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AirMagnet Survey PRO vs Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

AirMagnet Survey PRO
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
Network Troubleshooting (6th)
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)
Ranking in Network Modeling and Simulation
2nd
Average Rating
6.0
Reviews Sentiment
3.2
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Network Modeling and Simulation category, the mindshare of AirMagnet Survey PRO is 6.4%, down from 13.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is 7.0%, down from 11.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Modeling and Simulation Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)7.0%
AirMagnet Survey PRO6.4%
Other86.6%
Network Modeling and Simulation
 

Featured Reviews

Mark Witherspoon - PeerSpot reviewer
Wireless Services Manager at Veritas Managed Solutions
A solution for site verifications and enhanced with adapters that provide more realistic readings, but needs to support Wi-Fi 6E
Ekahau and AirMagnet Survey have their own pros and cons, in my opinion. For example, the APs are not visible in Ekahau but AirMagnet Survey allows us to see what APs and channels are being used in a live view, which Ekahau lacks. In Ekahau, the signal from the AP it's capturing at that time is visible which is a bit of an inconvenience. The predictive planner of AirMagnet's is better. However, Ekahau has advantages over AirMagnet because it groups all the SSIDs into one AP, whereas with AirMagnet, one needs to group them manually. Ekahau also supports Wi-Fi 6E, but its licensing is restrictive and more costly.
OB
CEO at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Limited support and costly setup detract from potential benefits
The stability of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is not very good. The iOSs consume so much memory that most typical machines do not have sufficient memory to utilize. For example, the Cisco 9200 iOSs require 24 gigabytes of memory to run in that tool, and that is only one image.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The predictive survey creates heat maps which are accurate and save a lot of time."
"You will find out quickly that the AirMagnet survey tool is the most versatile tool out there."
"We normally use AirMagnet products to meter voltage coming off any number of services at the venues that we go to, or generators in the instance that we're doing something that's a temporary powered situation; so, metering voltage, and then also metering amperage draw."
"It allows us to prepare more real designs, and later we validate them with actual surveys."
"The predictive survey is the most valuable feature. I use it quite often."
"For us, for what we used it for and for the majority of my career, I've found that it offers everything."
"AirMagnet is a very stable and time-tested product."
"By using an offset of -7 across all 5GHz channels, the Proxim adapter can now closely emulate what a Cisco 8821 Wireless IP handset looks like in an active survey."
"The initial setup of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is straightforward, but the images are complex and expensive to set up because they do not provide those for free."
"The ease of use of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is very valuable to me because it is straightforward."
 

Cons

"The surveying features are in need of improvement, along with general usability."
"The user interface needs a lot of improvement. The auto-placement of access points is not accurate."
"Since it crashes 1 out of 20 times, it would be great if they could make it more stable."
"I feel like the software crashed on my laptop so many times, as compared to when I was using the Ekahau, but it's fine."
"There is a feature "no auto-save" when the Proxim USB is disattached accidentally during survey."
"One of the problems with AirMagnet, in our organization, is the cost it takes to maintain our licensing."
"I would like to see a clearer representation of different power readings/levels when the survey tool renders heat maps."
"My biggest complaint is their training shouldn't be so expensive."
"Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) could improve by providing more in-depth switch options. For example, I cannot lab stacking at all."
"The stability of Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is not very good. The iOSs consume so much memory that most typical machines do not have sufficient memory to utilize."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing needs improvement."
"The moment we began needing more of the vendor's support, the cost became very high; we switched to another solution."
"The licensing of AirMagnet Survey is different when compared to Ekahu. It is a third of the cost of Ekahau but there are no dedicated laptops to the Sidekick. AirMagnet allows you to license an adapter and share that adapter."
"For technical support, you need an annual license, but it is not worth it."
"There is an annual cost of the solution. There are some additional charges, such as support and maintenance."
"The tool's pricing is medium."
"This product is very expensive."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Construction Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
12%
University
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise10
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
On a scale of 1 to 10, Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is about eight or nine in terms of expense.
What needs improvement with Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
There are other areas where they could improve the product in my opinion.
What is your primary use case for Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?
I have always used Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) in lieu of building practical labs and buying products for the labs so I can simulate configurations and test interoperability and things of that nature.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Houston Methodist Hospital, Love's Travel Stops
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about AirMagnet Survey PRO vs. Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
913,806 professionals have used our research since 2012.