Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Cisco Wireless comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Mar 16, 2022

We performed a comparison between Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Cisco Wireless based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Both users of Cisco Meraki Wireless Lan and users of Cisco Wireless say that the initial setup is straightforward and simple.
  • Features: Valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN include scalability, stability, IOT integration, an excellent interface, multiple types of user groupings and access management, good visibility, a comprehensive dashboard, fantastic network security, ease of installation, and a captive portal feature. The drawbacks users mention is that it lacks customization options, could benefit from heat mapping and better cyber security, and that there is a processing limitation when you have more than three or four SSIDs.

    Users of Cisco Wireless mentioned that valuable features include stability, reliability, scalability, solid functionality, security, easy management, good application visibility, control integration for other analysis software, and ease of configuration. Some users of Cisco Wireless state that the software can sometimes be very clunky, and others would like to see cloud-based support and management as well as some AI capabilities and the introduction of a dashboard.
  • Pricing: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN users feel that the pricing could be better. Users of Cisco Wireless also find that it is expensive, with a rigid pricing model in place.
  • Service and Support: Users of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN have rated service and support to be overall very positive and reliable. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN also has a knowledge base available online. Cisco Wireless reviewers similarly confirm that the service and support they receive is excellent, stating that support is responsive and knowledgeable, and that ample documentation is available online.
  • ROI: Users of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN have expressed that the gap in terms of performance, quality, features, and functionality has decreased significantly compared to what it was five years ago. Cisco Wireless users mention that they have yet to see an ROI.

Comparison Results: While Cisco users across the board feel that both products are very expensive and provide very good customer service and support, users reported a better ROI from Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless Report (Updated: March 2023).
690,226 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done.""The solution is pretty generic and easy to use.""The simplicity is great.""The most useful feature of Juniper Wireless AP is the reporting Marvis.""In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Pros →

"I like the status page Cisco added that shows you the health of the wireless connection.""The solution has worked very well in our campus environment.""The visibility of the site is most useful.""The most valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are the ease of use and the ability to manage it from the cloud.""It is easy to set up. You can do everything on the GUI. You don't need to trace cables. You don't need to connect to the switch. Everything is there, right in front of you.""Great architecturally based dashboard and the solution is accessible from anywhere.""Meraki WLAN is easy to deploy, includes a cloud controller, and updates continuously. It also offers high visibility.""Its management is most valuable. It is the major feature of Meraki."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Pros →

"Cisco Wireless is highly stable.""I'm very satisfied with Cisco's technical support.""Creating policies is simple.""The solution is scalable.""Cisco has good support services.""This is a very stable solution that solves complex issues.""I like that Cisco Wireless is easy to implement. If you get stuck with any issues, they have ample documentation on the internet. It's easy to implement, and Cisco documentation is easily accessible.""The integration is great."

More Cisco Wireless Pros →

Cons
"If you want to do more specific stuff, it's a bit limited.""The solution is expensive.""I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features.""Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) could improve if the MIST platform had a built-in master key. This would be an advantage.""Juniper Wireless AP can improve by continually improving its reporting and integration with other systems."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Cons →

"Concern when there are a number of concurrent users.""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.""The dashboard could be a bit better. I'd like to see more information about the whole controller and APs. It should be as simple and convenient.""There's nothing that special about it.""If they could work on the Meraki firewall hardware, and add SSL decryption as well as more application control and deep packet inspection, that would be ideal.""Cisco offers pretty expensive devices.""It would be useful to have a service management platform integrated within this solution where we can measure the customer experience.""If you lose connectivity with the controller, your Wi-Fi network is immediately impacted."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Cons →

"And from an administration point of view, it is a very tedious job to check on each and every control. We have around 30 or 40 controls in our network.""This solution is very expensive, which means we often have to go for cheaper options instead.""The solution could improve by having an advanced model with a controller. Additionally, the solution could be more secure.""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 solution is stable but it could be improved. However, this could be because there are not enough APs.""In the next release, I would like to see some AI capability deployed. Other competitors like Mist and Juniper already have it. So, AI features need to be introduced next year.""Its licensing model and cost should be improved.""For all products on the market, the availability of the products may not be ideal. We're waiting on a lot of products simply due to the fact that there's a material shortage. We've ordered products and have had to wait three or four months for anything to get delivered. This is not just Cisco. It's a problem on the market for all components which include semiconductors."

More Cisco Wireless Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."
  • "Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."
  • "The pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."
  • More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Its price is high and should be reduced."
  • "It is expensive, but it is a good product."
  • "Its licensing is on a yearly basis. It can be for three, five, or ten years. I'm happy with the pricing. You basically pay for what you get. It is that simple. When you look at Ubiquiti or Aruba, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN far outweighs what you get. If you're in the UK, Ubiquiti gives a three-year or five-year warranty, whereas here in the UAE, they only give a one-year warranty, which is no good to me. Who buys a piece of equipment with only one year warranty on it? It doesn't make sense."
  • "It is super expensive for what you get. You also have to buy a license every year. Otherwise, it stops working."
  • "Since it's been acquired by Cisco, it's an even higher cost."
  • "We pay licensing fees."
  • "I would say that they have adequate pricing."
  • "The price/benefit ratio is great."
  • More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "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."
  • "It's expensive. The pricing is an obstacle."
  • "It is expensive, and there are some costs in addition to the standard licensing fee. Its licensing model and cost should be improved."
  • "Because the Cisco architecture is quite complex, you may end up having to add more components and licenses. So, the cost could go up."
  • "I think it's affordable. Maybe there are little differences, but it's not very expensive. But with all Cisco products, you have to pay more for the power supply. You'll have to pay for the PoE converter."
  • "The solution does not come with a licensing fee."
  • "The license is a one-time purchase."
  • More Cisco Wireless Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Answers from the Community
    Netanya Carmi
    Aws Al-Dabbagh - PeerSpot reviewerAws Al-Dabbagh
    Real User

    The standard answer to such a question is: it depends.


    The pricing for both solutions is very similar: per-AP, Meraki is more expensive than Cisco Wireless. Cisco APs are cheaper, but the controller raises the solution price to be almost equal to Meraki.


    Meraki is subscription-based and requires constant internet access to manage the system. If the annual license expires, the APs will work, but you can't manage them or read reports of the Meraki portal.


    Cisco Wireless is a one-time payment for the hardware with annual support payments. if you have a small office with only a few APs needed, you can use the Cisco Mobility Express Controller (which uses one of the APs or a Catalyst Switch as the controller) but that has a limit of 100 APs.

    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich.
    Top Answer:It is a very expensive product. Not every company could afford a device like this. The cost is around 1.2 lakhs, or… more »
    Top Answer:I haven't had any issues with the product. The solution is expensive. That is why we have a very minor deployment.
    Top Answer:Depends.  I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them.  Extreme I am not, so unless they have… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are a… more »
    Top Answer:Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user… more »
    Top Answer:On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three… more »
    Top Answer:You cannot use them together if you want central management. This is because they are independent products.
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points
    MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN
    Cisco WLAN Controller
    Learn More
    Overview

    Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

    Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience. The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage, and fewer support calls. The Cisco Meraki dashboard gives visibility into the network users, their devices, and their applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the end-user experience and network security.
    With Cisco Wireless you will successfully plan, deploy, monitor, troubleshoot, and report on indoor and outdoor wireless networks - all from a centralized location.
    Offer
    Learn more about Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points
    Learn more about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
    Learn more about Cisco Wireless
    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
    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)
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Government8%
    Educational Organization7%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider20%
    Non Profit10%
    Educational Organization10%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Government7%
    Educational Organization6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider15%
    Computer Software Company10%
    Government9%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Government8%
    Educational Organization7%
    Company Size
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise53%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business54%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise25%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business28%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise55%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business36%
    Midsize Enterprise26%
    Large Enterprise38%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business24%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise60%
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless
    March 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless and other solutions. Updated: March 2023.
    690,226 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is ranked 3rd in Wireless LAN with 45 reviews while Cisco Wireless is ranked 2nd in Wireless LAN with 54 reviews. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is rated 7.8, while Cisco Wireless is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN writes "Highly reliable, effective site blocking, and beneficial reports". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cisco Wireless writes "Robust with a good level of performance and very helpful technical support". Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is most compared with Aruba Wireless, Ubiquiti Wireless, Mist AI and Cloud, Ruckus Wireless and Fortinet FortiWLM, whereas Cisco Wireless is most compared with Aruba Wireless, Ubiquiti WLAN, Ruckus Wireless, Huawei Wireless and D-Link Wireless. See our Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Cisco Wireless report.

    See our list of best Wireless LAN vendors.

    We monitor all Wireless LAN reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.