Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller vs Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points

Likelihood to Recommend

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.

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Umair Ali Khan

Deputy Manager - IT Operations (Network Infrastructure)

Pak Suzuki Motor Company LimitedAutomotive, 1001-5000 employees

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Because of the unique setup on our campus, these provide great coverage for our dorms, office areas, and smaller classrooms. However, in areas were the load was much higher, the devices could become overtaxed after about 25 users depending on the strength of the devices.

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Verified User

Technician in Information Technology

Higher Education Company, 501-1000 employees

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Pros

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

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Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Government Administration Company, 501-1000 employees

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Encryption/Security
Coverage
Scalability
UI/UX simplicity

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Matthew Gardner

Director of Customer Success

RouteThisComputer Software, 11-50 employees

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Cons

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.

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Benjamín Marrón Rojas

Help Desk Network Engineer

SpconnetTelecommunications, 11-50 employees

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Quality control of available updates could use a tweak or two.
Functionality in legacy networks are not always the best.

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Verified User

Technician in Information Technology

Higher Education Company, 501-1000 employees

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Likelihood to Renew

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.

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Umair Ali Khan

Deputy Manager - IT Operations (Network Infrastructure)

Pak Suzuki Motor Company LimitedAutomotive, 1001-5000 employees

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Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points 10.0

Based on 1 answer

Overall, we have been very happy with the results.

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Verified User

Technician in Information Technology

Higher Education Company, 501-1000 employees

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Usability

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.

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Verified User

Director in Engineering

Information Technology and Services Company, 51-200 employees

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No score

No answers yet

No answers on this topic

Support Rating

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.

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Verified User

Employee in Information Technology

Computer Networking Company, 1001-5000 employees

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No score

No answers yet

No answers on this topic

Alternatives Considered

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

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Duncan Hernandez

Sr. Data Analytics Consultant

Armanino LLPAccounting, 1001-5000 employees

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We ended up actually moving from Cisco WAPs into a full Ubiquiti stack, as our IT people preferred the coverage and more "enterprise" IT-focused features and the flexibility of a setup not necessarily marketed and designed for small businesses. I'd say at 40-50 people, you may outgrow this setup as well.

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Matthew Gardner

Director of Customer Success

RouteThisComputer Software, 11-50 employees

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Return on Investment

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.

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Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Government Administration Company, 501-1000 employees

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Uptime was 100%
No complaints from employees when it was used

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Matthew Gardner

Director of Customer Success

RouteThisComputer Software, 11-50 employees

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Pricing Details

General

Free Trial

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Free/Freemium Version

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Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Entry-level set up fee?

No

General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No