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Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Cisco Wireless vs Ruckus Wireless comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
1.0
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN provides cost savings, ease of use, and management, though high costs may deter larger businesses.
Sentiment score
2.3
Cisco Wireless boosts productivity, reduces downtime, improves connectivity, and offers cost savings with robust security and manageability.
Sentiment score
4.1
Ruckus Wireless delivers high ROI by reducing costs, boosting efficiency, and enhancing connectivity with fewer disruptions.
A comparison from standalone to distributed WLC-controlled access points provides some decent ROI.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
I believe that in the coming years, it would be real value for the money.
CIO at Haier
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.3
Meraki support is efficient and accessible, yet users note inconsistent assistance and desire enhanced knowledge base resources.
Sentiment score
5.3
Customer service is mostly praised for professionalism and efficiency, though some users experience slow response times and regional differences.
Sentiment score
6.8
Ruckus Wireless support is generally prompt and helpful, but some experience delays and additional costs post-acquisition.
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.
Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
It would be better if the SLA of technical support was less than four hours.
Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk
There are some problems with their technical support when it comes to the whole Meraki system.
Senior Network Architect at Previder
The technical support from Cisco is of high quality.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
We received responses quickly after logging our problem.
Group IT Head at Euracare
The refresh cycle is not as aggressive with Aruba, meaning they will continue supporting products for longer durations without facing end-of-life and end-of-sale situations as frequently as Cisco does.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
I have contacted Ruckus support through our managed services vendor, but the responses have been delayed, possibly due to the vendor.
manager at SSDU Innovations
I have communicated with Ruckus Wireless technical support directly for all technical issues.
CIO at Haier
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
4.2
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is praised for its scalable cloud-based system, despite cost and configuration challenges.
Sentiment score
6.8
Cisco Wireless offers scalable solutions for enterprises, praised for flexibility and seamless expansion, despite some cost concerns.
Sentiment score
5.6
Ruckus Wireless excels in scalability, seamless deployment, flexible licensing, and effective management for diverse enterprise environments.
Meraki is not scalable enough since it straightforwardly maps its products to segmented specifications.
Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk
Installing new licenses with the number of access points that the device WLC is expected to support makes it scalable.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
With the Ruckus R1 Cloud, I just need to put it into the venue, and it will automatically sync up and configure itself.
manager at SSDU Innovations
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
4.4
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is stable with high user satisfaction, though firmware updates and outages may occasionally cause issues.
Sentiment score
7.4
Cisco Wireless is praised for its stability and reliability, with minimal downtime and robust performance in production environments.
Sentiment score
7.0
Ruckus Wireless is praised for its high stability and reliability, maintaining strong connections even in challenging environments.
Stability is not an issue for me because it comes with Cisco's proven manufacturer quality.
Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk
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.
Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees
The performance is excellent, rating 10 out of 10.
Group IT Head at Euracare
The best aspect is that even if the WLC goes down, the access points stay up and remain functional.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN users seek improved error logs, advanced features, better support, competitive pricing, and enhanced third-party integration.
Cisco Wireless struggles with complex UI, high costs, integration issues, and inadequate support, affecting user satisfaction and performance.
Ruckus Wireless faces cost, security, and support issues; users seek improved cloud features, analytics, and performance under load.
The most important improvement needed is to eliminate the limitation of uplinks.
Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk
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.
Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees
The solution supports Wi-Fi 6.
Senior Network Architect at Previder
Sometimes, integration with other Cisco products requires manual intervention for tasks such as firmware upgrades, which should be automated.
Network Security at Tech Mahindra Limited
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.
Group IT Head at Euracare
In the long term, there could be a cost reduction because it does not require much maintenance.
System Engineer at DANAT IT FOR BUSINESS
The current reporting is limited to 30 days, and it would be helpful if there was an option to extend it to one year.
manager at SSDU Innovations
Sometimes when there's a load of work, even within the range of the concurrent users, we feel that the system is burdened and slows down.
CIO at Haier
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is stable but expensive; negotiate with resellers for trials and discounts, especially for SMBs.
Cisco Wireless is costly but valued for quality; licensing is complex and varies by enterprise size and project scope.
Ruckus Wireless is viewed as a premium, reliable investment, with justified costs due to performance and multiple licensing options.
The pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is not competitive enough for the SMB market compared to other brands.
Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is on par with other devices in that category, offering competitive pricing.
Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees
My experience with the pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is competitive with other providers offering paid subscriptions.
Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Cisco generally is expensive.
Group IT Head at Euracare
The setup cost involves licenses.
System Engineer at DANAT IT FOR BUSINESS
The licensing of Cisco Wireless is competitive.
Network Security at Tech Mahindra Limited
Ruckus Wireless is quite economical compared to Meraki or Cisco Umbrella APs.
manager at SSDU Innovations
Regarding the pricing and licensing of Ruckus Wireless, it's a bit expensive compared to other solutions available in Pakistan.
CIO at Haier
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN simplifies cloud management with robust features enhancing network operations, integration, and analytics for enterprises.
Cisco Wireless provides scalable, easy management with robust security, seamless roaming, high performance, and advanced integration capabilities.
Ruckus Wireless is lauded for reliability, innovative features, and superior connectivity, offering ease of management and strong performance.
It also manages security clients and switches, providing a single dashboard to manage multiple network infrastructures.
Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk
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.
Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
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.
Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees
If one network fails, there is a link between different access points, which ensures network continuity.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
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.
Group IT Head at Euracare
The primary benefit is the ability to triage and identify what is where, and when users report issues, we can identify the users, location, endpoint, and nuances such as signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio.
Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The most valuable feature of Ruckus Wireless is its AI capability, which automatically scales up and down the coverage areas.
manager at SSDU Innovations
Overall, we have fewer issues using these devices, and it's more stable.
CIO at Haier
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 10.3%, down from 13.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 9.5%, down from 11.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ruckus Wireless is 12.4%, down from 14.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Ruckus Wireless12.4%
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN10.3%
Cisco Wireless9.5%
Other67.8%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

DolfKrikke - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Architect at Previder
Centralized management has simplified remote branch control and improved network visibility
Cisco Meraki Wireless is very powerful and very easy to manage. The solution is also integrating Cisco Catalyst Wireless products into their portfolio, and they are managing the Catalyst switches as well. The seamless roaming capabilities function well. I monitor network performance with Meraki's real-time analytics. The most useful metrics to my team are the internet performance metrics, as there is a lot of information in the dashboard that I can access. All auditing and event logs are centralized in the dashboard. When I need to apply to compliance requirements or other regulatory needs, I can have my auditing in one place, which is an advantage. I use Cisco Meraki Wireless's Layer 7 application traffic shaping with the MX and the Meraki MX Firewalls.
EvansEsezobor - PeerSpot reviewer
Group IT Head at Euracare
Has enabled centralized user management and improved wireless access point aggregation
To improve Cisco Wireless, the ports on the access points are all 100 Meg, not 1 gig. We have not gotten a gigabyte interface of about 1,000, but the controller we have is just 1 gig. 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, which currently limits us to 1 gig. When we want to move higher capacity data via wireless, it limits us to 1 gig.
QaiserYousaf - PeerSpot reviewer
CIO at Haier
Has delivered strong performance for office connectivity and reduced technical issues
I cannot suggest much for Ruckus Wireless, but I think all the new versions have already incorporated all the improvements that are required in this device. So I cannot suggest something which I believe is already either in process or already been given to the customer. There is something on my mind about how the product could be optimized. The number of users they claim can simultaneously connect to the system actually varies. Sometimes when there's a load of work, even within the range of the concurrent users, we feel that the system is burdened and slows down. Perhaps there is something that can make it work better when there's a high load on that. However, this does not happen frequently. Sometimes it happens when I see the number of users increasing on one access point, which slows down a little bit, especially when we are having online meetings and teams are communicating over the internet. This trouble causes a little bit of irritation to the user, wondering why data downloading or uploading or transferring takes extra time. That is my concern.
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise27
Large Enterprise31
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business78
Midsize Enterprise41
Large Enterprise73
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise26
 

Questions from the Community

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 h...
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...
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...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user frie...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three ...
What do you like most about Cisco Wireless?
Cisco Wireless improves mobility and flexibility. The only case we are working on is with hospitals, focusing on the ...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What di...
What do you like most about Ruckus Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless is an easy to manage solution.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ruckus Wireless?
Regarding the pricing and licensing of Ruckus Wireless, it's a bit expensive compared to other solutions available in...
 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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)
American University of Sharjah, Baruch College, Centro Escolar Liceo Santo Tomšs, Chevalier College, Chico Unified School District, Colegio de Fomento El Prado, Columbia Public Schools, Delta School District, Dordt College, Douglas County School District, Drew University, Armonea, Central Utah Clinic, Grove Hill Medical Center, Inner South Community Health Service, Midwest Surgical, Satilla Regional Medical Center, Lyndoch Living, Polonus, Roaring Fork School District, Sonora State, Vivid, Sydney, Players Club, Sandals, Scandic Hotels, Sheraton LAX, Sunbird
Find out what your peers are saying about Ruckus, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: January 2026.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.