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Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) vs Ekahau Site Survey 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ekahau Site Survey
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
35
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is 12.1%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ekahau Site Survey is 25.8%, down from 40.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Modeling and Simulation
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2686386 - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers cost-effective labbing for certification preparation through actual node images
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) could improve by providing more in-depth switch options. For example, I cannot lab stacking at all. Additionally, the accuracy of some solutions like WSA (Web Security Appliance) and ESA ( /products/cisco-secure-email-reviews ) (Email Security ( /categories/email-security ) Appliance), now called SWAN, is not comparable to a production environment.
ALEXANDRE VIANNA - PeerSpot reviewer
Good optimization capabilities, automatic network planning tool and saves time
Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports. Currently, it's possible to make changes to the Word report using Python, but it could be improved. For example, when I create an AP on a survey report, information like the cable view, distance, and support assessments could be enhanced. Only one comment about Ekahau Optimizer. It needs improvement. I tried to upload site products, and for five products, I needed to involve Ekahau's supply chain. When I try to solve that, it's not possible. For example, I uploaded one product for a large bank, and the optimizer didn't finish. I needed to involve Ekahau support, and they sent me the file two or three days after I opened the case.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The ease of use of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is very valuable to me because it is straightforward."
"The OEM dashboard has a lot of useful features to troubleshoot the Wi-Fi."
"The troubleshooting tools are the most valuable feature of the solution."
"Ekahau Site Survey is scalable."
"The ability to perform dual-band spectrum analysis while conducting the standard WiFi site survey is a tremendous time saver."
"The planning feature is useful because it's very affordable."
"I don't handle the software that much. I'll do some of the testing with our CTO. It is primarily him and I. He has commented before that he likes the fact that with two licenses, we can set it up so that when we're on a large facility, he can see where I am and I can see where he is. That's for sure is very handy in large venues."
"The most valuable features of the Ekahau Site Survey for us are the combination of using the tool."
"The solution is user-friendly and it provides a good output that can be measured, and I can describe and pinpoint any inaccuracy shortfalls."
 

Cons

"Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) could improve by providing more in-depth switch options. For example, I cannot lab stacking at all."
"Ekahau needs to enhance the view of materials and make some adjustments to the reports."
"The GPS feature could be improved."
"We were actually able to recover some access points in some areas that were over saturated. So I I can leave at least two areas where we probably had twice as many access points as we needed to. So we actually redesigned it and pulled some of those access points where I don't know that there was any proper planning done when they were initially deployed. It was before my time, but it just seemed way over saturated, and they were all beaten on each other. So Site wasn't helping. It was probably hurting, and we saved equipment that we could then deploy somewhere else. This can be improved."
"Ekahau would benefit by making improvements to lag time."
"The cloud takes a lot of time to upload the site survey, and we regularly face issues with syncing to the optimizer."
"The report generation has room for improvement and is missing small details."
"Its migration and visualization features need improvement."
"Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensional perspective."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The pricing is high."
"Ekahau Site Survey is a really expensive solution."
"The solution is priced fairly for the features that you receive."
"I believe that it is approximately $2,000 per year for us. I know we pay for it on an annual basis."
"The product is quite expensive."
"Since we are an academic institute, we get better prices and discounts from Cisco, but not Ekahau."
"The pricing is quite expensive. Not all companies can afford it"
"We pay a licensing fee."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
15%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Educational Organization
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is very cost-effective at $200 a year, which provides great value compared to buying my own server or setting up a GNS3 ( /products/gns3-reviews ) or EVE-NG ( /products/ev...
What needs improvement with Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) could improve by providing more in-depth switch options. For example, I cannot lab stacking at all. Additionally, the accuracy of some solutions like WSA (Web Security App...
What is your primary use case for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
My primary use case for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) ( /products/cisco-modeling-labs-cml-reviews ) is studying and ramping up on low-level certifications. I use CML to lab for certifications and gener...
What do you like most about Ekahau Site Survey?
We reviewed the maps as a team and determined if any changes needed to be made or if we could just replace APs as they are. We got into this by upgrading our access points to Meraki, and we wanted ...
What needs improvement with Ekahau Site Survey?
Ekahau could be improved by adding three-dimensional modeling, as we currently cannot view APIs in a three-dimensional perspective. They need to include backhaul features and improve the ease of in...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Presidio, Planet Earth, Ruckus
Find out what your peers are saying about Ekahau, NetAlly, iBwave and others in Network Modeling and Simulation. Updated: April 2025.
851,451 professionals have used our research since 2012.