Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller vs. Cisco Aironet 3800 Series Access Points (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Score 8.7 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 3800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Score 10.0 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 3800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 3800 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 3800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
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 3800 Series Access Points (discontinued)

No answer on this topic

Best Alternatives
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 3800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Small Businesses
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.0 out of 10
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Score 9.4 out of 10
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Score 9.4 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Score 9.4 out of 10
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Score 9.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 3800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(20 ratings)
9.0
(30 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(2 ratings)
7.9
(3 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
9.4
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
7.6
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Aironet 3800 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
As any Cisco Aironet Access Points, the 3800 model is more for power users than beginners. It is for sure very more complex to maintain and trouble shoot than solutions like Cisco Meraki APs.
By the way, there are a lot of settings that can be customized and it is really interesting for difficult environments like industrial factories.
The 3800 model is also robust so it should stay durable and reliable.
But if you want to use the mesh mode or make a wireless bridge, this model is not appropriate as it is not supported for now.
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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.
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Discontinued Products
  • Cisco APs are managed very easily from a Cisco WLC controller.
  • Cisco APs provide lots of enterprise-grade options such as rogue detection and automatic power configuration.
  • Cisco APs have many different mounting options, which makes them very versatile in a healthcare environment.
Read full review
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
  • Outdoor capabilities. We have actually blown up a few outdoor units. Water got inside the outdoor units and had visible rust
  • Costs compared to other AP’s in the market. Ruckus and EnGenius work out a bit cheaper
  • Mounting options are limited
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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
We are all happy with Aironet and Prime.
Read full review
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
No answers on this topic
Performance
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
The Cisco 3802 product performance is excellent. Not only for the speed and range of the wireless it provides, but also for the fact that - when deployed in a large scale environment - the performance does not fail. It provides the same network connectivity for users ranging from 1 to 30-plus concurrent connections.
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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
No answers on this topic
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
The usage scenario was different. I don't see this as a benefit versus harm comparison, necessarily. What happened was that, at a certain point, the implementation of the cisco solution was the winner of our public bidding process and with that, we implemented it and have used it ever since.
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Scalability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
Contrary to a solution like the Cisco Meraki access points, the Aironet access points like the 3800 are linked to the Controler. And depending on the version of the controller, it will support only some models of access points.
For big sites, it may be difficult to upgrade the controler to support new ap models like 3800 because we still have old access points.
And it is also the same between new access points and old client devices so it is always a bit tricky.
After that, if the access point model is supported by the controller, it is really simple to install a new one
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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
  • Users are able to carry on with their work while moving, changing seats, rooms or having an ad-hoc Skype meeting on the way to lunch. It is always hard to justify the value of connectivity but be assured, when it is not working the business impact is immediate.
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