We supply this solution to provide our clients with wireless network support.
Project Manager at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Good dashboards, performance, and efficiency in the RF spectrum
Pros and Cons
- "The performance of this solution is amazing in terms of radiofrequency technology."
- "The captive portal should be more customizable because right now, it is very limited."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The performance of this solution is amazing in terms of radiofrequency technology.
The dashboard is quite good.
What needs improvement?
Ruckus is not keeping up with the features that some of the competitors have implemented.
Compared to other vendors, the analytics has to improve a lot.
We would like to see support for different captive portals with the basic solution.
The captive portal should be more customizable because right now, it is very limited. You can only change the icon. The market is asking for more improved captive portals.
Support for multiple tenants or multiple users with ZoneDirector would be an improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been working with this solution for seven or eight years.
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.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We are comfortable with the scalability. We have no complaints.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for this solution is good. We have email access to the platform.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used another solution prior to this one, but we switched because of the radio. That's our biggest concern and why we recommend Ruckus to our customers.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of this solution is pretty easy.
What other advice do I have?
This technology is really good.
This is a solution that I recommend, but there are a lot of features that they have to get into the solution. However, the first and main topic is the radio and efficiency in the spectrum.
If the customer wants additional features or the budget is a concern then we will recommend another solution.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Information and Communication Technologies Engineer at Ascenx Technologies
Easy to install, Stable Wireless connection, but marketing needs to expand to other areas
Pros and Cons
- "I made some comparisons with other competitors and I found that Ruckus was number one in regards to stability."
- "I have some friends who have not heard of Ruckus, but are aware of other competitors."
What is our primary use case?
This solution is used in our hotel as an access point to connect our guests on the internet.
The deployment model we used is on-premises.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the indoor and outdoor wireless access points.
What needs improvement?
I hope that they will be expanding the market. I have some friends who have not heard of Ruckus but are aware of other competitors. They should expand it in the Middle East and other areas and make offers for others to make comparisons.
I would like to see more offers for smaller businesses.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable.
You could have two hundred or more users. Cisco has a higher capability of users, they can have about five hundred users.
How are customer service and technical support?
They have no problems with technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
I took some training beforehand and the setup was easy, it is not as complicated as others.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This solution offers a yearly subscription. The price is not high and other solutions are much higher than Ruckus.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I made some comparisons with other competitors and I found that Ruckus was number one in regards to stability.
What other advice do I have?
I really like this solution and it is recognized here in Riyadh Airport, most of the WiFi is with Ruckus, not with Cisco or any other solution.
One of the largest Airports in Saudi Arabia is using the Ruckus Wireless WiFi as an access point. It means it's a genuine, reliable solution.
In Saudi Arabia we have a lot of outdoor WiFi and it's recognized through Ruckus, Cisco and sometimes Linksys.
Unfortunately, at work, they are using Linksys. I am an IT engineer and I have used Ruckus as a WiFi access point for all of the hotels. It can be connected directly to the wireless access controller and making this a firewall for the DMZ and the client just enters the WiFi with a password.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
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.
Network Engineer at Proactive data systems
An affordable solution for testing with simple configuration
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for testing.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very simple to configure.
What needs improvement?
The user interface on the switch can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Ruckus Wireless WAN for two to three years. We are using v7150 of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
More than 15 users are using this solution.
I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Cisco and Aruba.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and takes one or two hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Ruckus is cheaper than Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
One person is enough for maintenance.
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.
Managing Partner & Technical Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Easy to manage, supports third-party equipment, and has IoT and secure access capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "One of the best features of Ruckus Wireless WAN that customers are interested in is the adaptive antenna called BeamFlex. Ruckus Wireless WAN also has the best management platform, and even if there are thousands of users of the solution, it's very easy to manage on Ruckus Wireless WAN. It can also support third-party equipment. It's an all-in-one solution and it has IoT and secure access capabilities. Upgrading the network to Ruckus Wireless WAN is also easy."
- "So far, I find Ruckus Wireless WAN okay in terms of the technology and existing business network, but licensing could be more flexible, especially the IoT license that was changed to adapt to the IoT Controller and sensor subscription. The previous licensing method for Ruckus Wireless WAN was better. In my opinion, it wasn't a good decision to change it because the customer prefers the previous licensing over the current licensing. It's not only about the money in terms of licensing, but also about flexibility. The latest license change isn't as flexible. I also found the cloud solution not partner-friendly, so that could also be improved. Another area for improvement in Ruckus Wireless WAN is answering partner requests because currently, it doesn't seem easy for them. What I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is the AP having its MQTT forwarder. Ruckus Wireless WAN AP supports IoT modules now and to use the IoT modules, you need all IoT data to pass through the IoT Controller. If I could forward that IoT data directly to my environment, similar to what you can do with other solutions, that would be great."
What is our primary use case?
I manage almost ten thousand APs in Turkey and my company uses Ruckus Wireless WAN as an enterprise-level WiFi. My company focuses on big networks on over one hundred to two hundred APs.
What is most valuable?
One of the best features of Ruckus Wireless WAN that customers are interested in is the adaptive antenna called BeamFlex. Ruckus Wireless WAN also has the best management platform, and even if there are thousands of users of the solution, it's very easy to manage on Ruckus Wireless WAN. It can also support third-party equipment. It's an all-in-one solution and it has IoT and secure access capabilities. Upgrading the network to Ruckus Wireless WAN is also easy.
What needs improvement?
So far, I find Ruckus Wireless WAN okay in terms of the technology and existing business network, but licensing could be more flexible, especially the IoT license that was changed to adapt to the IoT Controller and sensor subscription. The previous licensing method for Ruckus Wireless WAN was better. In my opinion, it wasn't a good decision to change it because the customer prefers the previous licensing over the current licensing. It's not only about the money in terms of licensing, but also about flexibility. The latest license change isn't as flexible. I also found the cloud solution not partner-friendly, so that could also be improved.
Another area for improvement in Ruckus Wireless WAN is answering partner requests because currently, it doesn't seem easy for them.
What I'd like to see in the next release of the solution is the AP having its MQTT forwarder. Ruckus Wireless WAN AP supports IoT modules now and to use the IoT modules, you need all IoT data to pass through the IoT Controller. If I could forward that IoT data directly to my environment, similar to what you can do with other solutions, that would be great.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Ruckus Wireless WAN for twelve or thirteen years, and I've used it in the past year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Ruckus Wireless WAN is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of scalability, Ruckus Wireless WAN is the best in the market.
How are customer service and support?
My daily job is to contact the technical support for Ruckus Wireless WAN. I could give support a five-star rating, but lately, I've had a little bit of doubt about that. There needs to be some changes or improvements, but overall, compared to other vendors based on my experience, Ruckus Wireless WAN is far better.
How was the initial setup?
As I have twelve to thirteen years of experience with Ruckus Wireless WAN, the initial setup for it is easy for me. All solutions of Ruckus Networks for me are easy. The deployment of the solution was so easy, but overall, in the business my company is in, designing and documenting take time. In terms of implementing Ruckus Wireless WAN, it's not that big of a deal. The Ruckus Networks team is doing its best to help partners or technical guys and make it easier in terms of implementing the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In terms of the license of Ruckus Wireless WAN being cheap or expensive, it would differ based on your country. As I'm living in Turkey, it's expensive, so far. There is a big challenge about the chip crisis or the silicon crisis lately, and all vendors are fighting, so not enough equipment could be sold and the vendors must earn money, so it's very fair for vendors to push software and licensing to keep working and earning, so it's hard to answer a question on how cheap or expensive the license is for the solution.
What other advice do I have?
My company implements all technologies of Ruckus Networks, including Ruckus methods, for example, the wired sites as well. I have all the certificates from Ruckus Networks, and I have serious experience in all the software versions of Ruckus Wireless WAN, with all the product scopes.
I can't tell you exactly how many people use Ruckus Wireless WAN in my company, though I can say that one of my customers has almost a million users. I also have a customer who designed the network for around one hundred thousand concurrent users, but generally, I know that the number of users of Ruckus Wireless WAN could be extreme sometimes. My company designs networks so the users could reach an unbelievable count.
My advice to someone looking into using Ruckus Wireless WAN is that overall, it's trustworthy, and it's under a huge group: CommScope. The company stands behind its products which is important if you experience any issue with the solution. This is an important reason I prefer Ruckus Wireless WAN because I remember when I was a junior engineer fifteen years ago and I worked in a big company, my manager told me to purchase a product based on the support and the support for Ruckus Wireless WAN is so far, so good.
I prefer to rate Ruckus Wireless WAN a ten, easily. As I tell my customers, overall, it has a very good hardware design, a very nice controller design, and it's a very flexible management solution. Ruckus Wireless WAN also provides good end-to-end support, so I would rate it a ten out of ten, though in my mind, I shouldn't give it a ten because there's still a lot of room for improvement in the solution, though every month, the vendor announces new features and the solution has huge customer ISPs around the world.
My company is a partner of Ruckus Wireless WAN.
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
Senior Engineer at TIC
A straightforward initial setup that's stable and offers good wireless management
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use and offers good management for wireless."
- "The solution could use a better user interface."
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use and offers good management for wireless.
What needs improvement?
The overall management of the solution in general needs improvement.
The solution could use a better user interface.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. For our clients, the amount of users on the solution range between five and 20.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is okay.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Deployment took us about two days.
What about the implementation team?
We occasionally have a consultant that assists us with implementation.
What other advice do I have?
We're a reseller for small and medium-sized companies. We use the public cloud deployment model.
I'd recommend the solution for those who need wireless capabilities.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller.
Network Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Good analytics and works well in a hospitality solution
Pros and Cons
- "The analytic solution is good and should be improving further."
- "This product needs a point-to-point, bridge solution."
What is our primary use case?
We are a system integrator and this is one of the solutions that we implement for our customers.
This solution works best as a high-efficiently access point in high-density areas.
How has it helped my organization?
Ruckus works very well for hospitality solutions.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the software infrastructure.
The analytic solution is good and should be improving further.
What needs improvement?
The technical support for this solution needs to be improved.
This product needs a point-to-point, bridge solution. The network access controls should be improved.
The Cloudpath feature should be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution since 2011.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is very stable in my opinion.
How are customer service and technical support?
Ruckus technical support was the best when compared to others, such as Cisco.
When you have an issue you are chatting with an engineer. They are also able to connect remotely, and it doesn't matter if you are a technical person, or not. They take you through the process step-by-step and they get to the issue.
However, lately, the quality of support has been decreasing, so this needs to be improved. The problem is that the first engineer you speak with for support has less experience. The first one that you speak to can be a little bit better.
Overall, I would rate their support a seven or eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have had experience with a lot of different brands over the past fifteen years.
Ruckus still has some work to do if they want to compete with Aruba and Cisco, except in the case of a high-efficiency access point in high-density areas, which is where Ruckus is the best.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup and configuration of this solution are easy. Ruckus is the easiest vendor in the market.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I am impressed with the point-to-point bridge solution that is offered by Cambium networks.
What other advice do I have?
In my opinion, Ruckus is the best wireless company. They have recently joined forces with CommScope, and are facing some positive changes because of it.
Overall, this solution is ok and one that I recommend.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller.
Head of Corporate Accounts at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
A reliable solution with good coverage that is easy to deploy, but some analytics features would be helpful
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are the ease of deployment, the coverage that it offers, and the reliability."
- "It would be nice to some analytical features built into this solution."
What is our primary use case?
We are an enterprise-level service provider and we supply this product to our customers for Wi-Fi solutions. We have positioned Rukus to provide wireless coverage for both the enterprise community and the public.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the ease of deployment, the coverage that it offers, and the reliability. Overall, it's quite a good product.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice to some analytical features built into this solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been work with Ruckus Wireless WAN for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not had trouble with stability and the devices are always working.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The degree of scalability depends on the model. We have local controllers, as well as cloud options. For seamless scalability, the cloud options are better because the local controllers have a limit on the number of IPs that we can connect. The only way to exceed the maximum is to upgrade to another model.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not been in contact with technical support because it would be our technical team who deals with them if any issues arise.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also provide a Meraki solution to some of our customers. The Meraki is mobile-based, where you just have to press a button on the AP and once the configuration is done, you are connected to the cloud. It is more suitable for a distributed network.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup and deployment are easy.
What other advice do I have?
We have not yet tested the integration with other devices such as cameras and IoT, but we are looking forward to seeing how Ruckus works with these types of devices.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
IT Consultant at Asasbin
A reasonably priced solution that is easy to set up and expand
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the ease of adding an access point."
- "Integration with AirMagnet, the design software, would be good because it takes the layout of a building and positions the access points accordingly, based on the areas and the construction materials."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to provide network access points.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the ease of adding an access point. Even a kid can do it. If the zone director is set up then adding an access point would just require it be accepted using the MAC address, and that's it.
What needs improvement?
User access control is done through a third-party, RADIUS, which is not an easy system for IT professionals to use. It is used by larger enterprises, so if you want to deploy on a small to medium scale then you definitely require integration from Microsoft.
In the next release, I would like to see better integration with other products. Integration with AirMagnet, the design software, would be good because it takes the layout of a building and positions the access points accordingly, based on the areas and the construction materials. Active integration with AirMagnet would be very useful.
There should be support for a local database in the zone directory for people who do not want to use the RADIUS access server.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Ruckus Wireless WAN for two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a very scalable solution where adding an access point is trivial.
Our customers are small to medium in size and include organizations such as hotels and large offices.
How are customer service and technical support?
I am happy with the technical support. They are responsive and the turnaround time is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy, although that is not the important part. It's about the distribution of access points based on where wireless coverage is needed and also trying to minimize the number and size of blind points. Blind points are those places where the wireless signal is very weak or doesn't exist. The map has to be designed using third-party software, of course.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is a wonderful product for the price.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated solutions from both Cisco and Aruba. Ruckus does not outperform Cisco or Aruba, but they are in the same league for a much smaller price.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for anybody who is considering this solution is to get a good system integrator. Specifically, the people who design the wireless network. You want to have a good design professional who will optimize the cost and give you the best office solution.
Overall, this is a good product that is reasonably priced.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
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Updated: December 2024
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