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

Cisco Wireless vs Ruckus Wireless comparison

Sponsored
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Juniper Mist Wireless Acces...
Sponsored
Ranking in Wireless LAN
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
150
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Ruckus Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points is 5.6%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 12.5%, down from 16.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ruckus Wireless is 14.3%, up from 11.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Q&A Highlights

NC
Oct 27, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

Gyan Sharma - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 17, 2024
Offers good performance, good solution and smooth implementation
I do have a suggestion: it would be helpful to have even stronger security features to help protect against interference from other nearby access points that aren't part of our network. If there are access points from other brands installed nearby; they can cause interference and disrupt the range of our Mist access points. So, the security features could be stronger, especially in terms of authentication. The connectivity is excellent, but security needs improvement. In future releases, integrating more AI features would be beneficial. If Mist had stronger AI features, it could provide better security against network threats and cyberattacks. So, this solution still needs to improve its AI capabilities. It would be great if the AI could improve the range of the access points, and auto-protect functionality should be there to avoid interference by other nearby access points and enhance threat detection. In the future, I'd like to see stronger threat detection features integrated with Mist, as well as better detection of nearby access points that might cause interference.
Michael Lees - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 19, 2024
Affordable, resilient, and performs better than other solutions in the market
Assurance capabilities must be improved. There should be more Assurance features on the Wireless LAN Controller. A lot of it is bundled into the DNA Center. Having a little more Assurance regarding what the RF Spectrum looks like will be good. Juniper Mist has a lot of analytical data on the dashboard. The customers would be compelled to look at DNA Center as a longer-term and more comprehensive solution if Cisco were to give them an insight into some of the Assurance capabilities that might be available in DNA Center. The tool must provide something like RF Neighbor. It must enable organizations to receive signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio and see how clients perform in their wireless network. It must have a cap. If we want additional functionality to see our entire network, that's where DNA Center fits in.
Sachin Vinay - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 25, 2022
Great wireless, good reliability, and excellent connectivity
We have an enterprise wireless solution with multiple vendor access points deployed across buildings and have implemented 802.1x authentication with dynamic VLANs. We have more than 100 Ruckus devices with Wpa2 enterprise authentication mode, and requests are getting authenticated from our NPS…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"With Mist, every Wednesday they roll out new features."
"Mist AI is a very powerful feature. Juniper is the only company that has introduced AI into networking."
"You can easily monitor, manage, and cover all your IT equipment."
"The AI capabilities of Mist Wireless are superior to other OEMs."
"The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done."
"The product is quite user-friendly and easy to deploy, so one should definitely consider buying it."
"Overall, we've been very pleased with the performance."
"The solution is stable."
"Its stability is most valuable."
"There are a lot of valuable features and functions. One example is CleanAir to detect and troubleshoot interference issues. Another is RX-SOP to optimize roaming."
"It is good, and it works."
"The main features are that it's secure and it's easy to distribute the SSID and control it. I also like the controller."
"The solution offers very good application visibility and control integration for other analysis software."
"We were able to utilize the elements of the core and provide a solution to our customers similar to that of Cisco Meraki."
"Wireless connectivity is the main feature. It is also securely integrated with ISE, which is valuable because, in the banking industry, we also cover the security aspect. This Wi-Fi controller integrates with the ISE system that we have. Every user that comes on the wireless needs to log in with the domain. If they don't, it will not allow the user to join the network. This is the key feature of this solution."
"The speed and security are most valuable."
"Ruckus Wireless supports the most recent technologies. We can trace every individual and what kind of traffic they're using on our campus. It is very helpful."
"The most valuable feature is the coverage, which is exceptional."
"It's good for low-level usage."
"The APs themselves have been pretty solid. We haven't had too many of them go bad or anything like that. The wireless performance seems pretty good. The ability to provision the devices is pretty good, and the back end is also pretty good."
"Good connection quality."
"Ruckus Wireless is a valuable solution. It's both scalable and reliable."
"Ruckus features a centralized architecture solution with ultrasound technology, which helps us with communication and roaming."
"Because of ​Zero-IT, it is easier to get people connected to the correct SSID without providing a passphrase​."
 

Cons

"Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points’ support services need improvement."
"The product should include adaptive Wi-Fi to show a more accurate location."
"The pricing is very high in the Indian market."
"It would be helpful to have even stronger security features to help protect against interference from other nearby access points that aren't part of our network."
"There is room for improvement in terms of support and installation."
"If you want to do more specific stuff, it's a bit limited."
"Enrolling into the tool is a tedious process."
"The solution is expensive."
"There needs to be an access point that is compact and more suitable for small and medium-sized businesses."
"Cisco Wireless is expensive."
"The product’s interface must be improved."
"It's expensive."
"It is not easy to use. It should be made easier to use. They can maybe migrate it to the cloud so that we can manage the WLCs together. I find the licensing part very hard to understand. Cisco is now moving towards smart licensing, so this issue will be addressed soon."
"The integration with our CM and other technologies could improve this solution."
"When you integrate a network access control with authentication with an ISE engine it's really complicated to put in place."
"The new GUI interface and the newer version OS are a little bit more complex than the older version, however, it just might take some getting used to."
"Mounting options for outdoor access points, I think they could easily improve on that."
"Most customers revoke the idea of deploying it when they observe the cost per AP license."
"The Ruckus platform in general could be improved — it could be more user-friendly."
"I do a reset of the access points from time to time because sometimes we have no access."
"The solution needs to have some sort of security offering, like a firewall, for example."
"An area for improvement in Ruckus Wireless is automating its guest WiFi access function. Currently, the product requires token generation, so it would be better if there's a portal for the guest to log in and get the password rather than the IT team needing to give passwords to guests."
"The solution is sensitive with reference to power fluctuations. This sensitivity should be improved. Additionally, the solution should have more security features integrated."
"We use this solution in a certain way, and it works very well. So, I don't expect it to do a lot more, but to do what it's doing probably better or faster. But it's not a problem with the features; it's more the operations."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."
"I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."
"The pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."
"I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive."
"If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products."
"I rate the product price as a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is expensive. It is a reasonably priced tool."
"The solution is expensive."
"The pricing is fair."
"Expensive."
"I think it's affordable. Maybe there are little differences, but it's not very expensive. But with all Cisco products, you have to pay more for the power supply. You'll have to pay for the PoE converter."
"Users have to pay a yearly licensing fee for Cisco Wireless."
"Cisco licensing is usually provided on a yearly basis rather than monthly. You can get a hardware SLA or hardware and software SLA for a period of years. Longer terms influence the level of support that you get when it comes to Cisco SLA."
"The price of Cisco Wireless is in the high range compared to other solutions. The solution could be less expensive."
"Its cost is a little bit higher than other products. Fortinet and Huawei are cheaper. If we were not a bank, I would go for Huawei or Fortinet because they are cheap, and I don't need that much security. A financial institute, a university, or a medical institute would need security to protect the customer data. That's why we buy this high-end product that has integrated security features."
"It might be around $100 for a license. The internal ones are far cheaper than that."
"It's a bit expensive but it's professional and works properly."
""The biggest adjustment improvement will come from a price adjustment because the price is quite high; it feels like premium pricing. I suggest shaving off 10 percent to 20 percent. That would help grow users and increase the number of clients.""
"​Pricing is very competitive for an enterprise solution. Regarding licensing, always carry the support contract on the controller (not needed on APs)​."
"We don't pay any licensing fees, we purchase them."
"​The cost can be prohibitive for many as it is a high-end product in the WiFi market.​"
"The setup that I have at the moment does not require licensing, although I am not sure whether a bigger project will mean that I have to spend more."
"The price could be better. Normally, if you find customers paying for cost-effective wireless solutions, Ruckus devices are a little expensive compared to other vendors."
"It is decently priced."
"Licensing is subscription-based."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
814,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
 

Answers from the Community

NC
Oct 27, 2021
Oct 27, 2021
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 manage. There are no tricks involved when rolling it out for use. This straightforwardness is not limited to the initial point of setup. It continues on and applies to all of the time thereafter when i...
2 out of 3 answers
DG
Oct 18, 2021
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 manage. There are no tricks involved when rolling it out for use. This straightforwardness is not limited to the initial point of setup. It continues on and applies to all of the time thereafter when it is being put to use. The user interface seems to have been designed with the ease of the user in mind. Everything about it is straightforward, which makes this product ever more valuable to those for whom time is money. Additionally, the Wi-Fi coverage that Ruckus Wireless provides is of excellent quality, is long-lasting, and is supported by a team that provides great technical support. Their Wi-Fi service is the kind that is mostly employed in industries like resorts, which have to cater to large volumes of people over extended periods of time. These systems hold their integrity and allow for people to enjoy powerful coverage that at least appears to be constant. The industrial quality and strength of Ruckus Wireless makes it the sort of service that immediately deserves consideration. The teams that are tasked with supporting those who use Ruckus Wireless are professionals of the highest level. They are possible to reach without difficulty and are highly responsive to problems and work quickly to find solutions. Cisco Wireless provides a very robust service that will continue to run over long periods of time and under heavy usage. Furthermore, the teams that are responsible for assisting users and resolving any potential issues that may arise are highly professional. Setting up this service is not intuitive, though, and can be difficult. Conclusion The prices of these services are unlikely to be the deciding factor as to which of these services is better. They are both expensive. They both do a good job and have excellent tech support but the user-friendly setup and easy-to-use interface give Ruckus Wireless the clear advantage over Cisco Wireless.
NM
Oct 20, 2021
They both do a great job. But it depends on the application scenario.  For corporate environments probably Cisco will perform better not only because of Cisco Wi-Fi features but especially because you can be integrated with all Cisco infrastructure and manage it all. In heavy-duty environments, like public hot-spot, stadiums, exhibition centers, etc, Ruckus should be considered. In this type of applications, pure Wi-Fi performance is more important than management features or security, and therefore, it could be the better choice.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?
If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products. But for a new c...
What needs improvement with Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?
HP recently acquired Juniper, and I'm not happy about that. Juniper is a brand, and HP acquired them because of Junip...
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...
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 frie...
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 ...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What di...
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...
What do you like most about Ruckus Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless is an easy to manage solution.
 

Also Known As

Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points
Cisco WLAN Controller
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
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)
American University of Sharjah, Baruch College, Centro Escolar Liceo Santo Tomšs, Chevalier College, Chico Unified School District, Colegio de Fomento El Prado, Columbia Public Schools, Delta School District, Dordt College, Douglas County School District, Drew University, Armonea, Central Utah Clinic, Grove Hill Medical Center, Inner South Community Health Service, Midwest Surgical, Satilla Regional Medical Center, Lyndoch Living, Polonus, Roaring Fork School District, Sonora State, Vivid, Sydney, Players Club, Sandals, Scandic Hotels, Sheraton LAX, Sunbird
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Wireless vs. Ruckus Wireless and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.