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Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs Cisco Wireless comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 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

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess S...
Ranking in Wireless LAN
21st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
Number of Reviews
155
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is 1.7%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 9.4%, down from 11.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Wireless9.4%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar1.7%
Other88.9%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Attila Gyalus - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at TeloNet
An Easily Deployable and User-Friendly Solution with Rapid Installation
The support of this solution is great. The timeliness of their responses is crucial for me. When I raise an issue, I can count on receiving a prompt reply, eliminating the need for extensive online searches or phone calls. This efficiency is paramount in saving time. In the rare instances where problems arise, they are usually swiftly addressed.
EvansEsezobor - PeerSpot reviewer
Group IT Head at Euracare
Has enabled centralized user management and improved wireless access point aggregation
To improve Cisco Wireless, the ports on the access points are all 100 Meg, not 1 gig. We have not gotten a gigabyte interface of about 1,000, but the controller we have is just 1 gig. We would prefer if we could increase the controller to a 10 gig interface because we want to connect our controller to a 10 gig interface, which currently limits us to 1 gig. When we want to move higher capacity data via wireless, it limits us to 1 gig.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I have not seen any downtime in the tool."
"With these three types, Alcatel-Lucent can give the client a range of solutions within budget of each, and still guarantee the quality of the solution."
"There is a definite ROI with this product. This product creates a baseline of technology that will be a means to grow from five to ten years from now. By using this solution, it is an investment on the installation of that baseline."
"OmniAccess Stellar AP1230 Series is better than CISCO highest model Aironet 3800i AP in terms of quality, user capacity, coverage, performance and price."
"The solution is scalable, as it works for any size of company, no matter if it's a small business, enterprise, government, education, hospitality, or any other type of customer, and it's easy to scale as a soft controller by just adding licenses, supporting up to 4,000 access points."
"Configuring Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is easier than Aruba HPE."
"The solution allows you to see the SNMP packets, the DPI packets, and the SNMP server."
"One feature that differentiates Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar from some other vendors is the fact that on-premise OmniVista licenses are perpetual."
"It is an extremely stable and scalable solution. Its documentation and support are also very good."
"The switches can even detect cable issues which quite often can be the main cause for a call-out within my business."
"The deep knowledge of Cisco is its most valuable aspect, and the Wireless Cisco solution has been in development for many years, which gives users trust in the solution."
"The performance is very good and, if you compare it to Aruba, we find the ability to roam much better."
"Cisco is a well-known brand especially when it comes to technology, they're one of the market leaders and they're absolutely a no-fuss vendor."
"The ability to make different types of networks, such as land networks, is the most valuable part of the solution."
"The most important thing for me is that all the access points are in one group and use one access code. So, when you move from one area to another, you don't disconnect and reconnect again. The device is also very easy to install and control."
"Technical support is great. One time, we had a controller issue due to a hardware failure and they replaced it within two days."
 

Cons

"Most customers are asking for an on-premises hardware architecture while it is available as a software-based architecture."
"The GUI is a little bit slow."
"Yes, some issues are related to firmware bugs or firmware instability."
"The solution needs to improve access for Mac and iOS devices."
"If the customers plan to go on the cloud side, they need encryption and daily communications from a security perspective."
"I’d rate this product as an eight out of 10 because it is not accessible to everyone to take 100% advantage of the product."
"Sometimes, we're not able to meet the complex requirement with Stellar."
"Simplification of the configuration processes and improvement of the maintenance software OmniVista 3600."
"The pricing could be reduced."
"Cisco Wireless is a little bit expensive when compared to other solutions."
"Right now it just seems like it doesn't have enough power."
"The price could be better. The configuration is also complex. It would be better if there's an NEC solution. That's one of the things we really want to have. It should also be as fast as possible."
"They are good, but my observation is that their signal strength and range is not that good."
"From a pricing point of view, it's a little bit expensive compared to competitors like Aruba and others."
"Its licensing has been very frustrating. There is also the complexity of managing the product. These are probably the two reasons why we're looking at Aruba. The way they license this product is not simple. There are some good features in the latest version, but there are additional license costs as well, which is frustrating for us. It is not really a feature issue for us. It really comes down to cost and licensing. They should make it a bit simpler to manage. We find the overall solution a little bit more complex than we would like to deal with. Its troubleshooting is a bit difficult, and it does require a high skill set. Comparatively, Aruba seems quite simple. One of the benefits of the Aruba product is that it is cloud-managed. We don't have to manage the management platform itself, whereas Cisco is on-premise. Its user interface could also be better."
"Their software's really clunky."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is a mid-range solution with respect to pricing."
"The tool is cost-effective, according to our sales team's feedback."
"It's pricey, but better than similar solutions."
"The price is in the range of other brands like Cisco, maybe a little cheaper but you get the same features, facilities, and security. Licensing is something Alcatel is making changes to. A few years ago you would buy a WLAN solution from Alcatel for half the price of Cisco, but you would spend the same amount on licensing. Today this is different and the licensing is cheaper."
"The price of this product is average and it is a one-time, perpetual license."
"At times, it appears that the solution's pricing is slightly higher. This makes it challenging to persuade customers who primarily focus on the price."
"We find the price comparable to other products on the market."
"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."
"This product's pricing is good. It's not too expensive."
"The price of Cisco Wireless could be adjusted down, it is a bit expensive. The solution is worth it for the name and the brand. However, there are more products now in the market that give you the same quality, but at a cheaper price."
"From a pricing point of view, it's a little bit expensive compared to competitors like Aruba and others."
"Its licensing is hard to understand."
"I think that the solution is expensive because the customer has to pay for a full year, at a minimum, in up-front costs."
"Cisco is more on the expensive side, as compared to Aruba, but I must say Cisco's quality is unmatched, for sure."
"The price of the solution is fair."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
902,417 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
14%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business78
Midsize Enterprise42
Large Enterprise73
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar?
Most customers are asking for an on-premises hardware architecture while it is available as a software-based architecture.
What is your primary use case for Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar?
My company's customers are looking for good security products, and as far as addressing concerns, I feel that there are no issues with the tool's integration with our customers' existing infrastruc...
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 be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel Lucent OmniAccess Stellar, OmniAccess Stellar
Cisco WLAN Controller
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mineola School District
Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs. Cisco Wireless and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,417 professionals have used our research since 2012.