Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller vs. Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Score 8.4 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
Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Score 7.3 out of 10
N/A
Currently supported by Cisco, but no longer sold, Cisco recommends migration to the Cisco Catalyst 9100 Family of Access Points, which offer greater performance and flexibility.N/A
Pricing
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
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
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
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
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 …
Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Chose Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
D-Link Wireless access points and D-Link Wireless controllers were being used in our organization previously. They were working well with a small number of users. But as we started to expand wireless coverage and the user base started to grow they became less efficient and …
Best Alternatives
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
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 9.8 out of 10
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Score 9.1 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.9
(21 ratings)
7.0
(28 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(2 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Usability
8.6
(5 ratings)
6.6
(3 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(11 ratings)
Support Rating
9.4
(5 ratings)
6.8
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(11 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
5.5
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
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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Discontinued Products
Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points is very well suited for large enterprises and high-density environments. It is not well suited for high ceiling buildings like warehouses and storage places because of low antenna gain. In our main office, it is working very well. For around thirty or so wireless devices this access point works very well and after forty or so wireless devices it starts to suffer.
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Pros
Cisco
  • Allows an administrator to manage all the wireless access points through a single point.
  • It can accommodate the increase in the size of the network and accommodate other new devices with ease.
  • It has several technological features that make it secure against hackers, especially to corporate networks and data owned by the user.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • They are rock solid in terms of reliability (we rarely have to replace them).
  • They are easily managed from the controller. It's easy to push new settings out, like RF profiles, etc...
  • They are fairly easy to install using the included mounting brackets.
  • They seem to be compatible with pretty much everything, although occasionally we will have roaming issues with Apple devices.
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Cons
Cisco
  • I have been using the Cisco 3504 wlan controller for about 1 years now. I have found it to be very reliable, but cumbersome to setup and configure. The GUI is not very user friendly, but if you configure it a few times you get used to it. It is lacking in some of the latest features that are offered by other vendors. The power usage is pretty good and the amount of AP's you can add is pretty standard
  • Cisco is everywhere. If you are looking for WLAN, Switching, or other related products, Cisco is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. With this in mind, you'd figure that their wireless controller would be their flagship product, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case. For the price point, the 3504 is a pretty lackluster product.
  • I was given the task to setup a new wifi network in a very large building. With many departments and a complicated layout, we needed to have a solid router to handle all of the network traffic and throughput. I was given the task to find a reliable, robust and cost-effective solution. With the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller, I was easily able to setup an autonomous access point with a few clicks. The cloud based controller software was easy to use and had many features I was able to utilize and control, all other things are perfect .
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Discontinued Products
  • CleanAir - Put this technology into all the APs.
  • GPS Tracker - I can't understand why only the Cisco 1570 has this option as well as larger Cisco 3800 APs. Why can't this be in all APs so they can be easily mapped in Google for positioning and later plotted for the coverage zone.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
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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Discontinued Products
Because until now I haven't had any issues or cases where I needed to create a ticket with Tac from Cisco related to their performance or availability. They have a small size that permits or allows you to install it in each place that you need to mount it, their design is small and appropriate for every kind of office.
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Usability
Cisco
The centralized management give a good overview of the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller. Its rich in security features like advanced security, RF optimization, and scalability. Cisco provides extensive documentation and support, although it can be highly technical. It is easy to configure and setup the Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller. Strong security features, including WPA3, rogue AP detection, and WIPS, enhance network protection.
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Discontinued Products
Lately we had less issues. Most probably because we reduced the number of Wireless LAN controllers. So less trouble for upgrades as well. We don't have any access point in stand alone mode. It's something I don't suggest, unless it's just for a small office and not for a larger company with different sites.
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Reliability and Availability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
This access point does not usually randomly shut off. It can't happen but it's generally due to a power over ethernet failures which would could be considered a user error.
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Performance
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
Performance wise [Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points] are among of the best pieces of technology we have on premise. I don't say that lightly, we have a lot of cool tech. But if you consider how many users are connecting to these day in and day out without a single blip when they're downloading large files, roaming to new AP's or needing a boosted signal at a far end of the range then these are unmatched.
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Support Rating
Cisco
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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Discontinued Products
I believe that there is always room for improvement.
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Implementation Rating
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
Make sure to get a professional wireless assessment before purchasing AP's. That way you will only purchase what you need and know where the wiring infrastructure will need to be to streamline the installation and tuning process.
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
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 you for whatever you need. Once the product is configured, it works stably without intervention and is fully integrated with the company's other Cisco solutions.
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Discontinued Products
D-Link Wireless network solution was being used previously in [a] few areas of our plant and it was working well with [a] low number of users but as the company grew, and user base started to grow we started seeing hanging, disconnection, and very low-performance issues in our wireless network. We replaced the entire network with Cisco Aironet Access Points and since then the issues have been resolved and [the] wireless network is working with great performance.
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Scalability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
When it comes to deploying the Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points in locations around the school district it has become easier as you get used to putting 4 screws in the mounting plate to the bracket and then slide the access point onto the bracket.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • Due to the stability of the system, there is practically no incidence of serious problems that require total interruption of the environment.
  • Even with EOL, product support will still continue for a long time, ensuring peace of mind and time to work on a new solution and/or upgrade.
  • Investment in a single wireless network, segmented, without multiple devices from multiple brands.
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Discontinued Products
  • There are cost savings in buying a separate WLAN network controller because the 1850 Access Point already has this integrated feature.
  • It allows for remote management and saves time on administration.
  • The return on investment is achieved in a short period of time.
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ScreenShots