What is our primary use case?
At this time, I am an SE engineer, so I engage with customers to understand their problems and develop technologies for them. Our use cases span across education, finance, and retail industries. We are working on renewing all the wireless setups at stores like Walmart, Bodega Aurrera, and Sam's Club.
What is most valuable?
The main value of using
Cisco Wireless WAN with Meraki is that the technology is cloud-based, making it more accessible for the customer to troubleshoot and implement changes remotely. We are also working with new APs and are transitioning to WiFi six, with WiFi seven on the horizon.
What needs improvement?
We are conducting proof of concepts with VOIP and electronic tags. Walmart is interested in using electronic tags instead of paper labels for easier price changes on products. We are still testing some features with these electronic tags, so there is room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution for about eight years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There isn't a limit to scalability, but for deployments exceeding five thousand equipment, it requires opening a case with Meraki support to increase capacity.
How are customer service and support?
While Cisco's support is generally good, there is an issue with case continuity. If an engineer's shift ends, I have to re-explain everything to a new engineer, which is challenging.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of
Cisco Wireless WAN is one of the easiest on the market. It does not require physical APs to be present for configuration. By logging into the Meraki dashboard and entering the AP's serial number, I can configure the groups and apply settings once the AP arrives.
What was our ROI?
Cisco and Meraki products are trusted in the industry, which is significant for return on investment. However, Cisco's licensing structure is more expensive than FortiNet, as it requires different tiers of licenses to access advanced features.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is one of the higher in the industry.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have considered FortiNet. Deploying FortiNet and quoting licenses have shown that their basic licenses offer many features, whereas Cisco requires purchasing additional enterprise licenses for advanced features.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Cisco Wireless WAN a nine out of ten. It's a reliable product, though improvements in customer support continuity could be beneficial.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
