What users are saying about
51 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 9.3 out of 100
Based on 51 reviews and ratings
25 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 9.2 out of 100
Based on 25 reviews and ratings
Attribute Ratings
- Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller is rated higher in 2 areas: Likelihood to Recommend, Support Rating
- Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller and Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points are tied in 1 area: Likelihood to Renew
Likelihood to Recommend
9.7
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
97%
11 Ratings
9.6
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
96%
18 Ratings
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
91%
1 Rating
9.1
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
91%
1 Rating
Usability
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
N/A
0 Ratings
9.1
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
91%
2 Ratings
Performance
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
N/A
0 Ratings
9.1
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
91%
5 Ratings
Support Rating
9.2
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
92%
8 Ratings
8.2
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
82%
1 Rating
Product Scalability
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
N/A
0 Ratings
8.8
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
88%
5 Ratings
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
I consider that its implementation is recommended for configurations where the amount of access points exceeds 50 devices and the performance exceeds 4 Gbps. In environments where the access point density is less than 10 units, we can use the option of Express Mobility.
Network Engineer
Cardon IVOil & Energy, 501-1000 employees
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
Dead simple to setup, deploy, upgrade and manage. If a colleague was asking for a solid AP that just runs and runs without tiring out and they dont want to break the bank with the higher end units, this is a great place to look. I would say that you're going to have to deal with Cisco licensing support at some point during setup, but thats par for the course.

Verified User
Analyst in Information Technology
Government Administration Company, 501-1000 employeesPros
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
- It has the ability to manage all Cisco access points that we have, regardless of the model. The limit is 1500 pieces of equipment.
- The WLC enables roaming functionality in the localities, this helps with collections, wireless IP phones, and access with notebooks.
- The WLC manages the quality of the "air" and "signal" of the 2.4ghz frequency, avoiding noise and interference.
- The WLC has an interesting feature of visibility of the traffic of the internal network.
Analista de sistema
NaturaChemicals, 201-500 employees
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
- Until 2018, our Aironets were 1560 series, and each was managed separately. We had about 9 devices, 3-4 per floor, strategically placed on each floor to get a good coverage map over a three-floor environment. Their coverage was greater than expected. With the latest 1852 models we have, they are managed by a controller, and frankly, the coverage is a smaller area, requiring more units. We have worked with support for months and this is the final outcome of all the setting changes - we simply need more devices to cover the same area.
- None of the models I have used have needed reboots. We usually only reboot the devices annually, and they don't have issues requiring restarts.
- With the 1560 series, the connection strength was extremely consistent. With the new 1852 model, which is managed by one of the WAPs as a controller, it is supposed to use smart technology to load balance (optional) and determine which of the WAPs is appropriate to connect the requesting device to - great idea - but it does NOT work well.
Technology Systems Manager
Gentry Locke Rakes & MooreLaw Practice, 51-200 employees
Cons
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
- We have had some issues with access points losing their configurations and going offline. This is not a common issue and we are not entirely certain if it is a fault of the controller or the individual APs. That said, the controller does not appear to retain the knowledge of the offline AP which can be a management headache.
Network Systems Administrator
Foremost Farms USADairy, 1001-5000 employees
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
- On the Mobility Express models, it’s hard to configure all from the GUI, and sometimes the GUI is buggy
- In Mobility Express, the (virtual) controller is not able to push the right image to the APs. This sometimes results in not joining the APs
- Some minor issues with firmware

Verified User
Administrator in Information Technology
Outsourcing/Offshoring Company, 11-50 employeesPricing Details
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
—Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
—Likelihood to Renew
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller 9.1
Based on 1 answer
It works great and [we] will definitely renew.

Verified User
Team Lead in Information Technology
Financial Services Company, 501-1000 employeesCisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points 9.1
Based on 1 answer
If Cisco keeps innovating the feature sets on the next 1800 models, I would definitely try it out to improve the experience of my users and to keep them on the latest technologies

Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Research Company, 5001-10,000 employeesUsability
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points 9.1
Based on 2 answers
Pretty straightforward guide, which was built since OEAP600 AP's and never improved, this is a good thing for user to tackle when they configure the personal SSID, but does not reflect how it should be in 2020, where everything is mobile compatible and app ready. Cisco are going to have an app for this, but it comes with greater cost.

Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Research Company, 5001-10,000 employeesPerformance
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points 9.1
Based on 5 answers
In general, this AP has great performance for having MIMO 4X4 with 4 antennas for receiving and sending signals to users. AP 1850 has good construction and integrates the CleanAir feature that works to change the frequency channel when it senses external interference.

Verified User
Analyst in Information Technology
Mining & Metals Company, 501-1000 employeesSupport Rating
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller 9.2
Based on 8 answers
Cisco is always available if we need support. If they are unable to solve the problem right away, they will reach back to us in a timely manner and advise what we need to do. Their team provides additional guidance as well if we hit any stumbling blocks. Their service has been great.

Verified User
Administrator in Information Technology
Retail Company, 201-500 employeesCisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points 8.2
Based on 1 answer
If you are able to identify the problem initially, you would be able to explain it to the TAC. In order for the TAC to understand it, the TAC engineer must be competent enough to understand it, and have the devices already in lab to test with. Each bug I encountered the TAC was able to help. And I was able to file at least 3 bugs on the 1815T and M.

Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Research Company, 5001-10,000 employeesAlternatives Considered
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
Cisco is the most stable company in switching parts including wireless, and it has the most powerful support team with a lot of online documents, community, and market share so when you get stuck, you can find support from anywhere. And usually, you won't need it as its product is very stable and reliable.
IT Network Manager
WadiDeglaSports, 1001-5000 employees
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
Cisco Aironet has it place in the modern workplace and is great for single location deployments creating a good robust affordable solution. Installing them in a plant that has exposure to environmental elements they have stood the test of time, well so far. If you are looking for multi-location, multi-national or international deployments with a single plane of glass the Cisco Meraki MR's are a better choice, enhancing the time to deploy and ease of management.

Verified User
C-Level Executive in Information Technology
Information Technology & Services Company, 11-50 employeesScalability
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points 8.8
Based on 5 answers
It can easily support growth and be deployed in multiple locations. The access point has an integrated controller that can manage up to a certain amount of equipment in different locations. Setup is instantaneous and takes approximately 10 minutes to configure itself.
Analista de sistemas
NestléFood & Beverages, 10,001+ employees
Return on Investment
Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller
- [It provides] centralized management.
- Implementing the [Cisco] 5520 [Wireless] Controllers offered us a huge improvement in administrative time over our previous Cisco 3850 deployment. Being able to see all of our APs on a single controller as well as centrally manage them is a great benefit. This also removed the need to deploy specific equipment in different IDFs throughout our Industrial locations and instead only requiring switches with Power Over Ethernet (POE) capability.
- Wireless performance has improved with the deployment of our 5520s, which allows our plant operators to do their jobs more efficiently while on the move.
- Having three Cisco 5520 Wireless Controllers provides tertiary redundancy for our wireless networks. The solution is elegantly simple. Preventing downtime is, obviously, a profound part of our supply chain capabilities.
Network Systems Administrator
Foremost Farms USADairy, 1001-5000 employees
Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points
- We can be in Mobility Express mode where the AP provides the controller functionality to support a small to medium deployment without requiring a dedicated controller.
- Access Points are centrally managed via a WLC reducing the management overhead for deployment, configuration, and upgrade.
Solutions Architect
NEC AustraliaComputer Networking, 1001-5000 employees