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it_user1291698 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director of Product Management at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees
Reseller
Good RFS characteristics, reliable, and the technical support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The reason we picked Ruckus, in addition to our long-standing relationship with them, is pretty much that the RFS characteristics of it seem to be the best."
  • "The price is an area that requires improvement. The pricing could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We are internet service providers. 

We use Ruckus in our business hotspot deployment. We sell to a customer who might have a coffee shop for example, and we would install one of the Ruckus access points so that they could deploy Wi-Fi to their patrons.

What is most valuable?

The reason we picked Ruckus, in addition to our long-standing relationship with them, is pretty much that the RFS characteristics of it seem to be the best. That's what we find useful. 

Also, we like the more remote deployment aspects of things as well.

What needs improvement?

The price is an area that requires improvement. The pricing could be better.

In the next release, I would like to understand more where presence analytics is going and IoT support. Is it going to be multi-way for IoT support?

I would like to see IoT presence analytics. 

For how long have I used the solution?

Our company has been using Ruckus Wireless for five years.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Ruckus Wireless is a scalable solution.

We have deployed 350 indoor access point solutions, and 650 outdoors.

We have 5,000 people in our company, but we are not the ones who are using this product. We sell 50 to 100 per month. We are incorporating it into our solution and selling it.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good. They are supportive. 

We don't call them often, and we don't really call them for technical support, we call them for integration support.

It's a different organization, we deal more with the enterprise support group.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was complex although it wasn't a problem with Ruckus, it was our problem.

We're not using any of the Ruckus cloud features. 

We're completely integrated into our own kind of a management portal and our own management system, so the issues are on our side, not theirs.

What about the implementation team?

We outsourced installation, but we design and support solutions ourselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We don't pay any licensing fees, we purchase them.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Ruckus Wireless to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Ruckus Wireless an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Assistan Manager & Team Lead Network Design Team at Comstar - Information Systems Associates Ltd.
Real User
Top 20
Offers excellent WiFi connectivity across APs along with a valuable SmartRoam feature
Pros and Cons
  • "Offers excellent WiFi connectivity and a valuable SmartRoam feature"
  • "The response time of the support team needs to improve"

What is our primary use case?

I have been using Ruckus Wireless along with WiFi devices and controllers. Our company mainly uses the solution to implement WiFi connectivity in customer environments, which are mostly hospitality sector establishments like premium hotels and other universities.

In our organization, we have witnessed a greater interest in Ruckus products from medium and large enterprises, especially for Ruckus network devices like switches and ports. Some of our organization's customers preferred to adopt cloud solutions from Ruckus because they were not willing to make large investments in a Dual LAN Controller.  

What is most valuable?

Ruckus Wireless offers excellent WiFi connectivity and a valuable SmartRoam feature. For example, when you roam around a location from one access point to another while connected to a WiFi device, the network remains uninterrupted throughout the roaming phase when Ruckus Wireless is used.  

Ruckus Wireless has a BeamFlex technology that empowers smart roaming. For instance, the product devices have integrated antennas and when a user is connected to one AP and keeps moving around in the same network area, the product ensures that the WiFi coverage remains the same in every area. If you are on a video call using Microsoft Teams and you move from one AP of Ruckus Wireless to another, the call doesn't get interrupted.

Ruckus Wireless incredibly supports IoT integration needs with numerous applications. I would rate Ruckus Wireless a nine out of ten and recommend that others use the solution. Ruckus Wireless is equipped well to handle new trends in WiFi technology.

What needs improvement?

The vendor should expand their product line and include routers, firewalls and large switches. The vendor should focus on providing a complete solution, as when a professional is designing a network for an organization, the person might need a firewall, security solution, and routing devices, but from Ruckus, the professional is only receiving WiFi solutions. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Ruckus Wireless for eight years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product offers impressive stability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. In our company, we work with Ruckus Wireless for small, medium and large enterprises. I personally work with large enterprises who are using Ruckus Wireless satisfactorily. 

How are customer service and support?

I would rate the technical support a six out of ten. The response time of the support team needs to improve. The tech support of Cisco is better than Ruckus Wireless in comparison. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

I would rate the initial setup an eight out of ten as the solution can be easily deployed. Our company's majority of customers of small and medium businesses prefer to deploy Ruckus Wireless on-prem, but some users, depending on their use cases and geographical location, prefer the cloud version. Any organization with multiple offices in numerous locations would prefer a cloud solution. 

The deployment process of Ruckus Wireless is extremely simple, and for medium-sized enterprises with a hundred APs, the installation can be finished within a week. The deployment duration of the product varies from case to case depending on the environment. 

What was our ROI?

Ruckus Wireless can provide a satisfying ROI. For a few customers of our organization, Ruckus Wireless was deployed five years ago and is still running seamlessly for them, and the investment cost has already been covered.  

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Ruckus Wireless is available at a reasonable price. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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MashukThakur - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Wireless Engineer at FASTtelco
Real User
Top 5
Reliable and easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "In my experience, Ruckus devices are much more reliable than other vendors when it comes to consistency, coverage, and client density. Ruckus is very simple to configure and troubleshoot."
  • "It is very difficult to convince the customer to choose Ruckus because of the price."

What is our primary use case?

It is generally deployed in hotels and sometimes for VIP customers.

What is most valuable?

In my experience, Ruckus devices are much more reliable than other vendors when it comes to consistency, coverage, and client density. Ruckus is very simple to configure and troubleshoot.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Ruckus Wireless for almost six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Ruckus Wireless is better than other solutions. I never hear complaints about coverage, connectivity, or speed. I've worked in the wireless field for almost 17 years, and I've only received one call about Ruckus. During the same time, I've received four calls about other solutions from other vendors.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I've deployed in JW Marriott Hotel with almost 900 access points. And I deployed it in one house with just 20 access points. So working with both big and small projects, I've had good customer feedback. Since I'm not receiving any complaints, I feel like it is working fine on any scale.

How are customer service and technical support?

In one of the hotels, it stopped broadcasting SSIDs, so I opened a ticket with Ruckus support. They upgraded the software of the controller and performed some configuration modifications, then it worked fine. I only faced that one issue, but this was their own issue. It was delayed too for the RNA. 

How was the initial setup?

For Ruckus Wireless, the setup is simple. The time for deployment has been increased somewhat. And deployment also depends on the quantity, but the solution is very easy to implement overall. Physically installation and configuration are simple. The access point is also much lighter than other solutions. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We sell both Ruckus and Aruba. Aruba is more complicated to use and less reliable than Ruckus, but it's also much less expensive. When we're quoting prices, we'll send the customer two quotations, one for Ruckus and one for Aruba. So for example, if a project costs $2,000 with Aruba, the same project will cost around $3,200 or $3,500 with Ruckus. It is very difficult to convince the customer to choose Ruckus because of the price. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Ruckus nine out 10. I'd also point out that Ruckus Wireless is high speed. And with Ruckus, you can use standalone or cloud-based. Standalone is much better. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: reseller
PeerSpot user
D6B8 - PeerSpot reviewer
District Technology at INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 196
User
Ruckus is a big dog in a dog-eat-dog world, if given the chance; will take a bite out of their competition
Pros and Cons
  • "Valuable features include Bonjour Gateway and the hardware antenna array."
  • "Sometimes doing mass changes on their products can be challenging."

What is our primary use case?

Ruckus has been deployed in our most demanding site, which has roughly 3400 associated clients per day. We are also leveraging Cloudpath to provide the WISPr guest portal with MAC authentication.

It should be noted that this site was previously serviced by another vendor. Due to the demands of wireless and the inability for the other vendor's deployment to meet our needs, we switched to Ruckus. It's been rock-solid since the implementation.

More recently we have moved our initial deployment to our elementary buildings. We have Ruckus implemented in about 25 sites currently.

How has it helped my organization?

The Ruckus solution was brought in to meet the higher than normal demands that we placed on our wireless network. After the minimal effort to get the system up and running, we've seen most if not all of our major wireless headaches disappear.

With the Cloudpath integration, our guest experience has been greatly improved. Our guests are now able to be self-sufficient in registering on our guest wireless network with a more streamlined and simple approach. The software was very easy to deploy and set up, which was a huge improvement over our previous solution.

Their Bonjour Gateway setup is also built into the product and has been helpful in bridging services from our wired network to our wireless network.

What is most valuable?

  • Ease of management - the system is very easy to manage and learn.
  • Cloudpath - this allows us to deploy captive portals that are advanced in nature to meet every need we can dream up.
  • Hardware antenna array - this is the secret sauce to why Ruckus is above their competition. They built the antenna array from the ground up, allowing them to achieve higher rates for clients and a more solid connection.
  • Bonjour gateway - built in Bonjour gateway to allow sharing services from one or two different VLANs.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes doing mass changes on their products can be challenging. Ruckus should spend more time developing methods to give enterprises more control over making needed changes quickly and easily. Their documentation also needs to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

About four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In the past year, we've seen issues on their platform in regards to slow speeds if you use firmware later than December 2018. They are working through it, but it does give pause for concern. Their recommended vSZ is actually older, so we are pushing the limits with our versioning. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No, their solutions are built with scalability in mind.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer service is by far one of the best outcomes of this product, I've been getting significantly better customer service than our previous vendor (Aruba).

We've had to engage both Ruckus and Cloudpath on a few things that have come up and the level of resolve they have shown is outstanding.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

The previous solution was Aruba, but after many issues with the performance of their solution, we were forced to make a needed change.

  • Clients would be kicked off randomly
  • Slow wireless network
  • APs would randomly reboot
  • Complicated management

How was the initial setup?

We attempted to leverage our existing ClearPass solution, but ran into issues with the integration in regards to MAC authentication. We ended up going with the Ruckus Cloudpath solution, which has been a blessing in disguise due to it being much easier to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented this solution with in-house resources, as well as Ruckus itself, and a vendor. The Ruckus level of expertise was far greater than the vendor.

What was our ROI?

We haven't calculated it, but with this implementation it would be in the thousands (for just one building). Less wiring was needed (fewer AP locations), less hardware was needed, and less licensing was needed.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Ruckus was much cheaper than their enterprise competition (Aruba, Cisco, etc.). We've found that Ruckus can handle the client density load with greater success than Aruba, so leveraging Ruckus has allowed us to lower our purchasing needs since we would need to procure fewer APs. Cloudpath would be an added cost if you wanted to deploy that solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate other options as our previous experience using Ruckus was positive.

What other advice do I have?

This solution is absolutely amazing! What they tout is very accurate and will work with your network/IT teams to develop a proven and well-catered solution to meet your every need.

I would highly recommend this product in high-density environments such as schools, universities, and hospitality settings. With the ease of setup, lower cost, and record of success, this is a slam dunk for schools that need to stretch their resources further.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
D6B8 - PeerSpot reviewer
D6B8District Technology at INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT 196
User

Such an easy way to manage a wireless network. We use Bonjour Gateway with Apple TVs, seems to work well.

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Iqbal Haider - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at Supernet Pvt Limited
Real User
I like the BeamFlex technology, Wi-Fi 6, and channel management features
Pros and Cons
  • "Ruckus Wireless is reliable. The most valuable features are BeamFlex technology, Wi-Fi 6, and channel management."
  • "Some customers have issues with the price because it's more expensive than Ubiquiti, but they can accept the cost because it's reliable and has more features."

What is our primary use case?

Our clients use Ruckus as a controller base in active-active mode or active-passive mode depending on their needs. We work primarily with universities that have over 30,000 users. 

What is most valuable?

Ruckus Wireless is reliable. The most valuable features are BeamFlex technology, Wi-Fi 6, and channel management.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been providing Ruckus for seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Ruckus six out of 10 for reliability.  Mostly, we face issues with this port.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I give Ruckus nine out of 10 for scalability.

How are customer service and support?

I rate Ruckus support seven out of 10. We have experience in this field, so we don't need vendor support, but my customers say the support is excellent. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

I rate Ruckus eight out of 10 for ease of setup. It depends on the size of the deployment, but we can deploy Ruckus for most clients in a day or two. It's straightforward,

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate Ruckus Wireless seven out of 10. Some customers have issues with the price because it's more expensive than Ubiquiti, but they can accept the cost because it's reliable and has more features.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Ruckus Wireless nine out of 10. I would recommend it.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Mahmoud Hilwani - PeerSpot reviewer
Board Member at SevenGate
Real User
It features a centralized architecture solution with ultrasound technology, which helps us with communication and roaming.
Pros and Cons
  • "Ruckus features a centralized architecture solution with ultrasound technology, which helps us with communication and roaming."
  • "The switching could be improved. The active component requires a data center. Cisco and HPE have a complete solution for data centers. Ruckus has a core solution, but the data center aspect needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are an integrator working primarily with government healthcare providers and clients in the education sector. We have multiple deployment modes, including on-premise, direct permission, and layer-to-layer. We have also cloud-based and virtual deployment.

Wireless is an essential technology these days. People use it on their phones or tablets. It works for many clients and numerous number of employees in different locations and in centralized board as well.

How has it helped my organization?

Since we became a Ruckus partner, we've managed to increase our sales, and it has helped us deliver better solutions for our clients. It's highly competitive with American and Chinese products, like Huawei and Aruba.

What is most valuable?

Ruckus features a centralized architecture solution with ultrasound technology, which helps us with communication and roaming.

What needs improvement?

The switching could be improved. The active component requires a data center. Cisco and HPE have a complete solution for data centers. Ruckus has a core solution, but the data center aspect needs to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Ruckus Wireless for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Ruckus' stability is excellent. Aruba is good as well, but Ruckus is better in my opinion. We receive fewer calls and tickets. Their sales and warranty are superb. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Ruckus Wireless is scalable. It's an IP-based process that's interoperable, so you can deploy it in any environment. 

How are customer service and support?

We are a tech support provider for Ruckus. We take calls and open tickets. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were previously an Aruba partner, but we switched to Ruckus because it's better. We've been in business for 15 years, and we have used Cisco, HPE, Extreme, Juniper, and several other vendors in that time.

How was the initial setup?

Ruckus provides us with tools that help us implement the solution. Also, our engineers are certified to do the design and implementation. We don't have a ready-made software design solution for it. It's all predeveloped from Ruckus. Most deployments are straightforward, but they can be complicated if a high level of integration is necessary. 

The time needed to deploy depends on the project and type of setup. For example, it takes about an hour to deploy the controller and AP, so it would take 100 person-hours for a project with 100 APs. The access point sometimes requires cabling, which takes time because you need technicians to do this. You may need one or two system engineers and one after-sales engineer. 

What was our ROI?

I can't give precise figures. Some partners or resellers get benefits from using these wireless in a hospitality setting. In our job, the ROI is clear.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is affordable. We get special codes from the vendor, so we can compete with others in the market. There are no hidden costs. The pricing is transparent. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Ruckus Wireless nine out of 10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Director Of Information Communication Technology at Dire dawa University
Real User
Effective user traceability and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "Ruckus Wireless supports the most recent technologies. We can trace every individual and what kind of traffic they're using on our campus. It is very helpful."
  • "The initial setup was not simple. We were installing indoor and outdoor wireless and this is why it took us three months."

What is our primary use case?

We use Ruckus Wireless for network security.

What is most valuable?

Ruckus Wireless supports the most recent technologies. We can trace every individual and what kind of traffic they're using on our campus. It is very helpful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Ruckus Wireless for approximately five months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Ruckus Wireless is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Ruckus Wireless is scalable.

We have approximately 1,800 users using the solution indoor and outdoor we are supporting approximately 50,000 users.

How are customer service and support?

We have not had any problem with the solution. We have a warranty with the solution which is good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We use Ruckus Wireless in parallel with Cisco because it is less expensive than Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not simple. We were installing indoor and outdoor wireless and this is why it took us three months.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation of the solution was done by the vendor. The time of the implementation took approximately three months.

We have 10 system administrators for the support of this solution. They check all activities on the campus.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Ruckus Wireless is less expensive than other solutions, such as Cisco.

We have licenses for 500 access points.

What other advice do I have?

As a network professional, and an IT manager in a university, the Ruckus product is working with all the vendor's standards. There are common standards, they can be called something different based on the vendors. Ruckus Wireless, in Ethiopia, is not popular, including Huawei. However, Cisco is popular.

This solution is very good and they should introduce it to their network because they could see many benefits.

I rate Ruckus Wireless an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Project Manager at SITWIFI
Real User
Outstanding when operating in a high-density environment
Pros and Cons
  • "Performance-wise, it's great."
  • "It would be nice if there was a way to compare access points and hardware so you can always get the same level of performance."

What is our primary use case?

Our clients use this solution for hotel and restaurant management, stadium management, and other forms of retail — typically for large environments. Still, for clients that don't have the resources for this type of hardware, we are looking for a cheaper solution or another enterprise-level access point.

Our clients are typically large businesses. They consist of a lot of major hotels; they all require huge deployments. We're talking hundreds, if not thousands of users. 

We have access points with EOL (end of life) — actually, they are working very well nowadays. Still, with the new technology, we need to improve these agreements because the new data rates need to be parallel with the new technology. That's the only reason the old access points are working so well.

What is most valuable?

Performance-wise, it's great. The throughput of the speed base and the capacity when it's operating in a high-density environment is outstanding. 

What needs improvement?

As an elite Ruckus partner, we get a big discount. That said, the analytics could be improved. Some of our engineers prefer the IQ platform in Extreme. They like the analytics and all of the information that they can validate from its cloud platform.

It would be nice if there was a way to compare access points and hardware so you can always get the same level of performance.

The platform that we have with version 5.12 has only just begun supporting R320. This makes things a little slow, especially in regard to the cloud menu. The analytics or maybe the kind of information that we can get about it could be better. We should be able to click on an icon for more graphics and less text.

For how long have I used the solution?

The company I work for has been using Ruckus Wireless for roughly 12 years. Personally, I have been using this solution for six years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, Ruckus Wireless is great. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is good. The SmartZone controllers have been working well. We know that they had a manufacturing issue with the first order as they had a lot of problems with the hard disks, but they seem to have resolved that problem. With the cloud, our clients have the capacity for a lot of systems.

How are customer service and technical support?

We haven't had any issues with the technical support.

How was the initial setup?

Personally, I think the deployment is easy. With Ruckus, there is a lot of documentation included to assist you with the initial setup. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We are the owners of the equipment. We rent out services to our customers. We pay for all of our devices and rent them out. We have contracts from anywhere from 36 months to five years. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Many of our customers also test and evaluate the analytics of Meraki. Analytics is very important to our customers. Ruckus has the ability to connect and get analytics, but you need to pay for that. With other platforms, we can get a lot of information for free. With Meraki, you need to pay for a license on a year-to-year basis.

What other advice do I have?

With Ruckus, even if you have a big environment, you can get great performance with only one access point. 

Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of nine.  

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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