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AirMagnet Survey PRO vs Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

AirMagnet Survey PRO
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
Network Troubleshooting (6th)
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
2nd
Average Rating
6.0
Reviews Sentiment
3.2
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey PRO is 6.8%, down from 14.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is 7.2%, down from 11.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Modeling and Simulation Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)7.2%
AirMagnet Survey PRO6.8%
Other86.0%
Network Modeling and Simulation
 

Featured Reviews

Mark Witherspoon - PeerSpot reviewer
Wireless Services Manager at Veritas Managed Solutions
A solution for site verifications and enhanced with adapters that provide more realistic readings, but needs to support Wi-Fi 6E
Ekahau and AirMagnet Survey have their own pros and cons, in my opinion. For example, the APs are not visible in Ekahau but AirMagnet Survey allows us to see what APs and channels are being used in a live view, which Ekahau lacks. In Ekahau, the signal from the AP it's capturing at that time is visible which is a bit of an inconvenience. The predictive planner of AirMagnet's is better. However, Ekahau has advantages over AirMagnet because it groups all the SSIDs into one AP, whereas with AirMagnet, one needs to group them manually. Ekahau also supports Wi-Fi 6E, but its licensing is restrictive and more costly.
OB
CEO at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Limited support and costly setup detract from potential benefits
The stability of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is not very good. The iOSs consume so much memory that most typical machines do not have sufficient memory to utilize. For example, the Cisco 9200 iOSs require 24 gigabytes of memory to run in that tool, and that is only one image.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It is reliable and easy to use (user-friendly). The heat mapping, passive network surveying, and doing the heat mapping of a building's wireless network allows me to see what level of coverage an area has."
"AirMagnet is a very stable and time-tested product, as proved by the fact that the world's leading IT companies use AirMagnet Survey and if we look at the release notes we can see a lot of new features instead of bug fixes as in the Ekahau Site Survey."
"Customer service is great."
"We haven't really used any other solution because there really wasn't anything out there like AirMagnet."
"Technical support is very good."
"AirMagnet is a very stable and time-tested product."
"We're happy with both."
"As far as using the software, it's going to give you true results and be very accurate."
"The initial setup of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is straightforward, but the images are complex and expensive to set up because they do not provide those for free."
"The ease of use of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is very valuable to me because it is straightforward."
 

Cons

"My biggest complaint is their training shouldn't be so expensive."
"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."
"There is a feature "no auto-save" when the Proxim USB is disattached accidentally during survey."
"It would be nice to have some more training resources for younger techs. We can use them if we need some assistance, but that usually requires one of us who knows what we're doing to calibrate the programs properly."
"The software crashes frequently which requires you to restart your PC."
"I had some crash issues due to the wireless card driver."
"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."
"We have had a problem with the reporting module, as it can't put the full size picture of a floor plan in the report."
"The stability of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is not very good. The iOSs consume so much memory that most typical machines do not have sufficient memory to utilize."
"Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) could improve by providing more in-depth switch options. For example, I cannot lab stacking at all."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing of AirMagnet Survey is different when compared to Ekahu. It is a third of the cost of Ekahau but there are no dedicated laptops to the Sidekick. AirMagnet allows you to license an adapter and share that adapter."
"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."
"The tool's pricing is medium."
"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."
"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."
"The pricing needs improvement."
"This product is very expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
University
12%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise10
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
On a scale of 1 to 10, Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is about eight or nine in terms of expense.
What needs improvement with Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
There are other areas where they could improve the product in my opinion.
What is your primary use case for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
I have always used Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) in lieu of building practical labs and buying products for the labs so I can simulate configurations and test interoperability and things of that nature.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.