Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Reviews

I've been working with schools for about 20 years. I previously worked in a school with four campuses and about one thousand students, where I managed all four campuses' wireless networks with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN.

The solution's most valuable features at that time were the ease of managing on the cloud without having a server and the authentication using RADIUS integrated with the server on the cloud. It will be authenticated by MAC address, and access will be provided through that.

Updating the equipment and the scheme they use to bill for the license could be improved. We once had to move some access points from one campus to another. Since each campus has its own specifications, we had to delete the access points from one and reschedule them on the other, but we spent money on a new license. That was a management problem we faced.

We tried to implement the single sign-on with Google, which was a bit complex.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a very stable solution. We had issues with models, and at that time, it was very sensible to glitches on the internet network. Since we completely depend on the internet network, any problem with the network will cause issues.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has huge scalability because everything will be compatible with it.

The solution's technical support depends on the local supplier. You can contract a simple support system with the local supplier. You can also buy support with Cisco, but it's really costly.

Positive

Each product is deployed with a specific target. Aruba is more specific for security, and Ruckus is more network and wireless-focused. Aruba is the best option if you want ten access points. If you make a network of 20 to 40 access points, Ruckus will give you the best management because it has some software that makes it easier to implement and manage.

If you want to integrate everything with voice-over IP and video, Cisco is the best option because it gives you more granularity on how you can configure it.

I could do most of the deployment by myself. It was a one-man job instead of a team. Otherwise, you will need an expert in each campus. I deployed the solution on one campus during one summer vacation, and the next summer, I deployed it on another campus. The next summer, we deployed it on the third campus, and so on. Everything was deployed after a couple of years, and we could use it.

You could say we deployed the solution in a couple of months because the actual deployment happened during the summer vacations.

The solution's pricing is a little higher. Earlier, you didn't have many options. Currently, Cisco's pricing is still high, but there are other options available. All the other brands, like Aruba and Ruckus, are catching up. Pricing is becoming more of an issue with Cisco because it's still very high compared with other products. The other products are implementing the technology that Cisco has.

Meraki has a lot of levels of security implementation. The first one is very limited because you can only block ten web pages with it, and it's not very granular. If you want to do something else, you have to buy another product specifically for security and put it on the network.

Meraki now implements access points and switches and has a security brand element. It depends on what level of security you want to put in, but each one of those, on a price basis, is still a little higher than any other brand.

I would recommend the solution to other users based on their needs. If you need some specific issues addressed or if your implementation is small, you should probably go with Aruba. If your computation is middle-sized or if you're planning to grow a lot, you should probably start looking at Ruckus or Cisco.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

We use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for wireless networks.

We use the solution's bandwidth shaping, URL filtering, and group policy configuration features.

The solution’s pricing could be improved.

I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for six months.

I rate the solution ten out of ten for stability.

The solution's scalability is limitless and can meet our organization's growth. Around 200 users are using the solution in our organization.

I rate the solution ten out of ten for scalability.

The solution’s initial setup is easy.

Two people deployed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN in our organization within a few hours.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten.

We use the solution to support the IT workforce in the wireless network. The solution has simplified management and seamless connectivity. The solution provides security from viruses and reduces my bandwidth overhead.

We have two types of monitoring. We use a third-party tool to monitor my entire network. In the Meraki dashboard, we use Meraki monitoring for the wireless client. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is deployed on the cloud in our organization. I would recommend Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten.

We use the product to manage three SSIDs catering to different network traffic.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has a valuable cloud management feature. It is easy to manage and monitor cloud activities. It enables quick deployment within all branches for the users. It provides great performance even in 0℃ temperatures in some places.

In some cases, they could include enhanced features in the product, such as a firewall console and traffic analysis.

We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for three years.

We encounter some issues related to DNS resolution once or twice a year. However, the stability works fine for almost 99% of the time.

The platform is easy and quick to scale. We can add up devices on SSIDs for every configuration or node.

We never contacted Cisco's technical support team directly. We receive services from an authorized partner.

We previously used Fortinet APs integrated with their UTM solution for security. It provides an efficient integration.

It is easy to set up, and we take assistance from a third-party engineer to execute the process. It takes a few hours to complete.

We take help from contractors. They assist us with any queries during implementation.

Cisco Meraki Wireless provides 20 ports and other components like switches at half the price of Aruba HP for the same features.

The platform is expensive. Its licenses for 20 ports cost around $1000, including one year of support services.

I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten.

The cloud management feature is a great feature of the solution.

Since we have no complaints in our company using the product so far, it looks like we are using a great product.

The solution cannot be looked upon for one year or short term because you will pay back all the discounts they offer the next time you pay for renewal. So, the aforementioned details can be considered under the solution's room for improvement.

We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for a couple of years in our company. Information related to the version is something that we can obtain from the portal because it's available there. My company has a partnership with Cisco Meraki.

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten. Less than 50 people in my company use the solution.

We didn't need to contact technical support.

The solution's initial setup process was straightforward. In a couple of days, the deployment process was done.

Our in-house team did the implementation.

The box itself is very cheap. The question here is about the subscription because this is what you will pay every year. In the initial year, for purchasing, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN gives you an attractive price. While during renewal, we are not given much discount.

I would recommend others to use it and urge them to pay the subscription upfront so that they can have the best value and discount.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Our primary use case for the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN solution is providing Internet access, particularly for guests and remote environments. It enables us to implement controls such as a hospitality landing page for guest authentication, enhancing security and user experience.

The product's coverage area could be expanded. It would help ensure better connectivity.

We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for three months.

I rate the platform's stability seven out of ten. Sometimes, there might be network outages or power shortages. The SSID remains safe; however, you may need to switch off your Wi-Fi and switch it back on the network to resolve connectivity issues.

The scalability is quite satisfactory. I rate it around seven or eight, but not a perfect ten. I have deployed it for over 150 users.

The technical support services are good.

Positive

The product is easy to deploy. It took a few minutes to complete.

The platform is highly priced. We have purchased its five-year license.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is quite helpful in supporting remote work environments. It's easy to manage and provides a clear network view, allowing efficient navigation down to the network details.

The most useful feature is the ability to determine and control traffic flow. Additionally, the reporting features are valuable. Since I manage the system through the cloud setup, the cloud management feature is quite easy to use. It has a network efficiency of 60%. The platform is stable and easy to deploy.

I rate it an eight out of ten.

We use the solution for user-end connectivity. 

The tool's most valuable feature is report generation. Its dashboard helps me a lot with user analytics.

Despite being enabled, I've encountered an issue where the alert main dashboard fails to detect when any of the devices go down. Hence, the tool's notification feature should improve. We have also faced issues with integration. 

I have been using the product for five years. 

I rate the product's stability a ten out of ten. 

I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's scalability a nine out of ten. My company has three users. 

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's tech support is problematic and takes time to respond. We don't even have contact numbers. 

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's deployment is simple. 

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's pricing is high. 

I rate the product a nine out of ten. 

We use the solution for our 100-plus access points.

Cloud management, wireless infrastructure, and implementation are all valuable features.

The wireless infrastructure scalability has room for improvement.

We have been using the solution for seven years.

I give the stability an eight out of ten.

Our ability to scale is determined by our licensing and can be easily managed through cloud consoles. However, the wireless component of our end users poses some scalability challenges.

The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment was completed by the system integrators and engineers which took less than one week.

The implementation was completed in-house.

There are multiple licensing options including three months, six months, and one year.

I give the solution an eight out of ten.

We have around 120 access points which support around 70 users at a time for a total of around 7,000 users.

We installed approximately 20 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN in our headquarters and we have a remote site, a satellite office, which has about seven more installed.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is an on-premise solution, but it uses the Meraki cloud portal. We have to register the WAP with the cloud.

In our Satellite office, we have approximately 30 users and guests. We have a guest network that runs through the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and a corporate network that runs through it. Our headquarters network hasn't been used as much, everybody's working remotely over the last year and a half because of COVID. Prior to the pandemic, we would have up to 300 people in the headquarters and guests.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has helped our organization because we are able to be connected to the network while moving around. For example, I am able to take a presentation from one conference room and walk across the building and present it in another conference room without losing connection. This is pretty good for us.

The most valuable features in Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are that we were able to see all the registered users for each particular WAP, which is a big help. The roaming allows us to have continuous wireless throughout the building. The signal can carry over from one WAP to another. Which is probably the most important feature.

We're are not fully utilizing the features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN to know a more in-depth analysis of what areas need to be improved. However, the security could improve. It would be a benefit to be able to lock out particular clients that are trying to connect from outside the building.

In an upcoming release, it would be a benefit to have a security dashboard that could show additional information. In addition to our Meraki solution, we have a Cisco product called ISE, Identification Security Engine, and we can detect non-compliant or non-corporate addresses from our network. Instead of using a second product, the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN should be able to isolate the non-specified MAC addresses into the network.

I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately three and a half years.

The stability of the network is very good. I think we had oversaturated our HQ environment, where we had too many devices in a particular location. We actually had to change some of our configurations because it was causing some connectivity competition between WAPs trying to connect. We had to remove a WAP to allow better connectivity.  

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is scalable. If we needed to expand, it's easy to add another WAP for a new location.

As we come back into the office, in January, we'll start out with approximately 100 users. We're going into a hybrid mode and we will not have as many users as we did, prior to COVID. We had upwards of 300 people connecting and that's mostly everybody with their mobiles or laptops that come into the office. At our highest, it is approximately 300 users but starting in January, we'll probably have approximately 100 to 200.

We do not have plans to expand our usage at this time. However, if we open up a new office then we will most likely expand usage.

We have contacted Cisco's technical support a couple of times and they're very responsive. I would give them a thumbs up.

We used the previous version of Meraki at our old headquarters. The only reason we switched was that we wanted a newer product in a new office. In terms of our office move, we decided to buy all new equipment and that's the only reason we switched.

The installation is straightforward. The wireless portion of the installation took approximately one week. This included  mounting and bringing activating the network.

We used a consulting group for the completion of our network completion in our building. I followed along with them, it wasn't too complex. My experience with the constant was very good.

We have three system administrators, one being myself, and my two coworkers. We're all capable of managing the Meraki environment.

We are on a SmartNet contract. All of our Cisco products are licensed under one contract. I do not think there are any additional costs.

We did not evaluate any other options when we switched over to the newer version of  Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN.

My advice to other thinking about implementing this solution is to look at other products that are out there. I don't want to say stuck, but we are using all-Cisco products at the time and there are probably products that may be less expensive that could do the same job. We're in contract with Cisco and this is why we went with the newer version of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN when we needed a new solution. If anyone was looking for a wireless solution, look at different manufacturers.

I never rate anything at 10 because there's always room for improvement.

I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of ten.