What is our primary use case?
At World Vision, we run most of our applications in the cloud. So most of the people need to have a strong and stable internet connection. Our offices are kind of in a box with not much infrastructure in terms of the LAN. So I deploy Meraki WIFI access points and they become the connection to the internet so that people can get to the systems that they use wherever they are.
How has it helped my organization?
We have a centralized dashboard in the cloud. I send the access point somewhere and I configure it remotely on cloud. Ours is on premise, managed from the Meraki dashboard itself. So I could be anywhere and manage it, but we are deploying them for World Vision offices across the country.
It benefits the organization and my work because we do not have a lot of IT guys here. Before, we used to manually deploy wireless and I needed to drive miles and miles across the country to configure an access point. When it goes off, we lose connection to it. I still need to drive there, but these days Meraki has reduced the workload because I can just send it wherever it is going and configure it wherever I am. I can be in many places at once.
First of all, it helps with the workload, but also with the flexibility in that I can do everything remotely. I can view when the app is off, I can view when it's on, when it's acting up, when it's fully loaded, I can do the RF setting, even on my phone right now, in case there is any issue. This is what we found good about Meraki.
What is most valuable?
I like the fact that the deployment is so easy. Deploying and setting up a network have become so easy - like 1, 2, 3 steps and you are up and running, whereas originally we needed to log into the app and all those things. Now, it is more robust for me to deploy networks. And because of the field we are in where offices open up and others close, it helps my turnaround time to deploy these networks for the customers.
What needs improvement?
In terms of anything to improve, recently I have seen that the Meraki access point, maybe due to congestion, just kicks off my customers, mostly when they are in Zoom meetings or Teams meetings and they have to reconnect. It is not a good thing. I have been on the communities trying to find solutions, but I think Meraki is working around the clock to fix that bug. Other than that, I think it's okay. We moved to WIFI Fix, so I think that the improvements are there. They are already in R&D. So I look forward to more good things coming from Meraki.
It just kicks them off, because one minute they are connected and then they are completely dropped, and then after a minute or two, we connect back. I think it is an AP issue that Meraki might need to take a look at. If anyone has some hack around that, I would be interested in knowing what it is.
In terms of what I would like to see in the next release, for starters, I would like an air marshal not to interrupt service. I would like to be able to do a separate scan of the network while the service is still running. It is important for me to know what environment I am working in. But every time I do that, it tends to have the IP go off and everyone starts complaining. That would be a feature that I would like to be added.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for about three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In terms of stability, it performs until lately, when it started to kick off my people. But it is not so often. It is during peak hours, like Monday mornings when we have so many Zoom meetings and then maybe Wednesdays when it is too busy. Other than that, it has been stable. We have been okay for the past two and a half years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is as I want it to be. The only thing I need to do is add a few licenses here and there, but it is scalable. I get a new device, add it on the dashboard, and I don't need to pay dashboard fees. Not too bad for me. It is scalable enough. I wouldn't want that to be changed.
As a rough estimate, we are about 1,200 users. That is the breadth of the network across the country. We have about 30 offices, with some more populated than others.
I do the deployment and maintenance myself - only one person.
We use it everyday. Every time someone walks into the office, they are using the Meraki Wireless at that point to connect to the internet and everyone who walks in the office needs the internet to work. It is being used 24/7.
How are customer service and support?
I have spoken to support, but not too many times because we have not had that many issues. But I have contacted support and they are quick to respond. I would say for the last issue that I sent them, they are still doing the investigation on that. I checked everywhere on the communities and I think it is still something they are working around. In terms of support, when I send a ticket, it is responded to, I get feedback and then I'm asked if it works or if I still have any issues. That is also a good thing they are doing there.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before we started using Cisco, we were using the Ubiquiti UniFi.
We switched from UniFi, because at the time, the UniFi access points were being managed locally at each location here. So we had to set up local accounts for admin. At the time, most of those controllers were on desktops which were off all weekend. So we had the whole work of going back to each office and resetting them and reconfiguring them. It was a disaster for us. So we were looking for a more centralized solution where one person could do all this stuff in his office or wherever they are.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite straightforward.
It takes me five minutes to set up a network, because I configure everything in the dashboard. I only have to synchronize. I need to onboard it and assign it a network and it is up and running.
What about the implementation team?
I do this deployment myself. I buy the equipment. It comes in, I onboard it and I send it out to the field. I tell someone to power it up and it is good to go.
What was our ROI?
We have seen ROI, yes. Because we save. Just imagine for three years we saved all that transport costs, fuel costs, and admin costs that they had to pay me to go out of office. They had to pay for the driver, the car and all those things. So we have cleared on that. Originally, we used to employ temporary staff who would help with the manual work of removing the access point, putting it back up, and troubleshooting. All that now is at zero. And the beautiful thing is that this Meraki Wireless shows us our utilization, so we get to know how the internet is being utilized and we can possibly leverage ISP on reducing the cost on bandwidth, because we require more. I have conversations with them to reduce the cost of our bandwidth and give us more bandwidth for that data. It also has the analytics that know what our customer is doing. I really think that the organization has obtained its return on investment. This is why when I say that we need another $13,000 next year, they will gladly give it to me because they know that the solution helps us do our work.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Each Meraki license is around 130. We pay $139 for three years. So every three years we spend about $13,000.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also checked out Ruckus Wireless. I went with the Meraki because it gave me more capability in what I was looking for
What other advice do I have?
My advice to anyone considering Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is, if you can afford it, I think it is a good solution. If your CBA, cost benefit analysis, is okay - I would recommend Cisco Meraki because it helps you reach many, many points from just one center. It has simplified my work because before I had to travel every day to a different place because of a different wireless issue. Now I have remote oversight over all of them. I can know what to do if someone called and said, "Something's wrong here." First take a close look, study some of these things, maybe come to PeerSpot and get some notes before embarking on Cisco Meraki.
On a scale of one to ten, for point to point for big crowds, I would give Meraki a nine. A nine because there is always a need for improvement. This is only on the technical part - of course if you factor costs and all, I may have a different score, but for me as an engineer, I give it a nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
*Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.