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Cisco Prime Infrastructure vs 5508 Wifi Manager / Network Assistant?

I am looking for a "no marketing babble" explanation of what exactly Cisco Prime Infrastructure does, that the built in 5508 Wifi administration console and Cisco Network Assitant does not do.

I already use the "Cisco UC560 Configuration Assistant", the "Cisco Network Assistant" for our switches, and the "Wifi 5508 web admin console", and I am fine with that.

At another site where I work, that is now going with Cisco Wifi, it is suggested that "Cisco Prime Infrastructure" be purchased.

Is it important to me to have a "single pane of glass" view of the entire network? NO IT IS NOT.

All this marketing babble about having everything converged and accessible for mobile BYOD users. Yeah, that's great, but what is Cisco Prime Infrastructure actually going to do about all the mobile wifi devices coming in to the network that MUST use a web proxy to get out of our network? Many don't deal with proxy.pac correctly or don't read it at all, unless that function is explicitly turned on, by the individual device owner, in an often hidden location in their device settings.

I am mainly looking at the $3000 a year price for Prime Infrastructure and going, no way, the Cisco Network Assistant and 5508 Wifi web console that are thrown in for free with the new hardware is fine with me.

1 Reply 1

Scott Fella
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Do you need Prime infrastructure... No you don't. If you are fine making changes directly to each WLC then you defiantly don't need it. If you have a lot of WLC's then it does help. Since you only have a WLC and you have no need for an MSE, you can just use the WLC GUI. That's my no marketing BS:)

Sent from Cisco Technical Support iPhone App

-Scott
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