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Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs D-Link Wireless comparison

Cisco and D-Link are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2, while D-Link is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 12.1% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to D-Link’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of D-Link users who would recommend it.
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Read 120 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews
  • 13,360 Views
  • 11,757 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
D-Link Wireless
Read 17 D-Link Wireless reviews
  • 2,235 Views
  • 2,235 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and D-Link Wireless compete in the wireless network solutions category. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has the upper hand due to its comprehensive cloud management and detailed analytics.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN provides advanced cloud management for easy network monitoring, detailed analytics, and robust security measures. It integrates seamlessly with RADIUS and SSO, allows flexible SSID configurations, and offers excellent ease of use. D-Link Wireless focuses on basic wireless connectivity and switching, providing fewer integrations and limited cloud capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could improve logging granularity, advanced routing features, and reduce licensing costs. Users want better GDPR compliance, improved technical support wait times, and wider Wi-Fi 6 availability. D-Link Wireless could enhance its stability, increase controller visibility, and offer more learning opportunities about features. Its support services need to be more responsive, with improvements in scalability and management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN supports cloud, hybrid, and on-premises deployments with excellent customer service, though response times can vary. D-Link Wireless predominantly offers straightforward on-premises setups. Its customer service is good but lacks ease of use and quick support response times compared to Cisco Meraki.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is priced higher due to its comprehensive features and licensing model, appealing to companies valuing advanced analytics. D-Link Wireless, with its competitive pricing, is favorable for cost-conscious customers seeking basic wireless solutions. Although Meraki's price is high, customers find value in its features, while D-Link offers reasonable ROI for its simplicity and affordability.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless
July 2025
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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

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Ranking in Wireless LAN
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.5
Number of Reviews
120
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
D-Link Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
12th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is 12.1%, down from 12.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Wireless is 2.1%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

RezaPradipta - PeerSpot reviewer
Streamline network management with a unified dashboard for seamless device integration
The primary use case for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is mostly for enterprise wireless, including guest Wi-Fi and enterprise Wi-Fi. I use it across various industries with a focus on retail Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers a single pane of glass management. It only comes with a controller on the…
Read full review
NadirShahzad - PeerSpot reviewer
Wireless projects run smoothly with more access point support and competitive pricing
D-Link Wireless offers more supported APs to the WLC with the default license compared to other brands like Cisco. With Cisco, only four to five APs are connected with the default license, but D-Link Wireless provides more flexibility. Local support in Pakistan is necessary for those with limited budgets, creating a reach in the market.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I have found the scalability to be very good."
"The settings of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN can be very granular. You can lock down and block devices with the controls. For example, we have four different wireless settings, such as guest, employee, security, and backup. For example, the settings for the employees, if they use laptops, they're required to have certain settings, such as an antivirus installed. If they do not then Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN will not let them connect. This is very good protection because the network works on the bringing your own device(BYOD) principle. It's a BYOD environment now, and you also don't want them to bring infection into the environment because these people are connecting to the LAN via wireless connections. We have to be careful because we're managing it, we have to be very strict with regards to the rules and policies."
"The cloud manageability feature is valuable."
"The user interface is very simple and easy to use — our customers are very satisfied."
"For Meraki, the ease of deployment and management is most valuable."
"Allows for cloud-based management of your Wi-Fi network."
"Its flexibility, ease of management via the portal, and the variety of access points are the most valuable features."
"The automatic VMware update is very useful because you don't have to worry about outages and planning for VMware updates. It is very advantageous from a management point of view. The ability to restrict and review the clients connected to each of our segments. Additionally, the solution is easy to use."
More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pros
"The product's initial setup phase is easy."
"The setup process is very easy."
"I like the product's signal continuity and range. We can receive the signal up to 20-30 meters from the wireless antenna."
"The tool supports new technologies."
"It's scalable, user friendly, and easy to manage."
"The connectivity is good."
"The most valuable feature of D-Link Wireless is its durability."
"It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
More D-Link Wireless pros
 

Cons

"In the future, I would like to see IP telephony in Saudi Arabia."
"The cost of the devices and the solution itself could be more competitive."
"Cisco Meraki must improve the integration between its own family of products."
"The user interface needs to be improved."
"The solution could be cheaper."
"Technical support can be improved, as well as having more detailed capabilities to go without using an API."
"The solution cannot be looked upon for one year or short term because you will pay back all the discounts they offer the next time you pay for renewal."
"Cisco offers pretty expensive devices."
More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN cons
"Sometimes we configure the SSID with a password but the same AP shows two WiFi connections with the same SSID name (one is protected by a password and another one give access without a password)."
"It would definitely help if we had more advanced features for distributing bandwidth."
"D-Link Wireless’s stability needs improvement."
"The cloud managed solution needs improvement, and they should focus on the SD-WAN segment with regard to integration."
"The stability could be a bit better."
"The solution doesn't have hotspots. Users can't set it up so that visitors can log in via Facebook or social media as they can at, for example, airports. D-Link should include hotspots that offer integration with social media. That way, visitors don't need to be asking people for passwords. They can just use Facebook."
"Sometimes, the solution needs to be restarted."
"The tool's technical support can get difficult sometimes. We got a technician only after complaining for 10-15 days. The tool's technicians need to be made available everywhere."
More D-Link Wireless cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is on the higher side."
"We pay a yearly license fee for the solution."
"The solution is pretty expensive."
"We pay licensing fees."
"We do a three-year or five-year license and support. Its price could be better, but overall, we get competitive prices. A lot of times, Cisco puts itself out of range, especially with Meraki. I've dealt with a lot of business development from Cisco, and they have always been accommodating, especially in dealing with hospitals or government. There is also a right time to buy it. July is when they are eager to sell a lot of things because that is the end of their calendar year."
"The platform is more expensive than other solutions."
"The price of the product could be cheaper."
"Negotiate the deal put in front of you!"
More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN pricing and cost advice
"D-Link pricing is very competitive when you consider other OEMs."
"The cost can range from $100 to $400."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."
"D-Link Wireless is cheaper than Ruckus or Cisco."
"This solution is more affordable than others on the market."
"The product is affordable."
"There is no licensing fee for the solution."
"D-Link Wireless' price is the same as Aruba's. You need to pay one-time costs for the product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Educational Organization
12%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
See all answers
Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...
See all answers
How does Ruckus Wireless compare to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are a great feature. The dashboard is a simple interface and easy to learn. It feat...
See all answers
Which wireless solution would you choose - Huawei or D-Link?
Huawei wireless is a strong and solid product that has a lot of features - and for all that it offers, it happens to be very cost effective. As a wireless solution, it is simple and its user interf...
See all answers
What do you like most about D-Link Wireless?
The tool supports new technologies.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Wireless?
D-Link Wireless is notably more affordable than Cisco and Juniper. It suits SMB needs without the financial burden of purchasing additional licenses for extended APs.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Logo
Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Compared 31% of the time
Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Logo
Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Compared 13% of the time
Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Logo
Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Compared 11% of the time
Ubiquiti Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Logo
Ubiquiti Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Compared 6% of the time
Cisco Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Logo
Cisco Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Compared 5% of the time
More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors
Huawei Wireless vs D-Link Wireless Logo
Huawei Wireless vs D-Link Wireless
Compared 54% of the time
Ubiquiti WLAN vs D-Link Wireless Logo
Ubiquiti WLAN vs D-Link Wireless
Compared 11% of the time
Aruba Wireless vs D-Link Wireless Logo
Aruba Wireless vs D-Link Wireless
Compared 10% of the time
Omada Access Points vs D-Link Wireless Logo
Omada Access Points vs D-Link Wireless
Compared 9% of the time
Cisco Wireless vs D-Link Wireless Logo
Cisco Wireless vs D-Link Wireless
Compared 3% of the time
More D-Link Wireless Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
August 2025
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reportDownload Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report
Buyer's Guide
D-Link Wireless
August 2025
D-Link Wireless reportDownload D-Link Wireless product report
 

Also Known As

MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN
D-Link WLAN
 

Overview

Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience. The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage, and fewer support calls. The Cisco Meraki dashboard gives visibility into the network users, their devices, and their applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the end-user experience and network security.
Cisco
D-Link Wireless offers a wide range of robust wireless Access Points (APs) operating in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, supporting the latest wireless standards including 802.11ac and 802.11n. These access points can be managed independently as standalone devices, or collectively by using Central Wi-Fi Manager, a free centralized controller software that can be installed on a Windows server or PC.
D-Link
 

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
Metropolitan Public Defender, Mission Motorcycles
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless
July 2025
Free Report: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. D-Link Wireless
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