Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs iBwave Wi-Fi comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.1
Number of Reviews
119
Ranking in other categories
Wireless LAN (4th)
iBwave Wi-Fi
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Network Modeling and Simulation (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and iBwave Wi-Fi aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is designed for Wireless LAN and holds a mindshare of 12.7%, up 12.2% compared to last year.
iBwave Wi-Fi, on the other hand, focuses on Network Modeling and Simulation, holds 10.7% mindshare, down 12.0% since last year.
Wireless LAN
Network Modeling and Simulation
 

Featured Reviews

RezaPradipta - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
Gopi R S - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced accuracy in design projects with advanced three-dimensional modeling and great support
I am using iBwave Wi-Fi for a project where we are designing on campus. It is used for large venue designs such as a university campus, and my work involves optimizing and validating the designs for accuracy before site surveys Using iBwave Wi-Fi, I am able to provide more accurate results for…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Meraki is a decent solution for a small company, and we use it in a pretty typical way. We need Teams and Zoom to work, and we need a high level of security because we want our business to remain confidential."
"The solution is easy to install."
"The management console is valuable."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of deployment."
"The functionalities are quite professional and complete. It offers good integration with other Meraki products, like switches and the firewall. You can get an overview of all networks and the host. It's really great; nobody else can do that."
"I have found the scalability to be very good."
"The most valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are the ease of use and the ability to manage it from the cloud."
"The ability to manage it remotely is the most valuable. If it has an internet connection, you can get to it. It is a great product for remote clinics. We kind of thought about doing this kind of standalone technology. Meraki is easy to manage. From a management perspective, it is the easiest to use, especially in the cloud. I like Meraki. I even have it in my home."
"The stability and feature set of the application are top notch and can't be matched."
"iBwave Wi-Fi's tech support is great. They pick up their phones. I have no complaints."
"I find the high-quality Heatmap generation, multi-floor, and wire mapping features to be most valuable."
"It can speed up design."
"The most valuable features of iBwave Wi-Fi include the critical three dimensional modeling capabilities, which are necessary for tasks like locating access points, determining their height, and cable routing."
"Compared to other tools, iBwave Wi-Fi provides 95% accuracy and generates heatmaps."
"The solution's 3D imaging is amazing."
"The 3D Coverage is a good feature that shows the signal propagation in three dimensions."
 

Cons

"It would be better if they enable full integration with Cisco's cloud-based network in the next release."
"We'd like to have better mapping to showcase low-coverage areas."
"Updating the equipment and the scheme they use to bill for the license could be improved."
"I'd like better integration with security providers."
"Some of their first level support staff does not seem to be well-versed in the solution, so support for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs improvement."
"Meraki should share their viability roadmap. It is really hard to know which functionality will appear or when they will be available. It is also hard to know which features are available now but are not visible on the dashboard."
"The user interface needs to be improved."
"The solution cannot be looked upon for one year or short term because you will pay back all the discounts they offer the next time you pay for renewal."
"I am currently looking for an alternative due to my reluctance with the reliability of this product."
"iBwave Wi-Fi could be improved by adding a plot for overall improvement, allowing us to see where we are failing in design parameters, similar to features in Ekahau."
"Areas of improvement would include more functionality in the Mobile App, expanded reporting features, and some shortcut features."
"iBwave Wi-Fi doesn't have a distributor feed platform."
"It would do iBwave well to become more involved with their clients."
"I would like to be able to see two buildings at the same time so that you can create a campus view."
"It would be good if we could involve a visual while designing the backhaul."
"The cost of the solution could be improved. It's extraordinarily expensive."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Since it's been acquired by Cisco, it's an even higher cost."
"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."
"This solution is slightly more expensive than others, such as Ruckus Wi-Fi."
"It is expensive."
"Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is not a reasonably priced product for home use. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a reasonably priced product for enterprise-sized businesses."
"I don't deal with pricing directly, however, it's my understanding that it is around $40 per unit."
"The platform is expensive."
"Meraki is a very good solution, but the price is quite high for small markets."
"The solution's pricing is cheap."
"I advise others to treat the cost as you would any tooling cost and use the monthly option as needed."
"iBwave Wi-Fi is an expensive solution, but it is worth the cost."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
850,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
13%
Construction Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
8%
 

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 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 do you like most about iBwave Wi-Fi?
Compared to other tools, iBwave Wi-Fi provides 95% accuracy and generates heatmaps.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iBwave Wi-Fi?
Both iBwave Wi-Fi and Ekahau are costly tools. They're considered high in cost because the license needs to be renewed yearly.
What needs improvement with iBwave Wi-Fi?
iBwave Wi-Fi could be improved by adding a plot for overall improvement, allowing us to see where we are failing in design parameters, similar to features in Ekahau.
 

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
ARRIS
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: April 2025.
850,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.