Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs D-Link Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ comparison

The compared Cisco and D-Link solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #4 in Wireless LAN , with an average rating of 8.2, and holds a 12.3% mindshare in the category. D-Link is ranked #12 in Wireless LAN , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of D-Link users who would recommend it.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Read 120 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

14,344 Views
12,623 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

D-Link Wireless

Read 17 D-Link Wireless reviews

2,384 Views
2,384 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 76 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

2,716 Views
489 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

D-Link Wireless

ExtremeCloud IQ

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, D-Link Wireless, and ExtremeCloud IQ based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN.

To learn more, read our detailed Wireless LAN Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

June 2025

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Helped 861,803 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

Wireless LAN

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

RezaPradipta

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…

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NadirShahzad

System Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Wireless projects run smoothly with more access point support and competitive pricing

D-Link Wireless offers more supported APs to the WLC with the default license compared to other brands like Cisco. With Cisco, only four to five APs are connected with the default license, but D-Link Wireless provides more flexibility. Local support in Pakistan is necessary for those with limited budgets, creating a reach in the market.

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KristianLarsen

Senior Consultant at Mikla IT

Helps resolve network-related issues quickly and is reasonably priced

The tool has both advantages and weaknesses because it has several pieces of software on which it has been working because of buyouts. The tool has several branches of software versions, and you can consolidate it into ExtremeCloud, but it also has the disadvantage that sometimes people can get issues because the software on the hardware is different than they expected, especially if it is not converted to the tool used. The tool has simplified things, but it also adds a complexity that sometimes stumps some users. In the future, I think the tool’s onboarding setup of a new tenant could be smoother or faster. I also think that they could provide a simpler setup for first-level support so that it can be easier for them to have a support dashboard that would help them. I am talking about customer support organizations, so you usually have a high turnaround, but you need to have something that is easier to use and where you don't need so much training.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I would recommend Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN simply because of the ease of deployment and its reliability."

"The most important feature is flexibility."

"I like the record that is being kept and multiple SSDs."

"It is easy to manage and configure. The dashboard of Meraki is easy to use."

"It will allow me to integrate another system very quickly, as we continue expanding for our client."

"The emailing of statuses is the most valuable feature."

"The big draw is the ease of installation. It's easy to manage, and it's easy to implement."

"The solution is easily scalable. There are not really any limits for the customer in terms of expanding if they need to."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros

"The initial setup process was easy."

"The tool supports new technologies."

"The most valuable feature of D-Link Wireless is its durability."

"Overall, I rate D-Link Wireless nine out of ten as a solution."

"The solution is extremely easy to install. You just add them and in a few clicks, they are ready to go."

"It's scalable, user friendly, and easy to manage."

"The product's initial setup phase is easy."

"This product is user-friendly and we can manage it as per the requirements of the user."

More D-Link Wireless pros

"Ability to assign zero trust policies from the user."

"The cloud-based management interface allows us to fully manage all our wireless radios, ensuring consistency and ease of access."

"Integrated Firewall in every AP (with DPI inspection) is a killer feature and it is included already in the price of licence (with others, this feature is an add-on licence)."

"ExtremeCloud IQ is an intuitive platform. The tool's ability to streamline network operations depends on the end customer. Sometimes it's quicker, and sometimes it takes much longer. It helps me to address network problems."

"HiveManager is incredibly useful for managing APs and switches from one cloud interface."

"The HiveManager integration with the VPN Gateway is awesome."

"It is more cost effective and gives more flexibility."

"a true controller-less approach, where each Access Point is 100% independent from the management system."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

Cons

"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."

"The price could be slightly lowered to make it more competitive in the market."

"It would be good to integrate with ISE in the future."

"I would like to see integration with sensors."

"Its licensing can be better."

"Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's management tools need enhancement."

"The solution could be cheaper."

"The way Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN groups certain things, as far as the devices for either monitoring and or configuring them should be done better. They should be grouped a little bit differently because if I want to configure something, a different setting on an SSID, I have to go to their specific area where I would have thought it should be clumped as a dropdown menu in another area."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons

"D-Link Wireless’s stability needs improvement."

"The tool's technical support can get difficult sometimes. We got a technician only after complaining for 10-15 days. The tool's technicians need to be made available everywhere."

"Password restriction: Sometimes we set a password and it uses that password but, after some days/months, the password gets changed and a few laptops still use old the password while a few use the new password. The password restriction option needs to improve."

"The only issue is with the controller visibility of the devices connecting to the network."

"Sometimes we configure the SSID with a password but the same AP shows two WiFi connections with the same SSID name (one is protected by a password and another one give access without a password)."

"The cloud managed solution needs improvement, and they should focus on the SD-WAN segment with regard to integration."

"It would definitely help if we had more advanced features for distributing bandwidth."

"The solution's performance could be improved."

More D-Link Wireless cons

"A mobile app would be awesome."

"Having a wizard for customers who are just starting might be helpful."

"We have had some mediocre to poor experiences with tech support: Conflicting information, condescending attitudes, and reluctance to work to resolve an issue."

"The product could support multi-vendor infrastructures."

"The certification costs from suppliers are getting out of control, and it's not just Extreme. We have the same problem with Cisco and Huawei."

"The licensing model could be improved."

"There can be an improvement by incorporating two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication for security. Advanced network access control features and application control features should be added to manage applications. Many customers are interested in managing data, such as setting data quotas for individual users."

"Lacks cyber asset tracking."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco Meraki requires either a one year or three year license for a standard enterprise license."

"The tool is reasonably priced."

"The price of the product could be cheaper."

"This solution is slightly more expensive than others, such as Ruckus Wi-Fi."

"I haven't conducted a price comparison yet, but based on information, it appears to be more affordable than the current environment. Therefore, I consider the price to be reasonable."

"Cost could be better."

"At this price point, I would not mind seeing a four-way channel, instead of a 3x3 or a 4x4, like they do in the Cisco Aironet system with their other brand. For the same price point in this other Cisco brand, it is a lot cheaper, and you can get a slightly better throughput than you can with these."

"You have to renew your contract every year, or for three or for five years. If you do not pay right away they will suspend your subscription."

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."

"This solution is more affordable than others on the market."

"D-Link pricing is very competitive when you consider other OEMs."

"There is no licensing fee for the solution."

"The product is affordable."

"D-Link Wireless' price is the same as Aruba's. You need to pay one-time costs for the product."

"D-Link Wireless is cheaper than Ruckus or Cisco."

"The cost can range from $100 to $400."

"For example, if you compare Aruba vs Aerohive, you need to check which licences from Aruba you need to match the functionality of Aerohive (usually you need at least three types of licences and a controller with redundancy). The same goes with Cisco, where you need buy additional licences for central management, firewall, spectral analysis, WIPS, PPSK, etc. Aerohive has a very simple model - one licence for all the functionalities - and you can believe that there are many. One licence makes it easy to maintain, scale, renew and you can plan your costs 10 years in advance."

"ExtremeCloud IQ's pricing is medium, but its support contract costs more."

"I would advise that you be sure to compare apples with apples. Many customers just look at the price per AP and licences, and compare that against other solutions. But, they do not look at the complete picture such as: TCO - how much the equipment will cost you over, say, seven years? Will the customer need to change complete infrastructure when they want to buy the newest hardware? Does support include a lifetime warranty and RMA?"

"Although the pricing is a bit high, I consider Aerohive to be well worth the money."

"Price-wise, it is a reasonable tool."

"Start small and grow big. You can choose the basic Aerohive Connect free subscription solution and, later, if needed (in terms of functionality) you can upgrade to Aerohive Select."

"Buy near the end of Q4 in order to get a deal."

"The price was okay."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Educational Organization

11%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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...

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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...

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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...

See all answers

Which wireless solution would you choose - Huawei or D-Link?

Huawei wireless is a strong and solid product that has a lot of features - and for all that it offers, it happens to ...

See all answers

What do you like most about D-Link Wireless?

The tool supports new technologies.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Wireless?

D-Link Wireless is notably more affordable than Cisco and Juniper. It suits SMB needs without the financial burden of...

See all answers

What do you like most about ExtremeCloud IQ?

The Client 360 feature provides a comprehensive view of your clients and their activities, including the devices they...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeCloud IQ?

The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period. T...

See all answers

What needs improvement with ExtremeCloud IQ?

There can be an improvement by incorporating two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication for security. A...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 32% of the time

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 13% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 6% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors

Huawei Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 57% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 11% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 11% of the time

Omada Access Points vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 9% of the time

More D-Link Wireless Competitors

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 12% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

July 2025

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Buyer's Guide

D-Link Wireless

July 2025

Download D-Link Wireless product report

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

July 2025

Download ExtremeCloud IQ product report

Also Known As

MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN

D-Link WLAN

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity

Overview

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.

Cisco

D-Link Wireless offers a wide range of robust wireless Access Points (APs) operating in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, supporting the latest wireless standards including 802.11ac and 802.11n. These access points can be managed independently as standalone devices, or collectively by using Central Wi-Fi Manager, a free centralized controller software that can be installed on a Windows server or PC.

D-Link

ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.

The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.

Extreme

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

Metropolitan Public Defender, Mission Motorcycles

Henry Ford Health System, Baltimore Ravens, Brandili, Federal University of Alagoas, CEDAE, Caxias do Sul, UNISC Concurrency, CenturyLink Field, Louisiana College, Cricket Tasmania Stadium, Moscow Internet Exchange

Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: June 2025.

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