Comparing Cloudpath by Ruckus to Portnox Cloud

Does Cloudpath work in truly heterogeneous, multi-vendor environments?

To a limited extent. Cloudpath focuses primarily on Wi-Fi onboarding and certificate-based authentication, often in conjunction with Ruckus wireless controllers and infrastructure. While it can technically integrate with third-party RADIUS servers and non-Ruckus switches, most of its native capabilities—especially related to enforcement—assume you’re using Ruckus gear. It lacks robust dynamic access control capabilities like VLAN switching, CoA (Change of Authorization), or adaptive policies across different hardware platforms.

In short, it may get devices onto the network securely, but it does little to govern what happens afterward—particularly in a mixed-vendor enterprise environment.

Portnox, by contrast, is built from the ground up for vendor-neutrality. It provides full access control capabilities—including posture-based authentication, dynamic VLAN assignment, enforcement across wired and wireless, and real-time CoA—no matter what switches, access points, or firewalls you’re using. This makes it far more suitable for enterprise environments with hybrid infrastructure.

Multi-Vendor Support

Is Cloudpath a fully cloud-native NAC solution?

No. Despite its name and marketing, Cloudpath is not a fully cloud-native SaaS solution. It typically requires an on-premises virtual appliance to be installed within the organization’s network or data center—even if it’s managed via a cloud dashboard. This appliance handles RADIUS functions, certificate enrollment, and policy enforcement. You’re still responsible for patching, scaling, high availability, and backups. And you’re still bottlenecked by the limitations of on-site infrastructure.

Portnox is a true SaaS NAC. It requires no hardware, no virtual appliances, and no on-premise RADIUS servers. Everything runs in the cloud and scales elastically. From configuration to daily operations, it’s hands-off, always-on, and completely abstracted from infrastructure maintenance. This results in significantly lower TCO and dramatically faster time to value.

Deployment Model

Can Cloudpath scale easily to support branch offices and remote users?

Not well. Cloudpath was designed primarily for secure Wi-Fi onboarding in education and mid-market verticals—not for enterprise-scale NAC across distributed networks. When trying to support multiple branch offices or a hybrid workforce, it lacks the architectural flexibility and feature set needed for centralized, policy-driven control. Enforcement typically relies on proximity to the appliance or the RADIUS server it’s tied to. For remote users, its capabilities are essentially nonexistent—it assumes corporate Wi-Fi is the edge of your access challenge.

Portnox, however, excels in distributed environments. It supports secure access policies across all users, locations, and device types—whether at HQ, remote branches, or on the road. Portnox can assess and enforce policy on remote endpoints without requiring VPNs or direct network connections. Whether the user is on corporate LAN or public Wi-Fi, Portnox provides consistent, real-time access control enforcement without the need to deploy infrastructure at each location.

Scalability & Remote Access

Does Cloudpath support deep device posture assessment and dynamic policy enforcement?

No. Cloudpath’s focus is on onboarding and issuing certificates. It may validate some basic device identity and OS version during onboarding, but once a device is authenticated, there’s no continuous assessment of its security posture. It does not monitor for changes in compliance, such as updated AV status, disk encryption, OS patch level, or risk-based conditions. And it certainly doesn’t support adaptive policy decisions based on real-time device health.

Portnox goes far beyond onboarding. It continuously evaluates a device’s compliance with security policies—including detailed posture checks for things like antivirus status, disk encryption, screen lock policies, and patch levels. Portnox also supports real-time enforcement actions when devices fall out of compliance, such as de-authentication, VLAN changes, or session termination. This keeps your network clean and compliant—day in, day out.

Posture Assessment & BYOD Controls