Meraki Dashboard Reviews

I use Meraki Dashboard to manage our Cisco Meraki devices. It is where I handle the setup and configuration of wireless networks, security settings, and more. The real-time monitoring helps me keep an eye on the network's performance, making troubleshooting and issue resolution a breeze.

What I love most about the Meraki Dashboard are its user-friendly features. Configuring wireless networks is a breeze, and troubleshooting is made easy with insights into RF parameters and roaming issues. The simplicity of the dashboard makes configuration a quick task, and the ability to perform packet captures is a game-changer for in-depth troubleshooting. Overall, it is a go-to solution for efficiently managing and monitoring our network.

One area that could use improvement in the Meraki Dashboard is user-friendliness when navigating to port configurations. While it is functional, the process could be more intuitive and straightforward. After using it for three years, I find that the user interface for configuring ports might benefit from some enhancements to make it more user-friendly and efficient. Clarifying the GUI and simplifying the settings would be a great step forward in improving the overall experience in managing switch configurations.

I have been using Meraki Dashboard for three years.

I would rate the stability of the solution as a ten out of ten.

I would rate the scalability of the solution as a nine out of ten. We have approximately 20 users at our company.

We switched from Cisco Prime to Meraki due to continuous improvement, better features, and enhanced integration capabilities. Meraki's dynamic approach aligns well with our need for ongoing advancements and scalability. Unlike the appliance-based nature of Cisco Prime, Meraki offers easier deployment, making it more cost-effective and adaptable to evolving technologies.

I would rate the easiness of the initial setup as an eight out of ten. The time it takes to deploy the Meraki solution can vary, but it is generally quicker than traditional setups.  It takes about a day to deploy it. For a full integration of the Meraki solution, typically two people are needed.

Meraki Dashboard is fairly priced. It is not too expensive.

Overall, I would rate Meraki Dashboard as an eight out of ten. It is a great solution but could use slight improvement.

We use Meraki Dashboard to manage our wireless networks, and we will soon use it for the wired portion, too. We're talking with Cisco and some of their partners about doing full Ethernet and security, as well. We have about 1,500 users.

We don't have to manually update all the Meraki devices individually. Without Meraki Dashboard, we would have to manually update all the operating systems and do the testing when we deploy switches. Meraki Dashboard handles all of that. It has reduced our overhead and admin costs. 

You need to configure multiple devices if you want to introduce something new to your network, and that could potentially break something in the network. We have fewer configuration errors because the Meraki portal will tell you if you've done something wrong. If you were to make the same mistake on a Catalyst switch, it would accept the configuration whether it was wrong or not. It's far easier to avoid mistakes on the Meraki Dashboard. 

We like how Meraki Dashboard lets you manage all the devices in a single pane of glass. The dashboard is intuitive and easy to use. They are constantly updating the functionality. Switches from other vendors have the same features for the life of the device, but Meraki is always improving.

We're refreshing our networks and looking at the new Meraki MX250 firewall, one of the higher-end security devices. We're happy with what the devices can do, but they lack a few features found on older firewalls or competing products.

For instance, you should be able to see if something has been blocked by a firewall rule by looking at a live log of traffic moving through the device. It helps you troubleshoot issues and understand if your rules are working. You need to ensure the firewall is blocking the right things. 

That's unavailable in the Meraki Dashboard. You have to send the logs to a log server. We use SolarWinds locally, but it's not natively built into Meraki. We're also using Cisco ISA and another tool called Smoothwall. 

I've been working with Meraki Dashboard for maybe about eighteen months now.

We've never experienced an outage. If we ever lose internet connectivity, it will likely be an ISP problem, and any devices connected to Meraki Dashboard will keep working. 

Scaling isn't a problem. Meraki Dashboard can scale beyond what we will ever need. We're happy with that. 

I'm happy with Meraki support. I opened one ticket to ask about something I didn't understand. Meraki support resolved the issue quickly. I received a nice phone call from the Meraki support team. 

Deploying Meraki Dashboard isn't simple for us because we have a complex environment. The larger MX devices are at the main campus building, and there are branch sites with other MX devices on the branches. 

The VPN is simple to set up because it's automated. There's a drop-down menu, and you select the devices you want to connect. You don't need to configure things like encryption or tunnels. Normally, I manage and configure the on-site routers individually, but I don't have to do that with Meraki. It's all automated. 

All of the equipment is on-prem, but the Meraki Dashboard management interface is up in the cloud. 

I rate Meraki Dashboard seven out of 10 for affordability. We get the best price from our partner who works directly with Meraki. The subscription is expensive, but you have to factor in the total cost of ownership. We expect to have the solution for five or six years. We will reduce admin costs because we spend less time on it, and the alternative was Cisco Catalyst or DNA Centers, which are also expensive. We wanted to stick with Cisco either way. 

Our board of directors is pleased with it. While it is expensive, we will recover some of those management costs. It reduces the amount of time we spend on network management, freeing up some of our staff to do other things. We can allocate more people to the service desk or downsize.  

We looked at other options, but they didn't match Meraki's ease of use. We didn't look at all the vendors because we're primarily a Cisco shop, and we had already invested in the Meraki platform for our wireless. We were happy with the Meraki, so we didn't feel the need to look at anything else. 

I rate Meraki Dashboard nine out of 10. 

We are using Meraki in our network environment. It's for monitoring and analysis. 

The solution is easy to use. 

The initial setup is very easy.

We have found the client dashboard to be very simple to use, especially in our Meraki environment. 

It's mostly stable. 

The solution can scale. 

We've had some issues with the product and are looking to replace it. 

The coverage has been an issue for us. 

In the traffic analysis, there are too many categories.

I do not have any notes for new future features. 

I've used the solution for about three years. 

The stability is okay. However, with the cloud, it depends on the internet traffic. Sometimes the connectivity is not good, and that can affect the product. I'd rate the stability seven out of ten. 

The solution has been scalable. I'd rate the ability to expand nine out of ten.

We have around 250 users on the solution and 500 devices. 

So far, in terms of technical support, we've had some cases. They are fine.

We are planning to replace Meraki with Fortinet. I've used Fortinet in the past. There are some extra features, such as the firewall from Fortinet, that are a bit better. 

The setup process is very simple. It's not overly complex. 

The licensing is okay. I'd rate it five out of ten. It could be less expensive. 

We did evaluate other vendors as well and compared them to Meraki. 

I'm an end-user. 

I wouldn't recommend the solution to others right now. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten overall. 

I am using Meraki Dashboard for Meraki equipment for all of our corporate offices worldwide.

The most valuable feature of Meraki Dashboard is we can manage our switches and access point in one place.

The tool is useful for managing devices and monitoring their current state, but it falls short in troubleshooting network issues, particularly with access points. It does not provide a complete understanding of the root causes of the issues. As a result, network engineers have had to use additional tools to complement it and conduct assessments. The only way to improve the tool would be to enhance its capability to identify and resolve network issues effectively.

A feature that can conduct band analysis and provide information about deadlines and related details would be beneficial.

Repeatedly rebooting devices due to errors can disrupt operations, so it's not recommended. However, there are times when it's necessary to reboot access points or switches. The process of scheduling a reboot can be cumbersome, as it involves using the API and building a pipeline script through the console. This adds another layer of complexity to managing and supporting the system.

I have used Meraki Dashboard within the past 12 months.

The support from Meraki Dashboard is highly responsive.

I rate the support from Meraki Dashboard a nine out of ten.

Positive

The pricing of the tool is relatively high compared to other solutions. It comes with a premium that exceeds that of its competitors by approximately 25 percent.

By cross-training our systems administration team to support both, we have been able to reduce our overall organizational footprint and rely on network engineers only when needed. This flexibility has some advantages that can be scaled up across the organization, but it's worth noting that the cost of the tool is higher than other solutions, particularly when only a simple access point or switch is needed.

I rate Meraki Dashboard an eight out of ten.

I would say the ease of use is the most valuable feature. It's very easy to set up and get up and running. 

The downside to the simplicity is that you can't get as granular as you could with the Cisco APs. They don't have a command line interface, or CLI, so you can't just go into the CLI and copy and paste a bunch of commands. You have to do it through the dashboard. That would be the biggest downside.

Their biggest improvement needs to be their documentation. With Cisco, for example, you can just Google whatever image your controller is on. You can say, "I want an 8.5 config guide," and they will give you a PDF that goes from A to Z, with everything you need to know in one place for that software image. You can just open up the guide, do a search for whatever you're looking for, and boom, it'll take you to it. Meraki, on the other hand, does not do that, so if you want to learn anything, you kind of have to know what it is you're looking for to begin with. It's just a webpage database of articles and you've got to basically find what you're looking for. I would love to just have a guide for each software release as opposed to me having to hunt it out.

I've been using this solution for about a year and a half now. 

The stability has been amazing. I don't have to manage it a 10th as much as I have to manage my Cisco stuff.

It's very scalable. We have dozens of employees using the dashboard because each location has its own technician and they have access to their location.

I did 99% of the setup. The only thing I had to get help with was for some of the security guys to do their stuff, but it's really easy to set up. That's the great thing about Meraki et al. It is super easy, almost just straight out of the box. You can watch an eight minute video and have an access point up and running. Getting into the nitty gritty is a little harder. When you want to start doing radio profiles and power control, that gets a little more convoluted. It's easy once you know where to look in the dashboard, though. The hard part is knowing where to find the granular stuff, but the initial setup is super easy.

I would say that once you get it really scaled out, one person can maintain it, but that's not how we do it. The security guy handles the firewall part, the voice guy handles the voice part, and I handle the wireless part.

You don't have to pay for the dashboard. You pay for a license, and an access point comes with it. You use the free dashboard to manage those access points.

My advice to those considering this solution is that if you want a set it and forget it solution, this is great. If you want a solution that you can get into the minutia and adjust at a really super granular level, this is not the solution for you.

I would rate this solution as a nine out of ten. 

The Meraki Dashboard allows me to gain everything, for example, access to the devices for programming, and access to reports on hacking attempts, including threats against any of my devices. The tool also works as a firewall and blocks threats, and I can get reports on that. I can also get reports on how well my access points are working. It's a really good dashboard for those purposes.

With the Meraki Dashboard, I can preconfigure a particular device, and then once it joins the network, it automatically updates, so that's a really good case for the tool. Another way the tool improves my organization is that it gives users the ability to find out who is attempting to gain access to the network. There were attempts at hacking in my organization and through the Meraki Dashboard, my team was able to get to the IP and block it easily.

What I found most valuable in the Meraki Dashboard is straight monitoring of the different devices, as well as the ability to easily set up VPNs, for example, both Meraki client VPNs and non-Meraki VPNs for different organizations that work with my company. I also like that the tool is a really good firewall.

For my purposes, I don't need to see any other features added to the Meraki Dashboard. I have no criticisms and I do like the tool. If I had a criticism for it, it would be about the pricing because it could be a little less, but again, for the service that you get, I won't complain about that too much.

I've been working with Meraki Dashboard for the last ten years.

The Meraki Dashboard is a very stable tool. The only time I haven't been able to gain access to it was when there was an issue with Meraki, in particular, with the cloud, but that lasted only for half an hour to an hour.

The Meraki Dashboard is a very scalable tool. It's easy to bring on new devices and new networks. You can go in and set up a device, and once it comes online, it will automatically update, and then you've got all the information on it, and it takes less than five minutes to set up a new device.

Technical support for Meraki Dashboard has been quite good. There was only one time when I couldn't get the answers that I needed, but the rest of the time, I did finally get the answers I needed, though it took a little while. I had to find an older gentleman that had been with the company for a while to figure something out because the young support people couldn't figure it out. Other than that, the technical support has been really good.

In my previous organization, everything was done on the Cisco command line. In my current organization, Meraki came on and the Meraki Dashboard was offered as part of the licensing for each device, so it was a no-brainer to use it rather than try to find another solution.

The initial setup for the Meraki Dashboard was straightforward. It was done before I got on site for this particular job.

Implementation of the Meraki Dashboard was done by a third party, and then when I took over the job, I just gained access to the dashboard. It was a reseller who implemented the tool and my organization was satisfied with the work the reseller did.

I'm unable to share ROI information, and all I know is that Meraki Dashboard is meant to be a one-stop-shop. I can access my devices from anywhere around the world through it and all I need is a browser interface, so the tool allows one person to do the job of a normal five to six-person IT team.

Licensing for Meraki Dashboard is paid every year, and it's on a per-device model that costs roughly $300 to $400 per device, but that comes with full support and troubleshooting, etc. Compared to similar products, Meraki Dashboard is quite high-end, but the costs you pay are all-in.

The Meraki Dashboard is part of Meraki's commitment to its users. It's on a private cloud with Meraki.

In my organization, it's just me using Meraki Dashboard. I'm an IT Manager and I'm also in charge of the deployment and maintenance of the tool. It's easy and the only thing I have to do is make sure I have a network cable and power source, so I plug the tool in the wall, plug it into a network cable, and that's it.

What's going on in my organization is that it was recently purchased by another company that is coming online, and that company is using Meraki, so I'm going to be offloading all of the day-to-day to that company's IT support team.

My advice to others looking into implementing Meraki Dashboard is that you will find that it is very easy to wrap your head around. It is very full. There are no shortcomings on the tool that I found so far as well as on the devices because Meraki Dashboard is made by Cisco, so it's a very good quality device. It's a very good quality dashboard that provides reporting services. Everything is really good, and it will allow you to do anything you need unless you have to physically go on-site, but you can do everything on the Meraki Dashboard.

I'm rating the Meraki Dashboard ten out of ten.

The solution is used to monitor our devices.

The most valuable features are the ease of use and a single-pane-of-glass that allows us to identify issues across the entire network from one dashboard. We can access the dashboard from any network.

The solution has a limited routing table and needs improvement by increasing the numbers as well as providing a summarization for the table.

I would like to have some features that enable the customer to choose the MTU. This is extremely helpful as it is not currently possible to do this from the customer side. We can see that this will be useful for setting up the MTU for various conditions, particularly for voice and any traffic manager that can alter our routing table.

The routing for calls was limited due to certain protocols, so a big review was conducted. Especially for advertising, the routing table and receiving routing tables from internal BGP or external BGP, enhancing this would be helpful. We also collect everything. We only have the option for BGP and BGP is not available in the routing mode, it is a routed model. All features such as a concentrator mode are included, however concentrator mode only has one cable, so we cannot control it. For example, if we want to connect one connection to concentrator mode, we have to do it manually from the firewall side, not from the concentrator mode or Meraki side. It would be helpful if we could add one connection for the concentrator mode to be managed from the Meraki Dashboard, not from the firewall such as Fortinet or Palo Alto.

I have been using the solution for one year.

I give the stability a nine out of ten.

I give the scalability a seven out of ten.

The solution is designed for a midsize organization.

The technical support is good.

Positive

I give the initial setup a seven out of ten. 

We sometimes encounter some unexpected problems during the initial setup, particularly with some devices. We should create a reset button to connect them to the dashboard. This is definitely an issue for us, as sometimes the device is not directly connected to the dashboard. We have to restart the device. Additionally, if we change one connection, it may become static, and we need to reset the device. Therefore, we need someone to do this on-site.

Deployment takes around 30 minutes per switch and requires one person per site.

I give the solution a one out of ten for pricing. The solution is currently the most expensive on the market.

I give the solution an eight out of ten.

Two people are required for maintenance.

The solution is useful for medium size organizations, is user-friendly, easy to monitor, and doesn't require any configuration. I recommend the solution to others.

We use Meraki Dashboard for office network management. The solution is full SaaS services deployed on the Cisco Meraki cloud.

The dashboard is a valuable feature because it is fully SaaS. This means we can access it from anywhere and we don't have to worry about the infrastructure. This is something that is already available in Cisco regularly, in the old version of Cisco, and something that Meraki sold. The hardware of Meraki is very good quality. Cisco is implementing new features into the dashboard from time to time. The best quality of the Meraki Dashboard is its high level of service. 

The cost of the solution is high and can be improved.

I have been using the solution for five years.

I give the stability of the solution a nine out of ten.

The support is quick, responsive, and user-friendly. It's been a pleasure working with Cisco Meraki Support. They always provide a response and answers. Even when we need to replace devices, they do it quickly.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward for someone with experience.

Depending on the architecture of the network the deployment can take from one hour to one working day.

Meraki Dashboard isn't a cheap product, but the quality is worth the price. I can't say if it's expensive or not, because everyone understands that quality costs.

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

We currently have two people using the solution.

Just as Mercedes is known for its high-quality cars, Cisco is known for its high-quality networking hardware. If we're looking for a reliable network, we can't go wrong with Cisco equipment. Hardware and software come from different sources, but together they create a winning solution. Cisco provides the hardware and Meraki provides the software. I believe that there are cheaper products available, but the quality is not the same. In the five years I have been using Meraki I have not checked the competitors. I am not familiar with the pricing for alternative solutions, so I can't compare where Meraki Dashboard fits in terms of cost.

I recommend the solution to others. Meraki Dashboard is a quality solution, intuitive, easy to implement, and has great support.