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.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches Report (Updated: May 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches

May 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 787,061 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Number of Reviews

128

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Meraki MS Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

5th

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Market share comparison

As of June 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the market share of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 21.6% and it increased by 4.7% compared to the previous year. The market share of Meraki MS Switches is 6.2% and it increased by 51.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches

Unique Categories:

No other categories found

Featured Reviews

John Bayangos

Lead Infrastructure Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Jan 11, 2023

We seldom need to reboot them unless there's a bug or it was deployed in an improper environment

Our setups are simple, but it depends on the complexity of the client's infrastructure and requirements. I'm more on the operations side, so everything is already deployed, but when we build a new network, I am involved in configuring the new switches. When we do an RMA for a faulty device, I configure it. It's usually a copy-paste of the configuration, but I can build the design from scratch. The number of people required for deployment and maintenance depends on the size of the environment. A data center usually needs about five or six people to maintain it. You have two people on 12-hour shifts; the rest are senior staff.

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Dan Brunnquell

Director Of Information Technology at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees

Aug 29, 2022

Easy to patch and manage from anywhere with a simple implementation

It's a straightforward implementation. I just did plug-and-play. I can maintain them from my desk. I'm a one-person shop. They are very easy to take care of. For example, I can schedule patch management. The biggest concern is keeping them patched or updated so that the firmware is always current to avoid potential bad players or issues. I can schedule that and do that all from the console. I don't have to worry about staying up late at night to do it or taking it down in the middle of the day and scheduling downtime. In the middle of the night, I can say, "Patch it," and it'll be done.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The initial setup was for Cisco Ethernet Switches was straightforward."

"You can tap into all of the features for your virtual workload environment."

"The solution's valuable features are the speed of network transfer, it can transfer four to six gigabits per second."

"The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet Switches for our network are speed, latency, and reliability."

"We only deal with Cisco products, they are very good."

"The layer-2 switching is very fast."

"We can easily integrate the product with any OEM solutions."

"In terms of most valuable feature, I would say the user interface."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

"Easy to set up, stable switches with good accessibility that makes it quicker to identify problems, find solutions, and fix problems."

"It is easy to configure and claim the switches by their serial number directly from the portal."

"It helps manage multiple switches deployed in different locations with a single console on the cloud."

"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."

"The technical support is very good. They offer some of the best support on the market."

"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."

"The initial setup is straightforward. You only need two people for deployment and maintenance."

"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."

More Meraki MS Switches pros

Cons

"The ease of use of Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve. It is different to use them if you do not have prior knowledge."

"You do have to buy into the Cisco architecture to be able to use them."

"The typical areas of concern for Cisco Ethernet Switches are not technical but cost including support costs. I’ve never liked the fact that end users cannot download security patches without a support contract. I’ve had trouble getting approval to renew Cisco support contracts due to the cost."

"Cisco switches are good as they are, but it would be a major feature if they have built-in routers. Some of the Microchip switches have routers built in the same device. They have a router switch. For some of the sites, we deploy such switches because the client does not want a separate router and a separate switch. So, we go for a router switch with maybe 24 ports. Some of them are fiber, and some of them are ethernet. It would be a major improvement to what Cisco is already doing. Behind the scenes, a lot of scripting and stuff like this is happening. A lot of workload can be lifted if Cisco had a good GUI. If you look at Microchip switches, they have a good GUI in addition to the CLI."

"The solution should offer a method for user-based load balancing."

"In the future, some of the features could be updated to support the latest functions."

"There are some GUI configuration improvements that they can implement in the future for the product models."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve if they removed the command line interface and replaced it with a better GUI. It is too difficult at the moment, we always need to figure out the commands."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

"We had issues with the stability, issues with the pricing, and the total cost of ownership."

"This solution is too simple for some cases, and there should be more configuration options."

"Meraki MS Switches could improve the process of installing firmware."

"The licensing model needs to be improved."

"When we do any changes to the core switch it causes the devices to reboot."

"Doesn't enable a local configuration without internet access."

"Management from a single dashboard is what I want to see from Meraki MS Switches."

"It would be great if the switch can identify the IP address connected to the network port. It seems most of the switches cannot identify the IP address. They can identify the MAC address but not the IP address."

More Meraki MS Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."

"It is an expensive product since it is used in a large network where you cannot rely on some cheaply priced solution."

"When you compare with other products, they are more or less the same price."

"In some of the latest switches, the warranty is not included in the pricing and we have to purchase it separately."

"Its price is a bit higher than other brands. Indian customers are price-conscious. They should improve its price."

"I pay a fixed price on it. I'm not the person on the pursing, so I don't really compare."

"There is a license required for this solution and the price could be better."

"The product is expensive."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

"This is not a cheap solution."

"One key challenge often encountered is the perception that strategic products like Cisco and Meraki tend to be more expensive than alternatives like Aruba."

"Extreme switches are more cost-effective than Cisco Meraki Switches."

"We don't use standard licensing. Most of the time, we use the advanced security model. If there is a drawback to Meraki, it is the cost, but you also have to evaluate it based upon the other factors that you do get. Their support is really good; their hardware is really good. The ease of configuration and deployment is really good, but it is more expensive than most."

"We paid for our switches outright, at a cost of between $15,000 USD and $18,000 USD."

"The solution is a bit on the pricey side."

"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."

"When you compare it to other switches like HP, Juniper, and Ruckus, Meraki MS Switches are cheaper."

More Meraki MS Switches pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.

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Comparison Review

it_user82779

Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Jan 29, 2014

Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco

Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

19%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?

Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...

See all answers

Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?

We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...

See all answers

In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?

Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...

See all answers

What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?

The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?

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 ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?

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...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 24% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 17% of the time

D-Link Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

H3C Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Ethernet Switches Competitors

Aruba Switches vs Meraki MS Switches

Compared 28% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Meraki MS Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Meraki MS Switches

Compared 6% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Meraki MS Switches

Compared 6% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Meraki MS Switches

Compared 6% of the time

More Meraki MS Switches Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches

June 2024

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Meraki MS Switches

May 2024

Download Meraki MS Switches product report

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

MS220, MS320, MS420

Learn More

Cisco

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Cisco

Overview

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.

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

Linz AG

Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches

May 2024

Free Report: Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.

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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.