Cisco WLAN is an expensive wireless solution because of reliability
December 14, 2020
Cisco WLAN is an expensive wireless solution because of reliability
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
3504 Wireless Controller
Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
We are using Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers at a couple different locations for the entire building. This allows us to have a central management interface for all the access points so we don't have to individually modify each access point.
- Centralized Management - No need to modify settings of each AP
- Tons of settings - There are so many settings to configure you have really micromanage everything
- Configuring wireless settings is very confusing because various settings are scattered all over the interface in different tabs
- Lots of settings use Cisco's technical verbiage rather than common phrasing, so it's confusing what a lot of settings will do and requires researching the meaning before modifying the setting
- The interface could be easier to use to do simple tasks such as reboot an access point
- It's definitely not cheap, so not sure if it was worth the cost
- The initial setup time took a lot longer than other options
- Once everything was setup, it doesn't need to be touched again
The Cisco [Wireless] LAN Controllers are the high-end solution to wireless connectivity both in terms of cost and reliability. The Ubiquiti UniFi solution is the lower-cost solution that is both easier to configure and easier to manage long-term. The Cisco RV series is not worth it unless you need an all-in-one solution for firewall and wireless. For a non-critical network, I don't think the Cisco WLAN Controller can compete with the Ubiquiti UniFi Controller because the Ubiquiti system will be far cheaper and nearly as reliable although it can't handle quite as much total throughput compared to the Cisco WLAN Controller.
Do you think Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers delivers good value for the price?
No
Are you happy with Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers's feature set?
Yes
Did Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers again?
Yes