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 are both stable and scalable."
"It is easy to configure and troubleshoot."
"Its performance and reliability are valuable."
"The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
"What I like the most is the performance and the latency that Cisco provides."
"I like that it's easy to use."
"The queue functionality is the solution's most valuable feature, specifically because we are delivering a lot of Layer 2 services. Layer 2 protocol tunnels work well on Cisco switches."
"Cisco switches have several valuable features like VLAN mapping. We seldom use that, but we find the security configurations helpful, like high availability with trading port channels and MAC filtering."
"I found the cloud-managed dashboard most valuable in Meraki MS Switches."
"Meraki MS Switches have a very user-friendly dashboard and the policies are straightforward for sending them to the devices and blocking sites."
"It is easy to deploy, maintain, and update. It has been trouble-free so far. I am still a Cisco command-line bigot, but the web interface makes it a lot easier for our help desk to interact with a client. When the clients call in and say that they aren't able to connect, it takes the help desk 10 minutes or less to look at everything in the enterprise or location. They can look at the firewall, switches, or access points in the dashboard. That's why I like the dashboard."
"The most valuable feature about Meraki is the console. The second most valuable feature, to me, is the technical support and the infrastructure behind the console."
"It is easy to configure and provides complete visibility of the graphic end point."
"The most valuable feature of Meraki MS Switches is user-friendliness."
"The most valuable feature is cloud management."
"They're easy to update."
"I don't like the fact that the product is very expensive."
"The price could be lower. It's quite expensive."
"Cisco products are expensive compared to any other solution. Now, there are many competitors that give the same level of services - such as Juniper or Aruba."
"Because of the cyber attacks, they should focus more on VoIP."
"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?"
"If we can have fewer bugs on our switches, that would be great. We had bugs that caused the switch to reboot. There is probably a problem with the software."
"The platform's management features need improvement."
"An improvement would be to change their market intention. Almost all the Cisco switches are now coming with a license called DNA. D for Delta, N for number and A for apple. That feature is required, he must purchase it and it is a mandatory thing that has been introduced. This is not matching with the Asian market."
"It can have better security. It needs more security enhancements, and in particular, a zero-trust element. If we could have external and internal users vetted in the same way as a zero-trust network, that will be handy."
"In terms of troubleshooting, if we get more tools there is an issue."
"Mandatory maintenance is an area that needs improvement."
"It is a compact switch, so there are a limited number of ports, and it needs improvement in terms of scalability."
"This product depends on a cloud connection in order to function. If you have an unstable internet connection or other connectivity issues the product will not function as expected."
"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"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 switch capacity needs to be improved."
Cisco Ethernet Switches is ranked 1st in Ethernet Switches with 128 reviews while Meraki MS Switches is ranked 5th in Ethernet Switches with 87 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 Huawei 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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We monitor all Ethernet Switches reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.