What is our primary use case?
We use Meraki Dashboard to manage our wireless networks, and we will soon use it for the wired portion, too. We're talking with Cisco and some of their partners about doing full Ethernet and security, as well. We have about 1,500 users.
How has it helped my organization?
We don't have to manually update all the Meraki devices individually. Without Meraki Dashboard, we would have to manually update all the operating systems and do the testing when we deploy switches. Meraki Dashboard handles all of that. It has reduced our overhead and admin costs.
You need to configure multiple devices if you want to introduce something new to your network, and that could potentially break something in the network. We have fewer configuration errors because the Meraki portal will tell you if you've done something wrong. If you were to make the same mistake on a Catalyst switch, it would accept the configuration whether it was wrong or not. It's far easier to avoid mistakes on the Meraki Dashboard.
What is most valuable?
We like how Meraki Dashboard lets you manage all the devices in a single pane of glass. The dashboard is intuitive and easy to use. They are constantly updating the functionality. Switches from other vendors have the same features for the life of the device, but Meraki is always improving.
What needs improvement?
We're refreshing our networks and looking at the new Meraki MX250 firewall, one of the higher-end security devices. We're happy with what the devices can do, but they lack a few features found on older firewalls or competing products.
For instance, you should be able to see if something has been blocked by a firewall rule by looking at a live log of traffic moving through the device. It helps you troubleshoot issues and understand if your rules are working. You need to ensure the firewall is blocking the right things.
That's unavailable in the Meraki Dashboard. You have to send the logs to a log server. We use SolarWinds locally, but it's not natively built into Meraki. We're also using Cisco ISA and another tool called Smoothwall.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Meraki Dashboard for maybe about eighteen months now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We've never experienced an outage. If we ever lose internet connectivity, it will likely be an ISP problem, and any devices connected to Meraki Dashboard will keep working.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling isn't a problem. Meraki Dashboard can scale beyond what we will ever need. We're happy with that.
How are customer service and support?
I'm happy with Meraki support. I opened one ticket to ask about something I didn't understand. Meraki support resolved the issue quickly. I received a nice phone call from the Meraki support team.
How was the initial setup?
Deploying Meraki Dashboard isn't simple for us because we have a complex environment. The larger MX devices are at the main campus building, and there are branch sites with other MX devices on the branches.
The VPN is simple to set up because it's automated. There's a drop-down menu, and you select the devices you want to connect. You don't need to configure things like encryption or tunnels. Normally, I manage and configure the on-site routers individually, but I don't have to do that with Meraki. It's all automated.
All of the equipment is on-prem, but the Meraki Dashboard management interface is up in the cloud.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate Meraki Dashboard seven out of 10 for affordability. We get the best price from our partner who works directly with Meraki. The subscription is expensive, but you have to factor in the total cost of ownership. We expect to have the solution for five or six years. We will reduce admin costs because we spend less time on it, and the alternative was Cisco Catalyst or DNA Centers, which are also expensive. We wanted to stick with Cisco either way.
Our board of directors is pleased with it. While it is expensive, we will recover some of those management costs. It reduces the amount of time we spend on network management, freeing up some of our staff to do other things. We can allocate more people to the service desk or downsize.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We looked at other options, but they didn't match Meraki's ease of use. We didn't look at all the vendors because we're primarily a Cisco shop, and we had already invested in the Meraki platform for our wireless. We were happy with the Meraki, so we didn't feel the need to look at anything else.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Meraki Dashboard nine out of 10.
*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.