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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 July 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 1.4%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 3.8%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.6%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches3.8%
Meraki MS Switches2.6%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches1.4%
Other92.2%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MK
Operational Manager at Astrah Technologies
Has enabled reliable access control with good scalability
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches. They do not hang often and are very reliable,…
Patrick Anaku - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at Roke Telkom
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.
Thanadesh Namuengrak - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead IT Specialist at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Cloud-managed switches have improved secure segmentation and simplified automated patching
Meraki MS Switches are easy to manage, but I believe they are more suitable for use on the IT side because Meraki faces the internet, requiring an open connection through the internet for control. It is not the same as Cisco switches, which operate via command line. I normally use command line for configuration, while Meraki utilizes a cloud-based dashboard that necessitates a constant internet connection for configuration. Therefore, I find Meraki MS Switches more suitable for the IT side. The improvement needed for Meraki MS Switches is the ability to connect in the worst case when I encounter internet issues. When I cannot connect to the internet and need to configure or connect directly to Cisco switches or access Meraki for changes, I face difficulties. When Meraki MS Switches can be configured without an internet connection, I think I can use Meraki MS Switches on the OT side. The only improvement I seek is configuration without an internet connection.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 product is stable. It does have only one power supply. They don't have a redundant power supply."
"Enables direct access to clusters."
"The product's initial setup phase is not complex. It is easy to install the tool."
"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches' best features are it's easy to deploy, manage, and maintain, with services coming through one vendor."
"As someone with long-term experience with the product, I can say that you can trust the Alcatel switches."
"The solution has a very good web interface, it makes it easy to manage everything, and the command-line interface is very powerful."
"I like the simplicity of it."
"I would recommend Juniper Ethernet Switches to others who want a well-integrated, stable, and easy-to-use solution."
"We have found the product to be scalable."
"Overall, this is a good product and I recommend it."
"The solution has a high level of network functionality."
"It is a scalable solution."
"It is a highly stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine to ten out of ten."
"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."
"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."
"This switch is robust; it's never, ever gone down, and it has not been rebooted during the last two years in my environment."
"Meraki MS Switches have a very user-friendly dashboard and the policies are straightforward for sending them to the devices and blocking sites."
"Our organization has a partnership with Meraki; it is a good product and it is scalable."
"It's well worth the time and effort to get the solution going and use it in the future."
"The product is very straightforward."
"A company doesn't have to fear reliability with Meraki."
"Setting up a Meraki switch is fairly simple. It can be done by one manager and a senior engineer developer."
 

Cons

"I could see them possibly creating a more intuitive software. It's very user-friendly, but there are some things that aren't very intuitive when programming the switches."
"The solution could be more user friendly and there are issues with technical support where the response time is sometimes very slow."
"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."
"My customer's team is not able to understand the loophole with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches, but apart from that, there are no issues."
"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"Sometimes I feel that the Alcatel switches are not working harmoniously with some of the Cisco switches."
"The product would be better if it were completely compatible with other switching products."
"Support prices and licensing scheme need to be improved to allow some features to be purchased at lower costs, for example, RPM."
"They should integrate VPN functionality with the solution."
"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see better integration with software-defined networking."
"The only disadvantage with Juniper is the modules are very expensive lately."
"Juniper needs to get their code up to par because it isn't stable enough for a leaf and spine design."
"To make the product better, I think that the company needs to do more testing before releasing versions of the operating system."
"The updates are constantly broken, which has been a problem for years."
"The stability of this solution should be improved."
"We would like the solution to lower its costs."
"I don't like some of the mobile device management options. They're a little bit hard to find in the system."
"The firewall is not very powerful."
"The solution needs to improve its ability to back up the auto-configuration."
"In my opinion, there's room for improvement cost-wise. With Meraki's licensing terms, you're required to pay an annual licensing fee, which can be for a one-year license or perhaps a five-year license. But if you analyze the costs involved, there are huge expenses incurred as far as the licensing is concerned."
"We didn’t like the performance, which is why we ended up stopping usage."
"One area where Meraki MS switches could improve is offering smaller switch sizes for distribution switches."
"I haven't seen any specific return on investment from implementing Meraki MS Switches, as I can't provide any numbers."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"It is an expensive solution."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches are a less expensive solution than Cisco Ethernet Switches. There is only a one-time purchase for Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"We had a leakage in the support process and decided to end the product's life in order to purchase a new product with support. We did not renew product support as a result."
"You require the Junos Management Platform in order to manage the switches and you need to purchase the Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"The price could be cheaper."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches could be less expensive. There is not a license needed to use the solution."
"The pricing is very aggressive."
"The solution does not require a license to use it."
"The pricing for the support is very high."
"Meraki MS Switches is a pricey product. You have to get a license for each product annually. It would have been perfect if there were product bundles."
"Securing licenses and devices for more than a year can make the product expensive. In general, the product is expensive."
"This product is quite expensive."
"It is very expensive so I want it to be cheaper."
"Extreme switches are more cost-effective than Cisco Meraki Switches."
"The pricing is overvalued in relation to the product's performance."
"We paid for our switches outright, at a cost of between $15,000 USD and $18,000 USD."
"We don't use standard licensing. Most of the time, we use the advanced security model. If there is a drawback to Meraki, it is the cost, but you also have to evaluate it based upon the other factors that you do get. Their support is really good; their hardware is really good. The ease of configuration and deployment is really good, but it is more expensive than most."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
10%
University
8%
Construction Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
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 Enterprise25
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business54
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise22
 

Questions from the Community

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.
What is your primary use case for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deploy...
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 is your primary use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches?
I have been working with Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches for more than a year.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper EX Series?
The pricing of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is a bit high, but it matches what it offers; in terms of capabili...
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
Meraki MS Switches are easy to manage, but I believe they are more suitable for use on the IT side because Meraki fac...
What is your primary use case for Meraki MS Switches?
I have experience with Cisco products as I implement a lot of them. For example, I implemented switches and access po...
 

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 Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Ubiquiti and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: June 2026.
903,996 professionals have used our research since 2012.