Technical Services Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
MSP
The tool offers integration capabilities, but the licensing model needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "With Cisco products and third-party products, integration of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good."
  • "The product doesn't effectively do its job anymore since some issues crop up in it once you run out of your subscription licensing...Improvements are needed in the licensing part of the tool."

What is our primary use case?

I haven't personally recommended the product to my company's customers. Many of my company's customers use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN at corporate levels where wireless LANs are needed.

What is most valuable?

I am not a big fan of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. Based on my company's customers' opinions, I feel that the best feature of the product stems from the fact that it serves as an actual cloud management platform and the ease of deployment it offers.

What needs improvement?

The thing that concerns me the most about the product is that, with a lot of our other customers, the platform's behavior once its licensing runs out. The product doesn't effectively do its job anymore since some issues crop up in it once you run out of your subscription licensing. Once customers run out of subscriptions, they could end up with a non-functional environment, an area of concern.

Overall, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is an easy platform to use. I think it would be good if the tool provided a perpetual licensing option, even if it has a limited set of features. If you went back to a basic set of features or something available on a perpetual basis, it would probably be the single biggest improvement in the solution.

Improvements are needed in the licensing part of the tool. The predominant reason why I don't recommend the tool to others is because it puts a large onus on the customer in terms of the tool's operational expenditure year on year. A lot of the customers my company works with want some flexibility and want to stop a product's use after the fourth or fifth year. If customers plan to implement a tool today, they are forecast to replace it in the upcoming four or five years. Having a tool that doesn't lock customers into subscriptions during a time when they want to switch to other products would be great.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for four to five years. My company is a reseller of Cisco Meraki.

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From a scalability perspective, I think the tool is incredibly scalable. I assisted one of our company's customers, which is a global supermarket chain, in an evaluation, which included Cisco Meraki and the wireless component, during which, for the first time, I was exposed to the true scalability feature of the platform. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Compared to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, I recommend products like RUCKUS and HPE Aruba Networking. Considering customers who largely use Fortinet infrastructure, I would also recommend switches and firewalls from Fortinet.

Apart from the advantages offered by the product other than Cisco Meraki in areas like licensing model, from Fortinet's perspective, I like the product's ability to offer a single pane of glass, so it has a single vendor. RUCKUS and HPE are normally deployed due to the RF capabilities it offers. My company did quite a detailed RF study four or five years ago, and HPE and RUCKUS stood out quite well. RUCKUS has adaptive antenna technology. What holds back RUCKUS is that it has been acquired multiple times over the last six or seven years. CommScope is rebranding a lot of the switches under RUCKUS, which is something my company is interested in seeing and observing how that pans out over the next few years.

What other advice do I have?

The cloud management aspect of Cisco Meraki has improved our company's customer's administrative efficiency in some cases, while in some other cases, it hasn't. Depending upon whether or not the tool integrates the switching and SASE aspects as well, I had a few customers whom I had to split apart due to some of the tool's features not being visible once you opt for the product's unified infrastructure model.

With Cisco products and third-party products, integration of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good. The tool doesn't have a lot of integrations that are necessarily native. I think that a lot of the larger infrastructure providers offer the same integration features as Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN since such a solution brings on additional products through acquisition, and true integration processes take time.

Speaking about how the tool's specific security features strengthened our company's customer network defense, I would say that I am not a fan of the product as a security platform. MS Switch Access Policies (802.1X) and NAC are good areas in the product, especially if you integrate with Cisco's platform. I won't usually use the product as a layer 3 boundary.

With the current models offered by the product, it is not a solution that my company recommends to others. If our company's customer already has a large Meraki deployment in place, we recommend it for continuity's sake. The product is not normally something our company would encourage others to use, but if there are additional facilities, we recommend it.

I rate the product a six out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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AlanChan5 - PeerSpot reviewer
Pre-Sales Consultant at Tconnex
Reseller
Top 5
A stable solution that is easy to deploy and has an excellent management console
Pros and Cons
  • "The management console is valuable."
  • "Cisco Meraki must improve the integration between its own family of products."

What is most valuable?

The management console is valuable. It helps manage everything.

What needs improvement?

The solution is limited to Meraki products. It does not extend to Catalyst products. Our customers have a mixture of Catalyst and Meraki products. They cannot manage Catalyst products. Cisco Meraki must improve the integration between its own family of products. It is a disadvantage.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for two to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The tool is stable. It is quite good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We work with products like Ruckus, ExtremeCloud, and Aruba Central. Cisco Meraki is easier to deploy than other tools. Cisco Meraki supports both wireless products and switches.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For some customers, Cisco is not the first choice when it comes to pricing. The solution is pretty expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I am a reseller. Overall, I rate the tool an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
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Oscar Cerdas - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and Telecommunications Coordinator at Grupo Monge
Real User
Beneficial cloud management, reliable, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are the ease of use and the ability to manage it from the cloud."
  • "The initial setup was simple. However, the full deployment could be easier."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for our corporate network for internal users. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are the ease of use and the ability to manage it from the cloud.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of good for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used Cisco Aironet before we switched to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was simple. However, the full deployment could be easier.

What about the implementation team?

We used a local partner for the implementation. We use four technicians for the maintenance and deployment of the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could be improved, it is too expensive. We pay for the solution on an annual basis.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated other solutions before choosing Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

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

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Infrastructure Engineer at a non-tech company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Enables you to monitor traffic so you can see if the network is having issues and allows you to easily locate computers in the cloud
Pros and Cons
  • "If you're trying to identify one of the switches or pinpoint a computer or pinpoint something, you could find it just like that and change the IP address. It's easiest to do it that way."
  • "Documentation could be improved, but everything else has been spot-on."

What is our primary use case?

We sent everybody home because of the new variant. People were trying to be safe, so we decided if you want to connect to our network, use this solution.

The solution is deployed on a private cloud. The cloud provider is Microsoft Azure.

How has it helped my organization?

Instead of having to go the old-fashioned dinosaur way and look for the computers, you could just look in the cloud, find the computer, and change the IP address. That helped so much. I was like, "This is the Mac address. Find it up there, change the IP address from A to B," and then we could continue doing work from there.

What is most valuable?

You can monitor traffic so you can see if the network is having issues or laggy or what people are doing. You can point them out and say, "Stop doing that." If you're trying to identify one of the switches or pinpoint a computer or pinpoint something, you could find it just like that and change the IP address. It's easiest to do it that way.

What needs improvement?

Documentation could be improved, but everything else has been spot-on.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There have been no issues with stability. The solution is being used every day in my organization.

The solution doesn't require a lot of maintenance. It's easy to do. If you go on the cloud, you can just push the updates from there.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. There are 200-300 users in our organization. There are plans to increase usage in the future.

How was the initial setup?

Implementation was straightforward. It took a couple of months to set up, implement, and start using.

For initial setup, you have to do the access once and then you have to go to the cloud to make sure they connect.

What about the implementation team?

We used a consultant from Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 10 out of 10. 

It makes life easier. You don't have to go cabling. It saves time. It saves man hours. It's just better. My advice is to use this solution instead of using the old-fashioned one. It will save you headaches.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Virtual IT Director at a educational organization with 11-50 employees
Real User
Stable, no issues and meets specifications
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable thing to me is the stability of the product."
  • "The price could be slightly better, but then again, we negotiate deals every time so the market price isn't really relevant."

What is our primary use case?

I do networking fit-outs for schools. I'm an advisor to about 30,000 schools.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable thing to me is the stability of the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been in the business 47 years, and I've been using Meraki for as long as they've been in business, which is about 14 years now.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't have an issue. It meets specifications.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't get involved on that end of it.

How was the initial setup?

I don't get involved in the setup or installation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price could be slightly better, but then again, we negotiate deals every time so the market price isn't really relevant.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it eight out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Head of IT Network Division at Panorinformatika
Real User
Stable, scalable, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "The user interface is very simple and easy to use — our customers are very satisfied."
  • "There could be more functionality."

What is our primary use case?

I work for a system integrator company. I am in charge of approximately 15 people — I am head of the network department. We deal with many different companies, but Meraki and Cisco are the most popular. 

We have approximately 100 customers using this solution. 

What is most valuable?

The user interface is very simple and easy to use — our customers are very satisfied.

Meraki in general is easy to use. I recently hosted a webinar regarding SD-WAN. I compared  Cisco Meraki with other Cisco products. Meraki's performance is a little bit lower compared with other Cisco products, but the platform is very, very simple. As long as a customer has a dedicated IT team, then Meraki will be a good option for them.

What needs improvement?

There could be more functionality.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for a couple of years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is both scalable and stable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We're a highlighted partner. If we have any questions, then we can go to the technical guys and get answers immediately. We get the best support all of the time.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. The platform is very simple. You have to install the EPs and put them on the virus controller so that you can fine-tune the different settings.

What about the implementation team?

We typically install this solution for our customers. Still, if a customer wants to install it themselves, then they can do so easily.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Meraki and Aruba are available for almost exactly the same price. The price/benefit ratio is great. Meraki is more affordable than Aruba, HPE, and others.

What other advice do I have?

I would absolutely recommend this solution to others. 

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a rating of ten.
For small to medium-sized businesses, I think it's the best. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Advanced IT Executive at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
A solid product with good network security and the potential to scale
Pros and Cons
  • "The network security the solution provides is its most valuable aspect."
  • "The licensing could be a bit better."

What is our primary use case?

The product is used mainly for wireless switching security. I like to call it network security, however, they also have products on that end, such as FC LAN. I don't focus too much on the wireless stuff. I focus on the services and products.

What is most valuable?

The network security the solution provides is its most valuable aspect.

Overall, it's a very solid product. I really like it.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

The solution scales very well.

We've found the product to be quite stable.

What needs improvement?

On the performance side, there are always updates to different versions. It's more just getting it out to the client-side that's often the issue. 

The licensing could be a bit better.

They should market Meraki as a mid-level solution for SMBs. There are a lot of SMBs out there, and they could use this technology.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for a while, however, it's hard to give a timeframe. I use it as clients use it. They can go on and off of it, or I can be on different accounts.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been very good. It's very solid. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale very well. There are not problems expanding it if you need to as an organization. It's easy enough to do. Even on an enterprise-level, you can scale.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is more channeled to the partner side of things. However, Cisco is a great product and has a great team.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I can name a lot of companies that do network security, however, we pull up Cisco Meraki and we read off everything they do. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup isn't overly complex. It's pretty straightforward. A company shouldn't have trouble implementing it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't deal with pricing directly, however, it's my understanding that it is around $40 per unit. I'm not well versed in MDM pricing, to be honest. It's not something I work with.

I'm more on the managed services, professional services, which includes getting everything set up and dealing with all the problems around it, versus the actual licensing part.

What other advice do I have?

We're partners with Cisco. Meraki is probably one of the number one solutions. On my team that's all we've talked about or sold. Cisco is 100%, one of our top partners.

Just in terms of network security, there's a lot of digital transformation happening. There will be a lot of moving to the cloud for many customers and you'd be surprised how many enterprises still just aren't prepared for the changes that are coming their way.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. It's a legitimate switch and a legitimate solution. It does what it says and it gets the job done.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Loredana Ababei - PeerSpot reviewer
3rd Level Support Engineer at Valeo IT
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Provides fast wireless network connection inside the company
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is fast and does the job."
  • "The initial setup of the solution can be improved and made easier."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for the wireless network connection inside the company.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is fast and does the job.

What needs improvement?

The initial setup of the solution can be improved and made easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

My company has been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a ten out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a ten out of ten for scalability. 2000 people are using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN in our company.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex according to me. We require 12 people to deploy and maintain Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN.

What about the implementation team?

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN was implemented through an in-house technical person.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Users have to pay a yearly license fee for the solution. The pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a very good tool that users can use without problems.

Overall, I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: April 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.