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Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Catalyst 9100 Access Points comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 23, 2025

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

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN
Ranking in Wireless LAN
14th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
20th
Average Rating
9.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

MA
Senior Manager Solutions at iBus Network & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.
Reliable connectivity and robust support enhance customer experience
We are working with version 2.0, which is usually the latest one.Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is 100% reliable, as I have never faced any issues in our deployment after deployment, and the support is also very good. It takes a maximum of 15-20 minutes to configure one particular site of Cambium Networks Wireless LAN. The usual deployment process involves inspecting the hardware at our warehouse, dispatching it to the customer location, where the vendor installs the access point, and once it has internet, the configuration will be directly pushed from the cloud to the access point, making it up and running. Currently, around 100 plus of my customers are using this solution. My customers are a mix of medium and enterprise businesses. The least amount my customers usually pay is around $1,000, and the largest amount is approximately $10,000 per year. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Cambium Networks Wireless LAN a 9 overall.
Syed Aathif Hussain - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal Associate IT at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Has improved wireless connectivity by supporting high user density and signal reliability
Catalyst 9100 Access Points reduce network vulnerabilities. The frequency reuse technology is used in Wi-Fi 6 technology. The devices are nowadays intelligent compared to the legacy devices. They communicate with each other, adapt themselves, and improve the quality of Wi-Fi infrastructure connectivity within the premise. They are more robust and adaptable. They have significantly improved wireless connectivity compared to the legacy environment. The legacy environment was not effective with those kinds of algorithms, whereas Catalyst 9100 Access Points have different inbuilt features and are more optimized and adaptable to situations. Catalyst 9100 Access Points provide Wi-Fi connection to end users, similar to home routers with broadband connectivity. When a technician connects the device to the modem, it starts providing Wi-Fi. The configuration is inbuilt, requiring only an IP address to operate. It listens to the wireless controller, and whatever SSID is configured in the controller will be broadcasting. Catalyst 9100 Access Points are next-generation access points without the limitations of legacy access points. They have better reachability, signal strength, power utilization, and scalability. While legacy access points could accommodate 15 users practically, Catalyst 9100 Access Points can reach up to 40 or 50 users simultaneously on different radios with MIMO technology. There are different models of Catalyst 9100 Access Points depending on site requirements. Wi-Fi 6 technology has improved wireless connectivity significantly. Post-pandemic, everything has become hybrid, and wireless network has become an undeniable infrastructure requirement. Previously, LAN cable connectors were used for better speed achievement. Now, Wi-Fi 6 technology has improved wireless connectivity to such an extent that LAN cable connectivity is no longer necessary. Users can work remotely with Wi-Fi connectivity, achieving both speed and scalability. The sixth-generation Wi-Fi provides improved bandwidth and security on wireless infrastructure.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It provides good support remotely, and it's very easy to configure."
"It provides strong coverage for outdoor areas."
"Cambium is more economical compared to Cisco or Ruckus, which makes it suitable for budget-conscious customers."
"Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is easy to deploy. The implementation can take two weeks to four months."
"The product has valuable throughput capabilities. It also has an inbuilt spectrum analyzer for stable connectivity."
"The most valuable features of the solution are its range and stability."
"The cloud-based management provided by Cambium Networks is particularly valuable to us, as it allows us to efficiently manage Wi-Fi, point-to-point connections, firewalls, and switches across various locations from a centralized platform. This enables us to be proactive in providing support and ensures smooth operations for our clients."
"The product's initial setup phase is very simple and involves just a PnP process."
"The reliability of Cisco is the number one aspect I have seen, and the performance is pretty stable."
"Wi-Fi 6 technology has improved wireless connectivity to such an extent that LAN cable connectivity is no longer necessary, allowing users to work remotely with Wi-Fi connectivity while achieving both speed and scalability."
"The features in Catalyst 9100 Access Points that I have found most valuable include that it's a complete solution; we go with Cisco because you have access points, you have a controller, you have Cisco ISE, and you have Cisco DNA Center."
 

Cons

"Not a lot of technical engineers are familiar with Cambium Networks Wireless LAN. They are familiar with implementing and using other solutions such as Aruba. Therefore, Cambium Networks needs to be more visible in the marketplace."
"Channel management required manual intervention, especially in environments with multiple floors, leading to potential signal interference issues."
"The solution’s technical support could be faster."
"The capacity and coverage could be improved."
"I would rate the initial setup of Cambium Networks Wireless LAN as seven out of ten. It's not easy to do some of the access point configurations sometimes, as the policy cannot be mapped easily, which is the reason for my rating."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"The platform's cost needs improvement."
"The problem with the tool is that its prices are on the higher end."
"Theoretically, you can connect up to 100 clients simultaneously, but practically, this is not feasible. There will be bandwidth deterioration, and 100 clients using the same bandwidth will impact the quality of service."
"Technical support from Cisco has been a bit degraded lately because the first support we get is challenging."
"Frankly, ease of use is one of the things that needs improvement, as the management interfaces have always been complex and not very intuitive."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive product compared to other competitors."
"High-end products from Cambium PTP, point-to-point radio, maybe cost around $1000 per year."
"If one is a high price and ten is a low price, I rate the product price as one."
"It's a good price, but not the best price. It's on the higher end of what I would call affordable for small to medium-sized businesses."
"I would place it in the mid-range market segment, balancing affordability and profitability."
"The licensing costs for this solution are calculated per asset, and depending on the model of the equipment, it starts at $230, and goes up to roughly $1,200. The benefit of this solution is that there are no hidden costs; no cost for managing the equipment, and no cost for maintaining the equipment during its usable lifetime."
"Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is cheaper than Aruba."
"The pricing for Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is much cheaper than Meraki. For example, I have to pay $200 for one AP from Cambium, while for a Meraki AP, I have to pay $450 including the user license. Meraki has a higher price over Cambium Networks Wireless LAN."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
15%
Educational Organization
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise2
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cambium Networks Wireless LAN?
Cambium's pricing is better compared to Ruckus, which has multiple components with associated costs, like license support and access point support costs. Although nominal, these costs are still there.
What needs improvement with Cambium Networks Wireless LAN?
I would Cambium Networks to improve by having more products on the product side.I would want more WiFi products, specifically WiFi indoor access point products. They should also look into getting a...
What needs improvement with Catalyst 9100 Access Points?
Frankly, ease of use is one of the things that needs improvement, as the management interfaces have always been complex and not very intuitive. I believe Cisco needs to enhance its visibility solut...
What is your primary use case for Catalyst 9100 Access Points?
We have recently deployed hundreds of access points in the last two years.
What advice do you have for others considering Catalyst 9100 Access Points?
I am currently working with Fortinet, but frankly, I have a team which is more working on Fortinet and other products because I am managing them, so I am a little less hands-on right now. Basically...
 

Overview

Information not available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs. Catalyst 9100 Access Points and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,853 professionals have used our research since 2012.