Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller vs. Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
Score 8.5 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 Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
N/A
The Cisco Catalyst 9800-80 is a modular wireless controller with optional 100 Gigabit Ethernet (G) modular uplinks boasting seamless software updates for large enterprises and campuses, and security with ETA and SD-Access.N/A
Pricing
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
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 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Considered Both Products
Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

No answer on this topic

Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Chose Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
9800 is a big improvement in easy of overall configuration, upgrading and troubleshooting.
Chose Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Since we are only upgrading to the newest generation, we have all benefits from that (like performance)
Chose Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Compared to older Cisco WLC, Catalyst 9800s are easier to manage and SSO HA is more reliable. Compared to Aruba IAP, the number of features is greater. Meraki is easier to set up but having a central controller gives greater control.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Small Businesses
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.3 out of 10
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Point
Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Point
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Point
Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Point
Score 9.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(17 ratings)
8.2
(35 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(34 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(35 ratings)
Support Rating
9.4
(5 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco 3504 WLAN ControllerCisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
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.
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Cisco
If we are thinking about replacing old Cisco AireOS controllers with a new technology, we can only choose Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers. Configuration based on Profiles and SiteTag is convenient and easier compared to the previous configuration. You can see that the entire controller has been designed from scratch. Support for new AccessPoints in Wifi 6 offers great possibilities.
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Pros
Cisco
  • [...] 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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Cisco
  • Easily manages a large number of APs.
  • It can push out settings or a new OS to a large group of APs at once.
  • The GUI is very intuitive, and follows the model Cisco has created for many of their products.
  • It integrates well with our ISE environment for handling RADIUS requests.
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Cons
Cisco
  • 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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Cisco
  • add more sub-genres to the main menu
  • make the product easier for people to use, that aren't working with it all day
  • make the initial setup menu, where policies can be attached to Tags etc. more accessible
  • When selecting APs from the Landing Page, make it possible to rename them immediately without having to switch to "Configuration" -> "Access Points"
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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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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Usability
Cisco
The GUI is easier to navigate as compared to the 2504. Also the responsiveness of the GUI, the quicker failover capabilities and the enhanced visibility are all major improvements over the previous generation WLC.
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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Reliability and Availability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
The availability of the cisco 9800 wireless lan controller depends on several factors including deloyment mode of the controllers itself, network size and architecture and the maitenance and support factor. It is designed to meet the needs of a large enterprise and together with a cisco support contract any outages will be covered
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Performance
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
Fully robust and well-built solution. The solution fully is able to support a full campus WiFi environment without having any issues. There is no slowness to setting up a WiFi solution or any delays when changes are made. The product [can handle] beyond the listed specifications, but Cisco has kept performance and throughput to allow for a robust and smooth experience.
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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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Cisco
Great contact to Wireless Innovate Program Team and TAC to solve our problems.
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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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Cisco
We original worked with a Linksys based wireless system. Cisco improved our network reliability and speed which were the key reasons we upgraded our hardware in the first place. It appears that Cisco is better suited in a Business environment than its competitors are. I look forward to completing the network and to see it fully functional.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • 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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Cisco
  • We did replace several WLCs in our site with a redundant [Cisco Catalyst 9800-L Wireless Controller] and saved the cost
  • [Cisco Catalyst 9800-L Wireless Controller] with IOS-XE enable us to manage APs in our branches easily, easier than AireOS
  • ISSU enable us to do firmware upgrade with minimum downtime, a site with 24/7 activity will not be interrupted anymore
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ScreenShots