Cisco Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches are contenders in the network switch market. Cisco Ethernet Switches hold an edge in performance and versatile feature set, while Meraki MS Switches are favored for their ease of deployment and management.
Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches include a power-saving architecture, Smartports, and MACSec encryption to enhance security and performance. They offer StackPower and robust QoS to prioritize network traffic, with layer-3 switching for extensive protocol support. On the other hand, Meraki MS Switches offer zero-touch deployment, cloud-based management, and centralized dashboard visibility, allowing for seamless updates and efficient network maintenance.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Ethernet Switches face challenges with high costs and configuration complexity, often leading to user calls for better UIs and third-party integrations. There are concerns regarding proprietary technologies and vendor lock-in. Meanwhile, Meraki MS Switches are hampered by their dependency on cloud licensing, which affects pricing. Users also seek better support for advanced features and protocols that do not require cloud access.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Ethernet Switches usually need on-premises deployment and technical expertise, though they offer solid technical support that occasionally lacks consistency. Meraki MS Switches shine in deployment with their cloud-based infrastructure and automated features, offering proactive support, although internet dependence can be problematic.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Ethernet Switches are known for their significant initial investment, including high licensing and maintenance costs, yet they provide a strong ROI through longevity and reliability. They are favored by enterprises with flexible budgets. In contrast, Meraki MS Switches, while expensive, benefit from cost-effective cloud management and ease of use, presenting a strong ROI for organizations prioritizing ease and rapid deployment.
Cisco support is quick and responsive, often answering within an hour.
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
The support is excellent and rated ten out of ten.
If the devices are licensed, the support team will assist you depending on the severity level of the case.
Cisco's tech support is pretty good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Cisco mainly provides security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features supporting my organization's expansion.
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
The scalability depends on the model.
They're quite scalable for my environment.
The switches are very stable, rated ten out of ten.
If something happens to the device or hardware, Cisco will automatically change the device by the next business day.
We faced issues following firmware updates, which we now handle by performing updates outside of working hours.
In the data center portion, we need to provide the fiber channel and Nexus switch to use a more reliable solution.
For example, on switches, filtering specific sections isn't supported, whereas, on routers, you can do 'show run' with additional commands to filter.
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
Most people are familiar with the Cisco commands, and it would be beneficial if the switch could be accessed by GUI configuration and by normally accessing the console.
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
Meraki should also consider improvements in stacking features, particularly in the lower-end models like NS130, where stacking isn't supported, unlike with Cisco traditional switching.
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
We need to pay for the subscription, as there are extra expenses after purchasing the product.
The tool is quite expensive.
Meraki MS Switches, including their licensing, are somewhat expensive, particularly when compared with competitor solutions like HP.
Pricing is affordable, and licenses for the cloud need to be purchased every three to five years.
Meraki pricing is a little premium compared to other vendor products.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
Cisco Duo is a great tool for increasing security within our company, making resources more protected.
Cisco is mainly known for its security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features which support my organization's expansion.
One of the most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches is its precise traffic analytics capabilities, allowing us to query the system for any place at any time.
The control plane is in the cloud, and the data plane is local, allowing manageability from anywhere.
The most valuable feature is the ability to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud.
Meraki MS Switches are first-line cloud-managed access and aggregation switches that combine the benefits of cloud-based centralized management with a reliable access platform. With cloud management, thousands of switch ports can be configured and monitored instantly over the web.
Meraki MS Switches Features
Meraki MS Switches have many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
Meraki MS Switches Benefits
There are many benefits to implementing Meraki MS Switches. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
Reviews from Real Users
Meraki MS Switches is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are its accessibility, application visibility, and flexibility features.
Jóhann T., IT Manager at Sund Upper Secondary School, says, “Accessibility is what I find most valuable in Meraki MS Switches, because I'm able to check things and see if they're working, without being on-site at all times.”
A Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company mentions, "The top feature of Meraki MS switches for me is Layer 7 application visibility. Another positive in general is that you don't need to set up a console to the switch itself; it dials into a single dashboard where you can completely manage all your network devices."
John M., user at Baseline Consulting, LLC, comments, "I like the flexibility of the Meraki firewall. It gives you the ability to lock things down. Having multiple VLANs is helpful for the switching infrastructure and firewall. It's crucial when you have a public-facing VLAN, a private-facing VLAN, and a secure VLAN."
PeerSpot user William M., Consulting Engineer at IV4, expresses, "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."
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