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.
"Being able to deal with multiple VLANs to segment the network logically is the biggest feature for us. The management of these switches is okay for us. These switches work very well, and they meet our needs."
"The security of the switches is pretty impressive. There are many security features available on the product."
"Good and stable operational experience with nearly no loss of hardware and very few software bugs."
"The solution is extremely stable."
"One main feature of this solution is the POE switches."
"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."
"This product is widely available and the warranty is very good."
"The solution is highly reliable."
"The initial setup is easy."
"I like the portal, it's really interesting."
"The management is cloud-based so you do not have to be on-premises to work with it."
"This product has QoS, decent visibility of what's going on, and it's a managed switch."
"We find value in its ability to enable cloud management and visibility. They are also easy to deploy. It's very convenient because you can see who is accessing, what type of UI system they're using, what applications they're using, the bandwidth, and more."
"I like the support, and basically, that's why I'm using Meraki by Cisco."
"The most valuable feature is the granular visibility that they provide with a single pane of glass."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to orchestrate the network from the cloud."
"The high price of the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"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."
"The initial setup can be simplified."
"We need more management tools for the solution."
"The solution needs to work on lowering the amount of bugs. We find them quite regularly."
"Cisco could definitely work on delivering improved pricing to its customers."
"When you contact support, they don't give you the expert at first, they give you the beginner. Only after going around in a circle do they give you experts. Why don't they just give the expert from the beginning?"
"One area for improvement could be integrating a single dashboard for both wired and wireless networks."
"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."
"In reference to an area of improvement sometimes the switch does not connect to the internet initially."
"I would like to see improvements to the dark mode in the next release, as I prefer the dark mode."
"The price for this product could be cheaper. For a low-budget school or institution, scaling up and implementing more switches could take longer because of budget constraints."
"There should be a focus on the emerging markets to offer better pricing. In India, they are offering it at better pricing for the emerging markets."
"This product depends on a cloud connection in order to function. If you have an unstable internet connection or other connectivity issues the product will not function as expected."
"Mandatory maintenance is an area that needs improvement."
"Clients are very confused by technical support. They seem to have trouble reaching Meraki to get the assistance they need."
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 H3C Ethernet 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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