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Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued) vs. Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)

    Score7.4 out of 10
    N/ACurrently supported by Cisco, but no longer sold, Cisco recommends migration to the Cisco Catalyst 9100 Family of Access Points, which offer greater performance and flexibility.N/A

    Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/AThe Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst Access Points (EWC-AP) is a next-generation Wi-Fi solution, combining an advanced controller – the Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers – with a Wi-Fi 6 access point – the Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points – to create a wireless experience for evolving and growing organization.N/A
    Pricing
    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller
    Considered Both Products
    Discontinued Products
    No answer on this topic
    Cisco
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    83%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Best Alternatives
    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller
    Small Businesses
    WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
    Score9.5 out of 10
    WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi Cloud
    Score9.5 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points (discontinued)
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Meraki MR Wireless Access Points
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Cisco Meraki MR Wireless Access Points
    Score9.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.0
    (28 ratings)
    9.9
    (3 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    6.6
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    10.0
    (11 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.8
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (11 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points (discontinued)Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Discontinued Products
    Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points is very well suited for large enterprises and high-density environments. It is not well suited for high ceiling buildings like warehouses and storage places because of low antenna gain. In our main office, it is working very well. For around thirty or so wireless devices this access point works very well and after forty or so wireless devices it starts to suffer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    Overall I could see myself recommending these to others if they have the right set of circumstances at their place of business. Those would be like ours, if they had a location that couldnt be served by a WLC. Once setup they are easy to manage and self healing as in they wont go down when one is offline.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Discontinued Products
    • They are rock solid in terms of reliability (we rarely have to replace them).
    • They are easily managed from the controller. It's easy to push new settings out, like RF profiles, etc...
    • They are fairly easy to install using the included mounting brackets.
    • They seem to be compatible with pretty much everything, although occasionally we will have roaming issues with Apple devices.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    • Offers enterprise-class security that keeps the network protected
    • Cost-effective connectivity
    • Deploying WiFi 6 network without complexity or added expense
    • Controlling access points and clients
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Discontinued Products
    • CleanAir - Put this technology into all the APs.
    • GPS Tracker - I can't understand why only the Cisco 1570 has this option as well as larger Cisco 3800 APs. Why can't this be in all APs so they can be easily mapped in Google for positioning and later plotted for the coverage zone.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    • Some bugs in the interface.
    • Issues with licensing and Cisco DNA integration.
    • Frequent software patches needed,
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Discontinued Products
    Because until now I haven't had any issues or cases where I needed to create a ticket with Tac from Cisco related to their performance or availability. They have a small size that permits or allows you to install it in each place that you need to mount it, their design is small and appropriate for every kind of office.
    Read full review
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Discontinued Products
    Lately we had less issues. Most probably because we reduced the number of Wireless LAN controllers. So less trouble for upgrades as well. We don't have any access point in stand alone mode. It's something I don't suggest, unless it's just for a small office and not for a larger company with different sites.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Reliability and Availability
    Discontinued Products
    This access point does not usually randomly shut off. It can't happen but it's generally due to a power over ethernet failures which would could be considered a user error.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Discontinued Products
    Performance wise [Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points] are among of the best pieces of technology we have on premise. I don't say that lightly, we have a lot of cool tech. But if you consider how many users are connecting to these day in and day out without a single blip when they're downloading large files, roaming to new AP's or needing a boosted signal at a far end of the range then these are unmatched.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Discontinued Products
    I believe that there is always room for improvement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Discontinued Products
    Make sure to get a professional wireless assessment before purchasing AP's. That way you will only purchase what you need and know where the wiring infrastructure will need to be to streamline the installation and tuning process.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Discontinued Products
    D-Link Wireless network solution was being used previously in [a] few areas of our plant and it was working well with [a] low number of users but as the company grew, and user base started to grow we started seeing hanging, disconnection, and very low-performance issues in our wireless network. We replaced the entire network with Cisco Aironet Access Points and since then the issues have been resolved and [the] wireless network is working with great performance.
    Incentivized
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    Cisco
    Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller provides the ability to manage and deploy the wireless network from a web UI or mobile application, and without the expense or complexity of a wireless controller appliance.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Discontinued Products
    When it comes to deploying the Cisco Aironet 2800 Series Access Points in locations around the school district it has become easier as you get used to putting 4 screws in the mounting plate to the bracket and then slide the access point onto the bracket.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Discontinued Products
    • There are cost savings in buying a separate WLAN network controller because the 1850 Access Point already has this integrated feature.
    • It allows for remote management and saves time on administration.
    • The return on investment is achieved in a short period of time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cisco
    • Makes having remote sites less problematic when it comes to managing AP's
    • Saved money on managed AP's as they're found cheaper
    • Takes more time to manage additional controllers versus a WLC
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots