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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
6th
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 March 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 1.2%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 2.9%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.9%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches1.2%
Other95.9%
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 most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"This is a dependable switch which will help you sleep at night."
"The solution has a very good web interface, it makes it easy to manage everything, and the command-line interface is very powerful."
"All of the features in these switches are good."
"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 new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all functional."
"As someone with long-term experience with the product, I can say that you can trust the Alcatel switches."
"We are able to customize this solution based on the customer's requirements."
"To me, this is a product that meets all of the needs that anyone could possibly have for a networking device."
"This product has QoS, decent visibility of what's going on, and it's a managed switch."
"Most of the features are cloud-based so it's easy to manage it from anywhere - even from your mobile."
"I like that I can patch and manage them remotely from the user portal."
"The dashboard and the interface, in general, are good features."
"We found the initial setup to be easy."
"The features are great."
"Meraki does support CLI, but the GUI is purely GUI, which is very easy to access."
 

Cons

"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"The solution could be more user friendly and there are issues with technical support where the response time is sometimes very slow."
"I find the CLI hard to use. I wish we could do more in the GUI interface."
"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"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."
"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches would be improved if cloud-based technology was provided in the Gulf region."
"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."
"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"Less flexibility than in some other solutions."
"Unfortunately, they don't have an upgrade path, so if you need a higher model, you need to buy a new one."
"There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved."
"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."
"Better alerting capabilities are needed because they do not provide enough notification or detail about events."
"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"This solution is too simple for some cases, and there should be more configuration options."
"I don't like some of the mobile device management options. They're a little bit hard to find in the system."
 

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."
"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."
"The product's licensing cost is about 30% to 40% of the hardware cost."
"The price of Meraki MS Switches is less expensive than other similar solutions."
"Meraki is not an expensive switch, like Cisco."
"If you buy a license for one switch, it will include the licensing for the device RMA, device failure warranty, technical support, and everything else. Also covered is support for software updates for future releases. It's a single license for everything and there's nothing that customers need to pay in addition to the license."
"It's $150 per year for licensing on each 250 switch. The 425 switches are about $500 a year for the enhanced enterprise licenses."
"I rate the price of Meraki MS Switches a two out of ten."
"Its price is definitely competitive."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
University
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Healthcare 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 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 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 faces the internet, requiring an open connection through the internet for control. ...
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 points when I worked for infrastructure in a motorcycle company, and I implemented...
 

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: March 2026.
885,286 professionals have used our research since 2012.