Senior Solution Architect at Quess Corp Limited
Reseller
Top 10
It has a cloud-managed dashboard, is scalable, straightforward to set up, and has good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "I found the cloud-managed dashboard most valuable in Meraki MS Switches."
  • "Management from a single dashboard is what I want to see from Meraki MS Switches."

What is our primary use case?

I use Meraki MS Switches for cloud-based management and web visibility, which I can control from a single pane of glass. I have a controller that lets me manage all devices.

What is most valuable?

I found the cloud-managed dashboard most valuable in Meraki MS Switches.

What needs improvement?

Management from a single dashboard is what I want to see from Meraki MS Switches.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The level of stability of Meraki MS Switches would depend on the environment.

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Meraki MS Switches
May 2024
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

My rating for Meraki MS Switches is nine out of ten in terms of scalability.

How are customer service and support?

The Meraki MS Switches technical support is good, so I rate it nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for Meraki MS Switches was straightforward and had no problems. The product is easy to manage and deploy. Deployment only took one week.

My company deployed Meraki MS Switches based on requirements. That was the only deployment strategy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

My company pays for Meraki MS Switches yearly. Pricing-wise, the product is relatively inexpensive.

What other advice do I have?

My company is both a reseller and user of Cisco Meraki solutions, including Meraki MS Switches.

I work on different models of Meraki MS Switches.

My company has multiple clients using Meraki MS Switches.

I recommend the product to others for cloud-based management. You can manage everything from the cloud.

My rating for Meraki MS Switches is nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Tech Engineer at Wipro
Real User
Reliable, easy to set up, and expand
Pros and Cons
  • "The switches are very stable."
  • "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."

What is our primary use case?

For our customers, there are multiple locations, around 3,500.

My configuration is to do the configurations on Cisco Meraki Dashboard. There are MS Avant switches, MS switches, MS routers, et cetera. Mostly, I work with all the switches, switch modems and routers, and access points also.

What is most valuable?

The switches are very stable. 

It's able to expand.

The product is easy to set up. 

What needs improvement?

Sometimes, when we plug the new switch into the internet, they will upgrade there and it'll take time. 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. In the console, we can find out there if the Cisco Meraki switch is not connected with the Meraki cloud. 

The MG21 is not working on a 5G SIM card. It requires 4G SIM cards. Therefore, we are using two links, an internet broadband link and one for MG21 that is on SIM card based for small sites. We all suffer a lot of issues for MG21. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable as a product. The solution is reliable. There aren't any bugs or glitches. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a product that can scale. It's not a problem.

How are customer service and support?

Typically, if I run into issues, I'd run them by my team lead. I don't reach out to Cisco directly. It's a good solution. We don't run into many issues. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Cisco and HP switches. 

I've also used an Alcatel switch.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very straightforward, actually. It is not complex. This is a simple product to configure.

In terms of the ease of setup, I'd rate it a nine out of ten. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not familiar with the exact cost of the solution. 

What other advice do I have?

Our organization has a partnership with Meraki.

It is a good product and it is scalable. It is not too complex in terms of configuration. It supports a lot of technology.

I'd rate the product eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Meraki MS Switches
May 2024
Learn what your peers think about Meraki MS Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
772,127 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Consultant at Decathlon International
Consultant
Good functionality and data capture with a helpful online dashboard
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is very straightforward."
  • "The switch capacity needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for switching delivery. It's quite basic. It provides connectivity. They are ethernet switches.

What is most valuable?

We like the ability to perform data capture and open it with Wireshark in case of issues.

For me, the best functionality is provided by Meraki for any device. The ability to manage the devices for the dashboard online, from the online dashboard. It is great.

The product is very straightforward. 

The stability of the product is very good. 

What needs improvement?

The switch capacity needs to be improved. Today we deploy some MS switches for the data center. Previously, it was a small data center and we get the most powerful device into the portfolio of Meraki to respond to this subject. However,  it could be great to have a better capacity with 10 gigs or 40 gigs, for example.

As a physical device, it's not extremely scalable.

For how long have I used the solution?

We started to resell Meraki devices to our customers around 2016. It's been around six years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is not scalable. It's a physical device and therefore limited. 

It's possible when you have virtualization, for example. For VMX, maybe, by the deployment VMX by Terraform and configuration automation, it's possible. However, with the physical devices, and so the switches, with the stack, we have scalability with the ports, with the interfaces, through a new device. I did it to the stack, however, globally, the solution, it's not as scalable as it could be. However, it's just due to the fact that it is a physical device.

How are customer service and support?

The support is very good. We are very satisfied with the technical support we get. They always resolve the issues we have.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I'm also familiar with Juniper or Huawei. The main differences between them are the facility to configure or deploy, and ease of use. Meraki is a real plug-and-play solution. That's why it's really good. With Juniper in particular you do need strong skills to get the most out of it. 

How was the initial setup?

It's a straightforward setup. It's not overly difficult. That's why we continue to use Meraki. I'd rate the product four out of five. 

The deployment is very quick. It takes only a few seconds to a few minutes. It's very fast. We have developed some API applications to automate the configuration and deployment without using the dashboard. We only need to put up a .CSV file and everything is done automatically. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is a good solution, however, it is quite expensive. I'd rate the cost at a three out of five. You do have to pay for the license, however, the licensing is quite expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten. We are quite satisfied with the solution genera. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Owner at Omma Consulting
Real User
Top 10
Manageable and easy to set up but there are some security issues
Pros and Cons
  • "The features are great."
  • "Its troubleshooting features need work."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution as a switch.

What is most valuable?

The features are great.

It's scalable. The expandability and ease of use are excellent. 

We like how easy the manageability is. 

The evolution of the product was also quite good. It's always getting better and better. 

It's very easy to set up.

This product is stable. The reliability is great.

What needs improvement?

Its troubleshooting features need work. They could adopt a console approach that could be more helpful.

If they offered more advanced management features, that would be useful. It is a cloud service; for example, if I were about to buy such a product, I would be very concerned about having cloud management for my switches. Anyone can have access from all over the world, and you can reload the switches from everywhere. That's fine. However, security is a bit of a concern for the cloud.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for the last five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product can scale well. It's not a problem at all. I've seen the evolution, and the scalability potential is one of the things that makes it more competitive than other products.

This product can work for both smaller and quite large organizations. 

How are customer service and support?

I've been working with Cisco for years now, so technical support was always something that turned us on to solutions with Cisco. We are pretty satisfied.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've also worked with Fortinet as well as Cisco. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution is quite simple and straightforward. It's not hard to set up.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not sure of the pricing. It's not an aspect I deal with directly. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

If I compare it with Fortinet switches or HPE switches. Overall, the benefits that you gain with the ease of use and the manageability with Meraki are good. Also, many products from other companies are more unstable. That's one of the reasons why our first choice was Catalyst Switches.

What other advice do I have?

I've worked with various Meraki solutions - not just switches. I've used access points, firewalls, etc. 

I'd recommend the solution is problem-free for the most part. However, the cost needs to be taken into account, and new users should work to calculate costs before agreeing to buy. 

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

I'm a customer and end-user. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Fabio Palme - PeerSpot reviewer
Solutions Architect at Ingram Micro
MSP
A easy to use solution with good application visibility
Pros and Cons
  • "Meraki MS Switches is easy to use and implement."
  • "I would like to see improvements to the dark mode in the next release, as I prefer the dark mode."

What is our primary use case?

I am a Solutions Architect. I work in presales. We make projects with our customers and then provide the solutions. We position the MS Switches. If the company changes from 24 ports to 48, for example, I will see that. I am also aware of when licenses are renewed.

Meraki MS Switches are used with the PoE version together with an access point. The solution is most common in the access layer. 

What is most valuable?

My clients value the application visibility of this solution. For example, for the Layer 2 switch, our customers are able to see not only the wireless aspect, but its cloud management.

What needs improvement?

The price of Meraki MS Switches should come down, particularly for the Layer 3 switch, which is the most expensive switch. 

Because we have Wi-Fi 6, which is 2.5 or sometimes 5 Gigabits, we want the biggest ports in the lowest, entry-level switch. Sometimes we have to provision the equipment because there are some gaps.

I would like to see improvements to the dark mode in the next release, as I prefer the dark mode.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Meraki MS Switches for more than four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is stable, however, after we closed the project, our clients reported that they had some problems. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Meraki MS Switches is scalable. Buy the licenses, and then plug them into the network.

How are customer service and support?

I require technical support when I need information regarding the product during presales. They meet my expectations and answer with clear and thorough information.

I would rate technical support a five out of five overall.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of this cloud based solution is very easy.

What other advice do I have?

Meraki MS Switches is easy to use and implement. The solution has good support, functions, and features.

I would rate this solution a nine out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Joseph Sidhom - PeerSpot reviewer
Telecommunication Group Leader at SCG
Real User
Top 10
Problem-free installation, but there is poor support for outdoor switches
Pros and Cons
  • "We have no problem with technical support from Cisco."
  • "Meraki should include an application to assist users with the design of access points."

What is our primary use case?

We are a technology consultant and we work with a variety of products, including Meraki MS Switches. We have installed these switches in certain hotels in Egypt.

One of the hotels we work with has standardized on Meraki.

What needs improvement?

Meraki's support for outdoor switches is something that we're facing problems with. This is an area that needs to be improved.

Meraki should include an application to assist users with the design of access points.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been working with Meraki MS Switches for perhaps two years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a good switch for a small installation, such as a hotel, but it's not an enterprise-level solution. In that regard, it is not very scalable.

The hotel network has almost 300 rooms.

How are customer service and support?

We have no problem with technical support from Cisco. They have good support, although it's not cheap. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have experience with switches from different vendors including Cisco and HP.

HPE Aruba is very popular in my country, and we have done a lot of these installations. Most people, given the choice between Aruba and Cisco, choose to implement Aruba.

One of the advantages to Aruba is that the switches have a lifetime warranty. They are also cheaper than Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

We have not faced any problems with respect to installation. They just need internet connectivity for the cloud configuration.

What about the implementation team?

Installation is done by the system integrators.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Meraki is not an expensive switch, like Cisco. However, the cost of technical support is expensive.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have researched different Cisco solutions. One of the things that we have found is that Stealthwatch for Cisco has the sensors built into the switches. We are interested in knowing whether that feature is compatible with other hardware because we don't want to be tied to a single vendor.

What other advice do I have?

Some companies in Egypt are not allowed to use cloud-based services, so the use of this type of product has not been popular.

I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
DarrenHaun - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Vice President at Horizon Mechanical Solutions
Real User
The VPN and VLAN features are easy to set up and use
Pros and Cons
  • "Meraki's site-to-site VPN function is phenomenal, and the VLAN is simple to use and set up. If you need the VLAN to sort the networks out, that works very well. The performance is also excellent."
  • "Licensing is the only thing I can complain about. It's expensive, but everything is these days."

How has it helped my organization?

When Meraki creates a VPN, you don't even have to configure it. You say that you want this to talk, and it automatically creates a connection. That's the greatest part of it. You don't have to deal with passwords and keys.

What is most valuable?

Meraki's site-to-site VPN function is phenomenal, and the VLAN is simple to use and set up. If you need the VLAN to sort the networks out, that works very well. The performance is also excellent.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Meraki MS Switches for a couple of years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Meraki MS Switches are rock solid. We haven't had any downtime.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It'll scale up as much as I need, and there are many more options higher than what I've got, so their scalability is superb. Right now, we have about 40 users.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco support is excellent. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I had some Hewlett Packard switches before. We decided to go with Meraki because it offers a holistic integrated solution with management through a single pane of glass.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up a Meraki switch is straightforward. You just plug it in, and it goes. I could do it all myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing is the only thing I can complain about. It's expensive, but everything is these days. There are no added costs beyond the hardware. Overall, I rate Meraki MS Switches eight out of 10 for affordability. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Meraki MS Switches 10 out of 10. If you're considering Meraki, I say do it. You'll never look back.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Tech Specialist, Client Network DeliveryTech at AT&T
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Stable cloud managed network switches with a valuable plug-and-play feature
Pros and Cons
  • "Meraki MS Switches are amazing. Whoever built it is a genius. I like that it's a plug-and-play solution."
  • "It could be more advanced and secure. Meraki MS Switches are ideal for a mid-sized enterprise. But you can't work with this appliance if you need more security or want to do complex or advanced things. Technical support could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Meraki MS Switches for our LAN users.

What is most valuable?

Meraki MS Switches are amazing. Whoever built it is a genius. I like that it's a plug-and-play solution.

What needs improvement?

It could be more advanced and secure. Meraki MS Switches are ideal for a mid-sized enterprise. But you can't work with this appliance if you need more security or want to do complex or advanced things. Technical support could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Meraki MS Switches for the past six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Meraki MS Switches is a very stable product.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give stability a ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Meraki MS Switches is a scalable solution.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give scalability a ten.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is not good at all. Even those guys struggle, and they work on a US time zone. Whenever we raised a ticket, we had to wait one or two days to get a status and move the case forward to the next level.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. You just need the Internet, and you're good to go.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented this solution. You only need one person to install and deploy this product.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Cisco Catalyst is far more expensive compared to Meraki. That's the reason we are using more IT systems.

What other advice do I have?

I would tell potential users that it's an ideal solution if they don't have a complex network and don't want to do much IT work.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Meraki MS Switches a ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: May 2024
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