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Cisco Network Assurance Engine [EOL] vs iBwave Unity comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 7, 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 Network Assurance Eng...
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
iBwave Unity
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Network Modeling and Simulation (3rd)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2352375 - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
Helps to easily detect and resolve issues like security threats, bandwidth usage concerns, and performance bottlenecks
I use Cisco Network Assurance Engine to ensure the security, compliance, and smooth operation of my network infrastructure. With this tool, I can easily detect and resolve issues like security threats, bandwidth usage concerns, and performance bottlenecks across my hundreds of PCs and other ICT…
Gopi R S - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Radio Frequncy DAS Design Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
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

"We install this solution for our clients who like the solution and their experience with it."
"It is easy to set up."
"It is scalable from the beginning. It is a product that you can scale upwards whenever you want."
"Any product that Cisco provides will give the user more visibility into their connectivity and network, thus protecting their environment."
"Try Cisco Network Assurance Engine out, as it is really good."
"In a short amount of time, you can see what went wrong on a screen in a report."
"The standout feature of Cisco Network Assurance Engine is its ability to proactively detect and prevent network issues before they occur."
"These reports help to calculate the cost of the project and give us project documentation to present to our client."
"The stability and feature set of the application are top notch and can't be matched."
"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."
"The iBwave WiFi was really useful in terms of time saving for predictions and validation of RF coverages, and a very good instrument to create professional documents for customers and their IT staff."
"The most valuable features are being able to model venues closely to the real world."
"Before, we used rudimentary tools; iBwave Design is the best tool for in-building design on the market."
"iBwave Wi-Fi's tech support is great. They pick up their phones. I have no complaints."
"The solution's 3D imaging is amazing."
 

Cons

"At the beginning, the setup was complex."
"It needs authentication beyond just local and LDAP. It should also have TACACS+ and RADIUS."
"Because what they have right now is not good enough, and good enough will not work anymore."
"The scalability is one of the biggest failures of the solution."
"To enhance Cisco Network Assurance Engine, simplifying its interface and making it more user-friendly would be beneficial."
"iBwave Wi-Fi doesn't have a distributor feed platform."
"The cost of the solution could be improved. It's extraordinarily expensive."
"We have not encountered any scalability issues, but it is very costly to renew the annual subscription to get the latest versions and features."
"Surely, one improvement could involve the materials panel in the prediction tool."
"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."
"It would be good if we could involve a visual while designing the backhaul."
"It's still a slow process to model venues and even rename components."
"I would like to be able to see two buildings at the same time so that you can create a campus view."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The solution's pricing is cheap."
"iBwave Wi-Fi is an expensive solution, but it is worth the cost."
"I advise others to treat the cost as you would any tooling cost and use the monthly option as needed."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Comms Service Provider
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
University
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
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.
What is your primary use case for iBwave Wi-Fi?
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 fo...
 

Comparisons

No data available
 

Also Known As

Cisco NAE, Candid
iBwave Wi-Fi
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

West Corporation, Axians Nordic, Robert Bosch, DICTU, Tenaris
ARRIS
Find out what your peers are saying about Ekahau, Cisco, iBwave and others in Network Modeling and Simulation. Updated: September 2026.
913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.