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Ruckus Wireless vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

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

Ruckus Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
105
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SonicWall SonicWave Access ...
Ranking in Wireless LAN
25th
Average Rating
10.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Ruckus Wireless is 12.4%, down from 14.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SonicWave Access Points is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Ruckus Wireless12.4%
SonicWall SonicWave Access Points1.0%
Other86.6%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

QaiserYousaf - PeerSpot reviewer
CIO at Haier
Has delivered strong performance for office connectivity and reduced technical issues
I cannot suggest much for Ruckus Wireless, but I think all the new versions have already incorporated all the improvements that are required in this device. So I cannot suggest something which I believe is already either in process or already been given to the customer. There is something on my mind about how the product could be optimized. The number of users they claim can simultaneously connect to the system actually varies. Sometimes when there's a load of work, even within the range of the concurrent users, we feel that the system is burdened and slows down. Perhaps there is something that can make it work better when there's a high load on that. However, this does not happen frequently. Sometimes it happens when I see the number of users increasing on one access point, which slows down a little bit, especially when we are having online meetings and teams are communicating over the internet. This trouble causes a little bit of irritation to the user, wondering why data downloading or uploading or transferring takes extra time. That is my concern.
Winsley De Oliveira - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at ANOC
An industry-leading security and wireless solution packaged in one box
We make our customers SonicWall clients. We have a solution package: If you have a contract to network with us, we will deliver SonicWall firewalls, access points, VPN clients, and all the other equipment with the SonicWall solution. We have been selling this solution for the past 30 years. We had a customer three months ago struggling with a Fortinet solution. We convinced them that the Fortinet solution would not work perfectly during renewal. We made a bet and delivered SonicWall equipment for free for one week, and if they had no more issues, they would buy it. That's precisely what happened. The customer ended up purchasing an $80,000 SonicWall solution. The SonicWall SonicWave Access Points are a good product compared to Cisco, Sophos, and Fortinet. In Brazil, Ruckus is taking market share in some key areas, such as hotels and hospitals. They are into big solutions with thousands of access points. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's very scalable."
"It has one of the smoothest operations."
"Mesh networking and antenna patterns are the most valuable features of the solution."
"They have all the features in terms of wireless technology. They have most of the features already there in the controller and their wireless system."
"Analyzes real-time, in-depth network performance."
"The most valuable feature of Ruckus Wireless is the simple interface of the SmartZone platform."
"The most valuable feature of Ruckus Wireless is its AI capability, which automatically scales up and down the coverage areas."
"It's good for low-level usage."
"The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices."
"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."
"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."
"A good management tool that can be managed through the cloud or firewall."
"Unlike the Cisco solution that needs a dedicated wireless controller outside of a firewall, SonicWall has everything in one box. Fortinet is close to it."
 

Cons

"The cost could be improved."
"While the Virtual SmartZone appliance has improved in the last few years, it isn’t without issue and the performance of the Web page leaves something to be desired."
"The price is one area for improvement."
"It could be more stable."
"Mounting options for outdoor access points, I think they could easily improve on that."
"The solution needs to have some sort of security offering, like a firewall, for example."
"The switching could be improved. The active component requires a data center. Cisco and HPE have a complete solution for data centers. Ruckus has a core solution, but the data center aspect needs to be improved."
"If the system could directly download and update, that would be much easier. It could be more automated."
"They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."
"We have a lot of overlapping wireless networks with a lot of cheap equipment that does not run on any rules or regulations. The best way to improve the wireless network, like in SonicWaves, is to defeat these networks by isolating, preventing them, or overcoming their wireless signal. We try to do that, but I live near an airport, and the AirPortRadar glitches my wireless network every nine seconds."
"The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."
"Integrating with the firewall and management console was a little complex."
"The product's pricing is high and could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Regarding pricing, Ruckus Wireless is a five out of ten. Though it's cheaper than Aruba Wireless, pricing for Ruckus Wireless, when you look at its functionality, could be more affordable."
"It is reasonably priced. I would rate the price a three out of five."
"It's definitely a good value. It's more expensive than some of the other offerings out there, but when you compare it to other enterprise-class gear, it's very well priced. And the beauty of it is, because it has better range because of their patented BeamFlex - which is the way they can send and receive and listen to signals - you can actually use fewer access points. That means that it's a cheaper overall project."
"The reason we picked Ruckus, in addition to our long-standing relationship with Ruckus, is pretty much that the RFS characteristics of it seem to be the best."
"This is a very expensive solution."
"I would rate their pricing 3 out of 5. There is no annual licensing cost."
"It depends on the client. You have an initial license cost that you need to buy to bind the access point with the controller. This is a one-time fee. You also have to pay the support fee that, if I remember correctly, is about $25 per access point. Its pricing and licensing can be improved."
"Cost-wise, the product is priced above average, considering its competitors in the market."
"The pricing of the SonicWave Access Points solution is different in the US and Brazil. In the US, the solution is priced more competitively than other vendors. In Brazil, the exchange rate is a problem. To address this, SonicWall managers in Brazil are running several sales promotions and improving the price of new units."
"The platform offers yearly licenses."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business69
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise26
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did we like about Ruckus? First, it was very easy to use, and anybody with minimal...
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 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...
What needs improvement with SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration.
What is your primary use case for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
I am using the SonicWall SonicWave Access Point for our Proof of Concept (POC) to our customers.
What advice do you have for others considering SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten. It should provide training to end users to enhance their knowledge.
 

Also Known As

No data available
SonicWave 200 Series, SonicWave 200 Series Access Points, SonicWave 400 Series, SonicWave 400 Series Access Points
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American University of Sharjah, Baruch College, Centro Escolar Liceo Santo Tomšs, Chevalier College, Chico Unified School District, Colegio de Fomento El Prado, Columbia Public Schools, Delta School District, Dordt College, Douglas County School District, Drew University, Armonea, Central Utah Clinic, Grove Hill Medical Center, Inner South Community Health Service, Midwest Surgical, Satilla Regional Medical Center, Lyndoch Living, Polonus, Roaring Fork School District, Sonora State, Vivid, Sydney, Players Club, Sandals, Scandic Hotels, Sheraton LAX, Sunbird
St. Dominic's School for Girls
Find out what your peers are saying about Ruckus Wireless vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.