If you’re in the market for a bit of wireless kit then you’re rather spoilt for choice these days. Whilst it’s great to have a choice of products, it does beggar the question, how do I choose the right wireless product for my business?
Some of the biggest players when it comes to wireless network products are Ubiquiti UniFi, Cisco Meraki and Aruba. But which one is right for your specific deployment? Let’s have a look.
Based on the information provided in the article, here is a comparison table for Ubiquiti, Cisco Meraki, and Aruba:
| Feature | Ubiquiti Wireless Products | Cisco Meraki Wireless Products | Aruba Wireless Products |
| Price-point | Low (Unbeatable value, fantastic value for money) | High (Licensing/subscription fees push price up) | Medium (Lower than Meraki, but licensing/subscription fees push price up) |
| Licensing | No licenses required (Quick and easy deployment) | Required (Subscription fee; product useless if not paid) | Required (Complexity in ensuring right licenses; separate licenses for features in Aruba Central) |
| Management UI | Single, intuitive UI for all elements | Single, intuitive user interface | May require multiple user interfaces (depending on products used) |
| Deployment Ease | Easy to deploy and use (SMB) | Easy to deploy and use (SMB/Enterprise cloud) | Controller-based products difficult (SMB); Deployment is difficult (General) |
| On-premises Option | Cloud and on-premises management available | No on-premises option | Traditional single tenant hardware controller (base product) |
| Enterprise Performance | Very high access point performance; Good HD Wi-Fi control | Performance falters with high traffic | Large configurations can handle large networks; Instant APs not sufficient for larger enterprises |
| Arena/Stadium Focus | Specific capabilities: integrated high gain antennas, multi 5 GHz radio access points | No capabilities specifically targeted; HD Wi-Fi performance is weak | No specific capabilities targeted; HD Wi-Fi performance is weak |
| Support | Free support (without support agreement) + community | Service subscription required (No support without it) | Support within a 90-day warranty; Paid support agreement required after 90 days |
| Network Expansion | Easy to expand without additional licenses | Lack of flexibility may cause problems | May require additional licensing and costs |
Ubiquiti Wireless Products
We’ve spoken a lot about Ubiquiti and their range of wireless products – They are a firm favourite with our Wi-Fi experts here at Geekabit. Ubiquiti provides a range of wireless networking products including access points, wireless controllers, antennas and wireless bridges. Whatever your Wi-Fi requirement, they’re likely to have a product solution.
Ubiquiti Product Portfolio
- Ubiquiti have the product range to meet a complete enterprise network
- They cover both wireless and wired products
- They have the management and security systems to go alongside
The Benefits of Ubiquiti for SMB Networks
- They are easy to deploy and use
- Lots of features
- One intuitive User Interface to make the human-computer interaction as simple as possible
- Unbeatable value
The Benefits of Ubiquiti for Enterprise Networks
- All access points, switches and routers are easy to manage from one Use Interface
- It has central management capabilities and troubleshooting
- It is straightforward to use for network admin staff, with no certification needed
- Cloud and on-premises management available
- Very high access point performance
- Good HD Wi-Fi control capabilities
The Benefits of Ubiquiti for Arena / Stadium Networks
- They can provide arena access points with integrated high gain antennas
- One access point can have up to 3 5GHz client serving radios
- Multi 5 GHz radio access points save in installation and cabling costs
- Outstanding performance in a high traffic environment
What is Ubiquiti User Experience Like?
- Quick and easy deployment with no licenses required
- A single, intuitive user interface for all Ubiquiti elements with secure remote access
- It’s easy to expand the network if and when needed without additional licenses
- They provide free support (without needing a support agreement) plus a community of Ubiquiti users for extra support, buffered by Ubiquiti employees
How Expensive is Ubiquiti?
- The price-point for Ubiquiti wireless products is low compared to other brands, offering fantastic value for money
Cisco Meraki Wireless Products
The Meraki MR series from Cisco delivers Wi-Fi 6 access points, faster access point deployment, simplified administration, and richer visibility.
Cisco Meraki Product Portfolio
- Meraki have the product range to meet a complete enterprise network
- They cover both wireless and wired products
- They have the management and security systems to go alongside
How Does Cisco Meraki Work for SMB Networks?
- They are easy to deploy and use
- You have to pay a subscription fee, which renders the product useless if not paid
- It works well for smaller businesses and enterprises, apart from it being expensive
- For better prices, you need to commit to several years and pre-pay
Can Cisco Meraki Handle Enterprise Networks?
- It is easy to deploy and use cloud infrastructure
- There is no on-premises option
- Performance falters with high traffic
- Ongoing licensing is expensive
Can You Use Cisco Meraki for Arena / Stadium Networks?
- There are no capabilities specifically targeted to venues of this size or type
- For focused radio frequency, external antennas are required which will incur extra costs and will need mounting
- There are no multi 5 GHz radio products, and RF tuning capabilities are weak
- HD Wi-Fi performance is weak
What is the User Experience with Cisco Meraki?
- Quick and easy deployment but a lack of flexibility may cause problems
- Licensing is required, but all features are included
- It has a single, intuitive user interface
- Support services are available from Meraki, but a service subscription is required. Without it there is no support
- Additional support is available at an additional cost
How Expensive is Cisco Meraki?
- The price-point for Meraki MR wireless products is high compared to other brands, with licensing and subscription fees pushing it up.
Aruba Wireless Products
The range of Aruba Access Points deliver a fast, reliable Wi-Fi solution with great performance levels and a boost to network efficiency. They will also support the growing mobile and IoT density demands on your network.
Aruba Wireless Product Portfolio
- Aruba have most of the product range to meet a complete enterprise network need
- They cover both wireless and wired products
- They have the management and security systems to go alongside
Can You Use Aruba Wireless for SMB Networks?
- Controller based products can be difficult to deploy and use
- Instant access points lack features unless you have other Aruba products such as Aruba Central or Aruba AirWave licenses
- Aruba Central has a good cloud-based product for small to medium sized business, but it is very expensive
Does Aruba Wireless Work for Enterprise Networks?
- Large configurations can handle large networks
- The base product is a traditional single tenant hardware controller which can make it difficult to deploy and use
- For adequate reliability, you will need redundant controllers which are pricey
- The Aruba instant access points are not sufficient for larger enterprises or multisite premises
- Aruba Central provides a cloud alternative but uses separate licenses for features. This means that you may require additional licenses for future functionality which could prove very expensive
- The ongoing admin of handling expiring licenses is time consuming
Can Aruba Handle Arena / Stadium Networks?
- As with Meraki, for focused radio frequency with Aruba products, external antennas are required which will incur extra costs and will need mounting
- There are a maximum of 2 5 GHz radios per access point
- The Aruba multi 5 GHz access points have filtering
- HD Wi-Fi performance is weak
What is the Aruba Wireless User Experience Like?
- Deployment is difficult, with added complexity of ensuring you have the right licenses which can be time consuming
- Depending on the products used, you may require multiple user interfaces
- Expanding your network or adding new features may require additional licensing and subsequently more costs
- Aruba does provide support within a 90-day product failure warranty. Additional support after that requires a paid support agreement. If you don’t pay, you don’t get support
How Expensive is Aruba Wireless?
- The price-point for Aruba wireless products is lower than Cisco Meraki but medium compared to other brands. As with Cisco Meraki, the costs involved with licensing and subscription fees with Aruba pushes the price up.
Still not sure what wireless products you need for your network?
If you’re unsure what wireless products would be suitable for your network – Whether it be small or arena sized – Our Wi-Fi experts would be happy to chat through the options.
Our experienced Wi-Fi engineers can match the right wireless network products with your requirements to get you the most reliable Wi-Fi possible. Let’s strengthen your connection today – Get in touch now.
People Also Ask…
Here are some frequently asked questions when comparing wireless networks like Ubiquiti, Cisco Meraki and Aruba.
Is Ubiquiti Cheaper than Cisco Meraki?
Ubiquiti is generally low priced with unbeatable value for money. Aruba is reasonably priced, however there are licensing and subscription costs to consider which push the price up. The most expensive of the 3 discussed here is Cisco Meraki with a high price point as well as licensing and subscription fees pushing it up.
Do you need a license or subscription for an Aruba Wireless network?
Yes, Aruba networks require quite complex licenses, with the need to ensure you have the correct ones for the features in Aruba Central. Cisco Meraki also requires a subscription – Without it, the product is essentially useless. Ubiquiti, however, requires no licenses so allows for quick and easy deployment.
Which is the easiest wireless solution to deploy?
The easiest wireless solutions to deploy are Ubiquiti (for SMB’s) and Cisco Meraki (for SMB’s and Enterprise). Aruba requires controller-based products which can be difficult for SMB’s especially.
Does Ubiquiti have better support than Cisco Meraki?
Ubiquiti has free support, without having to buy a support agreement. There is also good community support. Cisco Meraki requires you to have a support subscription – There is no support without it. Aruba offers support during a 90 day warranty period. After this, a paid support agreement is required.
Can I easily expand my Cisco Meraki network?
It may be difficult to expand a Cisco Meraki network due to a lack of flexibility. The easiest network to expand on is Ubiquiti, which wouldn’t require additional licenses. Expanding an Aruba network would potentially require additional licensing and thus costs.
