inside our network.
We also tested Cisco APs with controllers, but again this architecture is not something that would suit us, because of absent central management.
What other advice do I have?
Initial deployment is very easy but tuning and understanding of all things at management can take some time. Once it is set and working – it is very good solution with wide range of possibilities.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
ExtremeCloud IQ
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about ExtremeCloud IQ. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
844,944 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Director of Technology at a educational organization
The Hive Manager is easy to use and navigate, even for someone with little network experience.
What is most valuable?
The Hive Manager is extremely easy to use and navigate, even for someone with very little network experience. The interface is very logical and easy to manage.
How has it helped my organization?
After recently decreasing our tech staff, Aerohive has been a lifesaver. Our network rarely needs attention, and the reports and configurations are easy to run when needed. This has saved us a lot of man-hours!
What needs improvement?
Pricing is a little high, but I have no complaints with the service or devices themselves. Occasionally, a device needs to be rebooted, but it is rare.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used it for two years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
We did not encounter any problems with deployment. Once everything was hooked up, and the configurations were set, it all fell into place seemlessly.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Issues with stability are few and far between. Occasionally, an access point needs a reboot, but our clients have no trouble accessing the network on a regular basis.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not had any issues with scalability. As we transitioned to Aerohive, we still had other access points in use, from another manufacturer. We've never had any trouble with increased use, or multiple devices.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
Customer service is probably the area I am most happy with. They have it right. Aerohive is easy to get in touch with, quick to answer any questions, and they were very patient with me. I had very little experience, and they walked me through everything I needed to know, checked in frequently, and made sure I was happy.
Technical Support:The level of tech support is fantastic. They are very much in the business of helping customers quickly and efficiently.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did have another solution in place. I switched because of the ease of use I saw with the Hive Manager. Also, Aerohive had helped with the network at a conference I attended, and it was the best year we ever had in terms of connection.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very straightforward. As someone with very limited network experience, I was able to get the devices up and running myself with just a couple of calls for support.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented through a vendor team. Their knowledge was fantastic, and the collaboration between them and the Aerohive folks was amazing. Both were included in all correspondences.
What was our ROI?
It's very difficult to calculate the ROI on something like this, but here's what I can say: We were able to layoff our network administrator, and give the network over to someone with very little experience. We saved a salary, and not many of my hours are currently being spent on the network. So I think the return is very high!
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing and licensing appear to be a bit high, but you get what you pay for. It's a great product with excellent customer support.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Meraki and that was a close second. In the end, I do believe we made the correct decision for our organization.
What other advice do I have?
When you are considering a move to Aerohive, ask if you can get a sample device to run on your network. I did this, played around with it for a while, and it helped tremendously.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Enterprise Systems Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
We spend less time configuring/maintaining/troubleshooting controllers at a multitude of sites. The initial configuration may seem a little daunting but is worth it.
What is most valuable?
- Centralized management of APs at separate locations (we have over 10,000 APs spread over more than 190 sites).
- VPN capability.
- Controller-less so that we don't have to worry about upgrading a controller to support newer models of APs when they are released, or having to configure many controllers.
How has it helped my organization?
- We spend less time configuring/maintaining/troubleshooting controllers at a multitude of sites.
- "Single pane of glass" to go to when we need to troubleshoot wireless.
- Good troubleshooting tools that are built-in.
What needs improvement?
- When there are errors, the description could be worded better to give you a better idea of what is wrong.
- GUI could be enhanced more to allow more advanced sorting, greater variety of bulk changes, and more useful information when making deletions in configurations.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used it for over 2 1/2 years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
We did have issues with deployment, but not because of Aerohive. The issues were because of the vendors doing the work (cabling contractors and AP installers).
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We didn't really have issues with stability, and they were a lot less than our previous solutions.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We had no issues with scalability at all. Aerohive scales very well.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
Customer service is great.
Technical Support:Tech support has been great.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Yes, we were primarily a Meru shop with a little bit of Aruba and Xirrus. We switched because Aerohive presented a much better solution when our wireless RFP went out. The cost and feature set to scale for our deployment just made Aerohive a clear winner.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was a little complex because we had never used the product, and we were making network changes to how things were configured previously.
What about the implementation team?
The configuration was a collaboration between in-house and an Aerohive engineer. The implementation in terms of cabling and actual installation of APs were done through a vendor. The vendor expertise was not as great as we would have liked.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Meru, Aruba, Cisco, and one other that I can't remember were all considered before Aerohive was chosen.
What other advice do I have?
The initial configuration of the Aerohive solution may seem a little daunting, but it is worth it and becomes a lot easier as you begin to use it and understand how it works. If you are coming from a multi-controller environment, you will be extremely happy.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
Comes with good security features but delay persists in information updation
Pros and Cons
- "ExtremeCloud IQ is an intuitive platform. The tool's ability to streamline network operations depends on the end customer. Sometimes it's quicker, and sometimes it takes much longer. It helps me to address network problems."
- "For me, the only issue is the potential delay in the tool statistics updating in real time after making changes."
What is most valuable?
ExtremeCloud IQ is an intuitive platform. The tool's ability to streamline network operations depends on the end customer. Sometimes it's quicker, and sometimes it takes much longer. It helps me to address network problems.
In our end customers, we activate two-factor authentication for login, ensuring very secure access. The tool's security features presented are also very good.
What needs improvement?
For me, the only issue is the potential delay in the tool statistics updating in real time after making changes.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product's stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool's scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
My experience with customer support is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
The major differences between ExtremeCloud IQ and competitors include the superior updating of devices and the overall better support provided by the cloud solution.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the tool's deployment a seven out of ten. The duration for deployment varies based on the client's specific configurations and requirements. It can range from one day to sometimes three days for final configuration and functionality. Three resources are enough to handle the tool's deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
ExtremeCloud IQ's pricing is high.
What other advice do I have?
ExtremeCloud IQ is considered a very good platform with excellent support, although there may be some concerns with pricing and a minor issue with information delay in statistics.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Senior Pre-sales consultant at Businesscom BV
Professional support, scales well, simple to use, and suits many needs for many customers
Pros and Cons
- "The support organization behind this product is extremely professional."
- "Having a wizard for customers who are just starting might be helpful."
What is our primary use case?
We are a distributor and ExtremeCloud IQ is one of the products that we have experience with. It is primarily used by bigger companies in industries such as healthcare.
What is most valuable?
The support organization behind this product is extremely professional.
This is a product that suits the many needs of many customers.
We are happy with the interface.
What needs improvement?
First time users may find it difficult to get going into the right direction. After registering for a new CloudIQ, where to start. Some guidance would be helpful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with ExtremeCloud IQ for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's extremely stable. Most of the time, it works like a charm.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a very scalable product. It works fine with two or three access points, but also in an environment where you have hundreds or even thousands of them.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have had no issues with technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. If you want to have a straightforward network, it's extremely simple to set up.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is not the cheapest product but I think that the price is reasonable because you get a lot of support of it's needed. This is a professional access point.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There are many alternatives that we evaluated, and we chose ExtremeCloud.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, we are definitely satisfied with this product. They are well ahead of what I want to see. Sometimes, when I think that a new feature might be nice, it's there already.
My advice for anybody who is looking at this product is that there may be a small barrier to getting started, but just jump over it and you will definitely be surprised by the simplicity of the whole product.
The autopilot version of Cloud IQ is coming, and it has a lot of artificial intelligence in it. It will handle jobs that the normal IT person does. You can just leave it alone, close the door and throw away the key.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Distributor
Network Administrator at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
It enabled mobility and district-wide consistent performance.
What is most valuable?
It provides cloud-based management and superior resiliency.
How has it helped my organization?
It enabled mobility and district-wide consistent performance.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used it for four years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
The PoE switches we purchased were/are very difficult to configure.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We encountered no issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We had no issues with scalability and, in fact, enlarging the environment was extremely simple.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
I haven't used it much, but it's great when I have.
Technical Support:Top notch! The technicians manning the help desk are very knowledgeable and proficient. They offer great advice and help with best practices.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had a completely different way of doing wireless, so this was a "start from scratch" project. I evaluated a number of vendors and visited several peer sites before choosing a solution, though.
How was the initial setup?
As straightforward as you could expect from a complex project. Aerohive was the easiest portion of it too.
What about the implementation team?
The vendor is a reseller of Aerohive and would get a C or C+ from me. We cut loose very early from needing their support though, and that is to the credit of Aeorhive who gets an A+.
What was our ROI?
This is a school district, so N/A.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Aruba, Rocket, Cisco, HP and one or two others.
What other advice do I have?
It has been a total success and well-received by our staff and students. If you need a wireless infrastructure, you cannot go wrong with Aerohive.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Network Technician Intern at a tech services company
We found that the AP250s perform better than the competition at almost half the cost
Pros and Cons
- "Whenever I have a concern, question, or just need a refresher the helpful staff at AeroHive is there to help me. By far, the ]best relationship I have ever had with a vendor."
- "A mobile app would be awesome."
What is most valuable?
The support.
The support team at Aerohive is out of this world! Whenever I have a concern, question, or just need a refresher the helpful staff at AeroHive is there to help me. By far, the best relationship I have ever had with a vendor.
What needs improvement?
A mobile app would be awesome.
For how long have I used the solution?
Two years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Nope.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Nope.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Nope.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
10 out of 10.
Technical Support:10 out of 10.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Cisco. We swapped to Aerohive because of many reasons.
- One reason is the installation. The install of the AP250s is much easier on the drop ceiling compared to their Meraki MR42 counterpart.
- Another reason is the price to performance. We found that the AP250s perform better than the MR42s at almost half the cost. With the money we saved, we were able to up our concentration of APs.
How was the initial setup?
Yes. As easy as 123!
What about the implementation team?
In-house.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Nope.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Buyer's Guide
Download our free ExtremeCloud IQ Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2025
Product Categories
Network Management Applications Network Access Control (NAC) Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)Popular Comparisons
Cisco DNA Center
DX Spectrum
HPE Intelligent Management Center
Juniper Mist Wired Assurance
ExtremeManagement
Buyer's Guide
Download our free ExtremeCloud IQ Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
- Which Network Management System is better, IBM Netcool or HP Node Manager?
- When evaluating Network Management Applications, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- Which Network Analyzer and Network Configuration Manager do you recommend?
- Which device do you recommend to use for traffic shaping & bandwidth optimization between P2P links?
- Installing the new IBM Tivoli "NOI" Application
- How has the Facebook outage (October 2021) happened? Could it have been prevented?
- Why is Network Management Applications important for companies?
Gary...Thank you for the great review. I love working at Aerohive and it makes me happy to see my customers taking time to share their viewpoint about Aerohive.
Michael