RUCKUS Ethernet Switches vs. UniFi WiFi Access Points

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
RUCKUS Ethernet Switches
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
Now from CommScope, the RUCKUS® ICX family of fixed form-factor switches work together to simplify network set-up and management, enhance security, and minimize troubleshooting, offered as low-latency, non-blocking architecture that provide throughput for demanding applications.
$835
UniFi WiFi Access Points
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Ubiquiti Networks in San Jose provides the UniFi wi-fi access points. The enterprise products support 1,000+ client capacity, long-range 6 GHz performance, and 10 GbE PoE connectivity with native high availability architecture for critical enterprise environments.N/A
Pricing
RUCKUS Ethernet SwitchesUniFi WiFi Access Points
Editions & Modules
Compact Switch
$835.00
Port Switch
$1,000.00
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RUCKUS Ethernet SwitchesUniFi WiFi Access Points
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
RUCKUS Ethernet SwitchesUniFi WiFi Access Points
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RUCKUS Ethernet SwitchesUniFi WiFi Access Points
Small Businesses

No answers on this topic

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Score 9.0 out of 10
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Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Ethernet Switches
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Score 9.1 out of 10
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User Ratings
RUCKUS Ethernet SwitchesUniFi WiFi Access Points
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.9
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
RUCKUS Ethernet SwitchesUniFi WiFi Access Points
Likelihood to Recommend
I'm not sure of a situation where Ruckus ICX switches wouldn't be appropriate unless you work in a very small company where you only have one or two switches and don't need managed (smart) switches. For every other situation, I think the switches are robust enough and certainly cost-effective enough to serve most any situation or need.
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Ubiquiti is well suited to not just indoor WLAN access, but also outdoors. In fact, the range of the outdoor applications, while maintaining throughput is astonishing. I would say this is not a solution for a 1-5 person small office, due to the costs.
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Pros
  • Port Density/cost per port
  • Some models auto-stack, which makes connectivity much easier
  • The E-rate discounts for education are AMAZING
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  • AP's are very affordable.
  • Most of the AP's are highly reliable and can be used indoors or in covered outdoor spaces.
  • Outdoor Mesh AP's with an external directional antenna can effectively cover outdoor spaces with dual band wifi better than much more expensive APs.
  • Unifi Protect via the Cloud Key Gen2+ is probably the slickest, most affordable IP camera system on the market right now.
  • Unifi controller is powerful yet simple to administrate.
  • Remote management of entire networks through a single pane of glass is easy to accomplish with the Unifi controller.
  • Cloud Key Gen2 solves problems with the first Cloud Key wiht a built-in battery backup.
  • When you are "full stack" Unifi with wifi, network switches and gateways, the control you can wield over a network in just a few clicks and the amount of data you can glean from a quick glance in the controller is incredibly impressive. It makes an IT guy wish every product/service could be so tightly and well-integrated.
  • Community support is excellent, Unifi staff monitors their official forums and responds to almost every thread.
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Cons
  • Documentation
  • Built in Help for commands
  • Consistency between models
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  • VLANs: They can make these work more smoothly. Setup can be more intuitive.
  • Cloud Key: These need to be stabilized; they lose their programming a little too easily.
  • Stop selling the Gen-1 cloud key: No battery means you need an external power source or you must be onsite to power it off before updating.
  • Portal can be modernized.
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Usability
No answers on this topic
Ubiquiti makes great Access points at various tiers provided far better coverage and throughput than consumer-grade wireless repeaters and routers. We have not had any performance complaints from guests or from the administration who use the wifi on a daily basis.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
Ubiquiti support is minimal, which is said to help decrease the cost of the equipment. However, with many reports of emails going directly to the Ubiquiti support line taking days to hear a response, you're better off either engaging with the community forums for help from fellow UniFi users or reaching out to a reseller that has training on the equipment that can assist.
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Alternatives Considered
Ruckus outperformed other vendors, especially those priced higher than ruckus. The performance for the cost allows for a longer reliable use over other vendors evaluated.
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I've used Meraki AP and switches in a large-scale organization and Ubiquiti on a smaller scale. There is a big cost difference, and due to the different sizes and scope of the projects, it's difficult to compare or contrast. Both have worked great for each organization.
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Return on Investment
  • These switches are very good in the virtual environment. We have a highly reliable network in part because of these switches
  • The high uptime allows the business to offer reliable always-on connectivity to our clients
  • Speeds are fantastic, especially in a big data environment where speed is crucial to our remote client base
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  • The solid reliability means we hardly ever have to solve 'Wi-Fi issues'. It's now just one of those things we used to have to do, and now have more time to devote to other tasks.
  • The relatively long life support for Ubiquiti products, in terms of firmware updates, etc, has resulted in us not having to replace access points half as often as we used to. The Ubiquiti gear in our offices is approximately three years old now and the APs and the Controller keep getting regular updates with useful new features and bug fixes.
  • Great overall coverage and seamless handover between APs keeps productivity high and allows people to stay connected no matter where they are in the building.
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