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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

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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
23rd
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
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
105
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 1.4%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.3%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.3%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches1.4%
Other96.3%
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,…
Jayaraman C - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Cloud management has simplified branch deployments but pricing and support still need improvement
In terms of improvements for Meraki MS Switches, pricing is one area that could be enhanced. On the support front, the limited lifetime warranty is a concern. Aruba offers limited lifetime warranty, whereas Cisco requires a minimum license to function for hardware support or technical support. I think Cisco could improve by bundling technical support and hardware support together with the license. This approach is currently only applicable for EA customers. Standard license customers have to take additional hardware support as a separate SKU. I believe that bundling technical and hardware support with the cloud subscription itself would help customers choose a Meraki option. To make Meraki MS Switches closer to a rating of ten, Cisco could take additional features on the AI front. I am uncertain whether they will offer AI features at no cost. Self-healing networks is a new term that enterprises are looking forward to. All OEM management platforms now feature auto-remediation and auto-fixing capabilities. The issue is that even if AI is offered without cost, customers cannot get the benefits if they cannot afford the pricing. Enterprise customers are looking to optimize operational effort and operational capabilities. They use multiple tools apart from the OEM native dashboard, including the Cisco Meraki dashboard and Catalyst dashboard. However, they still want to have end-to-end visibility. For end-to-end visibility, they can go for Digital Twin capabilities through platforms such as IP Fabric, ManageEngine, SolarWinds, and Forward Networks. There are many NMS platforms that can be integrated, allowing them to manage complete operations. Cisco could add some additional capabilities into the same OEM dashboard so that customers can benefit from improved operational management.

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."
"This is a dependable switch which will help you sleep at night."
"Overall, everything worked as they said it would."
"The product's initial setup phase is not complex. It is easy to install the tool."
"It's easy to extend the stack, We don't use the smaller switches, but it's going well for the rest."
"Enables direct access to clusters."
"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches' best features are it's easy to deploy, manage, and maintain, with services coming through one vendor."
"The new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all functional."
"The most valuable feature of Meraki MS Switches is user-friendliness."
"Most of the features are cloud-based so it's easy to manage it from anywhere - even from your mobile."
"Visibility is part of the Meraki mindset or the culture."
"The cloud part of Meraki Switches is very good. They also have a good GUI. It's a complete solution. I like the switching and the monitoring part."
"We have about 20 switches across five offices in USA, Europe and India, and we can all manage all of them from one dashboard."
"A good feature of Meraki is that you can access a single pane of glass and you can configure all the devices via the same access and just change the menus."
"The performance is pretty good."
"The switch supports various automation testing tools, and it's quite helpful for network troubleshooting as well."
 

Cons

"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches would be improved if cloud-based technology was provided in the Gulf region."
"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."
"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 commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"The product would be better if it were completely compatible with other switching products."
"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 this solution, you are lacking a feature that Cisco Classic has that allows you to save your configuration with a serial cable."
"The lead times can be long in terms of actually getting the hardware."
"It would be helpful to have more features like an iOS interface."
"The licensing model needs to be improved."
"The lead time for delivery can be a challenge, and there is room for improvement in this area."
"Customers may choose to install Catalyst Center instead of Meraki cloud due to missing features or functions."
"Mandatory maintenance is an area that needs improvement."
"It could be more advanced and secure. Meraki MS Switches are ideal for a mid-sized enterprise. But you can't work with this appliance if you need more security or want to do complex or advanced things. Technical support could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"It is an expensive solution."
"Securing licenses and devices for more than a year can make the product expensive. In general, the product is expensive."
"The licensing is purchased on a one, three, five, and seven year basis."
"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."
"The product's licensing cost is about 30% to 40% of the hardware cost."
"I don't have an issue with the price of this solution."
"The pricing is high and it is where we get the most pushback from customers."
"Extreme switches are more cost-effective than Cisco Meraki Switches."
"This product is more than the competition, but you get what you pay for."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
9%
 

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 Business59
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise25
 

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 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 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 deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?
Cost is not the issue for us. Meraki MS Switches might be more expensive than other products, but we believe that from all analysis, Meraki MS Switches is able to deliver the kind of quality in ter...
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
In terms of improvements for Meraki MS Switches, pricing is one area that could be enhanced. On the support front, the limited lifetime warranty is a concern. Aruba offers limited lifetime warranty...
What is your primary use case for Meraki MS Switches?
The primary use cases of Meraki MS Switches focus on the SMB market, starting from boutique size to mid-level enterprise, not very large enterprises. However, with Meraki, which is now part of Cisc...
 

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: November 2026.
921,148 professionals have used our research since 2012.