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Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeWireless comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

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 offers cost-effective features for small businesses, but larger enterprises find capital expenditure and licensing costly.
Sentiment score
8.5
ExtremeWireless provides scalable, cost-effective solutions with 30% ROI savings, easy deployment, and excellent support for long-term use.
The monitoring access and excellent support provide significant value.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
The best ROI is achieved over a three-year term.
Engineer at NewLogics
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.9
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN customer service is praised for responsive, knowledgeable support and 24/7 availability, despite minor knowledge base issues.
Sentiment score
7.2
ExtremeWireless support is helpful but inconsistent, with slow response times and limited availability affecting user satisfaction. Ratings vary.
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
I rate their support as a nine because they are very helpful when we need assistance and they strive to help, even if not the fastest.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
I would rate the customer service as a ten.
Network Engineer at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
The response time and quality could be better, and updates can be troublesome at times.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.0
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is ideal for medium enterprises, offering scalability and seamless integration despite large deployment limitations.
Sentiment score
6.7
ExtremeWireless is scalable and adaptable for medium to large enterprises but may face stability issues at higher user thresholds.
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
ExtremeWireless is suitable for companies with a user base below three hundred.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
The Extreme access points handle high-density connectivity needs very well, managing lots of traffic efficiently.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
The scalability of ExtremeWireless is average.
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
3.9
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is reliable but may experience minor issues during updates or high network demand.
Sentiment score
7.0
ExtremeWireless is praised for its stability and reliability, though some encounter challenges with firmware updates in high-density 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
They work well without failures.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
I experienced issues during firmware upgrades, as some devices required a physical restart, which affects system stability.
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
The stability of ExtremeWireless is somewhat weaker compared to previous solutions, like Motorola before its acquisition.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs feature and interface improvements, flexible licensing, WiFi 6 support, and better integration for enterprise users.
ExtremeWireless must enhance affordability, integration, security, support, and performance to improve competitiveness and meet small business needs.
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
I wish for ExtremeWireless to optimize the roaming capability between access points, especially for IoT devices.
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
Another area that could use enhancement is the clarity and implementation of updates, as they can be troublesome sometimes.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
There is some delay in firmware upgrades for access points.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
 

Setup Cost

Consider Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's high cost justified by features, with possible discounts through negotiation, but requires active subscription.
ExtremeWireless provides good value with both free and paid options, despite medium-high pricing and substantial hardware costs.
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
Each customer typically buys around 100 APs, which makes it quite expensive.
Systems Engineer at LinkAxia Networks Sdn Bhd
The pricing is a weak point for Extreme; it is very high.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
From a corporate point of view, stability is more important than pricing.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers centralized cloud management with excellent security, ease of deployment, and seamless integration into existing infrastructures.
ExtremeWireless offers cloud management, strong security, seamless integration, and stability, making it ideal for security-focused sectors.
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
The capability to configure network policies remotely is the most important aspect for our organization, as we are an MSP providing remote support for all our clients.
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
A single license can be used for on-premises, hybrid, or cloud, allowing for easy transition between solutions without losing investment.
Engineer at NewLogics
One of the most valuable features of ExtremeWireless is its centralized control, which influenced our choice.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
Extreme access points perform very well in high-density environments, and we use them at sites with our customers.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Ranking in Wireless LAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.5
Number of Reviews
121
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
ExtremeWireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 10.5%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExtremeWireless is 2.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN10.5%
ExtremeWireless2.1%
Other87.4%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

RezaPradipta - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
KO
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
We manage complex networks with seamless guest and user access while ensuring device authorization
I use enterprise connections where users need to be authorized against radius servers. This feature is common across various products, including ExtremeWireless. Generally, the network management is valuable to me. However, I am unsure how the security architecture enhances our network protection as we typically use the latest firmware for access points. Nonetheless, we had some troubles with roaming, requiring me to install specific firmware to avoid issues.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
879,455 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise26
Large Enterprise31
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise8
 

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 have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
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 be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...
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 a great feature. The dashboard is a simple interface and easy to learn. It feat...
What needs improvement with ExtremeWireless?
There are concerns regarding the stability of ExtremeWireless. It could be an area of improvement, especially when compared to previous solutions such as Motorola before their acquisition. Another ...
What is your primary use case for ExtremeWireless?
We mainly use ExtremeWireless ( /products/extremewireless-reviews ) for the warehouse, specifically for the Zebra handheld devices and printers.
 

Also Known As

MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN
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
St. Xavier High School, Americatel, Diamond Light Source
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. ExtremeWireless and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,455 professionals have used our research since 2012.