We compared Cisco Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches based on our user's reviews in several parameters.
The Cisco Ethernet Switches are highlighted for their excellent network performance, advanced security features, and positive customer service reviews. On the other hand, the Meraki MS Switches are praised for their ease of configuration, cloud-based accessibility, and strong network security features. Cisco switches offer cost savings and reliable connections, while Meraki switches focus on user-friendly management and integration capabilities. Cisco switches could benefit from improvements in network speed and reliability, whereas Meraki switches could enhance power supply options and third-party device compatibility.
Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for their excellent network performance, seamless connectivity, advanced security measures, and user-friendly interface. On the other hand, Meraki MS Switches stand out for their easy configuration, cloud-based deployment, layer 7 application visibility, and strong security features.
Pricing and ROI: The setup cost of Cisco Ethernet Switches is considered reasonable and not overly complex or time-consuming. Users have found them to be a cost-effective solution that is easy to set up and manage. On the other hand, Meraki MS Switches also offer a straightforward and easy-to-handle setup cost. Reviewers have praised the flexibility and options available for licensing customization., The Cisco Ethernet Switches offer significant cost savings, improved network performance, and advanced features with easy management. Meanwhile, the Meraki MS Switches deliver increased network efficiency, cost savings, improved performance, and centralized management capabilities with ease of use.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Ethernet Switches can improve in network speed and reliability, connectivity, data transfer speed, stable connections, ease of use, setup, and configuration. On the other hand, Meraki MS Switches need enhancements in power supply, compatibility, port configuration flexibility, and occasional connectivity issues.
Deployment and customer support: User reviews indicate that there are mixed opinions on the duration required to establish a new tech solution with Cisco Ethernet Switches. Some users reported three months for deployment and an additional week for setup, while others mentioned one week for both phases. On the other hand, feedback on Meraki MS Switches varied, with some users mentioning three months for deployment, others reporting one week, and there was a separate one-week setup phase mentioned. Contextual interpretation is crucial., The customer service and support for Cisco Ethernet Switches is highly rated and positively regarded, based on user feedback. For Meraki MS Switches, users have expressed satisfaction with the customer service provided, highlighting their responsiveness, knowledge, and promptness in addressing inquiries effectively.
The summary above is based on 92 interviews we conducted recently with Cisco Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.
"These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."
"The layer-2 switching is very fast."
"The solution is a high-end router that can handle a huge network with tons of traffic."
"For me, the initial setup was easy and straightforward, but for some of our customers who are not as familiar with networking, it can be complicated."
"The solution is highly reliable."
"We can easily integrate the product with any OEM solutions."
"The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
"You get good support for Cisco Ethernet Switches versus other products in the market."
"We find value in its ability to enable cloud management and visibility. They are also easy to deploy. It's very convenient because you can see who is accessing, what type of UI system they're using, what applications they're using, the bandwidth, and more."
"Meraki MS Switches have a very user-friendly dashboard and the policies are straightforward for sending them to the devices and blocking sites."
"The features are great."
"The initial setup is easy."
"The initial setup is straightforward. You only need two people for deployment and maintenance."
"To me, this is a product that meets all of the needs that anyone could possibly have for a networking device."
"The technical support is quite good."
"I like the support, and basically, that's why I'm using Meraki by Cisco."
"Cisco has a licensing procedure that is very complicated and it changes every six months."
"Putting in a more complete management infrastructure would help when it comes to handling lower-end switches."
"When you contact support, they don't give you the expert at first, they give you the beginner. Only after going around in a circle do they give you experts. Why don't they just give the expert from the beginning?"
"The initial setup can be simplified."
"I haven't heard from my engineers that they said it's excellent."
"The solution's reliability should be improved."
"You have to be Cisco-certified to work on Cisco products, so we can't get into Cisco to do even basic configurations."
"You do have to buy into the Cisco architecture to be able to use them."
"At times, we didn't know whether the switch was operating or not so we have to take the console and we have to do some troubleshooting."
"The pricing of the solution can be improved."
"Communication of compliance risk is awkward at best and threatening at worst. It needs to be addressed."
"The documentation could be more extensive. For example, it could describe more scenarios. It would be great if they could incorporate AI engines into the switching infrastructure and firewall so you can configure it to prevent intrusion. They have intrusion prevention and detection, but they could enhance it by incorporating AI into their firewall."
"The solution could be simplified a bit."
"The licensing model needs to be improved."
"Meraki MS switches are great for pretty much all SMB networks and most enterprise networks. However, there are some higher-end functions that larger enterprise networks with full access, distribution, and core switch stack may find limiting."
"It would be good to include the command-line access someday."
Cisco Ethernet Switches is ranked 1st in Ethernet Switches with 128 reviews while Meraki MS Switches is ranked 5th in Ethernet Switches with 89 reviews. Cisco Ethernet Switches is rated 8.6, while Meraki MS Switches is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Cisco Ethernet Switches writes "It's a solidly stable product from a leader in the field". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Meraki MS Switches writes "They're not expensive and configuration is very easy". Cisco Ethernet Switches is most compared with Aruba Switches, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access, D-Link Ethernet Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and H3C Ethernet Switches, whereas Meraki MS Switches is most compared with Aruba Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access, NETGEAR Switches and Arista Networks Platform. See our Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches report.
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