Cisco Aironet and Catalyst Access Points vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Aironet and Catalyst Access Points
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Cisco promises to provide a comprehensive wireless portfolio to meet the need of any organization. Whether it's a small deployment or a larger enterprise, 802.11ac Wave 2 or Wi-Fi 6, Cisco aims to deliver key wireless innovations that go beyond either standard. The vendor promises that all Cisco access points provide radio-frequency excellence for any environment. Cisco is an enterprise Wi-Fi leader, with more than three million Aironet access points sold. Cisco products are built…N/A
WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
The vendor says WatchGuard Wi-Fi Cloud is where you take your access points to unlock their full potential. With a Secure Wi-Fi license, you get patented WIPS security, compliance reporting including PCI, Wi-Fi vulnerability assessment reporting, and every enterprise-grade WLAN feature you’ll need to take your access points into the toughest environments – with features like live floorplan views, hotspot 2.0, application firewall, and role-based access with 802.1x. WatchGuard Wi-Fi Cloud has…N/A
Pricing
Cisco Aironet and Catalyst Access PointsWatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco Aironet and Catalyst Access PointsWatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
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 Aironet and Catalyst Access PointsWatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Cisco Aironet and Catalyst Access PointsWatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Small Businesses
Meraki MR
Meraki MR
Score 9.2 out of 10
Meraki MR
Meraki MR
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.7 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.7 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco Aironet and Catalyst Access PointsWatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
7.7
(10 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco Aironet and Catalyst Access PointsWatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Cisco [Aironet Access Points] are well suited in offices where they can be managed by a wireless LAN controller (WLC). Using them in this way allows the APs to be well managed and security policies can easily be enforced down to users connecting to these APs for wireless access. Scenarios, where Cisco [Aironet Access Points] are less appropriate, are in small-office-home-office (SOHO) situations because of price and licensing costs to use a WLC to manage them. Thus, using them, in this case, would be that the APs would have to be in Autonomous mode, and the technical know-how in converting a lightweight AP to an Autonomous one is not straightforward.
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WatchGuard Technologies
The WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud works well in any scenario. With the number of AP model options, this solution can work at a coffee shop all the way up to a multi-tenant facility with thousands of users.
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Pros
Cisco
  • They are rock solid in terms of reliability (we rarely have to replace them).
  • They are easily managed from the controller. It's easy to push new settings out, like RF profiles, etc...
  • They are fairly easy to install using the included mounting brackets.
  • They seem to be compatible with pretty much everything, although occasionally we will have roaming issues with Apple devices.
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • Ease of Management
  • Secure
  • Wi-Fi Reporting
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Cons
Cisco
  • Powering options have been problematic in a few deployment scenarios. Newer APs have very robust power needs that are difficult to provide.
  • Cisco 3800 series APs have failed more frequently than previous models.
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • As far as a native VLAN configuration, VLAN 0 is used while mostly all other vendors use VLAN 1 as the default (native) VLAN. Minor detail, but keeps configuration standard across the board.
  • The policing feature is powerful, but at times too powerful and needs to be modified a few times before getting the solution where you need it to be. Different levels of policing would be nice, with the option of creating your own and/or modifying an existing template.
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Support Rating
Cisco
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
The support team is great! I have never had an issue getting the support I needed. They make it a point to stick with the issue until it's resolved to the customer's satisfaction. They do not make you feel like you need to hurry up and close the ticket. They make sure the solution is working as designed.
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
The usage scenario was different. I don't see this as a benefit versus harm comparison, necessarily. What happened was that, at a certain point, the implementation of the cisco solution was the winner of our public bidding process and with that, we implemented it and have used it ever since.
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WatchGuard Technologies
WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud offers the cloud management solution unlike Ubiquiti which needs a controller that you need to setup, configure, update, and maintain. Also Security is offered with Secure Wi-Fi cloud.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • In fact, Cisco products in Brazil have a high cost due to a series of taxes.
  • But it is a long-term investment and guaranteed immediate return since you will have to have problems with the service offered (Wi-Fi).
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • Less time spend on setting up Wi-Fi on client devices
  • Addressed our Security Concerns
  • Less time spent on Wireless Configurations
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ScreenShots

WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud Screenshots

Screenshot of WatchGuard Wi-Fi DiscoverScreenshot of WatchGuard Wi-Fi AnalyzeScreenshot of WatchGuard Wi-Fi EngageScreenshot of WatchGuard Wi-Fi Manage