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Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs Cisco Wireless vs Ruckus Wireless 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

As of April 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is 1.5%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 9.2%, down from 11.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ruckus Wireless is 12.0%, down from 14.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Ruckus Wireless12.0%
Cisco Wireless9.2%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar1.5%
Other77.3%
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.
PS
CEO at ajuntament del Prat
Reliable wireless coverage has supported busy operations and has improved daily connectivity
We have areas that are interference-prone. I am not using BeamFlex technology with Ruckus Wireless. We are satisfied, but there are some problems in the current Ruckus Wireless solution that we could not solve two years ago, and we are still waiting for a solution. These are lateral management problems, and we solved them with another type of tools. However, I do not know if the new versions of the product have resolved that issue. We had approximately 150 access points at that time, so we had many points to change. We had another solution five years ago, and we changed all the access points to Ruckus Wireless solution as well as the Ruckus Wireless platform to manage all the access points.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"With the Captive portal to manage the Guest access is very easy, and with the Spectrum Analysis some very difficult radio issues can be solved with very little effort from my side."
"We deployed them in two hospitals, they benefit from the access of users via Guest Portal and the use of VoWLAN Phones for mobile internal communication."
"We are very satisfied with the performance."
"OmniAccess Stellar AP1230 Series is better than CISCO highest model Aironet 3800i AP in terms of quality, user capacity, coverage, performance and price."
"One feature that differentiates Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar from some other vendors is the fact that on-premise OmniVista licenses are perpetual."
"I have worked with different solutions in the past and switched to Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar because of its quick installation time. It requires no additional preparation. The product is highly stable. I rate it a nine out of ten. 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."
"The solution allows you to see the SNMP packets, the DPI packets, and the SNMP server."
"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."
"I like that it's a standard wireless solution that can be rolled out throughout the campus."
"The solution offers very good application visibility and control integration for other analysis software."
"Cisco Wireless is scalable."
"Our organization has improved using this product because it helps enhance user experience, and we now get greater speed and performance with wireless that is nearly the same as a wired network."
"The solution is highly scalable."
"It is a stable solution. The performance was good."
"The best part of the solution is the stability."
"There are many valuable features including security, availability, scalability, integration With Cisco products, WEB Portal for guest users, and Cleanair."
"The connectivity of the product is amazing."
"The product is very good and very reliable and functions well in indoor and outdoor settings."
"I am in love with Ruckus because it's very easy to configure."
"The scalability of Ruckus Wireless is good, with approximately 500 users using the solution."
"I find signal combining and team forming in Ruckus Wireless most valuable."
"This solution is easy to use and you need minimal IT experience to work with it."
"The beamforming has been the most valuable aspect of the solution for our organization."
"It gives you the whole user session, and you can tell that the client connected at the traffic post."
 

Cons

"Yes, some issues are related to firmware bugs or firmware instability."
"If the customers plan to go on the cloud side, they need encryption and daily communications from a security perspective."
"Most customers are asking for an on-premises hardware architecture while it is available as a software-based architecture."
"It is not possible to integrate Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar with third-party software like Opera, a property management system (PMS)."
"The GUI is a little bit slow."
"Sometimes, we're not able to meet the complex requirement with Stellar."
"There are occasional OS bugs."
"Better integration with third-party systems is what our customers are expecting in the future."
"Their software's really clunky."
"The solution should introduce natural language troubleshooting processes. It will identify possible problems or errors due to the symptoms."
"Overall, it's a pretty good solution; however, it's end-of-life, it will be end-of-support in the next two years. The APs are also end-of-life."
"Installation is complex and should be easier."
"In the future, I would like to have Cisco add video documentation on configuring and overall learning of how to use the solutions, for example in such areas as security, authentication, and load balancing."
"The configuration interface could be easier. They should make roaming easier and should fix it so that when you cross a building you can keep the signal."
"As in the majority of new implementations there is a lack of knowledge of the products, but with some time and a lot readings at the end was easily."
"I had to reboot the controller a couple of times to force correct EAP key exchange."
"The pricing is okay, however, it could be a bit lower."
"I would like to see newer on-premises controller-type models, similar to the 3000."
"It is sometimes difficult to reach technical support when you need it."
"The price is on the higher end. It's quite expensive, but that is what you get with these types of solutions."
"They lack in some hardware stratification."
"The initial setup is complex."
"While the Virtual SmartZone appliance has improved in the last few years, it isn’t without issue and the performance of the Web page leaves something to be desired."
"They could add more flexibility for switching over to another radio if a radio is poor. I am not able to change the radios from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz. I am yet to figure it out. I want it to be a bit more explicit or a bit easier to change radios. When you shut it down, you lose some of the information. It would be good to have a controller where I can store the information, and later on, I can retrieve the information. There should be some form of small storage to keep the information. Its price should also be improved. Its price is currently quite high."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is a mid-range solution with respect to pricing."
"The price of this product is average and it is a one-time, perpetual license."
"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."
"We find the price comparable to other products on the market."
"The tool is cost-effective, according to our sales team's feedback."
"It's pricey, but better than similar solutions."
"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."
"It's a bit expensive but it's professional and works properly."
"We have to pay for the hardware and support is extra and we do pay for the support."
"The pricing is okay. I believe it is competitively priced. But it is not just the price by itself, it's the price and the technical features. The features also play a big role. It has to give me the relevant output."
"The price of Cisco Wireless is expensive and there is an additional cost for support."
"Its licensing is hard to understand."
"The solution is a little expensive compared to other brands."
"Pricing is a little higher for Cisco Wireless than all other vendors. Cisco should work on improving the pricing because there are some other vendors out there in the market which may have the same features or equivalent features that Cisco has at a lesser price."
"The license structure is confusing."
"The price is high and I give the price a four out of ten."
"If you walk into any restaurant or hotel you will find Ruckus Wireless solutions because it is economical when it comes to pricing. There is a basic subscription for the license and support."
"It is reasonably priced. I would rate the price a three out of five."
"This is a very expensive solution."
"​The cost can be prohibitive for many as it is a high-end product in the WiFi market.​"
"Ruckus is more expensive than Meraki, but the performance moves in parallel with the cost."
"Ruckus Wireless is an expensive solution."
"The price of Ruckus Wireless is more expensive than other options."
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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
17%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

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 Enterprise41
Large Enterprise73
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise22
Large Enterprise26
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar?
The solution allows you to see the SNMP packets, the DPI packets, and the SNMP server.
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 architec...
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...
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 frie...
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 ...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What di...
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 Ruckus Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless is an easy to manage solution.
 

Also Known As

Alcatel Lucent OmniAccess Stellar, OmniAccess Stellar
Cisco WLAN Controller
No data available
 

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)
American University of Sharjah, Baruch College, Centro Escolar Liceo Santo Tomšs, Chevalier College, Chico Unified School District, Colegio de Fomento El Prado, Columbia Public Schools, Delta School District, Dordt College, Douglas County School District, Drew University, Armonea, Central Utah Clinic, Grove Hill Medical Center, Inner South Community Health Service, Midwest Surgical, Satilla Regional Medical Center, Lyndoch Living, Polonus, Roaring Fork School District, Sonora State, Vivid, Sydney, Players Club, Sandals, Scandic Hotels, Sheraton LAX, Sunbird
Find out what your peers are saying about Ruckus, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: March 2026.
885,667 professionals have used our research since 2012.