Cisco Wireless WAN Reviews

Our use cases mainly involve deploying wireless access points throughout various locations in the building to ensure full coverage.

The most valuable features include checking logs and performing site surveys. These capabilities ensure that we can cover almost every location in the building and troubleshoot any errors we encounter.

Regarding Cisco Wireless WAN, the most beneficial feature for enhancing network reliability is the ability to change the frequency to prevent interference on the 2.4 GHz network. Additionally, the security capabilities of Cisco Wireless WAN support our organizational needs by allowing us to connect to Cisco tech hacks for authentication and use Cisco ISE to authenticate clients onto the wireless network.

I have been using the product for one year. 

I rate the solution's scalability as nine out of ten. 

I used a different solution at my previous company, and when I switched companies, I switched to Cisco Wireless WAN. 

I rate the deployment ease a nine out of ten. 

A third party helped us with the deployment. 

I would recommend the solution and rate it a nine out of ten. 

I worked for a university in Florida that wanted a campus Wi-Fi. So, we chose Cisco and deployed it on the entire campus. It was part of a bigger project that included firewalls.

The performance of the solution is valuable. It works incredibly well.

The product must be made more user-friendly.

I have worked with the product for a year.

The tool is quite stable. We have the least amount of drops. The network latency is one to five milliseconds.

The tool is scalable. However, it is not as scalable as a cloud solution. We had around 2000 users.

We contacted Cisco for some escalations to troubleshoot via remote access. The process was pretty straightforward. We raised tickets and got hold of the technical support team. They did some hotfixes.

Fortinet is easy to use. Even if we do not have formal training, the learning curve is easy. We can figure it out by going through the interface. The Fortinet Cookbook is simple to understand. Fortinet products are easier to integrate. It is a lot more complex for Cisco. However, Cisco is more stable than Fortinet.

The deployment process was a bit complex. We took two months for planning and one month for staging. We simulated everything before the deployment. It was like a parallel system. We built a new infrastructure and switched everything to the new infrastructure. Building the new structure and testing took us three to four months.

We are system integrators. We deployed the solution with some help from Cisco. However, we did not use any professional services from Cisco. We are a Cisco Gold Partner. We do all the configurations.

I have seen an ROI on the product. We know Cisco lasts for quite a while. It's easy to get a hold of. I see good value in it. It is a good investment.

The tool is expensive.

Ruckus and Aruba are not as good as Cisco.

I will recommend the solution to others. If a company wants something stable that will last them longer, they should go with Cisco, even if it's more expensive. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Mainly, our customers use this solution in industries, medical and hospitality industries. And also in educational institutes.

It's mostly the coverage. The coverage is very good. Nowadays, customers have their own security systems. In addition to Cisco, they will have a different firewall. Using that, they have a good security system in their company. So, the customer is happy with the Cisco product.

There is room for improvement in the pricing. If the product cost less, then probably there would be more customers.

In summary, the product could be slightly cheaper to attract more customers. 

I have been working with it for five years. 

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. 

As far as scalability is concerned, there is no problem at all. We can bring it up to whatever scalability is required as per the customer's requirement. And it's easy to implement, maintain, monitor, and manage. 

That is another advantage of Cisco. Because Cisco is a product that everybody knows, and they are aware of Cisco configuration and monitoring.

Cisco Wireless for large networks is scalable. I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten. 

The customer service and support are very good. 

Positive

We have different wireless products available with us, from different vendors. We supply different vendor products to different customers as per their requirements. Some customers are using Cisco Wireless products, and we support them for any requirement.  

The initial setup is easy. I would rate my experience with the initial setup a nine out of ten, with one being difficult, and ten being easy. 

The deployment doesn't take much time; it comes with one access point or number of units. So, for one access point, it takes around 30 minutes. 

We are the system integrator. 

There is a return on investment because it is a one-time investment for the customer. Once you implement it, we'll be continuously getting the system from customers. 

Basically, once a customer is working with Cisco, they will not go with any other vendor. So, if any additional requirements come up, they will come back to us only to implement more on Cisco Wi-Fi.

I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten, with ten being very expensive. 

It is suitable for small and medium businesses. Not large. Large businesses are not willing to spend money. But small and medium businesses always look at the price, even though our product is world-class. They still want to get it cheap.

It's more stable, more easy to deploy, and easy to manage. Basically, everybody knows Cisco configurations. So it's very simple and easy. Anybody can manage it. Anybody can do the configuration.

Even those who don't have many technical skills, they use it because there are multiple documents available. And, generally, people are given training before they start with Cisco. So they're already used to Cisco even though they have not worked with the actual product. They have already worked with it virtually, with some training. So they are much aware of the product, so it is easy for them to deploy.

Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten.

We use the platform to provide seamless wireless connectivity for our company's network. We use it in the oil and gas industry to ensure strong and reliable wireless connections across our locations. The deployment is managed through a wireless controller, and we rely on the solution for both authentication and connectivity.

The most valuable features of this product are its authentication capabilities and the strong signal coverage of the access points. These features ensure reliable and secure wireless connectivity essential for our operations.

The product could be improved by making installing the operating system on access points easier. This process can be cumbersome and could benefit from a more streamlined approach.

I have been working with Cisco Wireless WAN for ten years.

The product is stable. I rate the stability a nine. 

Cisco Wireless WAN users from all our offices can connect through the wireless controller, effectively meeting our network demands. 

I rate the scalability an eight. 

While the support services are generally good, the team can take time to get an engineer immediately for critical issues.

Neutral

The initial setup of this solution was easy. It took about one hour to deploy, and there were no significant difficulties.

The implementation was done in-house.

The product is highly-priced. For example, an access point can cost around $1,200, which is quite expensive.

This platform is a good technology with stable performance. However, its high cost is a significant downside. Other solutions like Aruba or Ubiquiti offer similar capabilities at a lower price point.

I rate it a seven out of ten. 

Our use cases span corporate segments, banking, and large enterprises, where we leverage Cisco Wireless WAN for its flexible deployment options and comprehensive feature set.

The platform's most valuable features include the internal wireless controllers, which eliminate the need for external hardware, and the flexible control options, such as virtual and hardware controllers. These features provide significant cost savings and scalability, making managing large and complex networks easier

They could reduce the product's cost of lower-tier products to make them more accessible to smaller companies. They must provide more cost-effective options for those with limited budgets.

Additionally, enhancements to AI-driven capabilities to improve network management and automation could benefit future releases.

The solution is stable and reliable. It provides consistent performance across different environments and scales.

The product is highly scalable. It offers various options for network expansion, including internal, hardware, and virtual controllers. This scalability efficiently supports both small and large deployments.

Cisco provides comprehensive support through various channels, including phone, email, and online resources. The team is generally helpful, though response times can vary.

Positive

The initial setup can be complex depending on the deployment scale and specific requirements. It often requires engineering expertise.

The platform implementation typically involves vendor teams.

Cisco products generally have high list prices, but substantial discounts are available.

We evaluated other solutions, but Cisco's extensive portfolio and flexible deployment options made it the most suitable choice.

Cisco Wireless WAN is a robust solution with extensive capabilities. It's highly recommended for larger organizations or those needing advanced features. Smaller organizations should assess if the features align with their needs and budget.

Overall, I rate it a nine out of ten. 

I use it mainly to provide WAN connectivity to remote users.

Coverage for the access points is really good. This is a major drive for us to get strong signals using Cisco. 

I also find the security features of Cisco Wireless are effective. Basically, I like the integration with the other vendors and native security software tools. The management UI is good. 

The product can be more cost-effective. Only the cost could be more cost-effective. But, since it is more of an enterprise solution, it is not a cheap solution compared to other vendors.

I have been using it for five years. 

It is a stable product. I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.

It is a scalable solution. It is very good. I would rate it a ten out of ten. 

We have around a hundred in our company. We don't plan to increase the further usage for the time being.

The customer service and support are good.

Positive

We checked Aruba. We opted for Cisco because we had more knowledge about this product and liked its scalability. 

I didn't face any challenges with the initial setup. However, it takes bit of knowledge to setup. 

I would rate my experience with the initial setup a five out of ten, with one being difficult and ten being easy. Some effort is needed for all Cisco products. 

Documentation is very effective and there is also an active community. So, it was very good.

It is cost-effective, compared to other enterprise solutions. It has improved productivity and reduced operational costs.

Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

I would recommend to follow the documentation, deployment guides and validated designs. Designing the solution is very crucial. 

We use Cisco Wireless WAN in our academic institution, both on the campus-wide and dormitory networks.

What I like the most about the solution is how widely available it is.

In terms of improvement, there is always something that could be enhanced. For example, we can't change wireless channels in Cisco Meraki due to a recent standard update. We have asked for help, but no solution has been presented to us yet.

I have been using Cisco Wireless WAN for two years.

It is a stable solution.

The solution is fairly scalable. There are approximately 44,000 users of Cisco Wireless WAN on the campuses, while in the dormitory areas where Meraki is installed, there are approximately 2,000 users.

Cisco's technical support is very good and they answer quickly. 

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward. It took about two weeks to get it up and running. An engineer and a technician at our company deployed it. We began by planning access point locations over a couple of days. Using ICAO 610 for setup and having access points with serial numbers made the initial setup quick, taking just a few minutes. Then, we spent a few days configuring the network settings.

Our university has experienced a positive return on investment, and I believe Cisco Wireless WAN will continue to benefit us for at least a decade.

It is quite an expensive solution, but I am positive it is the right choice for our institute. We have an EA for Meraki, so we pay for access once a year as part of our licensing arrangement.

I would recommend Cisco Wireless WAN to anyone who is considering using it. It is a great solution for campuses and universities. Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten.

The solution is used to manage our access points in all our company branches.

I like Cisco due to the fact that it's reliable. It has worked well since 2008 without issues.

It's scalable.

The initial setup is straightforward. 

Azure needs work. We use it as the wireless controller of Cisco. It's a bit buggy. The UI needs to be more responsive. 

Technical support could be more helpful.

The solution is expensive. 

I've been using the solution since 2008.

The solution is stable and reliable and offers good performance. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

It is very scalable. It's easy to expand.

We have about 3,000 employees that use the solution.

The setup is in an airport, and we have passengers that also need the portal for the internet. We have a lot of people using the solution.

Technical support could be improved. They are helpful. However, they could be better.

Positive

We did not previously use a different solution. 

The solution is very easy. It's straightforward and not difficult at all. 

The deployment only takes a few hours. It's not a long process. 

We have about five people that can handle any maintenance tasks. That includes maybe one engineer and four administrators. 

We handled the deployment ourselves. We didn't need the assistance of a third party.

We pay a yearly licensing fee, and it is expensive. I'm not sure of the exact amount we pay.

I'm currently looking into Aruba. 

We have a lot of equipment from Cisco. We are customers and end-users. 

I'm not on the latest version of the solution. That said, I'm renovating my wireless environment.

I'd recommend the solution to others. It is good. However, it costs a lot. I'm currently looking for something more cost-effective. 

I would rate the solution eight out of ten. There is no master controller for the controllers. When we have access points in different buildings, I need a centralized management system to achieve redundancy and operations simplicity.