Director Of Information Communication Technology at Dire dawa University
Real User
Effective user traceability and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "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 initial setup was not simple. We were installing indoor and outdoor wireless and this is why it took us three months."

What is our primary use case?

We use Ruckus Wireless for network security.

What is 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.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Ruckus Wireless for approximately five months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Ruckus Wireless is very good.

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Ruckus Wireless is scalable.

We have approximately 1,800 users using the solution indoor and outdoor we are supporting approximately 50,000 users.

How are customer service and support?

We have not had any problem with the solution. We have a warranty with the solution which is good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We use Ruckus Wireless in parallel with Cisco because it is less expensive than Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not simple. We were installing indoor and outdoor wireless and this is why it took us three months.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation of the solution was done by the vendor. The time of the implementation took approximately three months.

We have 10 system administrators for the support of this solution. They check all activities on the campus.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Ruckus Wireless is less expensive than other solutions, such as Cisco.

We have licenses for 500 access points.

What other advice do I have?

As a network professional, and an IT manager in a university, the Ruckus product is working with all the vendor's standards. There are common standards, they can be called something different based on the vendors. Ruckus Wireless, in Ethiopia, is not popular, including Huawei. However, Cisco is popular.

This solution is very good and they should introduce it to their network because they could see many benefits.

I rate Ruckus Wireless an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Independent Consultant - Wireless
Real User
Very fast with good technical support and very good scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very stable. I've worked with it at a hospital before, where we deployed it all over the hospital. It worked everywhere and continuously worked flawlessly."
  • "What would be interesting to see is if they had more of an ability for their customers to capture revenue. They should offer some sort of gateway functionality that you could tie through radius authentication, so you can bill the customers. That way, when you go in, you could just have a device and set up a hotspot, and it's a totally billable tool at that point."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use the solution for pretty much everything worked-related and for e-commerce and studying. 

How has it helped my organization?

It basically allows you to go everywhere in your office or at your house or even outside your house and be connected. If you wanted to go do a Zoom right by the pool, you can go Zoom by the pool. Or in your office. Basically, I live in a house that's got a lot of trees around it and I've got some outdoor APS. I can pretty much conduct business from wherever I want without having to worry about a lost signal or drop-off.

What is most valuable?

I use the Wave 2 platform. It'll get up to close to approximately 800 megabits or something to that extent. It outruns whatever internet connection you have.

The wireless is just very fast, and it has a frequency set that can work around local interference that houses have even if some of their cheaper routers are broadcasting on a given channel. We can tune our wireless network and open up a lot of channels with DFS and stuff like that.

It's a pretty solid product. Once, at the hospital I worked with, they had a model and they went from a 300 to a 310. The 300 had a certain power output range, and everything was designed perfectly. Then, as it turned out, 310 didn't cover as much. We had to replace it with the next model up which is the 610 to maintain the coverage we expected. They were good about it and didn't charge us for the change.

What needs improvement?

I really don't need anything faster right now. However, if I would like to get a faster speed eventually. I have a gigabit at my townhome. I'd like to be able to get an APX to add a whole gig on.

What would be interesting to see is if they had more of an ability for their customers to capture revenue. They should offer some sort of gateway functionality that you could tie through radius authentication, so you can bill the customers. That way, when you go in, you could just have a device and set up a hotspot, and it's a totally billable tool at that point.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for a couple of years. I pretty much use it all the time.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. I've worked with it at a hospital before, where we deployed it all over the hospital. It worked everywhere and continuously worked flawlessly.

Sometimes they have their own glitches when there's a release of new software, like any company. However, once you get them stabilized, they're really good systems. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is very easy to scale. That's, what's nice about it. In our office, we only had to have one AP to cover the whole thing. Their whole business strategy is, for every five APs you might install another grid or eight to double. We do it for three, due to the fact that they have such great independent technology.

I have about 20 users at home and maybe ten users in the office.

I just got an internet connection in my house at a 400 megabits download speed. If I max it out on it and I think I did, on my laptop, I'm going to move to the next evolution of the product. I plan to increase usage in the future and I plan on deploying it in the future on other projects I'll be working on.

How are customer service and technical support?

While technical support is very good, I'd advise that you need to make sure that whatever you do, you have a good backup.

Technical support, in general, is not too hard to get to, however, depending on the difficulty of the problem, you need to get advanced level support. If you need them, you just have to ask them for it, beyond talking to the first guy you get on the phone.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've used a variety of different solutions in the past. I've been using Ruckus for quite a bit of time now. However, before that, it would be just a router that I bought. For example, a Linksys or Ubiquiti, or something like that. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not straightforward per se. You really have to know what you're doing. At my house, I use a commercial-grade solution. I loaded this special software onto the product (that they have on their website) to make it like a standalone product with their own small standalone network. I have basically programmed everything myself. You have to really be pretty smart at it, to be honest with you. It's not just something somebody can just pick up. However, I've worked with it for ten years, so I know the equipment inside and out.

In terms of deployment, for what I had to do, at the locations I'm speaking of, it was very simple. The only thing is that the house is that I have a porch on the second floor overlooking the pool, and then it looks into this wooded area behind my house. It's got a pretty good set up. I have an AP sitting on a tree out there and I'm running power to it. It's like filling in that whole area, mesh unit, wireless swings, so I can get power to it from the pool. It's just awesome to have wifi everywhere.

What about the implementation team?

I handled the deployment myself. I also handle the maintenance, if any is needed, on my own. It's not too hard as I have a good background in the technology.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For me, licensing is zero. You don't really need to have any licensing for what I own. The only thing is, unless there's some software update that you need, you don't have the support. If you're stable and it runs, you don't need to do anything. However, if you need those software updates they'll make you pay. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm a consultant. I was a partner of Ruckus at another company, however, right now, I am just a customer.

I've got the solution installed in my office and directly connected to an AP. Then, at home, I've got a mesh network. I basically meshed three of these solutions together.

They do a lot of stadiums and outdoor areas and works very well.

I'd advise others considering the solution that, when you're implementing your wireless products or area of coverage, make sure you test it. Also, make sure that you have the proper signaling to the outer edge where you want coverage. That's what I would say, no matter what product you bring in. Just test its capabilities to make sure it does what you need it to do.

Overall, I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Ruckus Wireless
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Ruckus Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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MohamadShuaib - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Electrical Engineer at Khatib & Alami
Real User
Easy to use but expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "Ruckus Wireless is an easy to manage solution."
  • "The product is very expensive."

What is most valuable?

Ruckus Wireless is an easy-to-manage solution.

For how long have I used the solution?


What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We didn't face any issues with the solution's stability and performance, and we had no downtimes.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We can add the hardware and licenses to scale the solution.

How was the initial setup?

The installation of Ruckus Wireless was quite fast, taking a few months, depending on the project.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Ruckus Wireless is a cheaper solution than Cisco.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a five out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

Ruckus Wireless is an easy to manage solution. I would recommend the solution to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Craig Blignaut - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager at voxtelecom
Real User
Analytics is the most valuable feature from my perspective
Pros and Cons
  • "I'm not on the technical side, so I personally haven't configured Ruckus Wireless. We've got some staff that manages that for us. But if I had to say a most valuable feature from my perspective, it would maybe be Ruckus Analytics."
  • "In the last year, there's been a significant price jump, but I think Ruckus Wireless is still a good value for the money."

What is most valuable?

I'm not on the technical side, I would say one of the most valuable features from my perspective is Ruckus Analytics. 

What needs improvement?

Ruckus Wireless already has mesh networking. I look forward to see how stable the WiFi 6 mesh is compared to a cabling solution of access points.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Ruckus is the first high end enterprise grade Wi-Fi product I have been this actively involved with. Our company also engages with Aruba, however, we have not deployed as many Aruba solutions lately.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Ruckus Wireless is probably quite intuitive. I haven't set it up myself, but it looks forgiving from what I've seen. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

In the last year, there's been a significant price jump, but I think Ruckus Wireless products are good value for the money. You get quality products at a reasonable price.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Ruckus Wireless 10 out of 10. Overall, we are very satisfied with Ruckus support and hardware.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Information Technology Manager with 201-500 employees
Real User
Virtual SmartZone appliance provides better performance at longer ranges
Pros and Cons
  • "Our IT staff can quickly issue guest passes for vendors and the instructions are very straightforward, requiring very little effort to get connected."
  • "Provides us with the features we need: walled garden, client isolation, 802.1x with dynamic VLAN, guest passes, etc."
  • "While the Virtual SmartZone appliance has improved in the last few years, it isn’t without issue and the performance of the Web page leaves something to be desired."
  • "Ruckus seems to have removed the built-in help from the appliance, urging the user to log on to the support web site to obtain it. This is simply a nuisance if one wishes to look up what a particular field on the configuration page does, for example."

What is our primary use case?

We are a Credit Union with over 100 employees. We utilize the Ruckus Virtual SmartZone appliance and about 25 R600 access points to provide a secure wireless solution across five branch locations. The Ruckus solution is used as a guest network for third-party vendors while onsite, as well as by staff members to access corporate data.

How has it helped my organization?

With a quality enterprise wireless solution, our employees are more mobile than ever. They experience significantly better performance at longer ranges with the R500 access points, compared with our previous wireless solution. Information Technology staff can quickly issue guest passes for vendors and the instructions are very straightforward, requiring very little effort to get connected.

What is most valuable?

Our staff maintain a wide gamut of products and we needed a wireless solution that works reliably and has all of the features we needed (walled garden, client isolation, 802.1x with dynamic VLAN, guest passes, etc.) at a cost that wouldn’t break the bank (literally). The quality of the hardware and low cost of maintenance are primary driving factors, and Ruckus exceeds in this space by providing great hardware and a low annual operating expense. 

The Virtual SmartZone appliance is easy to use and quick to deploy, which helps to ensure our staff is focused on actionable results instead of constantly fiddling with wireless configuration or contacting support to resolve troublesome issues.

What needs improvement?

While the Virtual SmartZone appliance has improved in the last few years, it isn’t without issue and the performance of the Web page leaves something to be desired.

Additionally, Ruckus seems to have removed the built-in help from the appliance, urging the user to log on to the support web site to obtain it. This is simply a nuisance if one wishes to look up what a particular field on the configuration page does, for example.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Assistant IT Manager at Fraser
Real User
Has reasonable price, lifetime warranty, and good signal strength
Pros and Cons
  • "The controller is most valuable. Through Ruckus ZoneDirector, we can easily manage the websites and the web."
  • "They can improve the cloud portion. Other vendors have a cloud controller, and they can provide the same so that we can see everything."

What is most valuable?

The controller is most valuable. Through Ruckus ZoneDirector, we can easily manage the websites and the web.

We are using the R610 or R510 model, and it is good in terms of signals.

What needs improvement?

They can improve the cloud portion. Other vendors have a cloud controller, and they can provide the same so that we can see everything.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. We have more than 100 users.

How are customer service and support?

They provide quite good support, and for the product, they have a lifetime warranty.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy. The setup or configuration of a new access point takes only 10 minutes.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its price is reasonable for me.

What other advice do I have?

It is a good product, and it is very competitive in terms of price.

I would rate it a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Information Technology Consultant at a educational organization with 51-200 employees
Consultant
Increases data rates and avoids interference
Pros and Cons
  • "I haven't heard any complaints about the WiFi equipment at all causing problems."
  • "We've had issues with the ISP, not enough bandwidth."

What is our primary use case?

I work for a small school. In fact, I've worked with two separate schools with different administrations and they both had Ruckus — they both had the same equipment. There's probably one controller and maybe six, seven, eight access points.

We're running teacher PCs, might be about ten PCs on there, and then a bunch of student Chromebooks. We weren't one-to-one at the one school — they had carts they wheeled around. They might have had maybe 40 of them, but now they're one-to-one and they probably have a couple of hundred users — 200 to 300 users on there. The other school's been one-to-one, but it's a smaller school. They probably have a couple of hundred computers on the whole network — Chromebooks. That school's pretty much all Chromebooks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't heard any complaints about the WiFi equipment at all causing problems. We've had issues with the ISP, not enough bandwidth. At one place, the firewall equipment failed us, but with Ruckus, no complaints on the controllers. It's just been a solid performer for us.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have very limited experience with support because the vendor takes care of all of that. They're kind of pricey, especially when you look at Ubiquiti. 

Interestingly enough, the vendor who sold us Ruckus is now quoting an upgrade and he's no longer quoting Ruckus, he's going with Ubiquiti. I asked them why they did that, he said "Oh, it's a better value." Maybe Ruckus dropped them and now they're representing Ubiquiti. They have some staff turnover, so we keep seeing new people. And that's the local vendor. I haven't dealt with Ruckus directly at all, so I don't know what the company would provide.

How was the initial setup?

I logged into the system to look at it. That was a number of years ago, so my memory is vague. The only thing I really changed when I looked at it was to set up a separate sub-network for the students. They had a guest network already set up and they already had the staff networks. I set up a student WiFi network to segregate them from the staff.

What about the implementation team?

I'm not the person who really configures them, our vendor did all that. When they first went in, I took a look at the configuration, but I haven't really touched them since then. You can configure them and just leave them to do their thing.

I went in once and set up a guest network — it was pretty straightforward. I didn't even have to look at the manual to do it.

The vendor is responsible for all maintenance-related issues.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

With Ubiquiti, there's no annual cost to keep the software upgraded, whereas with Ruckus, you have to pay an annual fee or three-year fee. That makes it a little more pricey.

Ubiquiti is quite a bit cheaper, just on the upfront costs than the Ruckus equipment. I mean the Ubiquiti quote we got, we're not only doing the access points, but we're also doing our switches. If one person is doing Ubiquiti switches and Ubiquiti access points, another vendor's doing Ruckus equipment. We're seeing half the cost with the Ubiquiti equipment. I worked for Ubiquiti on a very small installation where cost was at a premium and they needed to get in as cheap as possible. It worked for them. It was a church. Dropped in about four access points and they were happy.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of seven. The cost is the only thing dragging them down.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Executive Director at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Real User
A familiar brand that is reliable and I haven't experienced any problems with it
Pros and Cons
  • "I am familiar with the brand and it works well."
  • "The price could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We have an internal network in the house that we use it for. It all has access points all over.

What is most valuable?

I am familiar with the brand and it works well.

What needs improvement?

The price could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used the high-end version of Ruckus in my house and we will be using it in my building. We have an outside company to help us with this. 

I have been using it in my house for two or three months.

We are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have not had any issues with the stability of Ruckus Wireless.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are six of us in my house that use this solution and we also have an outside guest house that has access.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not contacted technical support.

How was the initial setup?

I did not install this solution, we had outside help.

What about the implementation team?

We had an outside company install this solution. They oversee the network in my home.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is on the higher end. It's quite expensive, but that is what you get with these types of solutions. When you are dealing with Cisco or Ruckus, it's going to be a higher price.

What other advice do I have?

It's been good so far and I have not experienced any problems.

I would rate Ruckus Wireless a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: March 2024
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