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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

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:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 0.8%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.9%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 3.0%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Meraki MS Switches3.0%
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches2.9%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches0.8%
Other93.3%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

OusaidAbaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Doesn't have many proprietary protocols but some models have stability issues
We had stability issues with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches 6250. One issue is with licensing. When migrating from TDM to VoIP/ToIP solutions integrated on the same architecture, Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches don't have the same skill level or follow the same development path as companies like Cisco. They started integrating these solutions later, which is why there's a noticeable difference in advancement. Their main focus has been IP PBX solutions like OXO and OXE. They developed their IP environment and switches later, but not as deeply as other vendors. For example, they use Aruba access points and controllers for wireless solutions rather than developing their own portfolio. A specific challenge I've faced is with access points. Due to country code restrictions, the model sold in one region (like Europe) may not work properly in another. This affects channels and features related to the electronic environment specific to each country. To resolve this issue, I've had to reconfigure access points with the correct country code. The solution uses basic protocols. It doesn't have proprietary features like Cisco's EIGRP or advanced BGP features; it's based on standard protocols.
Patrick Anaku - PeerSpot reviewer
Has provided reliable performance with useful features such as virtual chassis and high port density
The important thing for our use case of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches has been reliability, and there are features such as the Virtual Chassis feature, which is one of the things we use. In our case, we use them as core switches in a network that is not very large, and their reliability and the Virtual Chassis feature work well for us. It was one of the reasons we chose it, along with the port density; we are using the 32 port and the 48 port, which work for our needs. Regarding its security features such as MACsec encryption, they are standard and cover what we want; we do not do a lot as they are just Layer 2 switches, but it has standard security features.
MajidKhan - PeerSpot reviewer
Remote access enhances troubleshooting with potential for more intuitive interface
We are working with Citrix and router, but in Cisco for Cisco vendor only. We are taking from them since 2015.  The main use case involves some small business customers needing one router, one switch, and two to three access points. It is easy to handle the devices with just a small knowledge of…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Enables direct access to clusters."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"The new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all functional."
"This is a dependable switch which will help you sleep at night."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"The fibre ports that are 10 Gb capacity helped with the travel of a lot of regular as well as video data. Fibre can handle a lot more virtual data than copper twisted-pair, so we got a lot more data and a lot more traffic signals back through the fibre ports, faster, than with copper."
"The solution has a very good web interface. It makes it easy to manage everything."
"It's easy to extend the stack, We don't use the smaller switches, but it's going well for the rest."
"The virtual Chassis feature for stacking is good in general, with high bandwidth for the link, which is good."
"The Juniper EX Series's most valuable feature is its robustness. Additionally, it is easy to use and great GUI."
"It's stable and reliable."
"Juniper EX Series is part of the Junos operating system and has a candidate configuration feature, which means changes are not immediately applied. It has a consistent command structure across all platforms and can handle both layer-three routing and layer-two switching. Additionally, the Junos OS offers virtualization options and support for multi-chassis and fabric switching. Overall, the Juniper EX Series is a versatile and powerful solution."
"I like the VLAN capabilities, and the Junos interface is easy to use."
"The main benefits that solutions such as the Juniper products provide are their reliability."
"The GUI interface distinguishes it from other vendors and makes it easy to operate."
"It has features that allow us to go back to previous configurations."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to orchestrate the network from the cloud."
"Being able to look at every port and see what it is connected to is very useful. Everything seems to be running really well. They've got everything covered. They have a really cool mounting system at the bottom and an access point that you can use to level up your device. It is kind of cool."
"Meraki MS Switches are amazing. Whoever built it is a genius. I like that it's a plug-and-play solution."
"Meraki's site-to-site VPN function is phenomenal, and the VLAN is simple to use and set up. If you need the VLAN to sort the networks out, that works very well. The performance is also excellent."
"The product is reasonably priced."
"The initial setup is easy."
"The technical support is very good. They offer some of the best support on the market."
"The solution's most valuable aspect is the ease of stacking. The configuration on the MS Switches is very good, as well as its ability to assign the LANs."
 

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."
"The product would be better if it were completely compatible with other switching products."
"We had stability issues with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches 6250. One issue is with licensing. When migrating from TDM to VoIP/ToIP solutions integrated on the same architecture, Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches don't have the same skill level or follow the same development path as companies like Cisco. They started integrating these solutions later, which is why there's a noticeable difference in advancement."
"I find the CLI hard to use. I wish we could do more in the GUI interface."
"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"The operating system, Junos OS, often has bugs which forces rollbacks or additional upgrades to resolve."
"Juniper has a problem: even registered partners cannot open tickets or take support directly with Juniper."
"EX switches take too long to boot when we restart them for maintenance. We need to minimize downtime. Another issue is the command line interface. Juniper's commands are different from other switches, so it's hard to remember them."
"The price is in the intermediate range. It is not overly expensive, but also not cheap. It could stand improvement."
"The upgrading of the system should be simplified and made faster."
"The operating system could be better."
"Juniper should improve the support services provided to users, as it is one of its areas with certain shortcomings."
"More security could be provided, especially with the rising cyber-attacks in business organizations."
"This is quite an expensive solution."
"Better alerting capabilities are needed because they do not provide enough notification or detail about events."
"Their subscription model could be better. Some of our customers prefer a one-time payment to a monthly or yearly subscription model, so they don't buy the product. Technical support could also be better."
"They need to work on prioritizing different types of data on the network, whether it's voice, data, video, et cetera. Video needs to be prioritized in a much better way, for example."
"Sometimes the controller in the cloud that controls the access points does not have the most accurate information. There is sometimes a glitch in keeping the management controller that is in the cloud up to date."
"The pricing needs to be more competitive with other products on the market."
"The reporting could be improved and could be more granular."
"It would be good to include the command-line access someday."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The price of the Juniper EX Series is reasonable. Cisco is a lot more expensive."
"There is a need to make a payment towards the perpetual licensing model offered by the product and also towards the subscription-based model for hardware replacement."
"You require the Junos Management Platform in order to manage the switches and you need to purchase the Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"Support prices and licensing scheme need to be improved to allow some features to be purchased at lower costs, for example, RPM​."
"The pricing of Juniper Ethernet Switches compared to equivalent switches from Aruba, Cisco, and others, Juniper Ethernet Switches are priced a little higher. They are approximately 20 to 50 percent higher. When we receive a new range of models, the prices can come down. The price can also vary by region."
"If compared to Cisco, this is a well priced solution. Compared to HP, it is a little bit overpriced. Overall, they are priced in the middle compared to competitors."
"This solution is cheaper than Cisco or HP switches."
"The product's pricing is less and almost half of Cisco's."
"With the solution that we currently have, I think it costs about 1,200 pounds a year. They bill on a yearly basis."
"Its price is definitely competitive."
"The yearly maintenance fee is $100 and you can purchase the switches used for about $200 each."
"It is very expensive so I want it to be cheaper."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
"My company pays for Meraki MS Switches yearly. Pricing-wise, the product is relatively inexpensive."
"I don't have an issue with the price of this solution."
"I rate the price of Meraki MS Switches a two out of ten."
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
9%
Retailer
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Wholesaler/Distributor
5%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
University
9%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Educational Organization
6%
 

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 Business39
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise24
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business53
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise22
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all...
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 pricin...
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.
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for...
What advice do you have for others considering Juniper Ethernet Switches?
Juniper EX model is ok for the campus network as the ex4300 is EOL in a few years and the new ex4400 is the standard....
What is your primary use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches?
The important thing for our use case of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches has been reliability, and there are featu...
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
From my perspective, I don't have any indication for improvement regarding Meraki MS Switches, as our usage is quite ...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel-Lucent Ethernet Switches, OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches
Juniper Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

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
BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: September 2025.
871,469 professionals have used our research since 2012.