Mellanox Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

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Mellanox Technologies Logo
3,895 views|2,752 comparisons
75% willing to recommend
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9,389 views|6,028 comparisons
96% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Mellanox Switches and Meraki MS Switches based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Ethernet Switches solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Mellanox Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,740 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
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 features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features.""The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well.""From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly.""The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality.""It is a very easy-to-use product."

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"Setting up a switch can be performed prior to having your hands on the device. Once you purchase a Meraki switch you will get an email from Meraki with a code to add to your dashboard and then you can start setting up your switch so when it arrives it will download its configuration and be all setup.""Being able to look at every port and see what it is connected to is very useful. Everything seems to be running really well. They've got everything covered. They have a really cool mounting system at the bottom and an access point that you can use to level up your device. It is kind of cool.""Meraki MS Switches have a very user-friendly dashboard and the policies are straightforward for sending them to the devices and blocking sites.""It is easy to configure and claim the switches by their serial number directly from the portal.""The most valuable feature about Meraki is the console. The second most valuable feature, to me, is the technical support and the infrastructure behind the console.""The top feature of Meraki MS switches for me is Layer 7 application visibility. Another positive in general is that you don't need to set up a console to the switch itself; it dials in to a single dashboard where you can completely manage all your network devices.""It is easy to work with.""Quality of Service is easy to deploy. The ease of deployment, in general, is valuable. It is easy to do port configuration and VLAN assignments."

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Cons
"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest.""Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way.""The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve.""If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly.""Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."

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"The solution needs to improve its ability to back up the auto-configuration.""There are some limitations in Meraki MS Switches. Other switches have more options, such as the Cisco Catalyst Switch.""Meraki MS switches are great for pretty much all SMB networks and most enterprise networks. However, there are some higher-end functions that larger enterprise networks with full access, distribution, and core switch stack may find limiting.""The troubleshooting could be better.""Meraki MS Switches could improve if it was an SDN. It will be more flexible and WWE can use one link for specific traffic and another one for other traffic.""Clients are very confused by technical support. They seem to have trouble reaching Meraki to get the assistance they need.""We had some dashboard licensing issues, maybe because their method of collecting data from the user needs to be more streamlined.""The price of the solution has room for improvement."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "It's an open-source solution."
  • "The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
  • "The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."
  • "There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
  • More Mellanox Switches Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "This product is more than the competition, but you get what you pay for."
  • "With the solution that we currently have, I think it costs about 1,200 pounds a year. They bill on a yearly basis."
  • "This is not a cheap solution."
  • "The DNA subscription is a three-year minimum term."
  • "The pricing is high and it is where we get the most pushback from customers."
  • "We paid for our switches outright, at a cost of between $15,000 USD and $18,000 USD."
  • "Its price is definitely competitive."
  • "Meraki is a little bit expensive, but when you compare the pricing with others, Meraki is a good option."
  • More Meraki MS Switches Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well.
    Top Answer:There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches.
    Top Answer:Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
    Top Answer:I would rate the costliness of Meraki MS Switches at around seven out of ten. They are not cheap, but I find them to be a good value for the money. However, I would prefer if the prices were a bit… more »
    Top Answer:One area where Meraki MS switches could improve is offering smaller switch sizes for distribution switches, as not all networks require the standard 24 or 48 ports. Having more compact options with… more »
    Ranking
    17th
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    3,895
    Comparisons
    2,752
    Reviews
    2
    Average Words per Review
    356
    Rating
    8.5
    5th
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    9,389
    Comparisons
    6,028
    Reviews
    35
    Average Words per Review
    469
    Rating
    8.4
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Mellanox SN2700
    MS220, MS320, MS420
    Learn More
    Cisco
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    Overview

    The Mellanox Open Ethernet switch family delivers the highest performance and port density with a complete chassis and fabric management solution enabling converged data centers to operate at any scale while reducing operational costs and infrastructure complexity. This family includes a broad portfolio of Top-of-Rack (TOR) switches that range from 12 to 128 ports, with Ethernet data rates of 1GbE, 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE and 100GbE per port. These switches allow the building of cost-effective and scalable switch fabrics, from a few nodes to tens-of-thousands of nodes.

    Meraki MS Switches are first-line cloud-managed access and aggregation switches that combine the benefits of cloud-based centralized management with a reliable access platform. With cloud management, thousands of switch ports can be configured and monitored instantly over the web.

    Meraki MS Switches Features

    Meraki MS Switches have many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

    • True zero-touch configuration
    • Integrated troubleshooting tools, logging, and alerting
    • Energy-efficient design
    • Low acoustics and fanless options
    • Flexible stacking
    • Cloud management
    • Simple integration into existing and mixed infrastructures
    • Role-based administration
    • Automatic, secure firmware updates
    • Stack power
    • Multigigabit ports
    • Voice VLAN support
    • Link aggregation control protocol (LACP)

    Meraki MS Switches Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing Meraki MS Switches. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

    • Automatic email alerts: If email alerts are enabled, you will receive automatic alerts via email when device or port changes occur. This makes Meraki MS Switches a convenient solution.
    • Identify issues ahead of time: With the solution’s proactive and on-demand cable testing tools, you are notified about any cable problems before anyone else.
    • Detailed client device views: The solution includes a helpful detailed view per client device, including port, VLAN, device fingerprinting, and connectivity data.
    • Lifetime warranty: Meraki MS Switches include a limited lifetime hardware warranty that provides next-day advance hardware replacement.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Meraki MS Switches is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are its accessibility, application visibility, and flexibility features.

    Jóhann T., IT Manager at Sund Upper Secondary School, says, “Accessibility is what I find most valuable in Meraki MS Switches, because I'm able to check things and see if they're working, without being on-site at all times.”

    A Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company mentions, "The top feature of Meraki MS switches for me is Layer 7 application visibility. Another positive in general is that you don't need to set up a console to the switch itself; it dials into a single dashboard where you can completely manage all your network devices."

    John M., user at Baseline Consulting, LLC, comments, "I like the flexibility of the Meraki firewall. It gives you the ability to lock things down. Having multiple VLANs is helpful for the switching infrastructure and firewall. It's crucial when you have a public-facing VLAN, a private-facing VLAN, and a secure VLAN."

    PeerSpot user William M., Consulting Engineer at IV4, expresses, "It is easy to deploy, maintain, and update. It has been trouble-free so far. I am still a Cisco command-line bigot, but the web interface makes it a lot easier for our help desk to interact with a client. When the clients call in and say that they aren't able to connect, it takes the help desk 10 minutes or less to look at everything in the enterprise or location. They can look at the firewall, switches, or access points in the dashboard. That's why I like the dashboard."

    Sample Customers
    CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI
    Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company23%
    Manufacturing Company13%
    Government8%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider16%
    Construction Company9%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Retailer8%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government6%
    Company Size
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise58%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business55%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise24%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business34%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise46%
    Buyer's Guide
    Mellanox Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Mellanox Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,740 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Mellanox Switches is ranked 17th in Ethernet Switches with 5 reviews while Meraki MS Switches is ranked 5th in Ethernet Switches with 87 reviews. Mellanox Switches is rated 7.6, while Meraki MS Switches is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Mellanox Switches writes "Powerful hardware, reliable performance, and advantageous open-source OS". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Meraki MS Switches writes "They're not expensive and configuration is very easy". Mellanox Switches is most compared with Cisco Ethernet Switches, Arista Networks Platform, Aruba Switches, HPE Ethernet Switches and Broadcom StrataXGS, whereas Meraki MS Switches is most compared with Aruba Switches, Cisco Ethernet Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, NETGEAR Switches and Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. See our Mellanox Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches report.

    See our list of best Ethernet Switches vendors.

    We monitor all Ethernet Switches reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.