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AirMagnet Survey vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs iBwave Wi-Fi 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…
Gopi R S - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced accuracy in design projects with advanced three-dimensional modeling and great support
I am using iBwave Wi-Fi for a project where we are designing on campus. It is used for large venue designs such as a university campus, and my work involves optimizing and validating the designs for accuracy before site surveys Using iBwave Wi-Fi, I am able to provide more accurate results for…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable features are the survey, spectrum analysis, and reporting."
"The heat maps are quite good, and some features are easy to use."
"We use the solution for Wi-Fi and networks."
"I would like to rate the product as eight of ten."
"The most valuable feature is the predictive survey. The antennas' RF patterns are reflected correctly on the drawing when preparing predictive heat maps."
"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."
"Customer service is great."
"Using the products to ensure the safety of our equipment that we have a lot invested in."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
"Its flexibility, ease of management via the portal, and the variety of access points are the most valuable features."
"The solution provides good coverage and identity management. Additionally, the user interface is straightforward."
"We can deploy it and check in on our customers without having an on-site connection or an on-site infrastructure for elderly customers."
"The visibility of the site is most useful."
"The product is super stable. I would rate the stability a ten."
"You can scale the solution easily."
"I find the high-quality Heatmap generation, multi-floor, and wire mapping features to be most valuable."
"The 3D Coverage is a good feature that shows the signal propagation in three dimensions."
"iBwave Wi-Fi's tech support is great. They pick up their phones. I have no complaints."
"The stability and feature set of the application are top notch and can't be matched."
"The solution's 3D imaging is amazing."
"The most valuable features of iBwave Wi-Fi include the critical three dimensional modeling capabilities, which are necessary for tasks like locating access points, determining their height, and cable routing."
"It can speed up design."
"Compared to other tools, iBwave Wi-Fi provides 95% accuracy and generates heatmaps."
 

Cons

"AirMagnet Survey needs to support Wi-Fi 6E otherwise they can lose to the competition. They also need to allow better grouping of SSIDs to one AP, removing the need to filter manually. At the moment, you can filter by channel or SSID, but grouping all those SSIDs together is a difficult task."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"When you conduct an active survey and then want to use it for design work, it's actually not very useful."
"Less time consumed doing the real surveys."
"It'd be nice if it was cheaper, however, you get value for your money."
"The signal coverage radius could be extended."
"Licensing is, in my opinion, the least appealing component. It can be difficult to keep licenses up to date in order for the system to function properly."
"We'd like to have better mapping to showcase low-coverage areas."
"It's performing well, really well. We don't have any issues. We only have issues if there is a lot of rogue APs in the neighborhood and that not Meraki's fault."
"Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's management tools need enhancement."
"The user interface needs to be improved."
"If there are advanced features that you can have enabled, they should allow users access to that in an easier manner."
"If you lose connectivity with the controller, your Wi-Fi network is immediately impacted."
"I am currently looking for an alternative due to my reluctance with the reliability of this product."
"iBwave Wi-Fi could be improved by adding a plot for overall improvement, allowing us to see where we are failing in design parameters, similar to features in Ekahau."
"iBwave Wi-Fi doesn't have a distributor feed platform."
"The cost of the solution could be improved. It's extraordinarily expensive."
"It would do iBwave well to become more involved with their clients."
"Areas of improvement would include more functionality in the Mobile App, expanded reporting features, and some shortcut features."
"It would be good if we could involve a visual while designing the backhaul."
"I would like to be able to see two buildings at the same time so that you can create a campus view."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"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 tool's pricing is medium."
"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."
"The cost of both the hardware and licensing is high, and it is more than what I would prefer to spend currently."
"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. It can be for three, five, or ten years. I'm happy with the pricing. You basically pay for what you get. It is that simple. When you look at Ubiquiti or Aruba, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN far outweighs what you get. If you're in the UK, Ubiquiti gives a three-year or five-year warranty, whereas here in the UAE, they only give a one-year warranty, which is no good to me. Who buys a piece of equipment with only one year warranty on it? It doesn't make sense."
"It is a relatively expensive solution compared to traditional network alternatives."
"Its price is higher than other products. It is above the expectation of customers. So, every time we need to fight for a good price."
"Its price is high and should be reduced."
"It is an expensive solution."
"The solution's pricing is a little higher."
"The tool is reasonably priced."
"I advise others to treat the cost as you would any tooling cost and use the monthly option as needed."
"iBwave Wi-Fi is an expensive solution, but it is worth the cost."
"The solution's pricing is cheap."
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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%
Educational Organization
13%
Construction Company
10%
Computer Software 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 iBwave Wi-Fi?
Compared to other tools, iBwave Wi-Fi provides 95% accuracy and generates heatmaps.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iBwave Wi-Fi?
Both iBwave Wi-Fi and Ekahau are costly tools. They're considered high in cost because the license needs to be renewe...
What needs improvement with iBwave Wi-Fi?
iBwave Wi-Fi could be improved by adding a plot for overall improvement, allowing us to see where we are failing in d...
 

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
ARRIS
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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