Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Reviews & Insights

Score7 out of 10

46 Reviews and Ratings

Community insights

TrustRadius Insights for Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.

Pros

Comprehensive Integration: Users have appreciated the system's comprehensive integration with Radius, stating it enhances network management efficiency.

Scalability and Flexibility: Reviewers have highlighted the system's scalability in supporting over 1000 access points and its flexible configuration options for adapting to changing requirements.

Reliable Performance: The system is praised for its reliable performance, faster network speed, and strong connectivity to cloud resources by multiple users.

Efficient Network Management: Users value the efficient management of multiple access points, ease of pushing out WAP code updates, and seamless deployment of new SSIDs.

Cost-Effectiveness: Customers appreciate the economical pricing compared to modern alternatives without compromising on features or performance.

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Reviews

27 Reviews

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Review

Rating: 7 out of 10

Incentivized

July 24, 2024

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use our Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller to implement a fully ubiquitous wireless network on our Main Campus, and multiple branch offices. The controller allows us to broadcast our corporate (private) network, secure guest network access, along with numerous other networks that allow separation of network traffic. We also use our controller to provide a more private method of access for field engineers in certain locations (as opposed to using hot spots or cellular connectivity).

Pros

AP management (SSIDs)
Device management (updates, power levels, etc.)
Security (traffic separation, VLAN implementation, etc.)

Cons

GUI -> CLI issues (specific command translations)
Maintenance (needs reboots/updates occasionally)
Power Modes (PoE requirements)

Likelihood to Recommend

Very good internal organizational product. We use the controller for implementation for indoor APs, and other APs that are in less desirable locations and have a few issues with those as well.

Verified User

Technician in Information Technology (51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Enterprise Deployment

Rating: 7 out of 10

Incentivized

November 27, 2023

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have a N + 1 deployment of Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller. We have over 8000 Cisco Access Points that are connected to the controller.

Pros

Comprehensive Radius integration
Scalable Deployments
Flexible Configuration

Cons

Code upgrades while in redundancy mode is cumbersome
Support of older access points is discontinued
Keeping configurations between primary and secondary controllers is difficult

Likelihood to Recommend

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controllers is a great product for environments where you need repeated configurations across multiple sites. It allows the use of templates and groups to be scalable and repeatable to individual sites. Using separate ap groups, rf groups, and flexconnect groups allows you to modify a site at a time without affecting the entire enterprise.

It can be cumbersome to administrate the configuration without Cisco Prime, as there isn't any easy way to push individual configurations to an access point. Initially configuring an ap to join the controller and assigning it to the proper ap and flexconnect group can be time consuming.

Jeffrey Thoenen

Senior Network Engineer in Information Technology at Bass Pro Shops (10,001+ employees)

Vetted Review

5 years of experience

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Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller, built to last!

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

February 18, 2022

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use the 8540 Cisco Wireless Controller to manage our wireless access points throughout the campus. The controller makes it easy to manage the over 600 access points we have. the controller integrates with our Cisco prime infrastructure and allows us to easily see coverage and bandwidth problems. The scope of our wireless service covers all students faculty and staff including visitors when on campus for various events.

Pros

Manages multiple access points.
Easily push out WAP code updates.
Easily deploy new SSIds.

Cons

Easier to integrate with Cisco ACS.
Redundant power supplies.
Third party integrations.

Likelihood to Recommend

The Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller is well suited to manage and support a very large and complex wireless infrastructure. It is a stable platform that is able to communicate with a wide variety of cisco access point models. It may not be well suited for a small organization with inexperienced networking or wireless engineers.

Verified User

C-Level Executive in Information Technology (201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

Most Durable Network Provider

Rating: 9 out of 10

October 22, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Cisco Routers are considered the best Routers. [They] provide a lot in Routing & Throughput Services. I have used Cisco Routers for the configuration of Site to Site VPN for secure connection to our sub-branches, which provides a secure network over the organization. Also, it is used for providing DHCP options for access points and LAN users. Hence, it serves a secure connection and provides [the] best security on a network.

Pros

Throughput of the interface is excellent.
[It] supports multiple routing protocols.
[It] provides good bandwidth.
[It is] easy to configure.

Cons

It provides [a] limited number of ports. For multiple networks, we need to add extra interface.
[It is] costly compared to other similar products available in [the] market.

Likelihood to Recommend

I would ask users [that] if [they were] looking for the most reliable and trustworthy router solution, then I will strongly recommend [they] go with the Cisco [8540 Wireless Controller]. The [Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller] provides a secured network [and is] easy to configure so that beginners can easily manage the device.

Verified User

Engineer in Product Management (501-1000 employees)

Vetted Review

Robust and Reliable Networking Experience

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

October 19, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Cisco routers in our projects mostly because they’re known for better resource management over better wireless connectivity. [The] Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller provides control, management, and diagnosing under one roof for service providers and large project deployments. [The] Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller offers the pliability to support various deployment modes in the same controller. Also, this can be a very economical solution as it provides consecutive connectivity to network databases and other resources in the cloud efficiently with more secure packets.

Pros

Super scalability with the support [of] over 1000 access points and over 15000 clients
Integrated services for application control and transparency and software-based segmentation with accuracy
Ability to develop highly secure mobile server strategy and infrastructure with available services

Cons

Implementation cost is high.
[The] user interfaces seem old-fashioned and can be improved.
Their Software Defined Networking approach is good, but slowly evolving.

Likelihood to Recommend

In general, Cisco routers contain many varieties which cover every possible networking environment and usage. Cisco routers can be used for small companies and office rooms, larger enterprises, industrial data centers, and other cloud service providers. Also, Cisco CCNA is widely popular among networking certifications so many professionals are widely available for service. Reliability and robustness are key features when it comes to networking. I think Cisco is doing a great job by proving over and over becoming the market leader.

Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology (1-10 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

A Pleasure to Use, as well as a Sound Decision!

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

October 12, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Since its beginnings, the Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller has served as our router for wireless connectivity to the company's networks. We use it throughout the organization and have solved spare capacity and cloud connectivity concerns for critical components, such as servers and databases. Cisco [8540] Wireless Controller is the most comprehensive and it’s what I’ve been using. As compared with other manufacturer's products, it offers advanced functionality and integration. It comes with excellent documentation and is easy to understand. Even the oldest controllers can still support the latest APs. It works thanks to the Cisco infrastructure. It can deliver high performance when the Wi-Fi tuning is done correctly.

Pros

The installation and maintenance of the wireless network are straightforward and reliable.
It can handle more than a thousand APs simultaneously without compromising network performance. Additionally, it allows us to have full control and flexibility over all access points.
Many cloud connectivity issues have been addressed, including multi-protocol compatibility with security features.

Cons

Wireless range should be extended and pricing should [possibly] be reconsidered for some organizations.
Some complex configurations can be hard to get and set up without professional assistance.
The location of the device can have a significant effect on the wireless signal. Some VPN solutions may be available by default.

Likelihood to Recommend

[Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller's] software quality has been shed in recent years. The only problem I have with it is its inability to work with older Cisco Access Points. However, that's to be expected for any deployment. While the controller's UI works well, some areas could be improved. API integrations lack flexibility. [I feel] it's time for policy redesign. It can be a little difficult to determine coding quality.

Nilufa Hossain

IT Specialist in Research & Development at Lamda I-TECH (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

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Reliable Network Access for the System

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

October 11, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

The [Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller]s are being implemented and are used across our organization. It has solved our problem of weak and slow internet. After using Cisco Router, we are having fun with the fast speed network access [now that] it has become easy for us to perform our tasks. In short, it is a perfect solution to address all the network-related business problems like security.

Pros

We can prioritize the traffic that is beneficial for us and limit unwanted traffic.
The network [is] pretty reliable and, above all, the most secure.
The routing protocols are easily managed and supported using Cisco.

Cons

Documentation
Pricing
Prolonged installation time

Likelihood to Recommend

For our setup this router is perfect. Companies [that want] to have advanced network management should go for it and [also anyone who] wants to make a better connection between the main office and other departments as well. It is not so appropriate for large firms and with many complex networks and the price makes it a bit absurd.

Kristjan Einar-Des

IT Manager in Information Technology at TM Software (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

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Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller Provides Uninterrupted and Fast Connectivity at [an] Economical Cost!

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

October 8, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller across the whole organization as a router for ensuring the best wireless connectivity among all departments and all cloud resources. It has resolved most of our networking and cloud connectivity issues. It has also eliminated our issues related to bandwidth and uptime. It is providing us uninterrupted connectivity to our databases and other cloud resources at faster speeds and [with] ultimate security. Overall, we found it a very economical solution.

Pros

Faster access to the databases
Faster access to cloud resources
Very good uptime
Bandwidth issues eradicated
Uninterrupted connectivity
Ultimate security

Cons

Lacks in VPN protocols

Likelihood to Recommend

I recommend using Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller as an economical solution for assurance of best wireless connectivity across departments and cloud resources. It can resolve most of the networking and cloud connectivity-related issues. It can also eliminate the issues related to bandwidth. It can provide uninterrupted connectivity to cloud resources and databases at high speed with security.

Verified User

Project Manager in Product Management (51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller - Enhanced Network Performance

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

October 7, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

The IT department of our organization [has been] using [the] Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller since last year for providing wireless connectivity and resolution of networking issues among all departments in our organization. It is highly efficient to eliminate bandwidth-related issues and provides fast connectivity to our databases deployed on cloud infrastructure. It ensures network security and fast network speed. It is, overall, an economical solution against its latest and modern alternatives.

Pros

[It provides] network security.
[It provides] faster network speed.
Price is economical against its modern alternatives.
[It is] scalable to match the change in requirements.
[It offers] excellent network performance.
[It has] excellent connectivity to the cloud resources.

Cons

Built-in VPN protocols are necessary but missing.

Likelihood to Recommend

I definitely recommend using Cisco 8540 Wireless Controller for providing wireless connectivity and resolution of networking issues. It can eliminate all bandwidth-related issues and provide faster connectivity to cloud infrastructures. The network security and fast network speed are few among many benefits of using it. It is quite economical against [the] latest and modern alternative products.

Verified User

Project Manager in Product Management (51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

Cisco 8540 [Wireless Controller] Wifi Greatness

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

May 20, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

This product is currently being used by the Accounting department on campus. It's primarily used to address all of the department's connection needs. We can get more information for the required MAC Address of the users/clients on the current session. We can set it up based on our requirements and have our own restrictions and grant access for a particular MAC address or a user.

Pros

Strong reliable connection
User-friendly GUI
Good overall cost of the device

Cons

The Wireless Range could be wider.
The positioning of the device has great effect on the wireless signal.
It can be hard to setup.

Likelihood to Recommend

It is well suited for big wide-open areas with few walls blocking the wireless signal from the device to the end-user. It is not very suited for offices with lots of walls and closed spaces as the signal can sometimes bounce [off] the walls if there is [a lot] of electrical wiring [in] them. [However,] it's to be expected as most wifi solutions have these issues.

Verified User

Employee in Finance and Accounting (51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

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A Pleasure to Use, as well as a Sound Decision!

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

October 12, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Pros

The installation and maintenance of the wireless network are straightforward and reliable.
It can handle more than a thousand APs simultaneously without compromising network performance. Additionally, it allows us to have full control and flexibility over all access points.
Many cloud connectivity issues have been addressed, including multi-protocol compatibility with security features.

Cons

Wireless range should be extended and pricing should [possibly] be reconsidered for some organizations.
Some complex configurations can be hard to get and set up without professional assistance.
The location of the device can have a significant effect on the wireless signal. Some VPN solutions may be available by default.

Likelihood to Recommend

Nilufa Hossain

IT Specialist in Research & Development at Lamda I-TECH (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

View profile