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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 0.8%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.9%, down from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 3.1%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Meraki MS Switches3.1%
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches2.9%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches0.8%
Other93.2%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

OusaidAbaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Doesn't have many proprietary protocols but some models have stability issues
We had stability issues with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches 6250. One issue is with licensing. When migrating from TDM to VoIP/ToIP solutions integrated on the same architecture, Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches don't have the same skill level or follow the same development path as companies like Cisco. They started integrating these solutions later, which is why there's a noticeable difference in advancement. Their main focus has been IP PBX solutions like OXO and OXE. They developed their IP environment and switches later, but not as deeply as other vendors. For example, they use Aruba access points and controllers for wireless solutions rather than developing their own portfolio. A specific challenge I've faced is with access points. Due to country code restrictions, the model sold in one region (like Europe) may not work properly in another. This affects channels and features related to the electronic environment specific to each country. To resolve this issue, I've had to reconfigure access points with the correct country code. The solution uses basic protocols. It doesn't have proprietary features like Cisco's EIGRP or advanced BGP features; it's based on standard protocols.
PRADIPJOSHI - PeerSpot reviewer
Virtual chassis technology enhances connectivity and simplifies management
Juniper EX series switches offer great technology, particularly their Virtual Chassis technology, which is an excellent feature for stacking switches and functions like a single virtual switch. The EX series provides a separation of control, management, and data planes, reducing the attack surface area, ensuring a lesser extent of vulnerability. The PoE budget is commendable, and they manage connectivity effectively.
MajidKhan - PeerSpot reviewer
Remote access enhances troubleshooting with potential for more intuitive interface
We are working with Citrix and router, but in Cisco for Cisco vendor only. We are taking from them since 2015.  The main use case involves some small business customers needing one router, one switch, and two to three access points. It is easy to handle the devices with just a small knowledge of…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"It's easy to extend the stack, We don't use the smaller switches, but it's going well for the rest."
"We are able to customize this solution based on the customer's requirements."
"The fibre ports that are 10 Gb capacity helped with the travel of a lot of regular as well as video data. Fibre can handle a lot more virtual data than copper twisted-pair, so we got a lot more data and a lot more traffic signals back through the fibre ports, faster, than with copper."
"The new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all functional."
"The solution has a very good web interface. It makes it easy to manage everything."
"The product is stable. It does have only one power supply. They don't have a redundant power supply."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"It is easy to configure, and there are three routing switches."
"What I like most about this solution is that it is secure."
"The solution is certainly scalable."
"It's stable and reliable."
"High-performance and reliable, easy to manage and configure, advanced security features, scalable and flexible and rock-solid uptime and availability."
"In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco products."
"The scalability is excellent. It's one of the aspects of the solution that is quite good."
"The product is flexible and easy to set up."
"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 in to a single dashboard where you can completely manage all your network devices."
"The most valuable feature is the cloud management architecture from Meraki."
"The product offered a lower CapEx cost for the appliance."
"The cloud part of Meraki Switches is very good. They also have a good GUI. It's a complete solution. I like the switching and the monitoring part."
"The most valuable features are ease of use and configuration. It has a cloud-based configuration that makes it easy."
"I like the portal, it's really interesting."
"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."
"Overall, the switches are really good."
 

Cons

"The network connection should be improved."
"technical support response time is sometimes very slow."
"My customer's team is not able to understand the loophole with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches, but apart from that, there are no issues."
"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"We had stability issues with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches 6250. One issue is with licensing. When migrating from TDM to VoIP/ToIP solutions integrated on the same architecture, Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches don't have the same skill level or follow the same development path as companies like Cisco. They started integrating these solutions later, which is why there's a noticeable difference in advancement."
"The product would be better if it were completely compatible with other switching products."
"The operating system, Junos OS, often has bugs which forces rollbacks or additional upgrades to resolve."
"The security features for the product should be more unified for the product regardless of the product model."
"The updates are constantly breaking."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches would be improved by upgrading the uplink port in EX2300 categories service from 10G to 25G."
"It was very difficult to get technical support, here in Egypt. There is no local support available."
"Juniper EX Series could improve the process and ease of updating the software. It is a difficult process."
"Its distribution channel and the ease of availability should be improved."
"The upgrading of the system should be simplified and made faster."
"In reference to an area of improvement sometimes the switch does not connect to the internet initially."
"Management from a single dashboard is what I want to see from Meraki MS Switches."
"There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved."
"Less flexibility than in some other solutions."
"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."
"Meraki MS Switches do not offer as many features as their competitors, so we are quite limited in what we can configure on the switches and firewalls."
"They tend to have some weird issues with fiber uplinks."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"The pricing for the support is very high."
"The solution does not require a license to use it."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches are a less expensive solution than Cisco Ethernet Switches. There is only a one-time purchase for Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"The maintenance cost is approximately €2,000 ($2,200 USD) per year, including support, for our entire fleet."
"We purchased the box for a one-time charge, and we are paying a yearly support fee of several hundred Euros."
"If compared to Cisco, this is a well priced solution. Compared to HP, it is a little bit overpriced. Overall, they are priced in the middle compared to competitors."
"The pricing is very aggressive."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches could be less expensive. There is not a license needed to use the solution."
"It is very expensive so I want it to be cheaper."
"The yearly maintenance fee is $100 and you can purchase the switches used for about $200 each."
"I don't have an issue with the price of this solution."
"If you buy a license for one switch, it will include the licensing for the device RMA, device failure warranty, technical support, and everything else. Also covered is support for software updates for future releases. It's a single license for everything and there's nothing that customers need to pay in addition to the license."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"The pricing is overvalued in relation to the product's performance."
"They can get the price down for small businesses. The way I bought it, I paid hardly anything, and I got all my licensing with it. The firewall appliance is around $900, and the switches are around $150. This is for the device itself. For licensing, I signed at $70 or something like that for the switch. Technical Support is included in this."
"It's $150 per year for licensing on each 250 switch. The 425 switches are about $500 a year for the enhanced enterprise licenses."
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Retailer
7%
Wholesaler/Distributor
5%
Computer Software Company
11%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise24
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business51
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The new web graphical interface is much better than before. We now have easy access to the command lines. They're all...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
In terms of pricing, Alcatel is cheaper than Cisco, however, MikroTik is the cheapest. I cannot comment on the pricin...
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco.
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...
What advice do you have for others considering Juniper Ethernet Switches?
Juniper EX model is ok for the campus network as the ex4300 is EOL in a few years and the new ex4400 is the standard....
What is your primary use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches?
The typical use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is that it is reliable, and the customer specifically re...
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
From my perspective, I don't have any indication for improvement regarding Meraki MS Switches, as our usage is quite ...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel-Lucent Ethernet Switches, OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches
Juniper Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bayonette, California State University (CSU), Centre Hospitalier Carcassonne, Centro Universitšrio de Brasilia (UniCEUB), China Tianchen Engineering Corporation Co. LTD, Citta Della Speranza, City of Frankfurt, City of Ogden, City of Vila Franca de Xira
BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2025.
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