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PRODUCT FAMILY ANALYSIS

RUCKUS Unleashed vs. Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst AP

October 2020

RUCKUS Unleashed Cisco EWC-AP


Scalability Scalability
• Up to 128 APs Unleashed
• Up to 100 APs and 2000 clients per
• Up to 2048 clients Multi-Site cluster
Manager
• Up to 8 ICX switches per network • FlexConnect deployment mode
• All APs can service clients RUCKUS Unleashed™
Cisco Catalyst Wireless • EWC can run only on Cisco Catalyst
Network Management Mobile app Cisco DNA Center 9100 series Access Points
Mobile app
• High scalability with Unleashed • Cisco 802.11ac Wave 2 APs
Multi-Site Manager (UMM) supported in client mode only
• UMM in Standard mode supports Master AP C9100 Standby Network Management
up to 15,000 APs and 6,000 RUCKUS EWC-AP • Cisco DNA Center
ICX switches Wireless • Management via Cisco Catalyst
• UMM in Lite mode - up to 40,000 Mesh Wireless Mobile app
APs and 10,000 RUCKUS ICX • EWC WebUI dashboard
switches • Lack of network switch
• Unleashed WebUI dashboard management from EWC dashboard
• Remote management of up to 10 Flexibility
networks with free Unleashed • Conversion of CAPWAP APs to EWC
Mobile app 802.11ac Wave 2 C9100 Active and EWC APs to CAPWAP AP
Member AP Member AP
• Option to send an invite for remote subordinate AP EWC-AP • EWC Mandatory requirement for
management via Mobile app Smart Licensing
• Integrated capability for managing • Every access point requires a Cisco
ICX switches from Unleashed master ICX Switch Management Switch management DNA subscription license to connect
Flexibility to EWC
• Migration to ZD/SZ controller • Cisco DNA subscription licenses
Not possible directly from
• Migration to RUCKUS Cloud RUCKUS Unleashed Master have to be purchased with APs
• SmartMesh Resiliency
• GW mode AP EWC dashboard • High availability with Active /
Resiliency Standby Embedded Wireless
• Election based Master AP resiliency Controllers pre-elected in two 9100
• Option to assign primary and • No option to manage switches series Access Points
secondary Preferred Master APs RUCKUS ICX Switches • Preferred master
directly from EWC-AP dashboard
• Option to disable WLAN service in • Network switches can be managed Advanced features
Master AP from Cisco DNA i.e. an expensive • Application Visibility and Control
Advanced features and complex network management (AVC)
Built-in capabilities
• BeamFlex adaptive antennas system, that customers will have to • Lack of support for Mesh
• Enhanced Application Recognition • Switch management from buy, deploy and maintain networking
and Control (ARC) • RF features include Band select,
Unleashed dashboard or Mobile app
• Per-client and per-SSID rate limiting Load balancing, RF profiles,
• Advanced guest access features • Up to 8 switches per Unleashed ClientLink
• Per SSID configurable URL filtering network
• Alarm generation for Favorite Client Ease of use
• Wi-Fi Calling • ICX switch registration • Tag and Profile based configuration
Ease of use • Switch inventory flow
• Enhanced Setup Wizard available • Multi-PSK support
• Monitoring
via web interface or in the
Unleashed mobile app • Configuration backup and restore
• Ability to do online software • Firmware upgrades
upgrades
• DPSK keys can be generated by AP

Explaining RUCKUS Advantage


RUCKUS Unleashed architecture is a perfect fit for small and medium business where customers expect to get top performance with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) APs
and ICX switches. Single site or multisite deployments can be easily configured and managed via single GUI but without paying for external controller or for excessive features.
RUCKUS Unleashed Mobile app offers an easy to use network management option for up to 10 Unleashed networks. Mobile app social network login for Twitter, Facebook and
Google+ enables even more flexibility. Should the number of networks grow higher, RUCKUS Unleashed Multi-Site Manager will help you to manage thousands of networks.

While Cisco EWC solution can be used with Cisco 802.11ax and 802.11ac Wave 2 APs it requires a Cisco Catalyst 9100 series AP be to run EWC and be the network Master. The
802.11ac Wave 2 APs can join as subordinates only. There is not an EWC integrated option to manage network switches, instead Cisco DNA Center has to be used for
automation and assurance. Cisco DNA is a complex and expensive solution to deploy, it also comes with licensing requirements. In fact, Cisco requires Cisco DNA subscription
license for all APs to join EWC. On the EWC side, customers may find that some important features are missing e.g. there is no support for Mesh at the time of writing.

1 PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © 2020 CommScope, Inc.


PRODUCT FAMILY ANALYSIS October 2020
RUCKUS Unleashed vs. Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst AP

Feature List
RUCKUS Unleashed Cisco EWC-AP
RUCKUS intelligently adapts transmissions using Cisco uses ClientLink, a proprietary type of implicit transmit
directional antenna patterns that maximize signal beamforming as well as industry standards-based Tx
BeamFlex quality, minimize interference, and benefit reliability Beamforming. These technologies require tradeoffs with spatial
and capacity. In addition, RUCKUS APs support Tx multiplexing, use additional radio chains and provide minimal
Beamforming. performance gain.

Built-in to the RUCKUS solution is an onboarding tool Built-in capabilities are limited. Cisco EWC offers native profiling
Native User Onboarding (Zero-
that auto-provisions client devices with a connection and basic onboarding using policies. For anything more
IT Activation) profile. Easy access with no admin intervention. sophisticated an external solution should be used.

Dynamic PSK technology allows RUCKUS customers to


provision a unique PSK for each device. It’s secure,
scalable, and easy to provision and manage. RUCKUS Cisco supports Identity PSK (IPSK) solution, it requires a Radius
Dynamic PSK (DPSK™) Unleashed supports DPSK generation both internally server to work. EWC has to receive a passphrase from
and on external server. RUCKUS also introduced authentication server for computation of PSK for the user.
shared DPSK where key can be shared between
different devices.

Smart antenna design by RUCKUS incorporates Cisco APs lack the optimal multi-polarization antenna design
Polarization Diversity with
horizontal and vertical adaptive polarization to match that contributes to reliability as client devices rotate and
MRC client device orientation and improve predictability. increase distance from the AP.

Most RUCKUS Unleashed APs support wireless Mesh.


Cisco EWC-AP does not offer wireless Mesh support at the time
RUCKUS provided additional enhancements for ease of
Wireless Mesh use with SmartMesh and Zero Touch Mesh
of writing. Customers may find that this feature is desirable for
wireless deployments, but it is missing on EWC platform.
configuration.

RUCKUS Unleashed can be deployed on supported Cisco requires Catalyst 9115 or higher APs to run as EWC
AP hardware compatibility models of RUCKUS Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 APs. These can Master. Cisco 802.11ac Wave 2 APs can join as subordinates
be used as Unleashed Master APs. only.

RUCKUS Unleashed can manage up to 8 ICX switches


Cisco EWC-AP does not offer switch management from EWC
per Unleashed network. This is done directly on
Integrated switch dashboard. Customers will have to use Cisco DNA Center for
Unleashed dashboard or via a mobile app.
management Configuration backups, firmware upgrades,
management, automation and assurance. This is an expensive
solution to deploy, it also requires mandatory licensing.
monitoring and other functions are supported.

RUCKUS added Wi-Fi Calling and Wi-Fi Calling


Troubleshooting Tool to RUCKUS Unleashed. This
Wi-Fi Calling feature is used with calling profiles for a WLAN to
Cisco EWC-AP offers no configuration for Wi-Fi Calling.
create a carrier grade calling experience.

Summary
RUCKUS Unleashed Access Points offer excellent performance and come with well balanced feature set for small and medium deployments. ICX
switch management, Guest Pass generation and onboarding with Zero-IT features are built-in. Starting from 200.9 release Wi-Fi Calling can be
enabled on Unleashed platform, it allows a set of calling profiles to be loaded onto a WLAN which create a carrier grade Wi-Fi calling experience.

Cisco EWC-AP lacks several important features that come built-in in RUCKUS Unleashed. There is no support for Mesh, no configuration for Wi-Fi
Calling, no option to manage switches directly from EWC WebUI dashboard. Cisco Catalyst Wireless mobile app comes with very limited network
management capabilities. While Cisco EWC offers configuration wizards and supports configuration flows based on polices and tags, customers may
find that whole interface is not easy to navigate and preforming some simple operational tasks may take considerable effort.

2 PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © 2020 CommScope, Inc.


PRODUCT FAMILY ANALYSIS October 2020
RUCKUS Unleashed vs. Cisco Embedded Wireless Controller on Catalyst AP

Value Proposition

RUCKUS Cisco
Comments
Unleashed EWC-AP
• RUCKUS DPSK technology uniquely encrypts over the air traffic
for every client, Dynamic PSK keys can be internally generated
Dynamic PSK (DPSK) by Unleashed AP
• Cisco EWC supports Identity PSK but it requires an
authentication server override configuration
• RUCKUS’ patented built-in Zero IT solution enables customers
to onboard devices securely and easily
Onboarding (BYOD) • Cisco EWC offers native device profiling and basic onboarding
features. External solution is required for anything more
complex

• RUCKUS offers configuration for Wi-Fi Calling with a set of


calling profiles for a WLAN to create a carrier grade Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Calling calling experience
• Cisco EWC does not have configuration features for Wi-Fi
Calling
• RUCKUS Unleashed has a free mobile app which can be used to
manage up to 10 networks remotely or locally
Mobile app • Cisco Catalyst Wireless mobile app offers very limited features
for EWC-AP configuration
• RUCKUS Unleashed Master role can be supported by Wi-Fi 5
and Wi-Fi 6 APs
Hardware compatibility • Cisco EWC requires Catalyst 9115 or higher Wi-Fi 6 AP to be the
network Master; Cisco Wi-Fi 5 APs can join as subordinates
only
• RUCKUS Unleashed can manage up to 8 ICX switches per
Integrated switch
network from Unleashed Dashboard or via Mobile app
management • Cisco EWC can not manage switches directly
• RUCKUS Unleashed supports SmartMesh networking with
supported AP models; Zero Touch Mesh configuration
Wireless Mesh simplifies Mesh deployment
• Mesh is not supported in Cisco EWC at the time of writing

Excellent value, features available built-in

Average value, some features are present

Features are not available or can be made available with an external solution

3 PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © 2020 CommScope, Inc.

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