Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
reviewer963381 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Project Manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Feb 15, 2023
The network management system is not great, and the solution is incapable of handling a large number of access points
Pros and Cons
  • "The access points and controllers are good."
  • "The network management system is not great."

How has it helped my organization?

We are satisfied with the product.

What is most valuable?

The access points and controllers are good and do not give us any issues. In addition, the individual access points are good.

What needs improvement?

They recently launched the virtual wireless controller and a new CTI. Unfortunately, it is not scalable, and the performance is not good. Sometimes it hangs, and it has a slow response. We don't have a good experience and are uncomfortable with these elements.

The network management system is not great. It is incapable of handling a large number of access points. They are working on it but have not been able to fix it yet.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for about six years. We are using different models like the Wi-fi 5 model.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless WAN
February 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2026.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good because we have a contract with them. They respond whenever we have an issue.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is okay compared to other products like Aruba and Huawei. However, to be more competitive, Cisco could lower its price.

What other advice do I have?

We have a big infrastructure of about 15,000 to 20,000. So if it works fine for us, it will suit small companies with small networks. We use the controller, and it is fine. I rate this solution a five out of ten, mainly because of the network issues.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
CEO at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Jan 31, 2023
Provides reliability and sustainability for our organization
Pros and Cons
  • "I use Cisco because of its reliability."
  • "It can be complicated to configure the solution."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco Wireless WAN for the network in our office. The solution is deployed on-premises.

There are currently 20 people who use this solution in my organization. They're technical staff and salespeople. 

What is most valuable?

I use Cisco because of its reliability.

What needs improvement?

The price could be improved. It can be complicated to configure the solution.

In the next release, it could be more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used this solution for 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable. I would rate the stability as nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. I would rate the scalability as eight out of ten.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Linksys. We switched to Cisco because of its sustainability and expandability.

How was the initial setup?

Normal installation isn't complex. Installation takes a couple of hours.

One person is needed for maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

Implementation was done in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The total cost of the solution was about $6,000.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution as eight out of ten. I wouldn't give it 10 out of 10 because the price is high and the solution can be complicated.

I would recommend it to those who are interested in using it. 

There's a lot of advice and information on the internet. Some of it may be incorrect, so you just have to try it and see.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless WAN
February 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2026.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Makrand Tare - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Oct 15, 2022
Good security and connectivity with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
  • "We find the product to be stable."
  • "We cannot use wireless for the servers due to potential performance issues. They must be connected via fiber."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution for the long-term to connect our desktops and laptops. For the firewalls, however, we connect the rack network with fiber and other cables. 

What is most valuable?

It offers good connectivity.

The initial setup is straightforward. 

We find the product to be stable.

It can scale. 

The security is quite good.

What needs improvement?

We cannot use wireless for the servers due to potential performance issues. They must be connected via fiber.

The solution is a little bit expensive. 

We'd like it if they could improve the integration capabilities. More specifically, if it can be integrated with other applications or any other devices like CCTV cameras that are also running on wireless, that would be ideal. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for ten to 15 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We can scale the solution. It's not difficult to do so. 

We are a global company and have between 50,000 and 90,000 users. 

There are plans to increase usage in the future.

How are customer service and support?

I've never used technical support services. I don't know how helpful or responsive they are.

How was the initial setup?

It's a solution that is easy to set up. It's not overly complex to implement. 

I'm not sure exactly how long it took to deploy the solution.

We have a dedicated team of 600 IT engineers. They can handle deployment and maintenance. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not sure of the exact pricing. We have 20 to 30 different premises in India. I'm not sure if they are all using Cisco like us or not. Therefore, I'm not sure what the full cost is to the company.

It could be a bit cheaper. 

We pay a license fee on a yearly basis. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm not sure which version of Cisco we are using. 

I'd recommend Cisco to other users and companies. I would rate it an eight out of ten. We're mostly happy with its capabilities. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Marco Attene - PeerSpot reviewer
Consulting System Engineer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Oct 15, 2022
Reliable, easy to set up, and has helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "We found the initial setup to be straightforward."
  • "We would like to have the lead times improved."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used for wireless connectivity.

What is most valuable?

The solution is stable and reliable.

It scales well. 

We found the initial setup to be straightforward. 

The support has proven itself to be helpful. 

What needs improvement?

We would like to have the lead times improved. Right now, when you create a design and want to provide it to the customer, they are very late to cosign everything.

The solution is pretty expensive. We'd like to see lower pricing in the future. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for a while. I'm not sure how long I've used it. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. We find it to be reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We can scale the solution as needed. It's not a problem.

We have more than 1,000 users on the solution.

How are customer service and support?

We've contacted support, yet not necessarily for technical issues. We have used them for other things, and they were rather helpful. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

the initial setup is quite simple and straightforward. I'd rate the experience a four out of five in terms of ease of implementation. It's not difficult. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost of the licensing depends on the access point.

On the low end, the solution costs probably around $1200 to $1300 for five years. It's an expensive product.

I'd rate the product a three out of five in terms of affordability.

What other advice do I have?

We are Cisco partners.

I'd advise new users to check the documentation and go over it pretty thoroughly at the outset. It's important to read everything before you start. If you miss something, it may cause you to troubleshoot and spend more time than you need to figure things out. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Technical Coordinator at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
Jul 28, 2022
Provides user-friendly dashboard, great performance, and a lot of documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "It's a small feature, but Cisco allows me to see access points with blinking lights. This shows me which access point is which."
  • "The price could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for our campus network. I work for the university's IT team, so we use it for the faculties, administrative buildings, and labs. We're very happy with it.

The solution is deployed on-premises.

We're using the latest version.

What is most valuable?

It's a small feature, but Cisco allows me to see access points with blinking lights. This shows me which access point is which.

For example, sometimes we have more than 100 access points, and the company that did the set up unfortunately didn't document it well, so that can be a problem.

The dashboard is wonderful. It's very user friendly.

What needs improvement?

The price could be better. It's too high.

It's also hard to get the product because of climate problems.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a year and a half.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable. In comparison, Extreme's stability is not good. We do speed tests, and with Cisco, we can get 700 megabits per second.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's very scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

The solution was already set up, so we didn't need a lot of technical support.

If we need help, we can call them directly. We don't need to open a ticket.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have dealt with Extreme Wireless, especially Extreme IQ Cloud. Compared to Extreme, Cisco is way ahead.

It's very easy to deploy. I like Cisco's dashboard. I think it's more user friendly than the Extreme dashboard.

Extreme is easy to deploy, and management is very nice, but the performance isn't good so far. We are using the essential license now, not the pilot license, which is the advanced feature license. When we get the pilot license, I don't know if my mind will change, but for now the performance is way better in Cisco.

When I'm deploying Extreme, it's hard to get information from the internet. I'm not talking about the support from the company. 

With Cisco products, there's a ton of information on YouTube, in Cisco documentation, and on Cisco's website. With Extreme, I couldn't get that information.  

With the same infrastructure, switches, logical topology, and physical topology, Extreme's performance isn't very good. It might be because of the license. When I talk with the company, they say, "If you don't have the Extreme pilot license, you can't get high balances." 

For example, you can only get 150 megabits. It's like one channel at a time. They say that when we install the license, we'll get higher balances, but we haven't experienced that yet. We are waiting for the installation to complete, and then we'll get the license.

Cisco's performance is much better.

I also have experience with Huawei. Cisco's deployment is much better in comparison.

How was the initial setup?

The solution was set up before I started working on it, so I continue to deploy it. 

Compared to Extreme, it doesn't take a lot of time to deploy. We have more than 1,000 access points. It takes about several hours to deploy. It's quick to install.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is too high. The licensing is on a yearly basis. 

The price was built in with the total price of the access points. We bought other products, like cable covers, and some switches, so I don't know the exact price for the licenses.

The price of Cisco is twice as high as Extreme because of the exchange rate in Turkey. At the time, our currency decreased catastrophically against the dollar.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Coordinator of IT infrastructures at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jul 13, 2022
Quality devices, good switches, and very reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The devices are all of good quality."
  • "The only disadvantage of Cisco is maybe the cost."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for WiFi and for switching switches. It offers a wireless controller device and access points and switches.

What is most valuable?

It’s stable.

All the hardware, the signal, the communication between access points or switches, et cetera, is good. The devices are all of good quality.

The switches, in particular, are great. I don't remember the model, however, there is a line of Catalyst switches from Cisco - the industrial switches with 24 ports or 48 ports and a POA feature with a fiber optic port - that are great.

The quality of service is excellent.

What needs improvement?

The only disadvantage of Cisco is maybe the cost. It’s more expensive than other brands, like, for example, HP. You do have to pay for licensing yearly, which is not the case with some others. We’d like to just have a one-time payment option.

The interface could be better. When I connect to the wireless controller, the graphic or the user interface is complicated. It’s hard to understand all the models of the interface. They should work to make it easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

I’ve used the solution for two months in this current company. I’ve used it for four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable. The resolution is very stable. Cisco is working well. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It’s a scalable product.

In the future, the goal is to migrate to a new Cisco access point version. We are working on this. We have the requirement for a wireless controller, maybe, and an update only on the firmware version.

Maybe 400 people use the solution.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I work in the other companies with Cisco and other brands as well as Aruba and HP.

How was the initial setup?

It’s an easy product to set up. It's not difficult at all. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You do need to pay for licensing on a yearly basis. It’s a bit expensive. However, I don’t know the exact costs.

What other advice do I have?

I’m a customer.

We use the latest version of the solution.

The solution is a market leader. It works great.

I’d rate it nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Bram Cuppens - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Jul 13, 2022
Easy to implement and onboard people with good reliability
Pros and Cons
  • "The implementations are easy."
  • "The pricing is a bit high."

What is our primary use case?

We just deliver wireless coverage, general and specific, for auditoriums and stuff like that.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable aspect of the solution is its fast transition.

It’s a stable solution.

The product is scalable.

The implementations are easy.

There’s an easy onboarding process for non-native users.

What needs improvement?

When you have a question related to support, getting direct or faster access to someone technical would be ideal.

The pricing is a bit high.

For how long have I used the solution?

I’ve used the solution for about 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn’t crash or freeze. It’s reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product can scale quite well.

Perhaps we made the right decision as we knew beforehand how much we needed to use through bandwidth, number of users, and number of VPs. We did our homework. We knew which product type/model we had to buy and deploy. That ensures that scaling is easy.

We might have 2,000 to 3,000 users on the solution, depending on the day. They are mostly students.

We likely will expand usage. We're running the next wave of installing extra eight pieces for delivering more coverage, and in a way also more bandwidth or throughput.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support should be faster and more accessible.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've also used, for example, Aruba.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. It’s not difficult to set up.

I’d rate the solution a two out of five in terms of ease of use with one being the easiest and five being difficult.

What about the implementation team?

The first setup was done in-house. And over the years we had some external consultancy, however, the main setup was done in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing costs are a bit on the high side.

I’d rate the solution a 3.5 out of five in terms of how expensive it is, with five being the most expensive. The licensing of Cisco is pretty high, especially in comparison to other options, such as Aruba.

What other advice do I have?

I’d advise those considering the solution to go onto the internet and find as much documentation about the solution as you can.

I’d rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
TelkomFlexi Representative Office Manager at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jun 22, 2022
Offers good network management and control options, in a highly scalable and stable solution
Pros and Cons
  • "The network management is good. We use it to control access, channels, and phones and limit bandwidth."
  • "I hope Cisco can improve the capacity to service a high density of users in a small area, as currently we have difficulties with this."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use for the solution is providing internet access points for our customers, we are a Wi-Fi management service.

What is most valuable?

The network management is good. We use it to control access, channels, and phones and limit bandwidth.

What needs improvement?

They can provide more user-friendly control. It would be good to see an easier to manage common control line. An improved web UI could allow everything to be controlled from the website. 

I hope Cisco can improve the capacity to service a high density of users in a small area, as currently we have difficulties with this.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for over five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have an access point that provides service for 20 to 25,000 customers, and we use ten staff for deployment and maintenance. 

How are customer service and support?

We have local Cisco-authorized support here in Indonesia, and I would rate them an eight out of ten. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

We found the initial setup to be complex, sometimes we have difficulty providing wireless internet access, as it can be difficult to choose an access point that can handle a high density of users. 

We can complete a setup in one or two days for a building, but sometimes we have to implement an outdoor access point, which can take longer.  

What was our ROI?

I would rate the solution four out of five in terms of ROI.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't know the exact cost as I'm only on the technical side, but I do know this solution is very expensive. With one being the most expensive and five being affordable, I would give Cisco a two out of five. 

We have to pay for upgrades and for customer service. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution an eight out of ten. 

Cisco provides a good product, the stability and reliability are there but it's very expensive. Competitors deliver solutions that are more affordable and almost as good. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Wireless WAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2026
Product Categories
Wireless WAN
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Wireless WAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.