Cisco 3504 WLAN Controller vs FortiAP | TrustRadius

What users are saying about

Score 8.7 out of 10

Based on 34 reviews and ratings

Score 7.6 out of 10

Based on 8 reviews and ratings

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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Built sturdy for harsh environments.
They perform and/or surpass performance levels shown on their data sheets.

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Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Information Technology and Services Company, 51-200 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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Deploying your first AP is a little confusing - you need to register it with Fortinet, and then deploy it. I am a master now, but this took me call to support to understand how to roll these out.
Adding them in to the correct folders on Forticloud took a little bit of figuring out, but again, once I had it it was simple.

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IT Manager

VistaFood Exchange IncWholesale, 51-200 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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Deputy Manager - IT Operations (Network Infrastructure)

Pak Suzuki Motor Company LimitedAutomotive, 1001-5000 employees

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FortiAP 10.0

Based on 1 answer

This is an excellent product for an SMB - cost isn't outrageous and deploy is simple. I can monitor my network without breaking the bank.

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IT Manager

VistaFood Exchange IncWholesale, 51-200 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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FortiAP 10.0

Based on 2 answers

Fortinet support is outstanding! They are second to none. They pay attention to details and the needs of the customer.

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Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Information Technology and Services Company, 51-200 employees

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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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FortiAP does not fall short compared to other vendors. They have all the features other vendors offer at a much more competitive price-point, which makes purchasing FortiAP a lot more attractive.

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Verified User

Engineer in Engineering

Information Technology and Services Company, 51-200 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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Increased overall coverage of wireless for my users - no more calls about dropped wireless (our cell service is very spotty).
Easy to roll out - no issues here.
Expensive - you are paying for a business, not a home use devices - sticker shock might happen initially.

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IT Manager

VistaFood Exchange IncWholesale, 51-200 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

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