What users are saying about

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller vs Meraki MR

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller
37 Ratings
Meraki MR
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring#question3' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener noreferrer'>Customer Verified: Read more.</a>
53 Ratings

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

37 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener noreferrer'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>
Score 8.8 out of 100

Based on 37 reviews and ratings

Meraki MR

<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring#question3' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener noreferrer'>Customer Verified: Read more.</a>
53 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener noreferrer'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>
Score 8.8 out of 100

Based on 53 reviews and ratings

Likelihood to Recommend

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

Cisco has a wide range of wireless controllers and 3504 is the entry level controller. It can support up to 150 Access points. Therefore it is very well suited for medium sized enterprises , however small businesses can also use it in their networks but it is not so light on the budget and small businesses will find it very expensive.

Read full review

Umair Ali Khan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Umair Ali Khan
View all 9 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

A Cisco Meraki MR is well-suited for highly visible locations where a device needs to be suddenly integrated and not drawing attention to itself. It may not be so well-suited to environments where in depth monitoring of traffic to specific destinations needs to be quickly determined and throttled on an as needed basis, such as in a conference environment.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 22 answers on this topic

Pros

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

  • The user interface is faster and more responsive than the previous model.
  • Well built and sturdy hardware.
  • Included racking equipment was a nice touch.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 9 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

  • Layer 7 Firewall Embedded
  • Different type of access control and guess portal
  • Traffic shaping and bandwidth rate limits for high demands application
  • Health option to identify quickly different problems with the performance
  • Integration with third party guess portal like “Eleven WiFi” for customize guess access
  • Analytics and reports of usage very helpful in order to obtain data of your internet usage and allocate resources more efficient

Read full review

Jose De Jesus | TrustRadius Reviewer
Jose De Jesus
View all 22 answers on this topic

Cons

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

  • I think that the price is a little bit expensive in comparision with other vendors.
  • Maybe need to add a redundant power supply.
  • Maybe better time for booting the WLC.

Read full review

Benjamín Marrón Rojas | TrustRadius Reviewer
Benjamín Marrón Rojas
View all 9 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

  • There needs to be an easier way to see which devices are being heavier used, so as to determine needed adjustments.
  • It would be good to have more in-depth access to what locations connected devices are navigating to.
  • Cost. These devices could be a little more competitive if the cost were lower. Meraki prices itself out of some sales.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 22 answers on this topic

Likelihood to Renew

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller 9.0
Based on 1 answer
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.

Read full review

Umair Ali Khan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Umair Ali Khan
View all 1 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Usability

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller 8.0
Based on 1 answer
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.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 1 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

Meraki MR 8.6
Based on 2 answers
The Cisco Meraki MR web interface is best in class when it comes to network management. While some networking knowledge is needed to understand what you are doing, no specialized training in any one specific operating system is required to design a whole network.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 2 answers on this topic

Support Rating

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller 8.1
Based on 7 answers
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.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 7 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

Meraki MR 8.8
Based on 25 answers
Meraki support is usually top notch. The are quick to respond and stick with an issue until it is resolved. One of the difficulties I've had with Meraki MRs is the limited ability the customer has in troubleshooting. Much of the more technical aspects of resolution can only be accessed by the Meraki support team, meaning dedicated IT teams are reliant on them when more complicated issues arise.

Read full review

Dennis Chwee | TrustRadius Reviewer
Dennis Chwee
View all 25 answers on this topic

Alternatives Considered

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 and the response times was similar

Read full review

Duncan Hernandez | TrustRadius Reviewer
Duncan Hernandez
View all 9 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

Meraki MR are certainly one of the good products on the market. The ease of use, configuration from the dashboard and the rollout are certainly the main differentiators of Meraki. The lifetime warranty of MR (not outdoor models) is also a great advantage.But, the licenses to pay as long as you use the product may discourage some buyers (vs Fortinet for example).

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 22 answers on this topic

Return on Investment

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

  • We have saved countless hours not having to configure each AP individually.
  • Budgets on the WLAN side have increased due to the cost increases.
  • Smart software has made it easier to get a new tech up and running.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 9 answers on this topic

Meraki MR

  • Very easy deployment when we moved a major office location.
  • When we added special business needs we were able to add a Wi-Fi channel for special access with minimal IT effort and configuration.
  • Easy to setup, deploy and install when we have added remote sites.

Read full review

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
View all 22 answers on this topic

Pricing Details

Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller

General

Free Trial
—
Free/Freemium Version
—
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—
Entry-level set up fee?
No

Meraki MR

General

Free Trial
—
Free/Freemium Version
—
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—
Entry-level set up fee?
No

Add comparison