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Cisco Wireless vs Mist AI and Cloud comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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 Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
151
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Mist AI and Cloud
Ranking in Wireless LAN
9th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 11.5%, down from 15.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Mist AI and Cloud is 2.3%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

GulfrazAhmad - PeerSpot reviewer
Integrates with ISE, and is secure, reliable, and easy to deploy
The main concern is the length and overlapping. We have to put on four to six access points on the same floor, and we face the issue of overlapping areas. If Cisco can extend the range of their indoor APs, we would need to install just one or two access points, and it would eliminate the problem of the overlapping area. They should provide built-in features for safe authentication. Right now, we integrate with ISE and FortiClient for this feature. We first check the NAC, and after the NAC and before the domain, a token password installed on their mobile or a physical token is required to join the network. If Cisco had built-in authentication, we would be able to eliminate one product from our network.
ALEXANDRE VIANNA - PeerSpot reviewer
Scalable and AI-driven automation helps in quick implementation
I have a global customer who wants to start the design phase in a big warehouse, but we do not have the equipment to do a site survey. I need support for the access point to implement in a freezer area. I do not have it. The customer tried to send one piece of equipment to Brazil. However, we had a problem because the customer needed to implement it in three months, and it took two months to send one equipment to Brazil.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco has good support services."
"Cisco's technical support is very good, I've never had an issue with their technical support."
"There are a lot of valuable features and functions. One example is CleanAir to detect and troubleshoot interference issues. Another is RX-SOP to optimize roaming."
"The technical support from Cisco is good."
"The LAN network conductivity is good."
"Cisco Wireless is one of the more stable products so their products are scalable."
"One of the most valuable features we have found is security"
"Cisco Wireless technology allows us to logically segregate networks, to segregate the traffic between multiple types of endpoint devices, connected to the network. For example, corporate laptops are connected to one network, corporate iPhones will go through a different network."
"AI is the most valuable feature."
"The cost is the most valuable aspect of this solution."
"The Marvis feature of Mist AI, an artificial intelligence tool, is very useful."
"The most useful aspect of Mist AI and Cloud is automation capabilities."
"AI-driven automation helps implement the solution quickly."
"The AI deployment process involves adding access points and placing them in the designated area. The AI system automatically adjusts channel selection and transmission power without any issues with stability or throughput. It has improved network performance."
"There are several valuable features. One of them is Cibas, and another one is Marvis."
"The triangulation feature can be used to determine where a person is in relation to the access point."
 

Cons

"The licensing models need to be reviewed in some instances. Obviously Cisco's licensing models are quite challenging, and it can be costly."
"In the next release, I would like to see some AI capability deployed. Other competitors like Mist and Juniper already have it. So, AI features need to be introduced next year."
"Improvements can be made to the telemetry. The licensing gets in the way here. It makes it impossible to record the different flows across the wireless network."
"The solution could be more stable."
"The coverage provided by the solution is an area of concern in some cases, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The internet speed is high within environments. As you move further away from the access point, there is a decline in speed. Omada or Ruckus don’t have the speed degradation as you move away from the access point."
"The biggest reason why we could no longer continue with Cisco Wireless was because of the high cost to upgrade everything. It was disappointing that Cisco treated us as just another big company, and did not offer any leeway on their pricing given that we are an educational institute. And although the system we had in place from Cisco Wireless was good enough over the last ten years, it started to show its age when pushed to its limit during the pandemic."
"Cisco Wireless needs to improve compatibility with Apple devices. Its deployment should also be made easier. It should also reduce the complexity around security."
"The user experience should be improved. It's not user-friendly."
"The inter-functionality with other vendors was a negative for us."
"The solution lacks documentation."
"Mist AI and Cloud should improve its integrations."
"Currently, the solution lacks the ability to configure with other solutions from other vendors."
"Sometimes it takes a lot of time for the access point to connect with the cloud."
"There seems to be different versions of standards used in the wireless access points. In the future, it would be helpful if the solution could come up with some kind of universal standard for all devices and all access points."
"There is no local support for Mist in Brazil."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of this solution is a little more than competitors."
"Never pay the full GPL price."
"As far as I know Cisco is very competitive, price-wise. Talk to your third-party vendor. It all depends on the company size - how many employees, how big the building is. If it's wireless, and you have only 50 employees but you're using a large building floor, in that case you need many access points. But if you have 50 employees using two or three rooms, then you probably don't need it and it's going to be high density, so there is a different design. So you need to talk to a subject matter expert. Talk to them and design accordingly."
"The cost model is expensive."
"The product is expensive."
"We are on an annual license. The license and the hardware are expensive."
"It's a bit expensive but it's professional and works properly."
"Because the Cisco architecture is quite complex, you may end up having to add more components and licenses. So, the cost could go up."
"The price of Mist AI and Cloud is approximately 20 percent less than competitors, such as Aruba and Cisco. However, Cisco has a lifetime warranty for its solutions."
"The annual cost is a significant issue for us, and it notably contributes to the overall price. We have a customer with nearly fifty-eight access points in a multifunctional building, and while the setup was relatively simple, the yearly licensing cost is substantial. For the specific features we utilize, the licensing amounts to about forty thousand euros annually. This is not a trivial expense and significantly impacts the overall cost, making it quite high."
"The price is not cheap, but it's a reliable solution and very easy for management."
"The price is about the same compared to other vendors. There is an add-on license, but it's up to you if you want to buy it or not."
"I rate the pricing a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is low and ten is high."
"The price of this product is approximately the same as competing products in the market."
"The solution's price is too high for the end-users. My customers pay 1,000 USD towards the licensing cost of the solution every year."
"The custom licensing is a little bit expensive and I would rate it 7.5 out of 10."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Educational Organization
32%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
What do you like most about Mist AI and Cloud?
AI-driven automation helps implement the solution quickly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mist AI and Cloud?
The price is very high in Brazil because of the high tax. The solution is expensive in Brazil.
What needs improvement with Mist AI and Cloud?
There are many aspects of AI, and how acquisitions are proceeding, particularly between Juniper and Aruba, remains unclear. From a Juniper perspective, there is a need for further improvements in t...
 

Also Known As

Cisco WLAN Controller
Mist Access Points
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
Dartmouth, Hitachi, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, NTT, Okta
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Wireless vs. Mist AI and Cloud and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.