Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Cisco Wireless compete in the wireless networking category. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN appears to have a strategic advantage for smaller organizations due to its centralized cloud management, while Cisco Wireless offers robust features beneficial for larger enterprises.
Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers strong centralized cloud management, easy configuration, and robust monitoring capabilities. It provides a user-friendly cloud-based dashboard for managing APs, switches, and routers, enabling efficient network management. In contrast, Cisco Wireless provides advanced features like CleanAir to detect interference, seamless roaming for stable connections, and strong integration with other Cisco products.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could improve its technical support and licensing flexibility. The dashboard's security and rigid licensing model can be challenging for advanced configurations. Cisco Wireless, while effective, could benefit from reducing the complexity of third-party product integration and lowering the high costs associated with licensing and support.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers simple cloud-based deployment with both public and private cloud options, easing management for distributed organizations, though technical support responsiveness varies. Cisco Wireless necessitates more resources for on-premises deployment but is backed by helpful but sometimes delayed customer support.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN involves high upfront costs and licensing fees, yet its cloud efficiencies may reduce long-term expenses. Cisco Wireless has higher setup and maintenance costs but delivers significant ROI through its enterprise-grade features, particularly in environments with substantial network demands.
I would rate Cisco support a 10, as the response time and process via the dashboard are easy, and response times are always within the SLA.
It would be better if the SLA of technical support was less than four hours.
The Cisco forum also has good questions that help resolve problems and issues.
The technical support from Cisco is of high quality.
The technical support from Cisco is good.
Meraki is not scalable enough since it straightforwardly maps its products to segmented specifications.
We have experienced many instances where we have experienced a lag in our network, and I am not sure if it is due to their devices or our network.
Stability is not an issue for me because it comes with Cisco's proven manufacturer quality.
We rarely have downtime.
The most important improvement needed is to eliminate the limitation of uplinks.
Some of the newer models of the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN access point have encompassed the new wireless protocols and increased the strength of their antennas.
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.
Sometimes, integration with other Cisco products requires manual intervention for tasks such as firmware upgrades, which should be automated.
In the long term, there could be a cost reduction because it does not require much maintenance.
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is on par with other devices in that category, offering competitive pricing.
The pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is not competitive enough for the SMB market compared to other brands.
My experience with the pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is competitive with other providers offering paid subscriptions.
Cisco generally is expensive.
The price of Cisco Wireless is pretty expensive.
Cisco has provided significant discounts for large-scale deployments.
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has helped optimize network traffic very effectively, as we do prioritization for streaming and web conferencing apps, resulting in a clear, visible improvement in performance.
It also manages security clients and switches, providing a single dashboard to manage multiple network infrastructures.
The ability to program all access points from the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN dashboard, view the status of all of them, and examine the individual devices connected to each access point is very valuable.
The advantages of Cisco Wireless include helping me aggregate all the access points, managing one point connection for my users easily, controlling rogues, and addressing hotspots effectively.
If one network fails, there is a link between different access points, which ensures network continuity.
When I install it, I can forget about it because there is no need for ongoing maintenance, and no other problems occur.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN | 10.5% |
| Cisco Wireless | 9.8% |
| Other | 79.7% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 69 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 26 |
| Large Enterprise | 31 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 77 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 40 |
| Large Enterprise | 74 |
Cisco Wireless is a comprehensive suite of wireless solutions designed to deliver secure, high-performance connectivity for enterprises of all sizes. Offering a range of access points, controllers, and advanced management tools, Cisco Wireless ensures seamless and reliable network access, enhancing mobility and productivity.
Cisco Wireless solutions provide robust, scalable wireless networks capable of supporting high-density environments and diverse applications. With features such as seamless roaming, advanced security protocols, and detailed analytics, Cisco Wireless addresses the needs of modern businesses. The solutions include the Cisco Catalyst and Aironet series access points, wireless LAN controllers, and the Cisco DNA Center for centralized management and automation.
What are the key features of Cisco Wireless?
What benefits should users look for in reviews when evaluating Cisco Wireless?
Cisco Wireless solutions are implemented across various industries, including healthcare, education, retail, and manufacturing. In healthcare, they support critical applications like patient monitoring and electronic health records. Educational institutions use Cisco Wireless to provide reliable internet access for students and staff. Retailers benefit from enhanced customer experiences through in-store connectivity, while manufacturers use wireless networks to improve operational efficiency and automation.
Pricing and licensing for Cisco Wireless solutions are typically based on the scale of deployment and specific product selections. Cisco offers various support plans, including 24/7 customer service, technical support, and access to software updates and patches.
In summary, Cisco Wireless provides robust, scalable wireless networking solutions that enhance connectivity, security, and management for diverse enterprise environments.
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