Wireless Networking Management made simple
June 03, 2025

Wireless Networking Management made simple

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • Cisco Catalyst 9800-L Wireless Controller
  • Cisco Catalyst 9800-40 Wireless Controller

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers

We currently use 2 x Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers. One is used for our corporate set up and one is used as part of our education network. We currently manage over 30 sites on our corporate network and the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers (C9800-40-K9) helps us manage all our wireless networks in each of these sites with ease. By using the tags and templates on the controller we can streamline, manage, monitor and configure them all from one place.

Pros

  • Managing multiple clients at once
  • Managing multiple wireless profiles and policies
  • Managing multiple access points and wireless devices from one place

Cons

  • The tagging system can become overwhelming
  • The Cisco licensing around access points and the WLC can get confusing
  • Some simple config has become a little hard to find or set up
  • Saves multiple hours of config and setup
  • Day to day management can be done from one system
  • Less staff are required to manage, monitor and maintain a vast number of networks
Obviously we have integrated Cisco wireless access points with our WLC, specifically 9120AX models. These work extremely well together and help you utilise the full wireless potential that they offer. Though the access points can be used with an autonomous image, using them with the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers makes them extremely easy to manage and maintain. Firmware upgrades and other updates become hassle free. Pushing out new config, new SSIDs or updating security profiles etc. becomes a lot simpler.
We have been using the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers for over 2 years and the whole system has been very stable. We currently run them in HA and have found when this has been activated (due to power issues etc.) the units change roles seamlessly, minimising the downtime to almost nothing. Except when we have had major issues, our wireless networks have a solid uptime and keeps our whole borough up 24/7 without problems.
Due to our HA set up we have always managed to access our wireless networks without problems, when issues occur. When we have lost access to the GUI, due to internal network problems, console access is always welcomed and brings with it the normal Cisco CLI syntax. From previous versions of CLI, it is now a lot simpler and reflects other Cisco products, making it easier to troubleshoot and navigate when necessary.
The policy control has now become a lot easier to rollout to multiple locations at once. This is was makes the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers a lot easier when managing multiple sites. Previously you had to re-create the same network profile multiple types and then apply them, now however, you can apply one policy using tags to multiple locations. This removes human error, speeds up rollout and gives you a peace of mind that every site is the same.

Do you think Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers again?

Yes

As we manage multiple sites (over 30) at different locations across our borough, the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers makes it seamless and a lot simpler. We don't have to set up multiple wireless networks and policies for each site, they can all be done from the WLC. You can tag the same polices, security practices, RF polices etc. to each site, rather than setting each one up the same every time. This takes a lot of time out of administration and makes it a lot easier to manage day to day.

Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers Feature Ratings

Wireless LAN
8.8
WLAN Performance Monitoring
9
Layer 7 Visibility
6
Power over Ethernet Support
10
Wireless Security
10

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