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Hameed Ullah - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise data network expert at SIH Islamabad, Pakistan
Real User
It's stable controller-based solution for a medium-sized office environment
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is straightforward, and you need to spend around six to 10 weeks to set up one controller."
  • "We feel that Cisco is quite expensive, so we're looking for a reasonable alternative. We are considering Aruba and some other brands that are less expensive. Cisco works fine, but the issue is the annual licensing and support costs."

What is our primary use case?

We needed a controller-based wireless solution for a medium-sized office environment that can support six to 10 APs. We have around 35 users in our office.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Cisco Wireless for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Wireless is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Wireless is scalable.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless WAN
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward, and you need to spend around six to 10 weeks to set up one controller. We have two managers and around six to 10 technical guys for maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

We could deploy it without outside help because we have technical expertise.

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

We feel that Cisco is quite expensive, so we're looking for a reasonable alternative. We are considering Aruba and some other brands that are less expensive. Cisco works fine, but the issue is the annual licensing and support costs. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco Wireless WAN eight out of 10. If budget weren't an issue, I would highly recommend Cisco.

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
Consultant at Lifeline IT
Real User
Top 5
Complex to deploy and the technical support is poor, although the coverage is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are coverage and reliability."
  • "The initial setup and deployment should be easier."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use this product to provide general wireless network access.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are coverage and reliability.

What needs improvement?

The initial setup and deployment should be easier.

The technical support needs to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco Wireless WAN for between five and six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a fairly stable wireless solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This product is scalable, although we have no plans to increase our usage at the moment. We currently have 300 users.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate the technical support a two out of five. It is an area that should be improved, in all aspects.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

I have used other similar products in the past, including HPE Wireless WAN and Ubiquity Wireless, but this Cisco product is one that the client already had in place.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex, and I can't recall how long it took to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

We installed it in-house. We have a team of three or four engineers that are responsible for maintenance.

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

We pay the licensing fees on a yearly basis.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is not a product that I recommend.

I would rate this solution a five 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
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Wireless WAN
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Wireless WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Consultant - Smart Buildings at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Reseller
Reliable and simple solution that provides long-term stability
Pros and Cons
  • "Cisco Wireless WAN's best features are simple management, the cloud base, dashboards, and reliability."
  • "There are some limitations with scaling the on-premises version - if you want to scale, you need to change the hardware and purchase a new wireless controller at an additional cost."

What is our primary use case?

Cisco Wireless WAN is mainly used in campus networks, hotels, and other enterprise customers to provide wireless internet connectivity.

What is most valuable?

Cisco Wireless WAN's best features are simple management, the cloud base, dashboards, and reliability.

What needs improvement?

Cisco Wireless WAN could be improved by introducing a low-power wireless access point that could be installed in an outside environment. I would also like them to add an option without any licensing controller so that the customer could just purchase access points, then plug and play. In the future, Cisco Wireless WAN should include cloud control, centralized management, and branch connectivity.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Cisco Wireless WAN for around ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Wireless WAN is perfectly stable. Some of our customers have been using it for eight to ten years without having to change the hardware as it continues to work perfectly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are some limitations with scaling the on-premises version - if you want to scale, you need to change the hardware and purchase a new wireless controller at an additional cost.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco's technical support is very responsive, fast, and knowledgeable, with experienced and knowledgeable engineers.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy because so many engineers know the product, and Cisco makes a lot of technical documentation available via its online portal. I would rate the setup process as five out of five.

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

Cisco's licensing model includes some mandatory licenses, making it more expensive than other vendors like HP, Aruba, and Ruckus.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Cisco Wireless WAN ten out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
ANKIT GAJJAR - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Project Manager at CPS TECHNOLOGIES
Real User
Reliable with good manageability and control
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support was helpful."
  • "It needs to increase its strength in capacity."

What is most valuable?

The manageability and control are excellent. 

It is stable.

The solution scales well. 

We didn't have any issues setting it up.

Technical support was helpful. 

What needs improvement?

It needs to increase its strength in capacity. We'd like to cover more areas for WiFi accessibility.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for more than ten years. It's been a long time. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been good. there are no bugs or glitches and we haven't had issues with it crashing or freezing. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale if a company needs it to expand. 

We do want to expand usage. We're looking into 2025 already and are looking for what will meet our future requirements. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been good. We are satisfied with the level of support we receive. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We've always used Cisco. We've used Cisco for a long time. However, we are looking for something that offers more features and more options. If that's Cisco, great, if that's something else, we are open to it. 

We also used Aruba and Ubiquiti in the past.

How was the initial setup?

It's an easy initial setup. The process is straightforward. 

What was our ROI?

We have not witnessed any ROI.

What other advice do I have?

We are a Cisco partner. 

This is a good product and we've had no issues with it. 

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
Rahul Khandelwal - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Technical Manager at KPMG
Real User
Top 10
Reasonably priced solution with good security monitoring and management
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are CleanAir, Rogue Detection, and the auto-calculation of RF."
  • "There are a number of areas for improvement in Cisco Wireless WAN, including sensitive applications which face issues on wireless stuff and difficulty troubleshooting."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are CleanAir, Rogue Detection, and the auto-calculation of RF.

What needs improvement?

There are a number of areas for improvement in Cisco Wireless WAN, including sensitive applications which face issues on wireless stuff and difficulty troubleshooting. In the next release, Cisco should include more troubleshooting features, especially for sensitive applications like Teams and other voice and video applications. There should be easy ways to analyze the wireless network to find where the problem is. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Wireless networks are never stable because they're always impacted by multiple reasons.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Wireless WAN is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco's technical support is good - you get instant support, and most of the engineers are good and highly skilled (though not all, so some cases can take longer).

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple for enterprise users, but it's very complex for DYOD and guest networks.

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

Cisco's pricing is reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco Wireless WAN is most suitable for enterprise companies. Before choosing this solution, remember that there are other good solutions, including Aruba and Ruckus, so you should explore which solution is best for your organization. I would give Cisco Wireless WAN a rating of eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Renato Piza - PeerSpot reviewer
Partner and Sales Director at Just4It
Real User
Beneficial management, responsive support, and simple web interface
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Cisco Wireless WAN is the ease of management."
  • "We have had some problems connecting to the internet with Cisco Wireless WAN, but it is not the equipment or configuration. Additionally, the integration with access control security could improve."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Cisco Wireless WAN is the ease of management.

What needs improvement?

We have had some problems connecting to the internet with Cisco Wireless WAN, but it is not the equipment or configuration. Additionally, the integration with access control security could improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Wireless WAN for approximately five years.

How are customer service and support?

The support is useful and has helped us resolve issues we have had.

How was the initial setup?

The setup of Cisco Wireless WAN is easy using the web interface.

What about the implementation team?

I have a team that does the implementation and configuration of the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco Wireless WAN a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1209606 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Manager/Architect at a university with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Provides good visibility and is reliable and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "Reliability and visibility in the product are most valuable. We are able to see client performance, signal strength for clients, and things like that."
  • "The cost and support should be improved, and there should be support for the 6E standard."

What is our primary use case?

We're a higher ed campus. So, we have Cisco Wireless prevalent throughout all of our buildings for students, faculty, and staff to access the network.

We are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

Reliability and visibility in the product are most valuable. We are able to see client performance, signal strength for clients, and things like that.

What needs improvement?

The cost and support should be improved, and there should be support for the 6E standard.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have about 25 years of experience. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is good.

How are customer service and support?

It's hit and miss with tech support. If you get a good engineer, things go well. Oftentimes, you'll get a new engineer or a first-line engineer who is not so good.

How was the initial setup?

It was straightforward.

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

The cost of licensing should be improved.

What other advice do I have?

My advice would be to negotiate the price as much as you can. 

I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Ahmed Hawana - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and Security Engineer at IDSC
Real User
Problem-free with good performance capabilities and a simple setup
Pros and Cons
  • "We have found that the product scales well."
  • "The solution could lower its pricing to make it more affordable."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for wireless access. It allows, for example, mobile users, to connect.

What is most valuable?

The solution has been very stable so far and the performance overall is quite good.

We have found that the product scales well.

The solution is easy to implement.

What needs improvement?

The solution could lower its pricing to make it more affordable. Cisco is expensive in general.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for three years at this point. We've used the product for a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. It offers very good performance. The reliability is excellent in that it doesn't crash or freeze and there are no bugs or glitches to deal with. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.

We have around 1,000 users on the solution currently.

How are customer service and support?

We've never had the need to contact technical support from Cisco. It's been issue-free. therefore, I can't speak to helpful or responsive they would be.

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

I did not switch from a different solution. We've always used Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

We had no issues setting up the solution. the implementation is easy and pretty straightforward. I wouldn't describe it as complex or difficult. Configuring and installation were issue-free. It doesn't take too much time.

You only need two technical people to set up and manage the product. It's not maintenance-intensive. 

What about the implementation team?

The installation was pretty fast. We didn't need any help from integrators or consultants.

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

This is a rather expensive product.

We pay a yearly fee for the license and support services. 

What other advice do I have?

We are using the latest version of the solution at this time. 

I would rate the solution a ten 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
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Updated: June 2025
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