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Catalyst 9100 Access Points vs Mist AI and Cloud 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
Mist AI and Cloud
Ranking in Wireless LAN
18th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
25
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.
Mohammed Junaid Khatib - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Has improved troubleshooting efficiency with AI-driven insights but requires a simpler user interface
Mist AI and Cloud has integrated artificial intelligence and introduced a Marvis tool, making troubleshooting much easier compared to Cisco, Extreme, or any other vendor. The Marvis tool includes Marvis Action and Marvis Mini. In Marvis Mini, you can enter the MAC address, site name, or device name to get complete details of any issues the device is facing. If you enter the MAC address of a device, it will show the types of issues such as roaming, authentication, or IP address problems. This eliminates the need to manually search for errors on the controller. The troubleshooting has been significantly simplified through Marvis Mini, which is integrated with AI. Additionally, Marvis Action helps with alerting and monitoring, showing how many devices are down and what kinds of connectivity, DHCP, or authentication issues exist, providing alerts without the need to manually monitor all devices. Mist AI and Cloud is very effective at managing user experience through its AI capabilities. It helps reduce downtime by providing alerts that allow us to work directly on issues without waiting for system failures.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."
"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 reliability of Cisco is the number one aspect I have seen, and the performance is pretty stable."
"Mist is a really good tool that provides essential AI information from an operational point of view, covering both wireless and switching."
"Ability to control the access points by groups."
"Natural language patching is an important feature."
"It's really easy to provision and support. Those are its main features."
"Multi PSK (Pre-shared Key) is a very good feature in the solution...Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"AI is the most valuable feature."
"The cost is the most valuable aspect of this solution."
"I have a very good experience with the solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
 

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."
"The area for improvement is that Juniper is not as market dominant as Cisco, so they should focus on making their GUI more user-friendly, as it is currently a bit complex and users may not fully understand the available features."
"If there's one thing I'd like to change, it's the pricing. They are quite expensive, but honestly, it's justified by the value they provide. However, for a simple Wi-Fi connectivity with basic security needs, there are alternatives in the market that offer comparable features at a more budget-friendly price."
"Currently, the solution lacks the ability to configure with other solutions from other vendors."
"The solution doesn't provide mail notifications currently."
"Juniper should integrate all their dashboards instead of having separate dashboards...Since it lacks the integration of dashboards, Juniper needs to improve it."
"Mist AI and Cloud should be marketed more and focus on making partners in the industry."
"The area for improvement is that Juniper is not as market dominant as Cisco, so they should focus on making their GUI more user-friendly, as it is currently a bit complex and users may not fully understand the available features."
"Configuration could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The solution's price is too high for the end-users. My customers pay 1,000 USD towards the licensing cost of the solution every year."
"The price of Mist AI and Cloud is approximately 20 percent less than competitors, such as Aruba and Cisco. However, Cisco has a lifetime warranty for its solutions."
"Mist AI and Cloud is expensive."
"I rate the pricing a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is low and ten is high."
"The solution is expensive in Brazil."
"The custom licensing is a little bit expensive and I would rate it 7.5 out of 10."
"The price is about the same compared to other vendors. There is an add-on license, but it's up to you if you want to buy it or not."
"The price of this product is approximately the same as competing products in the market."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise9
 

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 do you like most about Mist AI and Cloud?
AI-driven automation helps implement the solution quickly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mist AI and Cloud?
My rating for pricing is five, where ten represents a low price and one represents a high price.
What needs improvement with Mist AI and Cloud?
The area for improvement is that Juniper is not as market dominant as Cisco, so they should focus on making their GUI more user-friendly, as it is currently a bit complex and users may not fully un...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Mist Access Points
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Dartmouth, Hitachi, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, NTT, Okta
Find out what your peers are saying about Catalyst 9100 Access Points vs. Mist AI and Cloud and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,889 professionals have used our research since 2012.