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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch E...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
17th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
98
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 0.9%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.9%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.9%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches0.9%
Other96.2%
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,…
JN
Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
Central management and cloud dashboard streamline network monitoring while connectivity hiccups need addressing
I use Cisco products and Meraki MS Switches. I am a user on the user side. Network security is handled by our firewalls and other solutions. I have not explored the area of network management AI in Meraki MS Switches. For other switches, when you buy one, you can just start configuring, connect it to the network, and it works. With Meraki MS Switches, you have to first whitelist the MAC address, let it have internet, then you can manage it. They're deployed on-premises. They're quite acceptable, so I recommend them to those who want to use Meraki MS Switches. The biggest benefit that I see in Meraki MS Switches is central management and the cloud dashboard. I rate Meraki MS Switches 8 out of 10.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product is stable. It does have only one power supply. They don't have a redundant power supply."
"The solution doesn't have many proprietary protocols like Cisco's. It mainly uses standard protocols like VRRP (similar to Cisco's HSRP), Spanning Tree, and Rapid Spanning Tree, which can sometimes cause integration issues."
"The new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all functional."
"The solution has a very good web interface. It makes it easy to manage everything."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"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."
"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches' best features are it's easy to deploy, manage, and maintain, with services coming through one vendor."
"The most valuable feature is the cloud management architecture from Meraki."
"The most valuable features are the cloud management, the monitoring, and the visibility available on the report's facts on the cloud controller."
"The most valuable feature of Meraki MS Switches is user-friendliness."
"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."
"Meraki MS Switches are amazing. Whoever built it is a genius. I like that it's a plug-and-play solution."
"The main features of Meraki MS Switches are integration, high quality, and hardware guarantee."
"The initial setup is easy."
"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."
 

Cons

"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches would be improved if cloud-based technology was provided in the Gulf region."
"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"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."
"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."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"The network connection should be improved."
"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"Sometimes there's a problem with the pricing model they use. They should work to fix this."
"This product depends on a cloud connection in order to function. If you have an unstable internet connection or other connectivity issues the product will not function as expected."
"I would like to see improvements to the dark mode in the next release, as I prefer the dark mode."
"The pain point for our customers is the pricing and it should be reduced to make it more competitive."
"We had issues with the stability, issues with the pricing, and the total cost of ownership."
"The traffic reporting should be better in Meraki MS Switches. We want to be able to see all the traffic and where it is going. Additionally, detailed device utilization information would be very helpful for the security personnel."
"It could be easier to use and easier to implement."
"The quote-building process is challenging and it needs to be simplified."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"It is an expensive solution."
"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"The DNA subscription is a three-year minimum term."
"With the solution that we currently have, I think it costs about 1,200 pounds a year. They bill on a yearly basis."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
"It's $150 per year for licensing on each 250 switch. The 425 switches are about $500 a year for the enhanced enterprise licenses."
"It is very expensive so I want it to be cheaper."
"The licensing is purchased on a one, three, five, and seven year basis."
"The yearly maintenance fee is $100 and you can purchase the switches used for about $200 each."
"The only drawback is the cost — that's what kills them."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Construction Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
5%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
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 Business54
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 functional.
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 pricing reasonability as I am a technical person, and decisions are made by those who ...
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 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 basic and we don't need very sophisticated features. For core sites, we are stil...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel-Lucent Ethernet Switches, OmniSwitch 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
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.