Technical Account Manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Easy to use but the configuration interface could be easier
Pros and Cons
  • "You need to learn the technology but after that the setup is easy."
  • "The configuration interface could be easier. They should make roaming easier and should fix it so that when you cross a building you can keep the signal."

What is our primary use case?

It's very useful in terms of mobility. Before this solution you would have to find a product to connect to and to have a security ICU. Now it's much easier with personal customization.

What is most valuable?

Ease of use is the most valuable feature. 

What needs improvement?

The configuration interface could be easier. They should make roaming easier and should fix it so that when you cross a building you can keep the signal.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It has very good scalability. 

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Cisco Wireless
April 2024
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How are customer service and support?

I would rate their technical support a seven out of ten because the solution's support can always use improvement. 

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

We previously used Aruba. Their technique is the same but it's easier with Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

You need to learn the technology but after that the setup is easy.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it a seven out of ten. It's good but it's not a ten because there are some specific technicalities they can improve on. I would recommend using this technology. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
it_user572145 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Corporate IT at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
Provides good coverage and the stability is the best part of the solution
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the coverage."
  • "The GUI could be made more user-friendly. There should also be a dashboard where it can showcase how many end-users are connected to a particular access point."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use is for wireless connectivity.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the coverage. Also, the management provides the most important security features in these devices.

What needs improvement?

The GUI could be made more user-friendly. There should also be a dashboard where it can showcase how many end-users are connected to a particular access point.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have not run into any issues related to stability.

How is customer service and technical support?

Technical support has been very good.

How was the initial setup?

We feel that it's complex in terms of manageability. You require a skilled person to handle it.

What was our ROI?

The ROI is good because the stability is so good from Cisco.

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

I feel the product's pricing is a good value.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate anything else because Cisco is a brand name for networking devices.

What other advice do I have?

When implementing this solution, you require the right partner to be in place to support it, that is the first requirement.

I would rate this solution at nine out of 10. The best part of the solution is the stability. Also, the easy usage of the switches They are automatically switched on and get their configuration. I don't need any technical person to look at it.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Cisco Wireless
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
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it_user504159 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Consultant
Authentication enables employees from around the world to log in with their own credentials
Pros and Cons
  • "Authentication is the important feature for us. My IT staff no longer has to look after catering to clients who come from overseas."

    What is our primary use case?

    I have deployed it in a factory. I have a lot of people who come to visit from all over the globe. People come from Southeast Asia, from Europe, from South America, from the US, etc. We need to have a common platform wherein people who visit are able to log in to the corporate network. They do not need to do a guest login, they can just log in as they usually do. That's the primary use.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Since we have a central server from which our authentication is run, a user who comes from, let's say, California, doesn't have to ask any for credentials. He just comes to my network, logs in with his own username and password, and he gets access to his database. Authentication has played a big role for us, and it has given us mobility.

    My IT staff no longer has to look after catering to clients who come from overseas. My staff members are busy doing their own work, and that overseas client or any other person is able to do his work without intervention from IT. This authentication scenario has saved us a lot of problems. Earlier, we had to create a guest user, give him a VPN, ensure that he logged in to his own network, and that he got access to his data. We don't have to do that now.

    What is most valuable?

    Authentication is the important feature for us.

    What needs improvement?

    There are certain features which I would want which are not there. There is always a wish list, that my WiFi should give me one, two, three, four, five. Certain things come, certain things don't, and certain things come at a cost. It fulfills about 75-80 percent of what I'm looking for. Things on my wish list are available at an additional cost but I can live without those thing, so I'm fine with it. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    Three to five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It has been a fairly stable network, I have not had many problems with it. We had to upgrade the iOS once or twice, but that's about it. After that, we have not really had a problem.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We had to upgrade our access points. It's had been about six or seven years that those had been in. Scalability-wise, some of the old iOS is not supported on the new controller, but that's fine. We accepted that and we now have two products. We now have a 3800 deployed.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    We have had a decent experience so far with Cisco technical support. We've not had any issues, so I would say the support has been good.

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

    Before this solution we did not have any wireless solution, we had a stand-alone wireless. My global team wanted Cisco, so we went with Cisco. But, in a couple of other places, we've used Aruba and we're quite satisfied with it as well.

    But it's something like when you prefer a certain flavor of coffee. It's not that you don't like the other coffee, but you like coffee A better than coffee B. It's just the comfort level or maybe you feel better with a certain product. So there's nothing wrong with the product that I'm currently using. I'm using Cisco and I'm quite satisfied with it. Otherwise, given a choice, given the funds, if someone were to say, “What is the next thing that you would like to move to?” because my experience with the alternate product has been really good, I would switch to that.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup is not really complex. It was quite easy. We had to refer to a couple of things, but I come from a background where I have that kind of experience, so it was easy for me.

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

    The pricing is okay. I believe it is competitively priced. But it is not just the price by itself, it's the price and the technical features. The features also play a big role. It has to give me the relevant output. That is more important. Price is secondary. Price will not play a very big role because if it does not deliver what I need... For example, if I were to buy a car without an engine, that's still a car, but it is of no use. I might as well buy a car that works.

    They have simplified the licensing. Now there is a single license that is required. Earlier, multiple licenses were required. Single licensing is good. As a customer, I don't need to keep an inventory of multiple licenses.

    What other advice do I have?

    Up until now, it has been a good product, so go ahead with it. It works well. We have been happy with it for the last four years.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Installation partner.
    PeerSpot user
    it_user908133 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Manager / IoT Evangelist Solution Business Strategy at a manufacturing company with 1-10 employees
    Real User
    Secure solution that enables us to do video and web conferencing
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of this solution is its security"

      How has it helped my organization?

      We don't have to use cables anymore and it gives us a variety of connections. We can do video conferencing and web conferencing, so it has been great. 

      What is most valuable?

      The most valuable feature of this solution is its security. Cisco is very well known for security.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      More than five years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      In terms of performance, it's really good. I have never seen it go down, at least in the office environment. Deploying it in the factory may be our next use case. A lot of noise occurs in the factory, so it could be difficult to deploy a wireless solution there. That could be a challenge.

      The factory environment requires more high-density capability and there are other challenges affecting the factory environment. It's a harsh environment, but I see that Cisco's user-case allows deployment in a factory environment.

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

      The pricing is high. It could be cheaper. Cisco is known for its high pricing.

      What other advice do I have?

      Security and support are important factors when looking at this kind of solution. Cisco is more expensive but you have to compare the security and support you are getting. The support, in particular, is very critical, especially if you are in a conference call and the sound breaks off. You need them to get back to you quickly.

      Cisco is a large company, the number-one company, and those are important factors when selecting a vendor. The other factor is the pricing, in addition to support and security.

      I rate Cisco Wireless at 10 out of 10 because I have never had a problem. I am a happy customer.

      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      PeerSpot user
      IT Manager at a educational organization with 51-200 employees
      Vendor
      Central control of all APs is a valuable feature. Better training is needed.

      What is most valuable?

      Central controlling of all APs.

      How has it helped my organization?

      It has enabled the organization to become cable-free.

      What needs improvement?

      Training support for clients is needed.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      3 years -

      Cisco Wlan Controller 5508

      What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

      No issues encountered.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      No issues encountered.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      No issues encountered.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      Customer Service:

      Excellent.

      Technical Support:

      Middle.

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

      No other solution was used.

      How was the initial setup?

      Pretty Straightforward.

      What about the implementation team?

      A vendor(Xiamen WisDom Net), They have 3 CCIE engineers in routing and switches but not in Wi-Fi, They quickly improvee their Wi-Fi skills and even I improved a lot.

      What was our ROI?

      High.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      We invited 6 vendors that offered Cisco, Juniper, Aerohive brand Wi-Fi solutions to evaluate and compare products.

      What other advice do I have?

      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      it_user195360 - PeerSpot reviewer
      it_user195360Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
      Consultant

      Cisco wireless controllers in appliances are very stable implementations. There are many official courses covering from the fundamentals to troubleshooting.

      DevOps System Engineer at Monash University
      Real User
      A fast, easy to use, scalable and stable solution with easy installation and good customer support
      Pros and Cons
      • "The solution is easy to use and its stable."
      • "The price could be better."

      What is our primary use case?

      I utilize it as a Wi-Fi solution for personal use. 

      What is most valuable?

      The solution is easy to use and its stable. I like its quality. 

      What needs improvement?

      The price could be better.  

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Cisco Wireless for two or three years. 

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      The solution is stable. 

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      The solution is certainly scalable. 

      How are customer service and technical support?

      Cisco support is good.

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

      Prior to using the solution, I used Aruba.

      How was the initial setup?

      The installation was easy. It took around ten minutes. 

      What about the implementation team?

      We handled the installion on our own. 

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

      The solution does not come with a licensing fee. 

      What other advice do I have?

      There are many users making use of the solution in Taiwan. 

      The solution offers fast response time. 

      I rate Cisco Wireless as an eight out of ten. 

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      On-premises
      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      Professional Services Manager at DESTEK Bilgisayar ve İletisim Hizmetleri Tic. A.S.
      Consultant
      It's a bit expensive but it's professional and works properly
      Pros and Cons
        • "No product can be a ten out of ten and there are some security issues."

        How has it helped my organization?

        It's cloud-based. We only work with on-premise devices and usually the prices are good for our customers. 

        What is most valuable?

        The license and prices are great. 

        How are customer service and technical support?

        Their technical support is very good and important. 

        How was the initial setup?

        The initial setup is basic and simple. 

        What about the implementation team?

        I implemented myself. 

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

        It's a bit expensive but it's professional and works properly. 

        What other advice do I have?

        I would rate it a nine out of ten. No product can be a ten out of ten and there are some security issues. 

        Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
        PeerSpot user
        it_user998373 - PeerSpot reviewer
        President/Owner at RDC Networks
        Real User
        Advanced security category blocking is a great way to secure what people are doing and seeing

        What is our primary use case?

        We implement this in the hospitality industry and need to control internal secure LAN/Wi-Fi users and offer external Wi-Fi to our customers while keeping the system secure. This product allows us to do that.

        How has it helped my organization?

        Cisco Meraki is easy to use, and the mesh is flawless over 37 locations. We can order and have a direct shipped product without ever having to program it onsite. Just inject it into the template, and all is cookie stamped.

        What is most valuable?

        Advanced security category blocking is a great way to secure what people are doing and seeing to prevent malware from getting into the network.

        What needs improvement?

        A mobile app would be great to see if the system is up, and some minor tools, but not to add or remove rules. Improvement here would be appreciated.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        More than five years.
        Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
        PeerSpot user
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