We compared Cisco Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches based on our user's reviews in several parameters.
The Cisco Ethernet Switches are highlighted for their excellent network performance, advanced security features, and positive customer service reviews. On the other hand, the Meraki MS Switches are praised for their ease of configuration, cloud-based accessibility, and strong network security features. Cisco switches offer cost savings and reliable connections, while Meraki switches focus on user-friendly management and integration capabilities. Cisco switches could benefit from improvements in network speed and reliability, whereas Meraki switches could enhance power supply options and third-party device compatibility.
Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for their excellent network performance, seamless connectivity, advanced security measures, and user-friendly interface. On the other hand, Meraki MS Switches stand out for their easy configuration, cloud-based deployment, layer 7 application visibility, and strong security features.
Pricing and ROI: The setup cost of Cisco Ethernet Switches is considered reasonable and not overly complex or time-consuming. Users have found them to be a cost-effective solution that is easy to set up and manage. On the other hand, Meraki MS Switches also offer a straightforward and easy-to-handle setup cost. Reviewers have praised the flexibility and options available for licensing customization., The Cisco Ethernet Switches offer significant cost savings, improved network performance, and advanced features with easy management. Meanwhile, the Meraki MS Switches deliver increased network efficiency, cost savings, improved performance, and centralized management capabilities with ease of use.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Ethernet Switches can improve in network speed and reliability, connectivity, data transfer speed, stable connections, ease of use, setup, and configuration. On the other hand, Meraki MS Switches need enhancements in power supply, compatibility, port configuration flexibility, and occasional connectivity issues.
Deployment and customer support: User reviews indicate that there are mixed opinions on the duration required to establish a new tech solution with Cisco Ethernet Switches. Some users reported three months for deployment and an additional week for setup, while others mentioned one week for both phases. On the other hand, feedback on Meraki MS Switches varied, with some users mentioning three months for deployment, others reporting one week, and there was a separate one-week setup phase mentioned. Contextual interpretation is crucial., The customer service and support for Cisco Ethernet Switches is highly rated and positively regarded, based on user feedback. For Meraki MS Switches, users have expressed satisfaction with the customer service provided, highlighting their responsiveness, knowledge, and promptness in addressing inquiries effectively.
The summary above is based on 92 interviews we conducted recently with Cisco Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.
"Cisco Ethernet Switches have good performance."
"It is a scalable solution, and we have more than 35 customers who use it."
"The solution is extremely stable."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is stable and robust."
"It's all-encompassing and can help you in all these different areas. If people realize that they want something that's going to work, that's pretty foolproof, then Cisco's always worth the investment."
"What we love about the Cisco switches is that they are very reliable. You can deploy them and go to sleep, and you can be sure that nothing is going to go wrong. Our initial equipment was installed by a Chinese manufacturer named Fiberhome a couple of years ago. Their switches were called S engines. They worked, but some days, you just wake up, and the switch has popped up. It was a lot of crisis. Therefore, we are in the process of trying to take out all their switches and replace them with Cisco switches. We are getting good results in terms of reliability and even technical support."
"Remote access is a valuable feature."
"One of the most valuable aspects of Cisco Ethernet Switches is many engineers can work on the equipment. You can find qualified engineers that can configure Cisco equipment more than any other networking equipment."
"It is easy to configure and provides complete visibility of the graphic end point."
"The most valuable feature of Meraki MS Switches is user-friendliness."
"The dashboard and the interface, in general, are good features."
"It offers a compelling solution due to its cloud management capabilities and strong security features."
"The product is very straightforward."
"The initial setup is straightforward. You only need two people for deployment and maintenance."
"The most valuable feature is the granular visibility that they provide with a single pane of glass."
"The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are the GUI mode which is helpful for access and good dashboards."
"We are less in the Cloud because the Cloud technologies didn't work so well. That happened in all of the companies where I've been engaged."
"Cisco products are expensive compared to any other solution. Now, there are many competitors that give the same level of services - such as Juniper or Aruba."
"An improvement would be to change their market intention. Almost all the Cisco switches are now coming with a license called DNA. D for Delta, N for number and A for apple. That feature is required, he must purchase it and it is a mandatory thing that has been introduced. This is not matching with the Asian market."
"One area for improvement could be integrating a single dashboard for both wired and wireless networks."
"Switches should be made stackable, even if they are not of the same model."
"Pricing could be lower."
"Technical support could be better. Firmware upgrades should be better. We have an issue with upgrading the firmware. It's not upgradable. I think it should be easy to improve and upgrade the firmware."
"The price could be better."
"The pricing can be made cheaper."
"In this solution, you are lacking a feature that Cisco Classic has that allows you to save your configuration with a serial cable."
"There are some limitations in Meraki MS Switches. Other switches have more options, such as the Cisco Catalyst Switch."
"I don't like some of the mobile device management options. They're a little bit hard to find in the system."
"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 solution needs to improve its ability to back up the auto-configuration."
"They could lower the price."
"At times, we didn't know whether the switch was operating or not so we have to take the console and we have to do some troubleshooting."
Cisco Ethernet Switches is ranked 1st in Ethernet Switches with 128 reviews while Meraki MS Switches is ranked 5th in Ethernet Switches with 87 reviews. Cisco Ethernet Switches is rated 8.6, while Meraki MS Switches is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Cisco Ethernet Switches writes "It's a solidly stable product from a leader in the field". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Meraki MS Switches writes "They're not expensive and configuration is very easy". Cisco Ethernet Switches is most compared with Aruba Switches, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access, D-Link Ethernet Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and Mellanox Switches, whereas Meraki MS Switches is most compared with Aruba Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access, NETGEAR Switches and Arista Networks Platform. See our Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches report.
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