Help me pick a Cisco wireless lan controller...

[navzintel]

I'm stuck between two - the 2504 and the 5508. I know the 5508 will be a larger power hog being full 1u form factor, but I've read it's got a faster backplane and will do 8g simultaneously (vs 1g on the 2504).

The 5508 is also more readily available on the used market, with examples available for around the $75 mark. The 2504 is considerably more expensive, hovering around $175, unless you wait for an outlier to pop up.

Any reason I'm missing to *not* go with a 5508 over the 2504?

I've got a 3750g poe switch, so port the extra ports on the 5508 are of little use (unless I don't need injectors for my AP's, which I do currently).

[Flavio Miranda]

Hi

 I am assuming this is for a LAB.

If you can get 5508, why not but in terms of lab, both will do the same.

[Jitendra Kumar]

Here are the best describe the things.

discussion links are also attached.

Not supported on 2504.

•Support for wired guest access.

•Cisco 2500 Series Controller cannot be configured as an auto anchor controller. However you can configure it as a foreign controller.

•Supports only multicast-multicast mode.

•Bandwidth Contract feature is unsupported.

•Access points plugged directly into the WLC.

•Service port support

•Apple Talk Bridging

•LAG

•Wired Guest

------------------------------------------------------------

The 2504 has 300mbps throughput and you cannot use all 4 ports or LAG.

The 5508 gives you 8 gig with LAG.

You want 400 laptops, lets optimistally say we only need 10mbps to each laptop so we have 400x10 which is 4Gbps throughput.

Theoretically you could push a lot more through.

22x450mbps from the access points is nearly 10Gbps.

OK yes there is oversubscription but at least give them a chance at a decent user experience.

You could deploy with the 2504 using H-REAP to get around it but its a school.

What is their wireless vision, streamiing and multicasting video, yeah probably in the future.

If you put a 2504 in now they will eplace it with a 5508 eventually.

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/2504-vs-5508/td-p/1656627

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/wlc-5508-vs-2504/td-p/1748319

Thanks,

Jitendra

[balaji.bandi]

I go with 5508 for Long run ( i am sure this will end of Life soon or later)

[Rich R]

Well both products are completely end of support within the next year so keep that in mind:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/2504-wireless-controller/eos-eol-notice-c51-740645.html 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/5500-series-wireless-controllers/eos-eol-notice-c51-740221.html

So it really depends what your requirements are as per the answers others have already given.