A poor wireless connection is unacceptable for today’s businesses.
You rely on wireless internet for countless functions with your organization, so you need access points that work well and meet your unique needs.
While Meraki has undoubtedly made a name for themselves in the wireless access point world, it doesn’t mean it’s right for every business.
Meraki access points are generally The KR Group’s go-to solution for customers looking to implement access points into their network. However, we’ve also seen many scenarios where a different vendor is a better fit.
Factors to Consider When Picking an Access Point
If you’re a business – large or small – any wireless access point you implement should have a central controller to allow you to identify problems and resolve them quickly.
Beyond that, there are several other factors to consider when picking an access point, including:
- Price: Naturally, one of the most significant factors you should look at is if the vendor’s access points will fit into your budget.
- Support: If you’re like most organizations, you and your users heavily rely on a robust wireless connection. If something interferes with that, you need a supportive team behind the technology to help you get your wireless back up and running.
- Speed: When it comes to speed, every business’s needs are different, but it’s essential to ensure your internet service and access point are compatible with speed. For example, if you have a 100 Mbps connection but your access points can only handle 50 Mbps, you’re paying for more data than you’ll be able to utilize.
- Multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO): This feature refers to a device’s data stream capability, specifically how data is sent and received by the access point. It’s displayed as a multiplier (2×2, 3×3, 4×4) and tells you how many transmitters and receivers the access point has.
- Cloud-controlled: Many access points are opting for cloud-controlled technology. Whatever side you fall on with integrating cloud technology, make sure the access point you choose matches your goals.
- Mesh technology: Access points that can seek out other access points and connect to the network have mesh technology. It can be used to easily connect large areas – even cities – to the internet.
- Security: Of course, any access point you consider for your business needs to have security features.This includes the ability to set up guest networks so outsiders aren’t on the same network as your critical data.
To help you narrow down the vendors you can expect quality products from, we’ve put together a list of our top five recommendations for wireless technology. With all of these solutions, we’ve either implemented or worked with clients who have utilized them.
Best Wireless Access Points for Businesses
The solutions we discuss below are ones The KR Group’s team of engineers has encountered or installed over the past 12 years. Ultimately, this means we’re comfortable recommending them, trust they’ll work well, and approve of their security functions.
So what are the best wireless access point brands? Here are our top five recommendations in no particular order:
- Aruba Networks
- Cisco
- Meraki
- Ruckus
- Ubiquiti
All of these options are considered enterprise-grade, and all have different models to meet your different speed, and MU MIMO needs. However, there are other ways they vary, including price, support, cloud control, mesh technology, and security.
HPE Aruba Networks
Before HPE bought Aruba, it was its own company and focused exclusively on wireless technology. This meant Aruba developed products with stand-out features since all their focus was on one area.
Aruba’s wireless solutions are known for good security and offer WPA3 and Enhanced Open networking options. It also is easy to deploy and features an unobtrusive appearance.
They come in cloud or on-premises management options and have mesh networking technology.
Aruba is typically viewed as middle-of-the-road pricewise and is a good option for medium-sized businesses.
In the U.S., the support team is always based in the States, and customers have positive feedback about their service.
Cisco Wireless Series
While Cisco owns Meraki, it still has its own wireless series and a separate internal team from a development standpoint.
The main difference from Meraki is Cisco wireless offers a non-cloud controller option if you’re not interested in cloud management.
Of course, Cisco’s wireless comes backed by Cisco’s Technical Assistance Center and has support license models for same-day replacement hardware.
Cisco’s wireless is capable of mesh networking and have excellent security features. Specifically, the access points are designed to detect encrypted threats and stop attackers early on.
Cisco’s wireless solutions cost slightly more than Meraki’s but are still middle-of-the-road overall when it comes to price.
Meraki MR Series
As we mentioned earlier, Meraki’s wireless solutions are what we’re most familiar with and most often recommend. It’s earned this status by being a reliable solution in a variety of use cases.
Originally, Meraki gained recognition by providing wireless to all of San Francisco through its mesh technology. However, it is great for much smaller use cases as well. As a moderately priced option, it’s a good choice for businesses of all sizes.
Meraki access points also come with great security, including guest wireless features and wireless intrusion detection and prevention (Air Marshal).
The most significant differentiator with Meraki is its cloud-managed interface. This interface is the same one used for any other Meraki gear in your IT environment. It provides all sorts of insight and valuable information to keep your IT environment running smoothly.
To use this interface – and any other aspect of your device — you’ll need to purchase accompanying licensing. The benefit is you’re entitled to replacement hardware and highly-rated support services.
Ruckus Wireless
We’ve primarily seen Ruckus used in the hospitality industry or educational institutions.
Ruckus is one of the more expensive wireless options, but these devices do scale better when it comes to connecting clients to wireless, which is critical for both of the above use cases.
Like Meraki, Ruckus also places a heavy emphasis on wireless mesh capabilities. This is one of the reasons they’re a good fit for schools and hospitality organizations.
One of their hallmark traits is strong security, including the ability to generate, configure and install encryption keys on client devices.
Ruckus’ wireless devices come in controller, controller-less, and cloud-managed options.
Ubiquiti UniFi
This wireless option has cloud-controlled and on-premises options but provides web-based management for all customers.
It’s easy to deploy and priced right for many small businesses without compromising on hardware. They’re often the right choice for smaller customers because they don’t carry some of the extra expenses of their competitors.
Ubiquiti doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles of the other brands, but they still have strong security features, mesh networking, and supportive technical services
Generally, The KR Group will recommend Ubiquiti UniFi if Meraki doesn’t quite fit into a customer’s budget.
Ranking Wireless Access Points
How would we rank these five vendors?
It depends on your individual use case and what features are most important for you.
If you’re looking for wireless access points that are straightforward to manage without technical expertise, you should consider devices with a cloud controller. However, if you’re looking to avoid the cloud, you’ll need to pick a vendor who has a non-cloud option.
If you’re a small business wanting to implement enterprise-grade wireless without breaking your budget, Ubiquiti or Meraki are probably your best options. Larger organizations, however, will benefit from wireless from Aruba or Cisco. And Ruckus meets the demands of schools and hospitality organizations.
Another point to consider is what hardware is already in your IT stack. For example, if you rely heavily on HPE solutions, Aruba will seamlessly integrate. The same is true for Cisco and Meraki.
If you’re still stumped on what access points you should implement in your IT environment, set up a free consultation appointment with us.
