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Cisco Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN 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
Ubiquiti WLAN
Ranking in Wireless LAN
7th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
44
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 Ubiquiti WLAN is 5.1%, down from 6.7% 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.
Gabriele-Pizzigati - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing installations through one interface enhances efficiency but AI features improvement
Ubiquiti Wireless LAN is reliable and offers a good quality product. It provides one interface to manage all installations, allowing me to monitor all customers through the same web interface. The web interface in the controller allows for quick configuration of devices with just one click, which is a significant advantage.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The capacity, security, downloading, and exporting data are all very good. It's user-friendly, but if I look at Meraki versus normal Cisco equipment, then I think that Meraki will be much more user-friendly."
"Good connectivity and easy to configure."
"Device profiling allows us to have different policies applied by ISE to wireless clients."
"Cisco Wireless is easy to use."
"The solution is easy to use and its stable."
"One of the most valuable features we have found is security"
"The tool is mainly improving our productivity."
"It integrates with Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA)."
"The product is simple to use in terms of GUI and dashboard."
"Ubiquiti WLAN has good availability, and it is much cheaper."
"For me, the ease of configuration is a valuable feature."
"The solution is scalable."
"Ubiquiti is affordable, as it does not require recurring licensing fees."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is stable."
"Great management interface."
"It is similar to the switches, where it is one of those things where it just works. They are very reliable."
 

Cons

"The licensing models need to be reviewed in some instances. Obviously Cisco's licensing models are quite challenging, and it can be costly."
"The stability could improve, there are some issues. We were told the version of the software we are using on all of the controllers is best for Cisco IOS, but we might need to update our software, this might fix the stability issues we are experiencing."
"Probably more in terms of how much power it's using. Right now it just seems like it doesn't have enough power. Maybe that is all indicated, but says exactly how much power it's using."
"The media stream and Mojo settings are not sufficiently supported."
"The price could be better."
"It should be fully compatible with other devices."
"Sometimes our customers do not get proper IP addresses from the DHCP pool."
"Its licensing model and cost should be improved."
"The support needs improvement. The official support is kind of complex. It's not that straightforward compared to Cisco and Aruba."
"The strength of the signal from the access points could be improved."
"The solution is stable but could improve."
"It is not a stable solution."
"I have never used cloud solutions. My first approach would be something related to the cloud, and backups on the cloud, and maybe an easier way to connect to it because I have an on-premises environment."
"Largely we're happy with the product, however, the firmware deployments could maybe be managed a little bit differently."
"There is room for improvement in providing the flexibility to change the default management VLAN from VLAN one to another for enhanced security."
"The product must provide better warranties."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's a bit expensive but it's professional and works properly."
"The cost model is expensive."
"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 product could be priced better."
"Expensive."
"There are annual subscriptions to use this solution. I have not been able to understand the licensing of Cisco. Some of the Cisco executives were not able to understand them either. When you first start out the price is zero but when it comes to a time of renewal you have to pay."
"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"It's expensive because a lot of the controls come with licenses."
"It’s an expensive product but has all the essential qualities and functionality."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is cheap. It can work without licensing."
"The tool is affordable."
"The tool's licensing costs are life-time charges."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is fairly well priced and available as a one-time purchase."
"Ubiquiti has a good price compared to the other ones."
"There is a license required for this solution."
"Ubiquiti WLAN is a low-priced product."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
845,040 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%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
8%
 

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...
Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?
Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise features for a one-time fee and no ongoing licensing fees. Ubiquiti Wireless is ve...
Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?
We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...
What do you like most about Ubiquiti WLAN?
Anyone can buy the product off the shelf and configure it.
 

Also Known As

Cisco WLAN Controller
No data available
 

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)
NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, One Republic Tour, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Bartlett School District, Universidad del Azuay, Estelar Hotels, Intercontinental Bali, Moscow - Enforta, Miami - Sling Broadband, Manhattan - MST, Ecuador - Aire.EC
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Wireless vs. Ubiquiti WLAN and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.