Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs iBwave Unity comparison

The compared Cisco and iBwave solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #3 in Wireless LAN , with an average rating of 8.8, and holds a 10.5% mindshare in the category. iBwave is ranked #3 in NM , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 7.0% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of iBwave users who would recommend it.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Read 121 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN reviews

10,528 Views
9,370 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

iBwave Unity

Read 12 iBwave Unity reviews

1,494 Views
1,345 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

iBwave Unity

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and iBwave Unity are complementary products in the field of network solutions. Cisco Meraki is favored for its ease of deployment and user satisfaction, while iBwave Unity is recognized for its comprehensive planning capabilities and feature set.

Features: Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN provides seamless scalability, cloud management, and robust security measures, suitable for diverse environments. Its management tools, including centralized controls and traffic analytics, enhance user experience. iBwave Unity features in-depth network design, optimization, and management capabilities, ideal for large-scale operations. Users appreciate its advanced planning tools and high-quality heatmap generation.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Meraki could enhance its customization capabilities and increase integration features for advanced users. Adding more in-house support for advanced network configurations and third-party app integrations would be beneficial. iBwave Unity might improve by simplifying its interface for first-time users, expanding customer support options, and streamlining updates and patch management for its extensive feature set.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Meraki features an easy deployment process with strong customer service, highlighted by its efficient setup and a user-friendly interface. iBwave Unity, although supportive, requires more effort due to its complex features but is backed by reliable customer support once configured.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Meraki offers cost-effective pricing with significant ROI due to its cloud-managed service, emphasizing affordability. iBwave Unity incurs a higher initial cost but offers excellent long-term ROI through its comprehensive planning tools and significant insights.

To learn more, read our detailed Wireless LAN Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

January 2026

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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:

ROI

Sentiment score

1.0

Cisco Meraki offers cost-effective features for small businesses, but larger enterprises find capital expenditure and licensing costly.

Sentiment score

6.8

iBwave Unity enhances efficiency and cost savings, achieving rapid ROI, especially in large-scale projects and new business acquisitions.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the iBwave Unity report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

4.9

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN customer service is praised for responsive, knowledgeable support and 24/7 availability, despite minor knowledge base issues.

Sentiment score

9.1

Customer service is highly praised for excellence, efficiency, and reliability, though some report occasional slow response times.

I would rate Cisco support a 10, as the response time and process via the dashboard are easy, and response times are always within the SLA.

MiguelDe Bique

Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees

It would be better if the SLA of technical support was less than four hours.

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the iBwave Unity report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

5.0

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is ideal for medium enterprises, offering scalability and seamless integration despite large deployment limitations.

Sentiment score

7.5

iBwave Unity is praised for scalability, but subscription renewal costs are a concern for some users.

Meraki is not scalable enough since it straightforwardly maps its products to segmented specifications.

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the iBwave Unity report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

3.9

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is reliable but may experience minor issues during updates or high network demand.

Sentiment score

7.7

iBwave Unity and Wi-Fi are generally stable with high reliability, though some users encounter occasional crashes.

Stability is not an issue for me because it comes with Cisco's proven manufacturer quality.

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

We have experienced many instances where we have experienced a lag in our network, and I am not sure if it is due to their devices or our network.

Ken Dishon

Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the iBwave Unity report

Room For Improvement

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs feature and interface improvements, flexible licensing, WiFi 6 support, and better integration for enterprise users.

iBwave Unity needs improved processing speed, enhanced material handling, better app functionality, and advanced design and reporting features.

The most important improvement needed is to eliminate the limitation of uplinks.

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

Some of the newer models of the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN access point have encompassed the new wireless protocols and increased the strength of their antennas.

Ken Dishon

Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the iBwave Unity report

Setup Cost

Consider Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's high cost justified by features, with possible discounts through negotiation, but requires active subscription.

iBwave Unity offers flexible licensing and high-value features, with substantial initial and renewal costs similar to other tools.

The pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is not competitive enough for the SMB market compared to other brands.

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is on par with other devices in that category, offering competitive pricing.

Ken Dishon

Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees

My experience with the pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is competitive with other providers offering paid subscriptions.

MiguelDe Bique

Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the iBwave Unity report

Valuable Features

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offers centralized cloud management with excellent security, ease of deployment, and seamless integration into existing infrastructures.

iBwave Unity excels with its intuitive interface, 3D modeling, and accurate coverage analysis, ensuring efficient network deployment and documentation.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has helped optimize network traffic very effectively, as we do prioritization for streaming and web conferencing apps, resulting in a clear, visible improvement in performance.

MiguelDe Bique

Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees

It also manages security clients and switches, providing a single dashboard to manage multiple network infrastructures.

RezaPradipta

Sr. Officer Network Managed Service Product Management at PT. Indosat Tbk

The ability to program all access points from the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN dashboard, view the status of all of them, and examine the individual devices connected to each access point is very valuable.

Ken Dishon

Manager, Information Technology at a performing arts with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the iBwave Unity report

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

4.5

Number of Reviews

121

Ranking in other categories

Wireless LAN (3rd)

iBwave Unity

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Modeling and Simulation (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and iBwave Unity aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is designed for Wireless LAN and holds a mindshare of 10.5%, down 13.0% compared to last year.
iBwave Unity, on the other hand, focuses on Network Modeling and Simulation, holds 7.0% mindshare, down 11.2% since last year.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN	10.5%
Aruba Wireless	13.9%
Ruckus Wireless	12.8%
Other	62.8%

Wireless LAN

Network Modeling and Simulation Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
iBwave Unity	7.0%
Ekahau AI Pro	11.4%
EVE-NG	10.7%
Other	70.9%

Network Modeling and Simulation

Featured Reviews

MiguelDe Bique

Independent Information Technology and Services Professional at a non-profit with 1-10 employees

Provides robust remote configuration and reliable support for managing wireless networks

The best features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN include the excellent reporting; the dashboard reporting aids us a lot in troubleshooting issues, and the platform is very robust. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is very stable, and the performance is there, as we normally do throughput tests that align with the manufacturer's specs. We use Meraki's Layer 7 application traffic shaping. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has helped optimize network traffic very effectively, as we do prioritization for streaming and web conferencing apps, resulting in a clear, visible improvement in performance. The capability to configure network policies remotely is the most important aspect for our organization, as we are an MSP providing remote support for all our clients. We monitor network performance with Meraki's real-time analytics. We find client performance metrics most useful to know how the wireless clients are receiving service and the quality of service.

Read full review

Gopi R S

Senior Radio Frequncy DAS Design Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

Enhanced accuracy in design projects with advanced three-dimensional modeling and great support

I am using iBwave Wi-Fi for a project where we are designing on campus. It is used for large venue designs such as a university campus, and my work involves optimizing and validating the designs for accuracy before site surveys Using iBwave Wi-Fi, I am able to provide more accurate results for…

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

15%

Construction Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	69
Midsize Enterprise	26
Large Enterprise	31

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

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

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iBwave Wi-Fi?

Both iBwave Wi-Fi and Ekahau are costly tools. They're considered high in cost because the license needs to be renewed yearly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with iBwave Wi-Fi?

iBwave Wi-Fi could be improved by adding a plot for overall improvement, allowing us to see where we are failing in design parameters, similar to features in Ekahau.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iBwave Wi-Fi?

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 33% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Competitors

Ekahau AI Pro vs iBwave Unity

Compared 51% of the time

Forsk Atoll vs iBwave Unity

Compared 18% of the time

AirMagnet Survey PRO vs iBwave Unity

Compared 16% of the time

RedSeal vs iBwave Unity

Compared 7% of the time

iTrinegy NE-ONE Professional vs iBwave Unity

Compared 4% of the time

More iBwave Unity Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN

January 2026

Download Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Network Modeling and Simulation

January 2026

Download iBwave Unity product report

Also Known As

MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN

iBwave Wi-Fi

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

iBwave Unity leverages a new UI for improved navigation with powerful 3D imaging. It enhances venue designs through detailed modeling and efficient project management, making it essential for accurate propagation studies.

iBwave Unity provides innovative modeling, focusing on improving propagation studies with realistic venue design. Key features like heatmap generation, multi-floor mapping, and signal coverage prediction deliver superior results. Its AutoCAD import and automatic calculations streamline processes, complemented by a comprehensive object database for efficient project management. While processing speed enhancements and additional RF prediction materials are desired, current features are robust in supporting large-scale deployments.

What are the key features of iBwave Unity?

New UI and Navigation: Simplifies user interaction and enhances workflow efficiency.
3D Imaging: Facilitates detailed and realistic venue design.
Heatmap Generation: Provides insights into signal coverage across multiple levels.
AutoCAD Import: Enables integration with design tools for seamless visualization.
Automatic Calculations: Accelerates project timelines by automating complex tasks.

Why should users consider iBwave Unity?

Time Efficiency: Object database and automatic calculations reduce project duration.
Modeling Accuracy: Advanced tools ensure precision in design and propagation studies.
Comprehensive Reporting: Generates detailed insights supporting cost analysis and documentation.

iBwave Unity is implemented across industries focusing on indoor network designs, facilitating WiFi, DAS, and ERRCS solutions in large facilities like malls, hotels, and business centers. These organizations rely on predictive RF heatmaps to enhance cellular and WiFi coverage, enabling design validation prior to site surveys.

iBwave

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

ARRIS

Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: January 2026.

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