The tool is expensive.
An appropriate wireless tool for high-density environments with high scalability
Pros and Cons
- "The tool is expensive."
What needs improvement?
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Ruckus Wireless for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable but have some issues. I rate it five out of ten on stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
100-150 users are using this solution.
I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.
Buyer's Guide
Ruckus Wireless
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Ruckus Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
How are customer service and support?
Support sometimes provides delayed response.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Cisco and Aruba. We switched to Ruckus because it is cheaper than Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not easy and takes few days to complete. Professional teams find it difficult. I rate it two out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
We use some integrators for the infrastructure enhancement.
What other advice do I have?
The tool is very appropriate for high-density environments. We use it for outdoor areas and factories. It’s been useful for our dense environments.
Different WiFi routers are cheaper and cover areas quite well. They work in different environments. They have cellular connectivity.
Overall, I rate the solution 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.
Last updated: Jul 8, 2024
Flag as inappropriateOwner at DIGITAL HORIZON
A fantastic enterprise solution with good stability, security, and balancing between the access points
Pros and Cons
- "Zero-handoff is one of the top features. The client balancing between the access points is good. Its security is also fine."
- "Its pricing and licensing can be improved. Its UI can also be more user-friendly. Currently, in the Unleashed mode, the information that you have about the switches that you add to the controller is quite limited. I would like more information regarding switches. In this mode, an access point acts as a controller, so you don't need a controller. It is for deployments with less than 125 access points, and you can use an access point as a controller."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it for hospitality and private companies. I have a private cloud server acting as a controller, and I also have it on-premises for some of the clients. Some of the clients also have it in the Unleashed mode, and they're using the embedded controller on the access point.
How has it helped my organization?
Our clients have significantly improved their functions by reducing the number of access points and avoiding downtime, disconnect issues, and other issues.
I was trying to solve a problem for a client who had multiple access points to cover an area. There were several issues, and a colleague of mine suggested using Ruckus, and it was a revelation. It resolved all our issues. We changed from 12 access points to 3 access points, and everything started to work.
What is most valuable?
Zero-handoff is one of the top features. The client balancing between the access points is good. Its security is also fine.
What needs improvement?
Its pricing and licensing can be improved. Its UI can also be more user-friendly.
Currently, in the Unleashed mode, the information that you have about the switches that you add to the controller is quite limited. I would like more information regarding switches. In this mode, an access point acts as a controller, so you don't need a controller. It is for deployments with less than 125 access points, and you can use an access point as a controller.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for the last five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is quite stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is fine. When and if I need something, they respond instantly.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used several solutions. In some cases, I am still using Ubiquity. If I have advanced requirements or need an enterprise solution, I go for Ruckus.
How was the initial setup?
I have cloud and on-premises setups. Most of them were straightforward. Some of them were complex. In general, it takes a few hours for a site.
What about the implementation team?
I am a reseller and system integrator.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It depends on the client. You have an initial license cost that you need to buy to bind the access point with the controller. This is a one-time fee. You also have to pay the support fee that, if I remember correctly, is about $25 per access point. Its pricing and licensing can be improved.
What other advice do I have?
I am mostly using it as an access point. I plan to increase its usage and increase the number of companies. I would advise others to test the product. It is a fantastic product.
I would rate Ruckus Wireless a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Buyer's Guide
Ruckus Wireless
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Ruckus Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Technical support engineer at VNextGen
Easily connects customers with access points, but the product licensing could be better
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is straightforward."
- "The product licensing could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for the solution is connecting customers easily with access points, which we deploy on-premises.
What is most valuable?
We are using cloud and Lyft, and it's on directly. We work with Flexi meters.
What needs improvement?
The product licensing could be improved. We are currently facing some challenges with licensing for one of the customers for RUCKUS Cloud. We have been implementing RUCKUS Wireless for three years. However, two days ago, we activated licenses for 61 devices and 15 automatically, but it is not synced to the RUCKUS Cloud. Hence, we activated it in the cloud and the support portal, but we are not accepted in the RUCKUS Cloud. Additionally, Wireless LAN can be included in a future release.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable, and we have approximately 50 users utilizing the solution. I rate it an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I rate customer service and support a five out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Aruba, but we chose this solution because of its performance and configuration.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a six out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Vice President at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Good performance, easy to deploy, and the support is responsive
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the performance. It works great."
- "I would like to see this product made a little more economical because it's very expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We are a solution provider and Ruckus is one of the wireless networking products that we implement for our customers. In this context, we are a managed service provider because after well sell the package, then deploy it, we manage it for them.
This is a full solution including Rucks Access Points, Rucks Switching, Ruckes Cloud Controller, and we have a point-to-point set up in these installations. It's multiple locations, but they're all pretty similar to each other.
As a managed service provider, we are a little different than a reseller. Our relationships are not with the companies that are selling us the equipment, it's more with our customers. So, we're trying to put ourselves in a position that we're making those decisions not based on a relationship with a vendor because those can change as technology changes. Today it might be Ruckus, tomorrow it could be Cisco Meraki. It's all based on customer needs and what they're looking for. Though, the vendor relationship is also important because, obviously, we need to support all of this stuff
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the performance. It works great.
The second most important feature is that it is super easy to deploy. As an example, we deployed this without having any of our physical techs on site. We basically used a contractor to put stuff where we asked for it to be put, but there were no real technical people on site, due to COVID. It is a very large processing plant, so they have maintenance people that we were able to ask to plug things in and place hardware. Pretty simple stuff. After that, we were able to remotely configure and optimize the setup remotely. Again, we didn't buy it because of that, but that turned out to be a huge benefit to going with this product.
What needs improvement?
The management software is cloud-based and they're constantly revising their cloud software, so there's always room for improvement.
I would like to see this product made a little more economical because it's very expensive. If I look at the percentage of my customers that I can sell it to, it's under 5%.
For how long have I used the solution?
Our deployment for Ruckus Wireless started several months ago, at the beginning of this year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Ruckus Wireless is extremely stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This product is very easy to scale and I have a couple of pretty decently-sized Ruckus deployments.
The one that we are currently working on is a very physically large deployment and it's a mix of indoor and outdoor access points. Inside the single physical location, there's a pretty large distance between the location itself and an offsite, which is the reason we have a point-to-point.
There is the main physical location and then there is an offsite a couple of miles away, which is part of the deployment. The offsite doesn't really have any physical structures, though it does need the ability to have wireless. So, we're using a point-to-point to connect the two.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is tiered. Their first level of support is very responsive, maybe not super technical. But again, depending on the size of the problem, they are pretty quick to offer more advanced, technical support or escalate technical support pretty quickly.
We ran into a few issues during this deployment, where stuff wasn't working the way we thought it should be, or we were having some difficulties configuring things, and they were very, very responsive to get involved in it. It seemed like that response was also pretty much on demand. So, even if we would call late in the day or at night, they were able to get someone on support. We rarely had to wait until the next day to get anything resolved.
How was the initial setup?
It is set up as a public cloud, with the vendor's controller on its cloud. All of the equipment is on-premises but managed remotely through the cloud.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team is responsible for deployment and maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is a very expensive solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Ruckus has a very specific niche and is surely not the cheapest solution. You have to have customers that are willing to spend that kind of money. If they are willing, then it's a really good solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 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
Ingeniero de redes at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Provides a smart antenna that delivers good performance
Pros and Cons
- "The smart antenna is very good."
- "The cost could be improved."
What is most valuable?
The smart antenna is very good. The Ruckus equipment includes an array of antennas that move the radiation pattern in the direction that is more demanding of the service. Now, it's a standard in the new access points of almost all the vendors, but in some cases it's not enough. With Ruckus, you have very good performance, and the smart antennae is the key feature to deliver that kind of performance.
What needs improvement?
The cost could be improved.
How was the initial setup?
Ruckus is a little bit complicated. They weren't using the cloud at the beginning. Later, they included a cloud platform, so it became an easier deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Ruckus is more expensive than Meraki, but the performance moves in parallel with the cost.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
If you want to deliver a very good and reliable network, don't introduce Meraki. I would go with Ruckus.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Ruckus as nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Product Manager at voxtelecom
Analytics is the most valuable feature from my perspective
Pros and Cons
- "I'm not on the technical side, so I personally haven't configured Ruckus Wireless. We've got some staff that manages that for us. But if I had to say a most valuable feature from my perspective, it would maybe be Ruckus Analytics."
- "In the last year, there's been a significant price jump, but I think Ruckus Wireless is still a good value for the money."
What is most valuable?
I'm not on the technical side, I would say one of the most valuable features from my perspective is Ruckus Analytics.
What needs improvement?
Ruckus Wireless already has mesh networking. I look forward to see how stable the WiFi 6 mesh is compared to a cabling solution of access points.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Ruckus is the first high end enterprise grade Wi-Fi product I have been this actively involved with. Our company also engages with Aruba, however, we have not deployed as many Aruba solutions lately.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Ruckus Wireless is probably quite intuitive. I haven't set it up myself, but it looks forgiving from what I've seen.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In the last year, there's been a significant price jump, but I think Ruckus Wireless products are good value for the money. You get quality products at a reasonable price.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Ruckus Wireless 10 out of 10. Overall, we are very satisfied with Ruckus support and hardware.
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: Partner
Managing Director at Dataway
Easy to manage and deploy and covers many use cases
Pros and Cons
- "The product is extremely easy to manage after it is implemented."
- "The solution isn't the cheapest option. However, you are getting a quality product."
What is our primary use case?
We are a reseller, our clients' use cases are quite broad but mainly focussed on SMB with multiple locations. A main office and satellite branches. This is where the cloud controller comes into its own.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very easy to deploy.
The product is extremely easy to manage after it is implemented.
Ruckus is very innovative as a company and they currently drive improvements to the WiFi standards themselves. Their range of products is broad. It covers all the requirements I have, which aren't as broad as the whole market. We don't do many outdoor installations, for example, however, they cover outdoor as well as point to point and they seem to work well.
What needs improvement?
Whilst vendors are always working to improve the features of their products and make them more attractive than the competition, I cannot identify any core features which are missing. Of course, today the product offers all kinds of features, many more than our specific requirements demand.
The solution isn't the cheapest option on the market. However, you are getting a quality product. Cheap is not always best. Cheap can come back and bite you.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have sold Ruckus wireless for the past ten years at this point. It's been quite a while, way before they went public. They have been bought and sold a couple of times in recent years but the quality remains. They have fantastic people and the product is exemplary.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
When the new cloud controller came out it was functional but lacked some of the finesse of other solutions. That did not matter as much as it was an excellent product from an AP perspective. The refinements in the interface have come and Ruckus continue to innovate. I prefer a good AP over a fancy interface any day.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very easy to scale. Once you have the cloud configured and set up, you can post a single access point to remote location. Plug it in and off you go or you can pre-provision hundreds of them in advance for a mass deployment.
How are customer service and technical support?
If there is an issue, the support is very responsive. Very helpful, never failed me in ten years.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used other solutions in the past. Occasionally, we do installations for clients that go against our advice and then often we have issues, however, with Ruckus, this is never the case. Never, in all the years.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't complex. It's pretty straightforward.
Obviously, you have to mount access points and in the right locations. You've got to screw holes in the wall and stick it to the wall or ceiling or whatever. Once the physical installation is done and it's connected to the network/internet, which, again, is part of any kind of hardware deployments. It takes about 20 minutes to deploy a new access point from scratch.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Obviously, there's a cost factor. It's not the lowest cost solution, however, from an engineering standpoint, which is what we're more interested in, you have to ask does it work? Does it work well? The answer is yes and yes.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We continually monitor the competition. In enterprise WiFi there are about 4 or 5 contenders from my point of view. In the past Ruckus did not have a cloud management solution and that was an issue. Now it's not an issue.
What other advice do I have?
We are an authorised reseller of the product.
The reason that we sell Ruckus Wireless is that, in my opinion, it's the best-engineered hardware solution. Ruckus are innovative and define many standards in wireless technology, they apply those standards to their products and their products work very well.
We stripped away all the marketing blurb that various companies do when they're jockeying for position. The proof is in the deployment, how happy the clients are, how easy it is to deploy, and how easy it is to manage afterwards.
This solution has one of the easiest deployments. Obviously, whether I recommend it or not depends on my clients' requirements, however, I would wholeheartedly recommend Ruckus over other solutions. Having had firsthand experience of Ruckus, as well as other solutions, we do prefer it.
Overall, I'd rate the solution nine out of ten... I don't do ten!
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Director of Product Management at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees
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.
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 technical 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
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Updated: December 2024
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