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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Meraki MX comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch E...
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (23rd)
Cisco Meraki MX
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
80
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (10th), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (6th)
 

Q&A Highlights

it_user689088 - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Jul 18, 2017
 

Featured Reviews

MK
Operational Manager at Astrah Technologies
Has enabled reliable access control with good scalability
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches. They do not hang often and are very reliable,…
Md Rafique - PeerSpot reviewer
it support at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Centralized security management has simplified daily monitoring and remote troubleshooting
One area that could be improved is providing more advanced reporting and analytics within the dashboard, especially more detailed historical data and customizable reports. It would also be useful to have greater flexibility for advanced firewall and security configuration without making the interface more complex. Better customization and more detailed troubleshooting information would also help administrators. Another improvement would be more granular control over alerts and notifications, so administrators can prioritize critical security and network events without being overwhelmed by less important alerts. More detailed historical analysis and easier integration with third-party security and monitoring tools would also be valuable. Overall, I would keep the simplicity of the Meraki dashboard while adding more advanced options for administrators who need deeper control and visibility. One additional improvement would be better support for integration with third-party security and monitoring platforms. More flexible APIs, deeper SIEM integration, and more detailed security analytics would make Cisco Meraki MX even more useful for organizations with a broader security stack, while the simplicity and centralized management are already strong points.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all functional."
"We are able to customize this solution based on the customer's requirements."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"The product is stable. It does have only one power supply. They don't have a redundant power supply."
"The solution doesn't have many proprietary protocols like Cisco's. It mainly uses standard protocols like VRRP (similar to Cisco's HSRP), Spanning Tree, and Rapid Spanning Tree, which can sometimes cause integration issues."
"The product's initial setup phase is not complex. It is easy to install the tool."
"Enables direct access to clusters."
"This is a dependable switch which will help you sleep at night."
"MX is easy to manage, configure and install."
"Cisco Meraki MX has had a positive impact by saving time, improving security, and making troubleshooting much easier."
"The solution is simple, fast to set up, and brilliant for its use."
"Both Meraki and Aerohive are good products, and I prefer Meraki."
"The solution is easy to set up."
"Meraki MX has been a stable solution so far, and I haven't faced any issues with it."
"What I like the most about Cisco Meraki MX is the ease of simplicity; it is easy to deploy, templatization, and security."
"Their technical support has been great."
 

Cons

"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches would be improved if cloud-based technology was provided in the Gulf region."
"The network connection should be improved."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"My customer's team is not able to understand the loophole with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches, but apart from that, there are no issues."
"The price should be lowered so that we can capture more of the market for Ethernet switches."
"I find the CLI hard to use. I wish we could do more in the GUI interface."
"The product would be better if it were completely compatible with other switching products."
"The solution's pricing should be reduced."
"You cannot use switching behaviors as you see on the Meraki switch."
"The configuration options for firewall and IPS have limitations."
"The Cisco supply chain is problematic although that may not be all their fault."
"Sometimes you want a little bit more control, and you don't have that control with Meraki MX."
"Right now, you can postpone the update but eventually, if you don't do the update, it will install the updates automatically for you and that's something that is not working for me."
"Could possibly use deeper configurations."
"The current lead time is longer for Meraki MX, and it needs to be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"It is an expensive solution."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"Meraki MX is an expensive solution."
"We just have to pay for the product and the license. We have a license for three years, and it is renewed every three years. It costs $1,200 for three years for one endpoint. Meraki had a good promotion for remote workers or remote workforce. The discount is very good. This promotion continues till the next fiscal year of Cisco."
"I rate the tool's price a four on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is very expensive."
"The license cost depends on the box. We acquired a different product line. We are dealing with MX appliance now, that is, MX6, MX54, MX100, MX250, MX450. Every box has got an identity, and it has got its own specification. Every box has got a different license fee. We deployed Meraki MX in UAE when it was not a mature product. We took a risk, but we were successful. We saved a huge amount of money after implementing and removing all the MPLS and leased lines. We got a broadband connection because Meraki MX could work on a broadband connection. We have drastically saved a very good amount of money, which was one of the successful things apart from the successful solution."
"It is a good global solution in terms of the price and features, but because we sell this solution in dollars, sometimes we don't get to sell this solution in Brazil because the dollar is very expensive. The price of every project is different. It varies depending upon the project, scenario, and client."
"Meraki is also expensive, but it's a little bit less expensive and it's easier to configure than Cisco ASA."
"Its licensing cost could be better."
"In my country, the product is cheap compared to the UK because of the differences in taxes."
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Answers from the Community

it_user689088 - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Jul 18, 2017
Jul 18, 2017
With a good diagram and keeping in mind the whole routing part, it is really simple configuration, I have no knowledge on Alcatel switches but you will not have any problems for compatibility ...
2 out of 13 answers
AB
Founder and Lead Network Consultant at Airowire Networks
Jul 12, 2017
Hi, Could you elaborate on your requirement. What do you mean by "integrate" ? What do you intend to do ?
AS
Deputy Manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Jul 12, 2017
The Meraki MX100 is an enterprise security appliance designed for distributed deployments that require remote administration. It is ideal for network administrators who demand both ease of deployment and a state-of-the-art feature set. This security appliance provides the following new features: Two GbE SFP connections (requires optional Meraki SFP-1GB-SX transceiver). USB port, to support approved 3G/4G cards for failover to cellular networks. 1TByte cache storage for WAN acceleration. LAN 2 port can be configured to be a LAN or WAN connection, allowing support up to 2 WAN connections. Dedicated management port. Front-panel rack mounts. Now want to know about your issues. Is it a deployment factor with Alcatel switches ?
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Computer Software Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business47
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise20
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
In terms of pricing, Alcatel is cheaper than Cisco, however, MikroTik is the cheapest. I cannot comment on the pricing reasonability as I am a technical person, and decisions are made by those who ...
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco.
What is your primary use case for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users.
Fortigate 60d vs. Meraki MX67 for a small company without a dedicated IT Department
We have Meraki Mx devices now, we are looking to replace them. But that is because the Meraki MX platform lacks SSL Inspection, Granular Firewall rules (Block only, no allow setting), client vpn re...
Which is better - Meraki MX or Cisco ASA Firewall?
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software is the operating software for the Cisco ASA suite. It supports network security and firewall options. We researched both Meraki and ASA. We liked t...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MX?
I find the pricing for Cisco Meraki MX reasonable and competitive given the features provided and the target market. I believe it is acceptable.
 

Also Known As

Alcatel-Lucent Ethernet Switches, OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches
MX64, MX64W, MX84, MX100, MX400, MX600
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bayonette, California State University (CSU), Centre Hospitalier Carcassonne, Centro Universitšrio de Brasilia (UniCEUB), China Tianchen Engineering Corporation Co. LTD, Citta Della Speranza, City of Frankfurt, City of Ogden, City of Vila Franca de Xira
Hyatt, ONS
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