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Cisco Wireless vs Juniper WLC Series 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.2
Number of Reviews
155
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Juniper WLC Series
Ranking in Wireless LAN
19th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 9.4%, down from 11.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper WLC Series is 1.5%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Wireless9.4%
Juniper WLC Series1.5%
Other89.1%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

EvansEsezobor - PeerSpot reviewer
Group IT Head at Euracare
Has enabled centralized user management and improved wireless access point aggregation
To improve Cisco Wireless, the ports on the access points are all 100 Meg, not 1 gig. We have not gotten a gigabyte interface of about 1,000, but the controller we have is just 1 gig. We would prefer if we could increase the controller to a 10 gig interface because we want to connect our controller to a 10 gig interface, which currently limits us to 1 gig. When we want to move higher capacity data via wireless, it limits us to 1 gig.
RN
National Marketing Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
AI-driven optimization enhances network management and reduces hardware needs
In my region, access to the product is very difficult and presents a logistical nightmare. Also, pricing is a big problem and a barrier to entry when selling Juniper against competitors. Furthermore, the knowledge of the product's capabilities is not understood properly by those selling it, leading to overselling and overquoting.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"As for valuable features, it is tough, has a nice speed, and is quite reliable."
"The ability to deploy wireless access points with templates."
"It is an extremely stable and scalable solution. Its documentation and support are also very good."
"Cisco’s product has made a big difference in our plants."
"Cisco Wireless is quite convenient for mobile and laptop access."
"The switches can even detect cable issues which quite often can be the main cause for a call-out within my business."
"I like many of the features that Cisco Wireless has to offer."
"Cisco Wireless solutions are highly scalable."
"The installation process is nice and easy."
"Juniper Wireless is reasonable, with a bit of complexity compared to Alibaba and SQL."
"Juniper WLC Series is a very high-performance device designed for indoor wireless deployment."
"It's easy to set up, and I feel it's very secure. I also prefer its reporting feature. The devices are quite good."
"Customer service is very good, and they have very experienced engineers on the site I worked on."
"The AI integration with Marvis is very valuable."
"The solution is stable, we have not witnessed any bugs or glitches and it doesn't seem to crash or freeze, it's a reliable product and the performance is good in general."
"Allows end users to roam the office and be productive wireless without being plugged into an Ethernet cable."
 

Cons

"The web interface for Cisco controllers could be better. It could be more user-friendly. Sometimes I have to remember how to access some functionalities or how to enable or execute some functions. If it were more user-friendly it would save time."
"The interface could be better."
"The older product has an installation that is complex, and not easy to configure."
"One thing which we really don't like about Cisco is that it is very expensive."
"The pricing is a bit high. It could be less expensive."
"There needs to be an access point that is compact and more suitable for small and medium-sized businesses."
"Cisco support is good, but I think it could be better."
"Cisco's architecture is becoming complex."
"The solution should create configuration documentation."
"There could be a high level of security."
"The support on offer to other vendors switching - like Aruba or Ruckus - could be improved."
"There could be more information from the controller, and it could be easier to work with the controller lights. It's not easy to bring up the upgrades."
"WLCv was a product at the being of its evolution, so there was room for improvement there."
"We would prefer it if the solution could be less expensive."
"The solution could offer more integration with other products."
"Juniper lacks a network access control agent similar to solutions like Alubakya Path and Cisco ISE."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive product. I would rate the pricing a nine out of ten, with ten being expensive."
"The cost model is expensive."
"The product could be priced better."
"We are on an annual license. The license and the hardware are expensive."
"Its licensing is hard to understand."
"We opt for a one-time purchasing fee model in our setup. Since we don't utilize a management platform or WLAN controller, there are no recurring costs. The access points we typically use, which support Cisco's wireless masters, are priced at around $250 each. Occasionally, we purchase them in packs of five or as part of extended packs at a prorated cost."
"The license structure is confusing."
"The solution is very costly."
"Juniper WLC Series is a bit pricey but worth its cost."
"There is a certain amount that needs to be paid towards the licensing charges associated with the product, but though I am not sure, I feel the licenses that we have in our company are for three years."
"The licensing cost is quite high, but considering it's an enterprise solution, the complexity justifies the price."
"The product is relatively affordable for enterprise companies."
"The solution's pricing is reasonable."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
902,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business78
Midsize Enterprise42
Large Enterprise73
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

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...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
What needs improvement with Juniper WLC Series?
Juniper lacks a network access control agent similar to solutions like Alubakya Path and Cisco ISE. There should be a network access control engine. Some customers find it challenging as they do no...
What is your primary use case for Juniper WLC Series?
I work with Juniper service provider solutions. I have a service provider customer and some enterprise customers in retail.
 

Also Known As

Cisco WLAN Controller
Juniper WLAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
Apollo Hotel Papendrecht, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Bajaj Capital, Baloise Insurance, BAS Group, Borealis, Danish Crown, Deloitte Belgium, Jan Yperman Hospital, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, MercaSID, S.A., NHTV Breda University, Parklands College and Christopher Robin Pre-Primary, San Antonio Community Hospital, Sandia National Laboratories, Springfield Public Schools (SPS), St. Catherine University, TalkTalk, The Education Village, University of Copenhagen, University of the Highlands and Islands, University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Valdosta State University, Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), zulily
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Wireless vs. Juniper WLC Series and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.