No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.
it_user1562814 - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Engineer at JUHSD
Real User
Apr 30, 2021
Reliable with good performance, good backend, and good ability to provision the devices
Pros and Cons
  • "The APs themselves have been pretty solid. We haven't had too many of them go bad or anything like that. The wireless performance seems pretty good. The ability to provision the devices is pretty good, and the back end is also pretty good."
  • "Their support has been lacking a little bit and needs to be improved. I have had a ticket open for a month, and it is really hard to get a resolution out of them. They haven't really come out with anything that is much of an improvement in a long time. It has mostly just been fixes and things like that. We used to have a ZoneDirector or a physical controller for the wireless network, and that was kind of end of life. It was very old, and at the time, we were expanding the wireless network, and we didn't want to rely on one piece of hardware that was pretty old. So, we went to SmartZone Cluster, which has two VMs in a cluster. Unfortunately, we lost the feature ability for guest networks and other things that we were using before, and Ruckus just kind of told us that they weren't supporting that feature in the newer product, which is not really great. I was told initially that SmartZone was an upgrade to ZoneDirector. It is the logical thing to think that it is going to have all the same features, but it didn't. The issue that we have right now is onboarding BYOD devices. It is not really great for us, and we're looking for a new product to make that easier. We did have Cloudpath, which was a product that Ruckus purchased from another company that was an onboarding solution, but it just didn't really work very well for us. So, we discontinued using it, and it actually created more confusion for people. They should make BYOD or guest network portals a lot easier and better. In some areas, we have been having issues because there are just so many WAPs that are so close that we had to manually turn down the radio of power because the automatic feature of the AP wasn't really doing it right. It should also have a little bit better RF analysis capability to be able to see on the controller side. The front end for our staff, students, and guests has also not been quite as good as we had hoped."
  • "Their support has been lacking a little bit and needs to be improved. I have had a ticket open for a month, and it is really hard to get a resolution out of them."

What is our primary use case?

We started rolling out Ruckus access points about eight years ago, but it was a very small deployment. We only had about 15 or 20 devices, and later on, we did a bond measure upgrade to basically go and expand that to having one per classroom and a few in the common areas such as cafeteria, gyms, and stuff like that. The idea was that we were going to put on-premises one-to-one, which is like putting a Chrome cart of 35 devices in each classroom. We wanted to be able to have the ability to have high-density wireless in the school district and up to possibly 80 devices per room because we were thinking of BYOD and devices that we already have. Generally, it was to be used for just normal day-to-day access to the network and internet.

We now have about 350 WAPs. Half of them have been installed over three years, and the other half are probably installed just under three years. We did a switch refresh in 2015, and we went with Brocade to replace our aging Cisco equipment, which was probably 20 years old. So, that's what we have right now. 

We are basically using the latest version of SmartZone. We are up to date on that. Unfortunately, about 98 of our wireless access points are now considered end-of-service. They don't support the newer boot code, so we had to create a separate zone. They are on a kind of legacy firmware that is probably about five or six versions back. Our other zone has the latest AP firmware. They basically have separate firmware. They are basically doing a firmware for the controller and then a firmware for the APs. You could even elect to have different firmwares per AP.

What is most valuable?

The APs themselves have been pretty solid. We haven't had too many of them go bad or anything like that. The wireless performance seems pretty good.

The ability to provision the devices is pretty good, and the back end is also pretty good.

What needs improvement?

Their support has been lacking a little bit and needs to be improved. I have had a ticket open for a month, and it is really hard to get a resolution out of them.

They haven't really come out with anything that is much of an improvement in a long time. It has mostly just been fixes and things like that. We used to have a ZoneDirector or a physical controller for the wireless network, and that was kind of end of life. It was very old, and at the time, we were expanding the wireless network, and we didn't want to rely on one piece of hardware that was pretty old. So, we went to SmartZone Cluster, which has two VMs in a cluster. Unfortunately, we lost the feature ability for guest networks and other things that we were using before, and Ruckus just kind of told us that they weren't supporting that feature in the newer product, which is not really great. I was told initially that SmartZone was an upgrade to ZoneDirector. It is the logical thing to think that it is going to have all the same features, but it didn't. 

The issue that we have right now is onboarding BYOD devices. It is not really great for us, and we're looking for a new product to make that easier. We did have Cloudpath, which was a product that Ruckus purchased from another company that was an onboarding solution, but it just didn't really work very well for us. So, we discontinued using it, and it actually created more confusion for people. They should make BYOD or guest network portals a lot easier and better.

In some areas, we have been having issues because there are just so many WAPs that are so close that we had to manually turn down the radio of power because the automatic feature of the AP wasn't really doing it right. It should also have a little bit better RF analysis capability to be able to see on the controller side. The front end for our staff, students, and guests has also not been quite as good as we had hoped.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about eight years.

Buyer's Guide
Ruckus Wireless
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Ruckus Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
903,118 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has been pretty reliable. I have not had any issues recently. A couple of times, we had some issues while upgrading the path to the latest version of the controller software, for which it took a long time to get a resolution, but otherwise, the system works pretty well.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. It seemed pretty easy to scale. We went from having 25 to 350 devices, and it wasn't too difficult. The hardest part is just getting them in the physical location.

In terms of the number of users, it could potentially be up to 4,000 people. When we had full normal school going on, we were seeing somewhere around 1,900 clients a day on average.

How are customer service and support?

One of the deficiencies that they have right now is their support. A lot of times I've opened a ticket with them, and I have this back and forth communication going on. I have had a ticket open for a month, and it is really hard to get a resolution out of them. I would rate them a five out of ten.

Before they had the mergers, their support used to be really good. They have been really good in the beginning, but the company suffered a little bit from being bought out a couple of times. Brocade bought Ruckus, and then ERIS bought them. They then got bought by Broadcom, who sold off half of Brocade's business and then spun the campus switch over to Ruckus Networks. After that, they got bought by CommScope. So, the support has been lacking a little bit.

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

In terms of an enterprise solution, this is the only solution that we have been using. Before that, we had some kind of APs that weren't really controller-based.

How was the initial setup?

It was pretty straightforward. Once we had it kind of configured and dialed out, it was pretty easy. Obviously, different buildings, devices, and things can be complex. There is no blanket setting that works for all places. 

On campuses where we have buildings more spread out, it works better. When we have one site that is basically a whole giant building, the WiFi is a little too dense there, and we had to manually change some settings for that.

As far as adding an AP is concerned, it is pretty easy. You plug it in, and it contacts the SmartZone controller and downloads the firmware. After that, it shows up as a new available AP. You just put whatever WLAN or zone that you want it to be in.

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

It is decently priced.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to make sure that they do a good demo and the feature set meets what they want.

I would rate Ruckus Wireless an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Owner at DIGITAL HORIZON
Reseller
Apr 30, 2021
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."
  • "Our clients have significantly improved their functions by reducing the number of access points and avoiding downtime, disconnect issues, and other issues."
  • "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."
  • "Its pricing and licensing can be improved. Its UI can also be more user-friendly."

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
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Ruckus Wireless
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Ruckus Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
903,118 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Director General at INNOVAR IT SAS
Reseller
Dec 31, 2020
Eases wireless integration with existing networks and supports many devices
Pros and Cons
  • "For me, the most valuable features are good integration with the customer's existing network and the ease of deployment and configuration. Ruckus products are also easy to learn to manage and deploy for not only our own staff, but also for the IT workers in the customer's organization."
  • "In the years that we have worked with Ruckus, we have found it to be a very comfortable solution for both my own company and our customers."
  • "Ruckus products, overall, have a wide range of useful features, however not all customers have the budget to buy a corporate Wi-Fi solution. Most of the time, it's far too expensive for our clients to consider going with Ruckus, and they might like to see cheaper solutions in the Ruckus range."

What is our primary use case?

We have two customers where we implemented on-premises solutions with Ruckus Wireless, making use of Ruckus Unleashed and access point models R510, R610, and R320. 

Our one customer is a small-medium business and they have 50 to 100 employees, and the most recent solution that we implemented was for a government client where we installed 17 access points.

How has it helped my organization?

In the years that we have worked with Ruckus, we have found it to be a very comfortable solution for both my own company and our customers. Ruckus enables us to give organizations better wireless access to their network, and can support many devices.

With Ruckus, alongside some Aruba products, we are able to more easily solve communication problems in the companies we work with.

What is most valuable?

For me, the most valuable features are good integration with the customer's existing network and the ease of deployment and configuration. Ruckus products are also easy to learn to manage and deploy for not only our own staff, but also for the IT workers in the customer's organization.

    What needs improvement?

    Ruckus products, overall, have a wide range of useful features, however not all customers have the budget to buy a corporate Wi-Fi solution. Most of the time, it's far too expensive for our clients to consider going with Ruckus, and they might like to see cheaper solutions in the Ruckus range.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Ruckus Wireless for five years now.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Ruckus products are very, very stable. We have clients that can go one or two years with no issues at all, and with other clients we tend to see only minor issues with the wireless network.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Up until 25 access points, things are very simple. When you get to more than 25 access points, you need a controller and it is sometimes an issue for clients because they generally don't want to spend more buying the controller. 

    How are customer service and technical support?

    The support from Ruckus Wireless is acceptable. When we open a support case, they normally respond in a short amount of time.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is easy. 

    What about the implementation team?

    Our implementation process is very quick, and it normally takes only one or two days. It's especially quick to implement when we already have all the equipment and cabling ready to connect and configure on the customer's premises.

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

    Not all of our clients can afford a fully corporate solution like Ruckus. But for many of our clients, pricing is the only factor that prevents them from choosing Ruckus, as we have found Ruckus to be a very suitable and reliable solution for integrating wireless access points to a company's network.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Normally, here in Medellín, Columbia where we work, the clients consider Ubiquiti or TP-Link first because they're cheaper. 

    What other advice do I have?

    Ruckus incorporates the latest technology in their products and they are indeed very fast performance-wise.

    I would rate Ruckus Wireless a nine 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
    Vice President at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
    Reseller
    Dec 8, 2020
    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
    PeerSpot user
    Independent Consultant - Wireless
    Real User
    Nov 17, 2020
    Very fast with good technical support and very good scalability
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is very stable; I've worked with it at a hospital before, where we deployed it all over the hospital, and it worked everywhere and continuously worked flawlessly."
    • "What would be interesting to see is if they had more of an ability for their customers to capture revenue. They should offer some sort of gateway functionality that you could tie through radius authentication, so you can bill the customers. That way, when you go in, you could just have a device and set up a hotspot, and it's a totally billable tool at that point."
    • "The initial setup is not straightforward per se. You really have to know what you're doing."

    What is our primary use case?

    I primarily use the solution for pretty much everything worked-related and for e-commerce and studying. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    It basically allows you to go everywhere in your office or at your house or even outside your house and be connected. If you wanted to go do a Zoom right by the pool, you can go Zoom by the pool. Or in your office. Basically, I live in a house that's got a lot of trees around it and I've got some outdoor APS. I can pretty much conduct business from wherever I want without having to worry about a lost signal or drop-off.

    What is most valuable?

    I use the Wave 2 platform. It'll get up to close to approximately 800 megabits or something to that extent. It outruns whatever internet connection you have.

    The wireless is just very fast, and it has a frequency set that can work around local interference that houses have even if some of their cheaper routers are broadcasting on a given channel. We can tune our wireless network and open up a lot of channels with DFS and stuff like that.

    It's a pretty solid product. Once, at the hospital I worked with, they had a model and they went from a 300 to a 310. The 300 had a certain power output range, and everything was designed perfectly. Then, as it turned out, 310 didn't cover as much. We had to replace it with the next model up which is the 610 to maintain the coverage we expected. They were good about it and didn't charge us for the change.

    What needs improvement?

    I really don't need anything faster right now. However, if I would like to get a faster speed eventually. I have a gigabit at my townhome. I'd like to be able to get an APX to add a whole gig on.

    What would be interesting to see is if they had more of an ability for their customers to capture revenue. They should offer some sort of gateway functionality that you could tie through radius authentication, so you can bill the customers. That way, when you go in, you could just have a device and set up a hotspot, and it's a totally billable tool at that point.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for a couple of years. I pretty much use it all the time.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is very stable. I've worked with it at a hospital before, where we deployed it all over the hospital. It worked everywhere and continuously worked flawlessly.

    Sometimes they have their own glitches when there's a release of new software, like any company. However, once you get them stabilized, they're really good systems. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is very easy to scale. That's, what's nice about it. In our office, we only had to have one AP to cover the whole thing. Their whole business strategy is, for every five APs you might install another grid or eight to double. We do it for three, due to the fact that they have such great independent technology.

    I have about 20 users at home and maybe ten users in the office.

    I just got an internet connection in my house at a 400 megabits download speed. If I max it out on it and I think I did, on my laptop, I'm going to move to the next evolution of the product. I plan to increase usage in the future and I plan on deploying it in the future on other projects I'll be working on.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    While technical support is very good, I'd advise that you need to make sure that whatever you do, you have a good backup.

    Technical support, in general, is not too hard to get to, however, depending on the difficulty of the problem, you need to get advanced level support. If you need them, you just have to ask them for it, beyond talking to the first guy you get on the phone.

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

    I've used a variety of different solutions in the past. I've been using Ruckus for quite a bit of time now. However, before that, it would be just a router that I bought. For example, a Linksys or Ubiquiti, or something like that. 

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is not straightforward per se. You really have to know what you're doing. At my house, I use a commercial-grade solution. I loaded this special software onto the product (that they have on their website) to make it like a standalone product with their own small standalone network. I have basically programmed everything myself. You have to really be pretty smart at it, to be honest with you. It's not just something somebody can just pick up. However, I've worked with it for ten years, so I know the equipment inside and out.

    In terms of deployment, for what I had to do, at the locations I'm speaking of, it was very simple. The only thing is that the house is that I have a porch on the second floor overlooking the pool, and then it looks into this wooded area behind my house. It's got a pretty good set up. I have an AP sitting on a tree out there and I'm running power to it. It's like filling in that whole area, mesh unit, wireless swings, so I can get power to it from the pool. It's just awesome to have wifi everywhere.

    What about the implementation team?

    I handled the deployment myself. I also handle the maintenance, if any is needed, on my own. It's not too hard as I have a good background in the technology.

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

    For me, licensing is zero. You don't really need to have any licensing for what I own. The only thing is, unless there's some software update that you need, you don't have the support. If you're stable and it runs, you don't need to do anything. However, if you need those software updates they'll make you pay. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I'm a consultant. I was a partner of Ruckus at another company, however, right now, I am just a customer.

    I've got the solution installed in my office and directly connected to an AP. Then, at home, I've got a mesh network. I basically meshed three of these solutions together.

    They do a lot of stadiums and outdoor areas and works very well.

    I'd advise others considering the solution that, when you're implementing your wireless products or area of coverage, make sure you test it. Also, make sure that you have the proper signaling to the outer edge where you want coverage. That's what I would say, no matter what product you bring in. Just test its capabilities to make sure it does what you need it to do.

    Overall, I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Managing Director at Dataway
    Reseller
    Nov 13, 2020
    Easy to manage and deploy and covers many use cases
    Pros and Cons
    • "The product is extremely easy to manage after it is implemented."
    • "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."
    • "The solution isn't the cheapest option. However, you are getting a quality product."
    • "The solution isn't the cheapest option on the market."

    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
    PeerSpot user
    it_user1291698 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Director of Product Management at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees
    Reseller
    Oct 31, 2020
    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
    PeerSpot user
    Anders Wall - PeerSpot reviewer
    CIO at Vätterleden Invest AB
    Real User
    Oct 26, 2020
    Easy to manage, with a portal that makes it easy to find access points and clients
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature is the portal."
    • "Previously, we were working with Cisco; it was more complex to manage the Cisco Network and the setup was more complicated, so we decided to go with Ruckus Wireless because it was easier to use, more user-friendly, and the price was better."
    • "It would be helpful if the wizard when you are setting up a new access point or a wireless guest network could have more suggestions on default; there are too many checkboxes to get it to work."

    What is our primary use case?

    This product provides wireless access in our warehouse and the Office and for Guest.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Now ther is no one complaining that have no access ore lost access.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature is the portal. It's easy to find access points and clients.

    This product is easy to manage.

    What needs improvement?

    It would be helpful  if  the wizard when you are setting up a new access point or a wireless guest network. Could have more sugestion on default. There are too many checkboxes to get it to work.

    There should be some ? you could klick on to get a short explanation what it means.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with Ruckus Wireless for approximately six months. In the past two years ago we alos hade a Ruchkus on prem.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's very stable. We have not had any issues at all.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It's scalable. We have not had any problems. It's easy to add more users.

    We have approximately 90 users in our warehouse.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    We have not had the need to contact technical support. The solution has been working.

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

    Previously, we were working with Cisco. It was more complex to manage the Cisco Network and the setup was more complicated. This was the main reason that we switched. 

    We decided to go with Ruckus Wireless because it was easier to use and more user-friendly and the price was better.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was quite straightforward. It was quite easy to set it up and get it working.

    What about the implementation team?

    We use a vendor. It was straight forwrad. It was working dicect when we connected our AP.

    What was our ROI?

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

    The price is reasonable. It's better priced than Cisco.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Cisco Meraki and Cisco.

    What other advice do I have?

    We are using the latest version and it upgrades automatically.

    I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Director Of Technical Operations at GT Church
    Real User
    Oct 17, 2020
    Provides good roaming capabilities and the option to have redundant backup controllers
    Pros and Cons
    • "Its roaming capabilities and the fact that we can have redundant backup controllers are the most valuable. There is a backup controller that is heart beated to the primary. It is also fairly easy to install."
    • "Its interface could be a little bit more user friendly."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are a big church, so we have to cover a 100,000 square foot building plus another 3,000 square foot building. We have Ruckus Wireless in two locations. We are on Zone Director 1200.

    Our other office is running over a VPN, so it keeps connected to the Zone Director via VPN for any information that is needed, but it still works. The nice part is that they work on the internet connection that is local to the office that they are in. They work independently. Nothing comes through the controller. They just use the controller to authenticate and know what is going on with the unit.

    What is most valuable?

    Its roaming capabilities and the fact that we can have redundant backup controllers are the most valuable. There is a backup controller that is heart beated to the primary. It is also fairly easy to install.

    What needs improvement?

    Its interface could be a little bit more user friendly.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Ruckus Wireless for six or seven years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Its stability has been acceptable.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I have contacted them. So far, so good. There are no major issues with them. They have been pretty responsive.

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

    We used SonicPoint, which is with SonicWall. The only reason for switching was that it wasn't their main thing. They were more of a firewall, and they had it as a secondary thing. We needed something that was much more robust with more capabilities per access point. We have 250 or more people on an access point.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was easy.

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

    We paid for a three-year contract last year. I am not sure about what we paid. It is certainly less expensive than Meraki.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would advise looking at the cloud version. If we had not renewed our licensing for the standalone, we would probably look at going with the cloud solution because it is easy to support.

    I would rate Ruckus Wireless an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Founding President at Cambio Broadband, LLC.
    Real User
    Jun 28, 2020
    Extremely scalable, great mesh technology, and capable of whitelisting networks
    Pros and Cons
    • "The mesh technology is the solution's most valuable aspect. Ruckus originally had the patent for it. They might've lost it because I see now that other people are doing it, however, they were the ones who came out with the smart mesh technology first, which is phenomenal."
    • "They have so many products that there are so many different part numbers for the US and other countries. That means it's easy to make a mistake with the licensing. You have to have somebody knowledgeable on the other end with the licensing. If you make one mistake, it can be a $2,000 mistake."
    • "The company is floundering after so many changes to the organization."

    What is most valuable?

    The mesh technology is the solution's most valuable aspect. Ruckus originally had the patent for it. They might've lost it because I see now that other people are doing it, however, they were the ones who came out with the smart mesh technology first, which is phenomenal.

    Ruckus is superior when it comes to indoor and some outdoor wireless. I use it for some arenas. The T750 outdoor access point is fantastic. The bridges to get to the access points are great. 

    Ruckus offers a technology that works with frequencies, which is excellent. That means if there are other access points or other wireless interference in the area, Ruckus has enough frequency band to change frequencies automatically. So they're never being interrupted.

    Another excellent feature Ruckus offer is, if you have access points or other items in your organization, in, say New York City, and your network doesn' want interference, they can cancel out other access points around there. Especially in a place like New York city, you're picking up stuff from other buildings. With Ruckus, you could block those access points and those signals to make your network the only one that people can see within that network. To this day, I haven't had this experience on Mist or Aruba. You can also whitelist certain networks. It's an excellent amount of control that's provided to you as a client.

    What needs improvement?

    The physical device itself is lacking. They're made with plastic and seem a little cheap in construction, especially when compared to other manufacturers and providers.

    The company itself has had its time in the sun and may be past peak after so many mergers and acquisitions. They were originally a router and switch company. Then they were bought by one of their distributors. The company is floundering after so many changes to the organization.

    The product is great, but the problem is there are other players in the market now. In 2004 when they were founded, they had the market and they were the big name for wireless within an enterprise. The company was also expanding out between buildings and everything. Then all of a sudden, after 2017, you don't really hear their name anymore. 

    They have so many products that there are so many different part numbers for the US and other countries. That means it's easy to make a mistake with the licensing. You have to have somebody knowledgeable on the other end with the licensing. If you make one mistake, it can be a $2,000 mistake.

    I'd like to see them do some licensed frequency stuff on the 365 gigahertz band, more for service providers, and then on an enterprise level.

    I'd like to see them do something with LTE.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution since about 2015 or maybe as early as 2014. It's been about five or six years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is quite stable, even in large networks. I've sold 50 access points and the client swears by them. They run the largest car dealership in the country. It's very, very reliable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    You can scale the solution as much as you want. There's never a problem with scalability. 

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Ruckus used to have amazing support. It was impeccable. Before, when something broke, I had to go through these channels to get stuff resolved under warranty. I still sell their products to select customers that are stuck with them because they won't switch off due to the fact that they use the same management server. They can only use Ruckus access points or Ruckus management servers.

    The last time I had to deal with them, I had to go through CommHub. I wasn't impressed with it. It may have been when they were going through an acquisition transition. Still, the level of technical support was awful. It's really dropped off. Their staff needs more training. 

    What they need to do is not have technical support under CommHub, They need to keep Ruckus as a separate division for support.

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

    I have knowledge of many different solutions, including Ubiquiti and Mist. I don't use Ubiquiti. However, Mist that does BLE technology and I don't believe Ruckus can do what they do. BLE technology is superb because you could track people with it using their cell. There's a ton of features available if you look at Mist. I sold probably about $300,000 or $400,000 worth of equipment from between 2005 and 2017. That's about $250,000 worth of equipment. Then, all these other players came into market. Ruckus was expensive, but you didn't need as many access points with Ruckus as you did with other access points because they were that good. With the wireless, more doesn't mean better.

    How was the initial setup?

    I have an extensive technical background with Ruckus, especially on an enterprise level. I was able to figure the implementation out easily. It was pretty simple. To set it up is easy, however, to work with it is more complex. It takes a while to understand all the features. 

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

    Their pricing is expensive. That said, being a partner, their competitive upgrade pricing is phenomenal. 

    I don't remember the exact pricing. When we bought it, we bought the warranties with them for three years. We got advanced replacement.

    What other advice do I have?

    We've been using the latest version of the solution. We're resellers of Ruckus.

    Typically, I would recommend the solution. However, their market share has really dropped off and their marketing is terrible from the logo to the name.

    Their partner portal is great because you could register as a partner, and, because I'm a partner, I could register easily and use the backend and frontend for salesforce.com. I can log in and register deals with them. 

    It looks like CommScope created their own technology with Ruckus technology and an LTE solution. Some sort of small cell. I would advise users to stay away from that because if they were better in the enterprise, they should stick to their wheelhouse and market that instead of going out into the small cell.

    I'd rate the solution nine 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. Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Ruckus Wireless Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: June 2026
    Product Categories
    Wireless LAN
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Ruckus Wireless Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.