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ExtremeWireless 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
8.5
ExtremeWireless provides scalable, cost-effective solutions with 30% ROI savings, easy deployment, and excellent support for long-term use.
Sentiment score
5.0
Meraki MS Switches offer mixed ROI; some benefit from reduced costs, while others struggle with high expenses and slow transitions.
The best ROI is achieved over a three-year term.
Engineer at NewLogics
The monitoring access and excellent support provide significant value.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.2
ExtremeWireless support is helpful but inconsistent, with slow response times and limited availability affecting user satisfaction. Ratings vary.
Sentiment score
6.8
Meraki MS Switches excel in support with 24/7 availability, though users desire more experienced staff and streamlined communication.
I rate their support as a nine because they are very helpful when we need assistance and they strive to help, even if not the fastest.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
The technical support sometimes closes cases without resolution.
Engineer at NewLogics
I would rate the customer service as a ten.
Network Engineer at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
If the devices are licensed, the support team will assist you depending on the severity level of the case.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
The support is excellent and rated ten out of ten.
Sales Engineer at Phoenyx Commtech Pvt. Ltd.
Cisco's tech support is pretty good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.7
ExtremeWireless is scalable and adaptable for medium to large enterprises but may face stability issues at higher user thresholds.
Sentiment score
7.3
Meraki MS Switches are scalable for small to medium businesses but face limitations and supply challenges for larger enterprises.
The Extreme access points handle high-density connectivity needs very well, managing lots of traffic efficiently.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
ExtremeWireless is suitable for companies with a user base below three hundred.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
ExtremeWireless is quite scalable.
Systems Engineer at LinkAxia Networks Sdn Bhd
They're quite scalable for my environment.
Ag Systems & Networks Head at UNBS
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
ExtremeWireless is praised for its stability and reliability, though some encounter challenges with firmware updates in high-density environments.
Sentiment score
8.2
Meraki MS Switches are praised for reliability and stability, with minor issues and easy maintenance, ensuring minimal downtime.
They work well without failures.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
I experienced issues during firmware upgrades, as some devices required a physical restart, which affects system stability.
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
The stability of ExtremeWireless is somewhat weaker compared to previous solutions, like Motorola before its acquisition.
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
If something happens to the device or hardware, Cisco will automatically change the device by the next business day.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
We faced issues following firmware updates, which we now handle by performing updates outside of working hours.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
 

Room For Improvement

ExtremeWireless must enhance affordability, integration, security, support, and performance to improve competitiveness and meet small business needs.
Meraki MS Switches face high pricing, cloud dependency, limited configuration, and demand improved local management and scalability features.
I wish for ExtremeWireless to optimize the roaming capability between access points, especially for IoT devices.
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
They should develop more troubleshooting tools for system management.
Network Engineer at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
There is some delay in firmware upgrades for access points.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
Meraki should also consider improvements in stacking features, particularly in the lower-end models like NS130, where stacking isn't supported, unlike with Cisco traditional switching.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
Most people are familiar with the Cisco commands, and it would be beneficial if the switch could be accessed by GUI configuration and by normally accessing the console.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Setup Cost

ExtremeWireless provides good value with both free and paid options, despite medium-high pricing and substantial hardware costs.
Meraki MS Switches are priced high but valued for features; multi-year contracts offer discounts, maintaining buyer interest.
Each customer typically buys around 100 APs, which makes it quite expensive.
Systems Engineer at LinkAxia Networks Sdn Bhd
The pricing is favorable due to its flexible licensing model.
Engineer at NewLogics
The pricing is a weak point for Extreme; it is very high.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
Meraki MS Switches, including their licensing, are somewhat expensive, particularly when compared with competitor solutions like HP.
IT System Administrator at Bouri
Meraki pricing is a little premium compared to other vendor products.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Pricing is affordable, and licenses for the cloud need to be purchased every three to five years.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Valuable Features

ExtremeWireless offers cloud management, strong security, seamless integration, and stability, making it ideal for security-focused sectors.
Meraki MS Switches provide centralized cloud management, intuitive dashboard, global multi-switch control, robust security, scalability, and zero-touch provisioning.
A single license can be used for on-premises, hybrid, or cloud, allowing for easy transition between solutions without losing investment.
Engineer at NewLogics
The most valuable features of ExtremeWireless include the management through the one dashboard management with ActionCloud IQ, integrated with Site Engine.
Systems Engineer at LinkAxia Networks Sdn Bhd
The support from Extreme is very good and helpful.
Wireless Network Analyst at a construction company with 51-200 employees
The control plane is in the cloud, and the data plane is local, allowing manageability from anywhere.
Senior Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
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.
Chief Technologies Officer at ASTORG PARTNERS
The most valuable feature is the ability to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud.
Network Engineer at Gaihab
 

Categories and Ranking

ExtremeWireless
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Wireless LAN (15th)
Meraki MS Switches
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
98
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (8th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. ExtremeWireless is designed for Wireless LAN and holds a mindshare of 2.1%, up 1.7% compared to last year.
Meraki MS Switches, on the other hand, focuses on Ethernet Switches, holds 2.9% mindshare, down 4.3% since last year.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
ExtremeWireless2.1%
Aruba Wireless13.9%
Ruckus Wireless12.8%
Other71.2%
Wireless LAN
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Meraki MS Switches2.9%
Cisco Ethernet Switches10.3%
Aruba Switches8.4%
Other78.4%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

KO
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
We manage complex networks with seamless guest and user access while ensuring device authorization
I use enterprise connections where users need to be authorized against radius servers. This feature is common across various products, including ExtremeWireless. Generally, the network management is valuable to me. However, I am unsure how the security architecture enhances our network protection as we typically use the latest firmware for access points. Nonetheless, we had some troubles with roaming, requiring me to install specific firmware to avoid issues.
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.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business54
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise22
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ExtremeWireless?
There are concerns regarding the stability of ExtremeWireless. It could be an area of improvement, especially when compared to previous solutions such as Motorola before their acquisition. Another ...
What is your primary use case for ExtremeWireless?
We mainly use ExtremeWireless ( /products/extremewireless-reviews ) for the warehouse, specifically for the Zebra handheld devices and printers.
What advice do you have for others considering ExtremeWireless?
Overall, ExtremeWireless has a lot of room for improvement. The main concern is stability. As a user, I focus on supporting the devices and ensuring they meet my client’s needs. While I do not hand...
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?
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. ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

St. Xavier High School, Americatel, Diamond Light Source
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
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