2504 vs 3850 WLC Lobby Admin account - which works best for end user?

[Daniel Mangan]

Hello,

I have a new client I'm about to do a greenfield set up for, and they would like to a incorporate a Cisco wireless solution for guest access. The key to it being the ability for non-technical staff to provision guest accounts on the spot using the Lobby Admin account.

I have spent a few hours researching this today, and have come across multiple mentions that the Lobby Ambassador Guest Administration page is quite basic, and doesn't allow the Lobby Admin to print or e-mail the details once they've been generated (surely they copy/paste or hit CTRL+P in the browser through...).

Simplicity of this particular feature a key requirement, so I would like to know which of the two is going to be my best bet - a 2504 with a 3750X, or a 3850 in MC mode with the right number of AP licences? I prefer the 3850, but I can't find any screenshots of either online, so was hoping somebody here would be able to show me an image or two of the process, so I can make a clear decision.

The site is far too small to warrant Prime Infrastructure or Aruba ClearPass, so would like to know, am I better off coaching users to hit CTRL+P in the browser window to print out the access details once they've been created? 

Any assistance greatly appreciated. A screenshot or two would be excellent help, that is if anybody has the equipment and time!

Thanks,

-Daniel

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

In my personal opinion, if you want a good Guest wifi backend then there's nothing that can beat Purple WiFi or Normadix.

[Daniel Mangan]

Thanks for the tips Leo. I like that Purple WiFi integrates with a WLC, however it's social media marketing angle might not appeal in this instance. It seems this and products like Aruba haven't quite got there with new ios based controller integration...so as a safety net, I'm thinking the 2504 is looking like it has a few more options in this area...

Nomadix looks very impressive, I'll definitely take a closer look.