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Catalyst 9100 Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN 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

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
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Ranking in Wireless LAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.5
Number of Reviews
121
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

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.
RezaPradipta - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk
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…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."
"The reliability of Cisco is the number one aspect I have seen, and the performance is pretty stable."
"I like the status page Cisco added that shows you the health of the wireless connection."
"The most valuable features include key elements like creating SSIDs, networking configurations, and the ability to manage all devices through a single console."
"It is easy to manage and configure. The dashboard of Meraki is easy to use."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the application visibility, which is one of the main features."
"It has good security with its Layer 7 protections."
"It improved the installation time."
"It is cloud-based. It has a GUI rather than a command line, and it just works."
"The management and upgrades are very simple and straightforward."
 

Cons

"Frankly, ease of use is one of the things that needs improvement, as the management interfaces have always been complex and not very intuitive."
"Technical support from Cisco has been a bit degraded lately because the first support we get is challenging."
"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."
"In the future, I would like to see IP telephony in Saudi Arabia."
"We face a bottleneck on the gateway while using the solution for large enterprises."
"The issue primarily revolves around failure to renew the license on time, leading to service termination."
"It lags a bit in providing reports for Wi-Fi performance."
"If you lose connectivity with the controller, your Wi-Fi network is immediately impacted."
"The integration options with third-party applications need enhancement."
"Currently, only a limited number of clients can connect to these devices."
"The only concern is when the license has expired and it will no longer function, the entire network goes down, without any notification, or warning."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The price/benefit ratio is great."
"The solution's pricing is a little higher."
"It is expensive."
"Meraki is a very good solution, but the price is quite high for small markets."
"I don't deal with pricing directly, however, it's my understanding that it is around $40 per unit."
"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."
"It is an expensive solution."
"​If you are wondering if Meraki can work for you, contact one of their representatives because they will do onsite trials where you can set up their system. If it does not work, you can send it back to them for no charge.​​"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise26
Large Enterprise31
 

Questions from the Community

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...
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 have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
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...
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 a great feature. The dashboard is a simple interface and easy to learn. It feat...
 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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