Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access Points vs. Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access Points
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Access Points work with OmniAccess WLAN switches/controllers to provide a high performance wireless mobility solution for enterprises. They can be securely deployed in a variety of locations such as on walls, cubicles, desktops, and in the ceiling, and the AP antenna diversity allows for the best possible signal processing using dual, omni-directional antennas.N/A
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
The Cisco 3504 Wireless (WLAN) Controller provides centralized control, management, and troubleshooting for small to medium-sized enterprises and branch offices.N/A
Pricing
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access PointsCisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access PointsCisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access PointsCisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Considered Both Products
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access Points
Chose Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access Points
Have used Cisco Meraki access point earlier having management on cloud and is on license (subscription basis). But Alcatel OmniAccess Points have management on cloud, on premise as well which means to say flexibility in terms of management. We had one requirement where we …
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
The Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller is recognized for its effective scalability and dependability, able to fit many types of
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
I have done the comparative analysis of the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller with other products like the Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller and the Ubiquiti network UniFi Controller. I chose the 3504 because it was within the same network scale, reliable, and offers central management …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Aruba ClearPass and Cisco's wireless solutions are both leading network management and security platforms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. NAC and guest management features are better in Aruba. However, Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller has an advantage of seamlessly …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
The main reason why our company chose to opt for the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller was the magnificent quality-price ratio of the product. It is very easy to handle if you have the appropriate technical knowledge and if not, you will always have Cisco technical support supporting …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Not necessarily the same product, but we think Cisco was much easier to set up than Aruba's' silver peak' SD wan devices.
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Aruba Instant Wi-Fi Access Points and Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Point
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
As mentioned before, the choice to acquire the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller was natural since our organization already used Cisco solutions and also the Cisco wireless solution. Even compared with other solutions, the proven quality that Cisco presented us motivated us to …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
The Cisco 3504 Controller is easy to deploy and use. It was very easy to deploy and integrate with our wireless network. The wireless controller 3504 is a wireless controller that we can use to manage all access points. The Cisco 3504 wireless controller is a network device …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Switching to a brand like Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller was very simple and smooth. We have been using this tool for a long time, and we are very satisfied with the product, so that is why we never felt any need to move to new software. As the world is evolving, there are many …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Cisco SD-DNA feature made it more easier to manage and monitor network activities, Cisco CleanAir feature made the network overall stable and fast. Easy setup and easy UI.
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Like I said previously, switching wireless controllers was really simple and the process was very smooth. We believed that the 3504 could do everything and maybe a little more than what the 9800 was giving us when it started getting old. Both were great at managing the networks …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
D-link wireless solution is one of the less expensive wireless solutions in the market and comparatively Cisco's wireless solution is a lot expensive. However when it comes to performance in a high user density environment where low latency and moderate wireless bandwidth is …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
It's Cisco's proven track record for TAC support and engineers capabilities to manage and deploy the 3504 WLC. This one is cost effective in longer term compared to other products. Cisco software support services is another example, where it's helped us to decide. The future …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
The 3504 Controller compared to the other WLC models has a capacity to support access points smaller than any other equipment since it is developed with the intention of being implemented in small organizations. With the other models we have greater performance and physically …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
We found that 3504 is perfect for our small business needs.
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
In my previous company, I evaluated Aerohive wireless. The big advantage is that every access point has his own "brain", so they can work also independently in case the orchestrator goes down. In my present company, we use Cisco ISE, and 90% of the network is Cisco and having …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
It's small form factor, speed and feature rich GUI make this one of the best WLCs available for mid size wireless deployments. Other vendors like Aruba for example have a much less intuitive GUI thats much harder to navigate from a management perspective. Cisco has done a good …
Chose Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Because we have a Cisco infrastructure. And the institution we connect to also has Cisco.
Best Alternatives
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access PointsCisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Small Businesses
WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Score 9.1 out of 10
WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Score 8.5 out of 10
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Score 8.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Score 9.2 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Score 9.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access PointsCisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Likelihood to Recommend
7.3
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.4
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Wireless Access PointsCisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Likelihood to Recommend
One of best use cases for using OmniAccess Wire Access Point is where we have dense no. of users as client associated capacity is very good. Also one of the use case is when administrator wants different PSK for each user for authentication. OmniAccess WAP supports in better way.
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What I
like most about the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller is that its user interface makes
networking very simple. Shows real-time information about the network which
helps admins watch the traffic flow and client connections using the dashboard.
Since it’s so simple, people find it very easy to start using the system. The complexity in setting it up for the first time could hinder
efficient deployment in fast-paced environments.
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Pros
  • Flexibility in terms of deployment, management
  • Better security feature
  • Application awareness ,WIPS
  • DPSK
  • Better client associated count
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  • [...] One thing which always fascinated me is the user interface because it is very friendly in nature.
  • Also, with this tool, [my team and I] have started feeling more secure and safe because this platform does not require any such implementation. [A]ll the security patches happen on their own.
  • One of the main pros of this app is that because it is so compact, it makes this platform a very good travel option. [I]t is also portable [and] can be easily carried anywhere.
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Cons
  • No of Interfaces
  • must have a variety in terms of MIMO
  • better throughput
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  • The interface needs improvement, it is still complex to find some functions quickly
  • The price of the product is still a big limiter
  • The fragility of its physical structure, any impact, which is a little stronger, can cause damage to the product
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
We have been using Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller in our network infrastructure for a long time now and it has been a very critical and beneficial addition in our network infrastructure. it has provided us with the tools required to efficiently manage and monitor our wireless network and users. it is a highly reliable and efficient device for any kind of environment.
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Usability
No answers on this topic
I have given it a rating of 10 because of all the efficiencies it brings into our working place. The Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller is a very reliable router. Advanced threat detection, guest access
security and extensive encryption are provided by the controller to safely
protect important data. Focusing on network security increases users trust as
well as helps secure the entire wireless setup.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
Cisco TAC is well known and SLA levels are great. Cisco support website and Cisco communities are another help for issues resolution. TAC is always supportive over Webex and helps to resolve issues pretty fast. This is another assurance for people to go with Cisco as the TAC capabilities are proven for all product lines.
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Alternatives Considered
Have used Cisco Meraki access point earlier having management on cloud and is on license (subscription basis). But Alcatel OmniAccess Points have management on cloud, on premise as well which means to say flexibility in terms of management. We had one requirement where we number of user is large which is going to connect on access point but Cisco Meraki only supports 200 users per radio whereas OmniAccess point have better client associated capacity with 524 per radio.
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I have done the comparative analysis of the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller with other products like the Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller and the Ubiquiti network UniFi Controller. I chose the 3504 because it was within the same network scale, reliable, and offers central management to the whole network.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Better Roaming
  • Ease of Management
  • Better performance
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  • The WLAN controller is a great tool for wireless network administration. With the Cisco Wireless Controller, we can quickly configure and manage all Cisco access points. It's also very easy to set up and manage. The Wlan Controller is a must-have for all our wireless network design.
  • The WLAN Controller is a really useful device, it's easy to use and the setup is clear. The 3504 we use has 4 interfaces, we use 2 for data, one for management and one for failover. The wireless controller is very reliable, it will not let your network down. The only downside is that it can be a little bit slow when you need to add a lot of new access points.
  • Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is a great tool for managing WLANs. The controller allows you to manage a large number of access points and allows you to very quickly manage and configure all devices in the network and have one of the most important components of the system. The controller is easy to use and supports a large number of connections and devices.
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ScreenShots