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.
"What I like the most is the performance and the latency that Cisco provides."
"Very stable solution with a very low failure rate."
"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 a scalable solution."
"Technical support has always been helpful."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, much more than Jupiter."
"The security of the switches is pretty impressive. There are many security features available on the product."
"In terms of most valuable feature, I would say the user interface."
"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."
"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."
"The main features of Meraki MS Switches are integration, high quality, and hardware guarantee."
"The product offered a lower CapEx cost for the appliance."
"We have no problem with technical support from Cisco."
"The features are great."
"We are using the MS425 series. We like the ease of use, ease of administration, and central dashboard. Meraki also has fantastic documentation and community. With its central dashboard, we can deploy a generic configuration across hundreds of switches, rather than doing it in the old school way where an individual or a group of engineers would log onto each device via CLI, which takes a long time. So, everything is connected."
"Meraki MS Switches is easy to use and implement."
"There are instances where the commands you are familiar with might change or be replaced with newer syntax."
"I would like to see this solution automatically store multiple versions of the configuration file."
"We have experienced some issues with Cisco SG350 switches. We have not been able to use this switch at normal temperatures as it automatically reboots."
"If Cisco Ethernet Switches can work both on-prem and in the cloud, it would be an advantage."
"The price could be better."
"Cisco should strive to improve the software for its switches."
"Cisco's equipment is expensive, especially since it introduced the obligatory purchase of Cisco DNA."
"Technical support for integrations with other network products is insufficient and should be improved."
"It can have better security. It needs more security enhancements, and in particular, a zero-trust element. If we could have external and internal users vetted in the same way as a zero-trust network, that will be handy."
"I've had some hardware failure issues on the POE side on several switches across the years. There seems to be a problem with the POE ports of their unit system."
"Some people would have some reservations about the yearly subscription. Maybe they could offer an option of having a one-off or perpetual license to let people test it and see how it goes."
"The documentation could be more extensive. For example, it could describe more scenarios. It would be great if they could incorporate AI engines into the switching infrastructure and firewall so you can configure it to prevent intrusion. They have intrusion prevention and detection, but they could enhance it by incorporating AI into their firewall."
"It could be easier to use and easier to implement."
"The quote-building process is challenging and it needs to be simplified."
"It is a compact switch, so there are a limited number of ports, and it needs improvement in terms of scalability."
"The solution could be simplified a bit."
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 Huawei 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.
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.
