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Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller vs. Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AThe Cisco 3504 Wireless (WLAN) Controller provides centralized control, management, and troubleshooting for small to medium-sized enterprises and branch offices.N/A

    Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points

    Score9.2 out of 10
    N/AThe Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points includes the 9115 and 9117, and designed to meet high demand network access.N/A
    Pricing
    Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    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 Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    Considered Both Products
    Cisco
    No answer on this topic
    Cisco
    Chose Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    It's good and provide good coverage
    Incentivized
    Chose Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    We have knowledge that Cisco APs will fit our necessities. A very good range of options and configuration that help to IT Team to setup the network. The use of the new Wifi 6 technlogy is also other fact to select this brand. The users will have devices that will use wifi 6 …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    95%
    Would buy again
    18 Answers
    96%
    Would buy again
    101 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    16 Answers
    92%
    Delivers good value for the price
    84 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    19 Answers
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    103 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    17 Answers
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    91 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    18 Answers
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    95 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    Small Businesses
    WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
    Score9.1 out of 10
    WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Cisco Meraki MR Wireless Access Points
    Score8.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (21 ratings)
    9.2
    (107 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.6
    (5 ratings)
    6.4
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.2
    (100 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.4
    (5 ratings)
    6.4
    (3 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.5
    (100 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.6
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.6
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points are well suited for dense Client solutions. We have used these in areas where we have a large number of guests that need top-notch connectivity without ever losing connection. The one area where we do have difficulty is in outdoor deployment, where large areas need to be covered, but we do not have physical connectivity in order to get the access points connected. This is not an access point issue but more of a physical connectivity limitation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Cisco
    • So this product actually helps in healthcare facilities where we have a wireless, we call this WOW monitors. It's Wireless On Wheels. So we use those monitors to the patient's room to room. So in that case, rather than connecting it to wire, so it really helps us to connect through the WIFI and access the patients whenever we be needed.
    Incentivized
    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 .
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    • They could definitely download their code faster. When we first get them out of the box and join them on the network, it takes probably 20, 30 minutes per access point to download the new code from the wireless controller and then reboot itself and then come back online.
    • When you're configuring it on the controller, if you want to switch access point groups, we have them broken out per site. Every time you add it to one of those groups, it also has to reboot. That's like downtime for us. That could be improved, I think.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    On a scale of 1–10, we would rate our likelihood to renew Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points as a 9. The access points have provided reliable wireless connectivity, strong security features, and consistent performance, which are critical for supporting both in-office and hybrid work. Minor improvements could make the experience fully seamless.
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    The Cisco Catalyst 9120 Access Points have been a solid deployment for me. Using their interface is a mix of new and old. They run IOS, so if you know the CLI, you can easily navigate around them. You can join them to an older controller if it supports a certain version, you can join it to a new 9800 controller--very straight forward--and you can run the embedded wireless controller on them directly. I've found this to be very useful at smaller sites. The Cisco Catalyst 9120 Access Points are not limited to feature sets like the older generations' mobility express platform.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    On a scale of 1–10, I would rate the overall usability of Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points as an 8. The interface is intuitive, and common tasks like monitoring and basic configuration are straightforward. While some advanced features and troubleshooting functions remain complex, the majority of operations are user-friendly, making the system efficient for IT teams managing hybrid and in-office environments.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    Using Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points you can expect good performance, if not excellent. Coupled with other tools and managment systems you can easily gain good insight and ease of management. Flexible deployment variations help you adopt the equipment to work for most any required scenario you could think of. It's a well designed and evolved product.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
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    Cisco
    We rate Cisco support 8/10 because the response time is generally very good, with most cases receiving attention and feedback within the same business day. When hardware replacement is required, delivery can sometimes take longer than expected, but replacements are consistently provided. Overall, the service remains credible, reliable, and essential for maintaining business continuity and network availability.
    Incentivized
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    In-Person Training
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    On a scale of 1–10, I would rate the in-person training for Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points as an 8. The sessions were interactive and provided hands-on experience, which helped IT staff understand configuration, troubleshooting, and advanced features. Greater depth in real-world scenario exercises could make the training even more effective.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    On a scale of 1–10, I would rate the online training for Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points as a 6. While the training materials were comprehensive and covered essential topics, some modules were overly technical and not always intuitive for all users. Additional practical examples and interactive exercises would improve understanding and make the training more effective.
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    Key insights from implementing Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points include the importance of thorough planning, pilot testing, and involving both IT teams and end-users early in the process. Centralized management and robust security features simplify long-term operations, but adequate training and clear documentation are essential to maximize adoption and ensure smooth, reliable connectivity across hybrid work environments.
    Incentivized
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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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    We are migrating from Aironet platform to Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points. That's more flexible, and we do it to sync switching, SDWAN, and wifi under one family.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco
    These access points offer flexibility in deployment scenarios, supporting both standalone and controller-based architectures. Organisations can choose the model that best suits their current needs and scale as their requirements grow. Cisco Aironet Access Points are compatible with Cisco's Wireless LAN controllers, allowing for centralized management and monitoring of a large number of access points across the network. With the recent changes, it will even support cloud base controllers.
    Incentivized
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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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    • problem with delivery time for the product - 12 months
    • we extended our WiFi network - is easy with Cisco AP
    • Connection new area\sites with AP is easy, we have got same location with only WiFi access - no wired cables
    • increase secutity
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points Screenshots

    Screenshot of C9117AXI-B Catalyst 9117AX Access PointScreenshot of C9117AXI-B Catalyst 9117AX Access PointScreenshot of C9117AXI-B Catalyst 9117AX Access PointScreenshot of C9117AXI-B Catalyst 9117AX Access Point