I use the solution in my company since the product was already in place before I started working in my current organization.
IT Manager at a retailer with 51-200 employees
Useful to check access points but needs improvements in the licensing model offered
Pros and Cons
- "The scalability of Ruckus Wireless WAN benefits your operations since it is pretty good."
- "The license model offered by the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
To be honest, all I have done with the tool is to check access points and ensure they are running. The tool is also used to issue guest WiFi passwords.
What needs improvement?
The license model offered by the product is an area of concern where improvements are required.
To be honest, as far as I am aware, and from my research, the issue is pretty much only with the tool's cost. Some of the configurations in the tool are a bit awkward. With the access points, when I try to apply the configurations now, it doesn't take the firmware.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Ruckus Wireless WAN for a year and seven months. I use the solution in my company as an end user.
Buyer's Guide
Ruckus Wireless WAN
December 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten. It takes a minute to find out why it is not responding when going to an access point.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Ruckus Wireless WAN benefits your operations since it is pretty good. The issue I have with the tool is associated with the fact that we have a limited number of licenses. In my company, we are considering scaling up a little bit, but the cost of licensing may prohibit it. Also, the controller we have at the moment has reached the end-of-life phase. My company may have to look at changing all the access points and going to a different provider or upgrading the controller, after which it may not be possible to use some of the current access points, and it may cause us to change those for some working-based ones.
Around 50 people use the tool. I really can't say a number with any level of accuracy.
The actual wireless or configurations going into the solution need to be looked upon. Going into the solution to check it is something that is done very frequently.
How are customer service and support?
I tend to use a third-party provider for technical support for the solution. Based on other people's opinions, the technical support is excellent, and I rate it a ten out of ten. I have no personal experience with the tool's support team.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have some experience with Cisco, but not as a real user. I switched from Cisco to Ruckus after I switched over to my current organization from another company.
How was the initial setup?
I was not involved in the product's initial setup phase. It was installed prior to my joining.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I have not investigated pricing because it was present in the company when I started. My company is using the rules and plans from the product's document so that we can try to make some decisions and find out some details.
What other advice do I have?
I have not had an opportunity to investigate how Ruckus Wireless WAN can handle network density and high-traffic scenarios.
I have not looked at AI features in Ruckus Wireless WAN.
From my limited experience, I would recommend Ruckus Wireless WAN to others, but I won't be able to say why I would do that.
I rate the tool a seven or eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Aug 7, 2024
Flag as inappropriateAdditional Deputy Manager IT (Network and Security) at a energy/utilities company with 201-500 employees
Provides complete control over networks and is very scalable
Pros and Cons
- "Scalability is a valuable feature."
- "The GUI interface of Ruckus Wireless WAN could be more usable, especially the drag-and-drop feature."
What is our primary use case?
We use Ruckus Wireless WAN to control our guest users. We brought our traffic on a network. We also integrate Cisco Integrated Network Access Controller with our Ruckus Wireless controller. We use this integration for two purposes: security tagging and to bring users into a group according to the health of their system. If it’s a guest, they should not have access to our critical infrastructure assets. If a user is an admin, they will be placed on the WAN that is relevant to the management WAN of the devices.
What is most valuable?
Scalability is a valuable feature. For example, if you have a person from the HR department on the tenth floor and another person on the first floor, they should have access to the same VM or network. The Ruckus Wireless controller allows you to control this regardless of where the APs are physically located. You can control it from a central point, which makes it easier to manage.
What needs improvement?
Huawei is a competitor of Ruckus Wireless WAN solutions. They offer IoT-enabled solutions, and their access points are very robust for outdoor use and can manage up to 500 users. However, their products’ bandwidth and frequency range are not as good as some locally available products, and the cost is also higher.
The GUI interface of Ruckus Wireless WAN could be more usable, especially the drag-and-drop feature. When switching a WAN, users should not have to go into the configuration and manually change the WAN. Instead, there should be a drag-and-drop feature like most other vendors offer. This would make the process easier to understand and complete.
Additionally, Ruckus Wireless WAN should consider adding a special provision for APs. This would be helpful for marketing campaigns, but it is not mandatory.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Ruckus Wireless WAN for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Almost 1,500 endpoints, including IoT devices, and one administrator are working with this solution.
How are customer service and support?
Ruckus Wireless WAN has local support, and the local staff and office are very active. They respond to calls promptly, and Ruckus Support is also very good, with a quick response time for emails and tickets.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Cisco is more focused on its branches. Huawei has more customers in telecom operating sectors, such as optical fiber and other devices. Ruckus is the only brand we can test on, with a focus on the app and controls.
How was the initial setup?
You can quickly get help online from the Ruckus Wireless WAN community. You can even watch videos on YouTube on how to install and upgrade your servers. There was a complete series of installation videos, and I could install it myself. It was very easy and convenient.
What other advice do I have?
If you're planning to install Ruckus Wireless WAN and need to research something you can't find anywhere else, the Ruckus community is robust. Simply Google a Ruckus-related question, and you'll likely have an answer within two to three minutes. Other devices, even Cisco’s unified devices, are still relatively new. While Cisco has a strong community, if you're looking for a solution to a problem without contacting support, you may not be able to find much help online.
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.
Buyer's Guide
Ruckus Wireless WAN
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Ruckus Wireless WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Manager, Information Technology at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Cloud-based management streamlines network oversight with robust AI support
Pros and Cons
- "Having all the management tools in a cloud-based solution has been valuable, eliminating the need to deploy and manage an on-premises controller."
- "There is a need for more flexibility in granular access control."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use Ruckus solutions to provide wireless access for our colleagues at branch locations.
What is most valuable?
We have just moved to their Ruckus Jones platform, which provides a cloud-based management solution. Having all the management tools in a cloud-based solution has been valuable, eliminating the need to deploy and manage an on-premises controller. The AI, which helps diagnose and solve problems, is also beneficial.
What needs improvement?
There is a need for more flexibility in granular access control. Currently, role-based access is cumbersome and lacks flexibility.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Ruckus since about two thousand ten.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We had one issue with one venue at one site, but other than that, it has been generally pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability seems decent. Adding access points for a site is easy, so scaling is not an issue.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service is generally pretty good, however, there can be delays with open cases, which sometimes take a while to resolve.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
For wireless solutions, I've used Meraki among others.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of the Ruckus Jones cloud-based controller and management system was fairly intuitive and straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
I was managing the deployment on my own initially, but I have another team member who assists with network administration. So, it involves one to two people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable for us as partners since we receive discounts. However, I believe for non-partners, it might not be considered cheap, though it isn't the most expensive either.
What other advice do I have?
Good, careful planning is important. It can be helpful to test new firmware on a nonproduction site before rolling it out to other locations.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Last updated: Nov 28, 2024
Flag as inappropriateVice President, Client Solutions & Services at CHACO INTERNATIONAL INC.
Provides a valuable unleashed feature and good stability
Pros and Cons
- "Ruckus Wireless WAN’s most valuable feature is unleashed."
- "There could be more power supply for the radio features."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to provide WiFi connectivity to hotels and large buildings.
How has it helped my organization?
The product’s unleashed feature works as an access point and WiFi controller. We don’t require an extra set of hardware or any licensing with it.
What is most valuable?
Ruckus Wireless WAN’s most valuable feature is unleashed.
What needs improvement?
There could be more power supply for the radio features. This particular area of the product needs improvement. They should add a reset factory feature without resetting IP addresses as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been Ruckus Wireless WAN for at least eight years. At present, we use the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the product’s scalability a ten out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used HP before. We switched to Ruckus Wireless WAN, especially for its advanced radio features. I have also used less expensive products. We encountered a lot of field failures using them. For our business model, if we have failures in the field, it is a very expensive product.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup process is very simple.
What was our ROI?
The product generates a return on investment for us. We have been using it for eight years and it is still working.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product has competitive pricing, but always a little low price is better.
What other advice do I have?
We haven’t contacted the technical support team, as we don’t have failures in the field. It is a solid product. I advise others to do a site survey and a well-thought-out design.
I rate Ruckus Wireless WAN a ten 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.
Senior Wireless Engineer at FASTtelco
Offers stable, reliable and consistent connection over WiFi
Pros and Cons
- "Ruckus has multiple radios. Therefore, it supports high speed for users and clients. Other vendors have fluctuations in speed. The main thing about Ruckus is that you can trust it and rely on its speed. I am simply satisfied with it."
- "I have been working with WiFi for more than 17 years. I am not able to convince customers because of the pricing of the solution. Otherwise, we could have sold lots of this tool to the customers."
What needs improvement?
I have not found any issues with the solution so far. Whenever I encounter an issue, I chat with support and open a ticket. I have found the communication, hardware, and time to be fine. I have not found any issue in communicating and getting a service. However, the pricing of the solution is very high. I have found Aruba to be cheaper compared to Ruckus. I believe that there should be a reasonable difference in price in the market.
I have not used the location services feature. I don’t know how to monitor it. Cisco has a working Aruba where the latter also has a server. I have not used the monitoring tools either.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Ruckus Wireless WAN for more than ten years. We are resellers of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool offers stable, reliable, and consistent connectivity over WiFi.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support was helpful. I had sought technical support over one report three to four months back. They were fine. I would rate the technical support between eight to nine.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy and you can customize it as per the customer’s LAN and WAN requirements. The installation is different from client to client. It depends on the physical condition to install or finish the project.
I have a couple of people who do the physical deployment while I handle the configuration and server settings.
We do a survey where we ask customers about the kind of WiFi service that they are going to use like voice service, data service, etc. After the survey, we generate a heatmap using my account in the zone planner. I forward the report to the presales team after which they forward the quotation to the customer. If the customer approves the quotation, we go ahead with the installation.
The point where we get stuck is when the customer asks for multiple quotations. When we provide multiple quotations, there is a high chance of customization.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not satisfied with the pricing of the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. We are the resellers of the solution and we work with it on an infrastructure level. I have experience in the installation of the solution. I have installed ZoneDirector 1200, SmartZone 100, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, and a couple of access panels. You can trust and rely on the consistency and reliability of Ruckus Wireless WAN on the WiFi. I had instances where customers had asked me to replace the competitor products with Ruckus.
I have been working with WiFi for more than 17 years. I am not able to convince customers because of the pricing of the solution. Otherwise, we could have sold lots of this tool to the customers. We provide maintenance to our customers. There is also no specific maintenance required for this solution since I have installed a couple of solutions for customers and they are working fine. There is no maintenance required to upgrade until the customer complains that ‘We do not upgrade anything and all the soft software is available on this.'
Ruckus has multiple radios. Therefore, it supports high speed for users and clients. Other vendors have fluctuations in speed. The main thing about Ruckus is that you can trust it and rely on its speed. I am simply satisfied with it.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Network & Security Engineer at Viroka Technology Private Limited
Good connectivity, easy to set up, and straightforward to manage
Pros and Cons
- "The connectivity is good. There's no lag at all in service."
- "The solution needs to offer more analytics."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for the controller and the switch. We use it for multiple access points. When we need to access the network wirelessly, we can use this product.
How has it helped my organization?
We have seen some benefits while using here solution. We've been able to deploy it for 150 users without any issues or lag. The connectivity is great.
What is most valuable?
The connectivity is good. There's no lag at all in service.
We like how easy it is to manage everything from the console on the cloud version.
It is stable.
The solution can scale.
It is not too hard to set up.
What needs improvement?
The solution needs to offer more analytics.
We would like it to be easier to troubleshoot the network. It's a bit complex to do so right now.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for over ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the product is okay. Sometimes there are hardware failures, however, the company does provide replacements.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. I'd rate the ease of scaling at an eight out of ten.
We have about 50 clients using the solution.
We likely will increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and support?
We can reach out to support via the support portal if we need to.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did previously use a different solution in the past. I cannot recall the name of the company.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is straightforward. It's not complex. You just follow the guide.
Deployments don't take long; however, it depends on the requirement.
One person can manage the deployment. You don't need a big team.
What was our ROI?
The solution is worth the investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is moderate. It's not overly expensive. There are no extra costs or hidden fees.
What other advice do I have?
We are Ruckus partners.
I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm using.
I would rate the solution nine out of ten. We are mostly happy with its capabilities.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Head of IT Cluster CEE at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to administer, scalable, and has no stability issues
Pros and Cons
- "What I like best about Ruckus Wireless WAN is easy administration. After installation, you'll benefit from how easy it is to administer the product. I also like that the product can cover the whole area with just a few endpoints."
- "What needs improvement in Ruckus Wireless WAN is the initial setup. It could be easier. Availability is also another area for improvement in the product. Another huge disadvantage of Ruckus Wireless WAN is the cost you must continuously pay for the licenses."
What is our primary use case?
We use Ruckus Wireless WAN for business purposes, particularly in health institutions such as nursing homes and hospitals. Our users are mainly nurses who use their mobile devices, including long-term residents who need private and safe wireless access.
What is most valuable?
What I like best about Ruckus Wireless WAN is easy administration. After installation, you'll benefit from how easy it is to administer the product.
I also like that the product can cover the whole area with just a few endpoints.
What needs improvement?
What needs improvement in Ruckus Wireless WAN is the initial setup. It could be easier.
Availability is also another area for improvement in the product.
Another huge disadvantage of Ruckus Wireless WAN is the cost you must continuously pay for the licenses.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Ruckus Wireless WAN for three years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Ruckus Wireless WAN is very stable and has no problems with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Ruckus Wireless WAN is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
I have no direct contact with the Ruckus Wireless WAN technical support team. A different person directly contacts the support team, but I have not heard any bad feedback. Ruckus support isn't the best in response time, but it's okay, technical support-wise.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We purchase Ruckus Wireless WAN whenever we have a high percentage of usage, where many people have access points, for example. For countries with lower densities where the wireless WAN is primarily used for business purposes, we use cheaper solutions than Ruckus Wireless WAN.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Ruckus Wireless WAN was challenging.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Compared with Cisco Wireless WAN, the pricing for Ruckus Wireless WAN is two out of five. Ruckus Wireless WAN is twice the price of Cisco Wireless WAN.
What other advice do I have?
My company is currently using Ruckus Wireless WAN.
I'm responsible for several countries, with the leading country focused on Ruckus Wireless WAN. In contrast, a decision has yet to be made in other countries, so other countries use different equipment. For some countries, my company is still deciding which vendors to work with, in this case, WiFi access points.
The management console for the WiFi access points is on-premise, and Ruckus Wireless WAN is deployed on-premises.
As my company has ninety facilities, its users of Ruckus Wireless WAN reach approximately three thousand to four thousand.
I would rate Ruckus Wireless WAN as eight out of ten because the functionality is excellent. The stability is great. You also get high reliability from the product. I can't rate it a ten, though, because of its price and you need to pay continuously.
I recommend the product to others for specific use cases. A disadvantage is that Ruckus Wireless WAN isn't always available. You can reserve it, but you can't buy it instantly, particularly in higher volumes. For a new nursing home, my company needs to buy forty to sixty at once, but that can't be done.
My company has no partnership with Ruckus.
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.
Manager (Network Design) at Comstar - Information Systems Associates Ltd.
Robust with helpful support, and fair pricing
Pros and Cons
- "We found the technical support to be helpful."
- "We have one sole distributor here in our region. To have multiple distributors here would be very helpful to improve the supply chain."
What is our primary use case?
We use Ruckus Wireless as a wireless solution here and for switching as well. They are also great for outdoor connectivity.
It's great for the hospitality industry. We mainly deployed it here in the hospitality industry as they are very concerned about their customers in hotels. They stay there for leisure, so they don't want any complaints about their WiFi solutions. We mainly deployed them in five-star hotels and in sports facilities.
We deploy them in our universities where there are a large number of students with multiple devices (laptops, mobile phones, smartwatches). They need a strong, robust solution for WiFi, so we use Ruckus Wireless.
What is most valuable?
We rate them very high. We found it a very robust solution.
I like the smart roaming feature. It is very valuable for us. Nowadays, people use video conferencing on phones and for Zoom meetings, so, while walking on campus or in a hotel, people experience no disconnection while using Ruckus Wireless. It literally helps us give a better experience to the end user.
The initial setup isn't complex.
It's stable.
The solution can scale.
The solution offers good security.
The pricing is fair. It's competitive.
We found the technical support to be helpful.
What needs improvement?
In my region, I want to increase its distribution channel. We have one sole distributor here in our region. To have multiple distributors here would be very helpful to improve the supply chain. We need better access to stock.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with the solution for around seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable product. We work on Cisco, Huawei, Aruba, and different wireless solutions, however, as a technical person, I find that Ruckus is one of the most stable products I have experienced.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It has great scalability options. They have controllers that support 3000 APs, so it is more than enough.
The number of users can easily be ten to 20,000 in a larger-scale network. It is not an issue having a number of users. It is a very scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
We have used support and find them very helpful. We get service from nine to five, and even after five, if we need assistance, we can get help.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also work with Cisco, Huawei, Aruba, and different wireless solutions.
We use Cisco here mainly in the market. Cisco was the leading product in switching and wireless before, or rather, Cisco and Aruba. Aruba is HP, and Aruba is a very strong product. However, when we started doing Ruckus, we grew more satisfied selling Ruckus as the more stable product. With a better product, we win the customer's trust and their businesses.
How was the initial setup?
Initially, it's not so complex to implement. For a technical guy, it's normal. It's like every other solution; it's not very complex.
Depending on the setup, for a normal deployment, which would be two to five devices for a smaller-sized office, we can do it in one day.
We have five to ten team members trained on this, and multiple other products (including Sophos, FortiGate, and Cisco) and they can perform deployment and maintenance tasks.
How much staff you need for each deployment depends on the magnitude of the project. Normally, one engineer and one technician are enough for a deployment, which contains WiFi configuration in placement. However, in a case where cabling and infrastructure are needed, we need a different team. It depends on how much cabling is required. Depending on the requirements, we plan the project accordingly.
What about the implementation team?
We can handle the setup in-house. We don't need any consultants to help us.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing has different versions. Licenses are perpetual, you have to only buy one. However, they have support costs that are charged yearly for three years or five years. You have to buy the support for the license.
If you compare it to a similar kind of solution, the pricing is very competitive.
What other advice do I have?
As a service provider, we have deployed many Ruckus solutions here in our country.
We mainly use its newer versions, which are WiFi six supported R550 and R650. These are the fastest-selling products. We normally sell R550 and R650 to our customers.
I'd recommend the solution to others. I'd rate the solution 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.
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Updated: December 2024
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