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AirMagnet Survey vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Ekahau Site Survey comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

Network Modeling and Simulation
Wireless LAN
Network Modeling and Simulation
 

Featured Reviews

David Olofson - PeerSpot reviewer
It fixes so many problems quickly that we don't regret spending more on high-end tools than most companies
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. There's one thing our nXG handhelds do that AirMagnet doesn't do out of the box. The nXG devices can analyze the wired and wireless networks simultaneously and map the networks out. We find it handy. However, if I have that plugged into our older OptiView XG tablets or our laptops, I have no way to analyze both the WiFi and the wired network at the same time and build a single picture with all that data. So far, that's something only our nXG handhelds can do. It would be nice if there were a way to integrate all the network discovery, troubleshooting, and mapping of the WiFi and the wired at the same time. There are almost no products that do that currently. If they managed to do that, they'd probably open up their market pretty quickly.
RezaPradipta - PeerSpot reviewer
Streamline network management with a unified dashboard for seamless device integration
The primary use case for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is mostly for enterprise wireless, including guest Wi-Fi and enterprise Wi-Fi. I use it across various industries with a focus on retail Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers a single pane of glass management. It only comes with a controller on the…
ALEXANDRE VIANNA - PeerSpot reviewer
Good optimization capabilities, automatic network planning tool and saves time
Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports. Currently, it's possible to make changes to the Word report using Python, but it could be improved. For example, when I create an AP on a survey report, information like the cable view, distance, and support assessments could be enhanced. Only one comment about Ekahau Optimizer. It needs improvement. I tried to upload site products, and for five products, I needed to involve Ekahau's supply chain. When I try to solve that, it's not possible. For example, I uploaded one product for a large bank, and the optimizer didn't finish. I needed to involve Ekahau support, and they sent me the file two or three days after I opened the case.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I would like to rate the product as eight of ten."
"Using the products to ensure the safety of our equipment that we have a lot invested in."
"The most valuable feature is the predictive survey. The antennas' RF patterns are reflected correctly on the drawing when preparing predictive heat maps."
"The most valuable features are the survey, spectrum analysis, and reporting."
"Customer service is great."
"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."
"It allows us to prepare more real designs. Later, we validate them with actual surveys."
"We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks."
"I like the record that is being kept and multiple SSDs."
"This product has allowed us to easily create custom SSIDs for clients and carve out the necessary bandwidth for clients needs."
"The solution is easily scalable. There are not really any limits for the customer in terms of expanding if they need to."
"It improved the installation time."
"The solution is very stable. It is a very manageable and secure system."
"The solution has worked very well in our campus environment."
"Meraki WLAN is easy to deploy, includes a cloud controller, and updates continuously. It also offers high visibility."
"The user interface is very simple and easy to use — our customers are very satisfied."
"It is a stable solution."
"I have found the most valuable feature is the RF interference and integration capabilities."
"The most valuable features of the Ekahau Site Survey for us are the combination of using the tool."
"Ekahau lets you create heat maps without doing the initial survey. It makes the task easier."
"The OEM dashboard has a lot of useful features to troubleshoot the Wi-Fi."
"The planning feature is useful because it's very affordable."
"The spectrum analysis capability is very good. It provides deep insights into the Wi-Fi environment. It's not just about troubleshooting interference but also optimizing access points and modifying power levels and channels."
"The most valuable when it comes to this solution for me is the fact that I don't have to go out and do a site survey. With this solution, I can do it all predictably with the usual 90% accuracy."
 

Cons

"It'd be nice if it was cheaper, however, you get value for your money."
"AirMagnet Survey doesn't cover certain devices in the system."
"But it's definitely a more expensive solution than other ones."
"The throughput should be more advanced in the future. They need to add more versions of WiFi than just one."
"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."
"Printouts are JPEG printouts. The AirMagnet software is proprietary. I can't send my customers a file, because it is AirMagnet file, even for building projects. I can only send JPEGs or screenshots of heat maps."
"The user interface needs a lot of improvement. The auto-placement of access points is not accurate."
"Less time consumed doing the real surveys."
"Recently I have seen that the Meraki access point, maybe due to congestion, just kicks off my customers, mostly when they are in Zoom meetings or Teams meetings and they have to reconnect."
"The error logs need to be much more comprehensive."
"If they could work on the Meraki firewall hardware, and add SSL decryption as well as more application control and deep packet inspection, that would be ideal."
"The ease of use is average. It could be more user-friendly."
"Meraki leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the technical capabilities in terms of throughput, spectrum, management, higher-level functions, etc"
"I would like to see integration with sensors."
"Updating the equipment and the scheme they use to bill for the license could be improved."
"I'd like better integration with security providers."
"We were actually able to recover some access points in some areas that were over saturated. So I I can leave at least two areas where we probably had twice as many access points as we needed to. So we actually redesigned it and pulled some of those access points where I don't know that there was any proper planning done when they were initially deployed. It was before my time, but it just seemed way over saturated, and they were all beaten on each other. So Site wasn't helping. It was probably hurting, and we saved equipment that we could then deploy somewhere else. This can be improved."
"Ekahau Site Survey is an expensive solution, and its pricing should be improved."
"I wish there were a competitor to keep Ekahau Site Survey's pricing in line, but there's none."
"The only issue is the price. The overall price is a bit high, especially compared to our other vendor. Ekahau is considered expensive."
"I wish the solution was better at making different survey modes."
"Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensional perspective."
"The cloud takes a lot of time to upload the site survey, and we regularly face issues with syncing to the optimizer."
"I find the power button hard to access with just one hand."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is medium."
"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."
"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."
"This product is very expensive."
"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."
"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."
"The pricing needs improvement."
"Since it's been acquired by Cisco, it's an even higher cost."
"It is expensive."
"The solution is overpriced and more expensive than Hauwei."
"At this price point, I would not mind seeing a four-way channel, instead of a 3x3 or a 4x4, like they do in the Cisco Aironet system with their other brand. For the same price point in this other Cisco brand, it is a lot cheaper, and you can get a slightly better throughput than you can with these."
"These units cost between $800 and $900 per device and on top of that, you have to pay yearly fees for maintenance."
"The pricing is on the higher side."
"As is always the case, the price could be better, although I do not recall exactly how much this comes out to."
"It could be more affordable than other solutions."
"The pricing is quite expensive. Not all companies can afford it"
"The solution is less costly than one of its competitors."
"We pay a licensing fee."
"The product is quite expensive."
"We pay $6,000 yearly for the licensing, but each piece of hardware, the Ekahau Sidekick, is $5,000."
"Since we are an academic institute, we get better prices and discounts from Cisco, but not Ekahau."
"I believe that it is approximately $2,000 per year for us. I know we pay for it on an annual basis."
"Ekahau Site Survey is a really expensive solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Educational Organization
9%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Educational Organization
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AirMagnet Survey?
We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks.
What needs improvement with AirMagnet Survey?
AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better...
What is your primary use case for AirMagnet Survey?
We use AirMagnet Survey, for site verifications after the wireless system has been installed. We conduct pre and post...
What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they h...
Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to...
How does Ruckus Wireless compare to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are...
What do you like most about Ekahau Site Survey?
We reviewed the maps as a team and determined if any changes needed to be made or if we could just replace APs as the...
What needs improvement with Ekahau Site Survey?
Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensiona...
 

Also Known As

No data available
MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops
Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
Presidio, Planet Earth, Ruckus
Find out what your peers are saying about Ekahau, NetAlly, iBwave and others in Network Modeling and Simulation. Updated: April 2025.
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