Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points vs. Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points
Score 9.4 out of 10
N/A
The Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points includes the 9115 and 9117, and designed to meet high demand network access.N/A
Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points are designed to provide simple installation, intuitive web-based configuration, and an integrated setup wizard to make them easy to use. Models include the Cisco WAP 150, and the WAP 125. The WAP 131 and WAP 121 older models are end of sale.N/A
Pricing
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access PointsCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access PointsCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
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 Catalyst 9100 Access PointsCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Top Pros

No answers on this topic

Top Cons

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Best Alternatives
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access PointsCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Small Businesses
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.2 out of 10
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ubiquiti WLAN
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers
Score 9.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access PointsCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(52 ratings)
8.6
(6 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.5
(45 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.4
(45 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access PointsCisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points are well suited for most applications as they scale very well and can be configured to work in a lot of different scenarios. However they are quite costly so they may not be suited for all business purposes. But they do perform and deliver and rarely cause issues.
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Cisco
As an IT technician I was involved in the deployment and configuration of some access points. Work was easy to attach it to the ceiling and connect to the CAT6A network cable. The controller located in the main building transmits all settings remotely in less than 15 minutes to the access point and it is already operational. The WAP 150 has a compact style and looks great on the ceiling because the antennas are internal and radiate omnidirectionally to users. We created three networks, one 2.4Ghz, the second 5Ghz and the other exclusively for patients.
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Pros
Cisco
  • It is a versatile, clean, balanced and secure access point.
  • Wifi 5 802.11ac wave 2 technology.
  • Client link and cleanair are functions to mitigate and improve user connection.
  • Reliable smartnet service for warranty and technical support.
  • Perfect for offices and indoor locations.
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Cisco
  • Compact access point with internal antennas and easy ceiling mounting.
  • They are reliable and fast access points that work on the 802.11ac wave protocol with speeds of up to 1.2gbps at 5ghz. But they also work at 2.4 GHz.
  • Allows you to create a cluster of up to 4 access points on site and thereby manage radio frequency, power, and other network resources.
  • Access points can be managed on management and monitoring platforms with Cisco FindIT Network Management.
  • Allows to be installation easily with ethernet network cable.
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Cons
Cisco
  • Firmware distribution between access points
  • Replace web auth certificate without reloading WLC controllers
  • The issue with expired MIC certificate - but this is not an issue with 9100
  • New AP with new hardware revision works only with the new WLC firmware
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Cisco
  • I see that this model does not have the ability to mitigate strong interference at 2.4 GHz.
  • It is a model that does not serve auditors.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
Overall, we have been very happy with the results.
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Usability
Cisco
The Cisco Catalyst 9120 Access Points have been a solid deployment for me. Using their interface is a mix of new and old. They run IOS, so if you know the CLI, you can easily navigate around them. You can join them to an older controller if it supports a certain version, you can join it to a new 9800 controller--very straight forward--and you can run the embedded wireless controller on them directly. I've found this to be very useful at smaller sites. The Cisco Catalyst 9120 Access Points are not limited to feature sets like the older generations' mobility express platform.
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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Performance
Cisco
Cisco is providing the best in class access points. We would be focusing Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points to have the common platform. We are waiting for cloud implementation on DNA or cloud monitoring of 9800cl in Meraki dashboard. It's reliable, tagging gives a lot of flexibility. Virtualization finally works as expected.
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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Cisco
Cisco has been very good at correcting early issues with their code. Their TAC support has been fantastic when I would open a case with issues I was facing. Even though the hardware was new, they were very familiar with the interfaces and issues I was having. In the past I've been concerned about adopting a new product right away because of support issues. That was not the case here. Once I had the deployment up and running, they have had a good run of reliability.
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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Cisco
In testing, Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points outperformed all other APs in our testing. Performance was second to none in the testing lineup. Reliability has been proven over the many years we have used this product. The new 9100s have also not presented any hardware reliability issues for us so far. Some of the other vendors offer some nice to have features such as Bluetooth device diagnostics and very deep AI assurance.
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Cisco
The products of the Cisco Small Business 100 Series Wireless Access Points family are an excellent option within the segment in which they compete. We provide many enterprise-level features with costs close to entry-level. It allows us to maintain centralized administration, scale easily, and not lose observability, and it maintains the quality and robustness that Cisco has accustomed us to.
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Scalability
Cisco
These access points offer flexibility in deployment scenarios, supporting both standalone and controller-based architectures. Organisations can choose the model that best suits their current needs and scale as their requirements grow. Cisco Aironet Access Points are compatible with Cisco's Wireless LAN controllers, allowing for centralized management and monitoring of a large number of access points across the network. With the recent changes, it will even support cloud base controllers.
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Cisco
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Cisco
  • With a wide range of Wi-Fi and security options, as well as the ability to expand and scale easily, it’s an excellent solution.
  • It achieved a significant rise in the number of concurrent wireless network users with a low-cost solution that provided outstanding performance.
  • We invested in wireless networks in the long run, and as a result, we could connect more users without compromising performance.
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Cisco
  • Increased productivity with the use of notebooks and tablets.
  • Mobility and allowed to work from home during the pandemic.
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ScreenShots