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reviewer1543167 - PeerSpot reviewer
Advanced IT Executive at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
A solid product with good network security and the potential to scale
Pros and Cons
  • "The network security the solution provides is its most valuable aspect."
  • "The licensing could be a bit better."

What is our primary use case?

The product is used mainly for wireless switching security. I like to call it network security, however, they also have products on that end, such as FC LAN. I don't focus too much on the wireless stuff. I focus on the services and products.

What is most valuable?

The network security the solution provides is its most valuable aspect.

Overall, it's a very solid product. I really like it.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

The solution scales very well.

We've found the product to be quite stable.

What needs improvement?

On the performance side, there are always updates to different versions. It's more just getting it out to the client-side that's often the issue. 

The licensing could be a bit better.

They should market Meraki as a mid-level solution for SMBs. There are a lot of SMBs out there, and they could use this technology.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for a while, however, it's hard to give a timeframe. I use it as clients use it. They can go on and off of it, or I can be on different accounts.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been very good. It's very solid. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale very well. There are not problems expanding it if you need to as an organization. It's easy enough to do. Even on an enterprise-level, you can scale.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is more channeled to the partner side of things. However, Cisco is a great product and has a great team.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I can name a lot of companies that do network security, however, we pull up Cisco Meraki and we read off everything they do. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup isn't overly complex. It's pretty straightforward. A company shouldn't have trouble implementing it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't deal with pricing directly, however, it's my understanding that it is around $40 per unit. I'm not well versed in MDM pricing, to be honest. It's not something I work with.

I'm more on the managed services, professional services, which includes getting everything set up and dealing with all the problems around it, versus the actual licensing part.

What other advice do I have?

We're partners with Cisco. Meraki is probably one of the number one solutions. On my team that's all we've talked about or sold. Cisco is 100%, one of our top partners.

Just in terms of network security, there's a lot of digital transformation happening. There will be a lot of moving to the cloud for many customers and you'd be surprised how many enterprises still just aren't prepared for the changes that are coming their way.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. It's a legitimate switch and a legitimate solution. It does what it says and it gets the job done.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Project Co-Ordinator at Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology
Real User
Scalable, robust, and it can be deployed on the cloud and on-premises
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very stable, very resilient, and very robust."
  • "Our only concern at this stage is how it's licensed."

What is our primary use case?

We have deployed this solution both on private cloud and on-premises across at least 100 distinct locations.

What needs improvement?

I can't say that there are any additional features that we would like to see included in it. Our only concern at this stage is how it's licensed.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable, very resilient, and very robust.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We don't have any challenges with the scalability so far. From our experience, it's quite scalable.

On a daily basis, we probably have an excess of 5,000 users on this solution.

There are no immediate plans to increase usage, however, there's probably a growth rate of about 5% to 8% per year for the next year or two.

How was the initial setup?

This solution is not significantly hard to setup and deploy.

It's a manual process.

We deployed this solution across a complete government network over a three-year period.

What about the implementation team?

We had a system integrations consultant working cohesively with us on it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We don't like the licensing model and we think that it needs to be improved significantly.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
MSP
Easy to install and manage, but the customization needs improvement.
Pros and Cons
  • "The big draw is the ease of installation. It's easy to manage, and it's easy to implement."
  • "The customization needs to be improved because it's pretty locked down."

What is our primary use case?

We are MSP, resellers. We provide solutions for customers.

Meraki is a good entry-level enterprise Wi-Fi solution.

How has it helped my organization?

Customers that have gone from SMB solutions into the Meraki have noticed an increase in satisfaction in the work.

What is most valuable?

The big draw is the ease of installation. It's easy to manage, and it's easy to implement.

What needs improvement?

It's a little bit customizable, but that's where it probably has one of its downfalls. It is not as feature-rich as some of the others.

The customization needs to be improved because it's pretty locked down. You can't customize it much.

In the next release of this solution, I would like to see the Radio Control feature included, and improved customization on the radios.

Also, it needs more ability to control it. It works well but you can really change it a lot.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been working with Cisco Meraki Wireless Lan for approximately 10 years.

They don't really have versions with Meraki. They have different access points.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a very stable product, very mature.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable, but it definitely suffers during really large implementations.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is good. They are pretty solid.

I think everywhere there's always improvement to be had. That's just kind of the big thing for technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

The usual requirements are less than thirty days to install. It's pretty quick.

We do our pre-installation survey, help design the network, and then implement it, test it, and then make adjustments as required.

What was our ROI?

Wi-Fi is a necessary evil. You have to have Wi-Fi, so I think that it's a situation where you have to put something in. 

Some of the companies have had a return on investments and they will generate revenue off of their Wi-Fi, but that's in hospitality for example.

It's a little bit different for those customers, who have to put a Wi-Fi solution in. 

This one from a budgetary standpoint is mid-range. It's not super expensive and it's not super cheap.

It's a good solution. 

A lot of customers pick it because it's got decent feature sets and it's not the most expensive in the market.

What other advice do I have?

To anyone who is interested in using this solution, make sure that you're happy with their features and that it's the right solution. 

Look at all of its features and also look at its downfalls and/or weaknesses, as well.

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good, but not great.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

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.
PeerSpot user
Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Excellent graphical interface, good stability, and an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The interface is excellent. We've been really happy with it."
  • "We haven't had any issues with the solution. We like the way it works. There isn't anything I can think of that makes me worry that it might be lacking in a certain area."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution to understand what is happening in terms of troubleshooting the performance on the network. We have pretty specific user issues. We use it to ensure both our users and devices are secure.

What is most valuable?

We like the analysis that allows us to see how our cloud applications are performing and we like the way that the solution shows where suites are coming from, including if they are coming from overseas. 

We like the way that we can map the solution against the floor of our building. We are able to see a few things from a topography perspective and can show us if certain aspects are wrong.

The interface is excellent. We've been really happy with it.

What needs improvement?

We haven't had any issues with the solution. We like the way it works. There isn't anything I can think of that makes me worry that it might be lacking in a certain area.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for two years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. We haven't had any crashes. There haven't been bugs or glitches that have interrupted us or our work.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We currently have 60-75 users on the solution. They all use it daily.

For us, the solution seems to be pretty scalable. We haven't had any issues and haven't seen any shortcomings.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't recall ever reaching out to technical support. That's not to say we haven't, but I can't remember any specific event or problem where I can discuss a real-life encounter with them. My understanding is that it's good as long as we log a case quickly.

If a case was logged and it's been registered with them, we find the effects in terms or response and resolution are good. We all have different customers with different firewalls and we find technical support in general pretty good. They've got a pretty good presence here in New Zealand, and the support from overseas is pretty good too.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Ruckus. Meraki is far and away much better for our needs. It was the user interface and its superiority that sold us. It's just far superior and easy to use. The ability to troubleshoot on the graphical interface is just better because the graphical information is so clear.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite simple. I wouldn't describe it as complex at all.

When we moved to a new building, we were able to have everything up and running in a day or so. Maybe even less than that.

Maintenance is pretty straightforward as well. We just do the updates regularly in order to make sure the server is up to date, as well as any security features.

What about the implementation team?

We're the integrator. We use the solution and also have the capabilities and know-how to bring it all together. We don't need any outside help in order to implement the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't have any information about the pricing of the solution. I'm not sure I could estimate the costs on a yearly or monthly basis as I don't deal with finances at our organization. I do believe our company offers very good value for money, although it's my understanding that it's not exactly on the cheapest end of the spectrum.

What other advice do I have?

We have a business relationship with Cisco. We're also a partner.

I'd advise other organizations to think about the solution right through to how they manage and troubleshoot end users. I would recommend that anyone looking at a solution such as this consider that. A lot of people just think about the LAN performance, but I think the ability to understand it and save time by troubleshooting the end-users would be a more important consideration.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer938667 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Administrator at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
East to use with content filtering but needs a more detailed dashboard
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use."
  • "The dashboard could be a bit better. I'd like to see more information about the whole controller and APs. It should be as simple and convenient."

What is our primary use case?

It's for our head offices, remote offices branches. The solution is primarily used for giving access to our users, including controlling their access and granting access.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use. With the cloud dashboard, it's easy to control the APs and other items. It has controlling, content filtering, and other options. A lot of things are there. It has a lot of great features.

The solution is stable.

The scalability is good.

What needs improvement?

I am new to this solution. At the moment, I am not the right person or in a position to suggest something new or point out something that's lacking. I time to use it properly and see the pros and cons of the product and the requirements regarding our business.

The dashboard could be a bit better. I'd like to see more information about the whole controller and APs. It should be as simple and convenient.

For how long have I used the solution?

I haven't used the solution for very long. It's been about a month. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It does not crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is great. However, it depends on the business' needs.

How are customer service and support?

I can't speak to technical support. I didn't actually open any ticket, so I am not sure. I can't say how responsive or helpful they are. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've been using Aruba Wireless Controller, and Huawei - just the controller. I'm new to this environment and I'm new to the device.

How was the initial setup?

I did not handle the initial setup and I didn't configure anything. I've just started administering the solution actually. I can't speak to the implementation process and how difficult or simple it is.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I can't speak to the pricing or licensing. It's not an aspect of the solution I take care of.

What other advice do I have?

We're just customers and technical users. 

We use different versions, such as the MX64, 800 series, and 100 series.

At the moment, I'd rate the solution at a six out of ten. I have no experience, or at least, not too much experience yet. 

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1213317 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
MSP
A fully-managed Wi-Fi solution to provide internet access for our guests
Pros and Cons
  • "We can deploy it and check in on our customers without having an on-site connection or an on-site infrastructure for elderly customers."
  • "The technical support for Meraki needs improvements made to the waiting times."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of this solution is to allow access to our guests and to grant our employees Wi-Fi access while at work. Mainly we use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN as a Wi-Fi solution, occasionally as switches, but primarily as a wireless solution.

The deployment model was on a public cloud.

What is most valuable?

What I like most about this solution is that it is a fully managed solution. We can deploy it and check in on our customers without having an on-site connection or an on-site infrastructure for elderly customers.

What needs improvement?

The technical support for Meraki needs improvements made to the waiting times. The explanation when you have problems, and the tools in place to follow the case, are not very good.

They should reconsider the rules under licensing. If you do not pay your subscription within the month of it being due, the use of the product will stop.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution, it's perfect! We have not had any issues with glitches or crashes. Once it's installed, it's running all of the time without problems.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable.

We have more than one thousand users, and we have plans to increase usage in the future.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have contacted the technical support once or twice but to be honest, the technical support is not very good for Meraki.

I had contacted the technical assistance center for Cisco to order parts, and they have a really good support center.

On the Meraki end, it is not the best part of this solution.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously we used other solutions from Cisco, other vendors, and small vendors with local Wi-Fi controllers.

The configuration for our customers was very complex so we switched to Cisco Meraki Wireless.

How was the initial setup?

A person who doesn't have the experience or background will need some assistance in the beginning. They will not be able to open the box without one or two words of explanation, after that, it is very easy.

This solution is very easy to deploy, install, and to manage.

We have an experienced internal team in place that knows the features in the deployment of Meraki products very well. They know how to manage it and we propose this to our customers as well.

What about the implementation team?

We are resellers and we did the implementation ourselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You have to renew your contract every year, or for three or for five years. If you do not pay right away they will suspend your subscription.

You only have the option to pay yearly, not monthly.

This solution is expensive, but it's a Cisco product and the solution is really stable. You pay for the quality of the product.

What other advice do I have?

I like this solution, it's really good.

It's a good solution for small to medium-sized businesses or companies. We sell this solution to small businesses here in Belgium.

Meraki is easier to configure than other solutions, which is most likely the reason why Cisco purchased Meraki.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller.
PeerSpot user
Head of IT Network Division at Panorinformatika
Real User
Stable, scalable, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "The user interface is very simple and easy to use — our customers are very satisfied."
  • "There could be more functionality."

What is our primary use case?

I work for a system integrator company. I am in charge of approximately 15 people — I am head of the network department. We deal with many different companies, but Meraki and Cisco are the most popular. 

We have approximately 100 customers using this solution. 

What is most valuable?

The user interface is very simple and easy to use — our customers are very satisfied.

Meraki in general is easy to use. I recently hosted a webinar regarding SD-WAN. I compared  Cisco Meraki with other Cisco products. Meraki's performance is a little bit lower compared with other Cisco products, but the platform is very, very simple. As long as a customer has a dedicated IT team, then Meraki will be a good option for them.

What needs improvement?

There could be more functionality.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for a couple of years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is both scalable and stable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We're a highlighted partner. If we have any questions, then we can go to the technical guys and get answers immediately. We get the best support all of the time.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. The platform is very simple. You have to install the EPs and put them on the virus controller so that you can fine-tune the different settings.

What about the implementation team?

We typically install this solution for our customers. Still, if a customer wants to install it themselves, then they can do so easily.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Meraki and Aruba are available for almost exactly the same price. The price/benefit ratio is great. Meraki is more affordable than Aruba, HPE, and others.

What other advice do I have?

I would absolutely recommend this solution to others. 

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a rating of ten.
For small to medium-sized businesses, I think it's the best. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Project Engineer at CIEMTELCOM
Real User
Good dashboard, great support, and easy to manage and configure
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to manage and configure. The dashboard of Meraki is easy to use."
  • "Currently, only a limited number of clients can connect to these devices."

What is our primary use case?

I use this solution for wireless.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to manage and configure. The dashboard of Meraki is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Currently, only a limited number of clients can connect to these devices.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Our clients are small and medium companies, and we didn't have any problems with scalability. Our clients may increase its usage in the future.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their support is great. Its documentation is also good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used Juniper Mist. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is easy to use in the cloud.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.