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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
172
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
91
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

SameerBali - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 2, 2022
Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed
I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product. Cisco has good guidelines that enable us to implement anything, so we can have a multiple ability product on most of the network equipment worldwide. Cisco has communities or forums that help us implement more complicated areas in terms of network, so in addition, Cisco is not just a network equipment company, because they provide us most of the solutions, development, protocols, and new technologies, more than any other company in the world. I also like the availability of Cisco Catalyst Switches, including scalability and reliability. You can find all these in this product.
Jóhann G. Thorarensen - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 8, 2022
Reliable and easily accessible switches with a plug and play setup
We used Cisco switches, then we decided to go with Meraki MS Switches for several reasons. One reason was that the Cisco switches were originally set up by a company that was in charge of the whole system, which was run from a company outside the school. Then, we had someone come in to take charge here in our school, then we transferred that responsibility to an outsider. I then came in, and I started learning the system, so the outsider became the backup plan. It turned out, once we started digging into things, that the system was set up in a cumbersome and closed way, much like a banking system, rather than a setup that would be good for a school, that can rely on switches rather than closing the school into units. Another reason was that our switches were getting outdated, so we had to do something. We started looking at various solutions, and we had to decided whether to continue the way we were doing things, which we did not like because it was cumbersome and it had to be done on-site, or if we could do it in a way that would be more accessible both inside and outside the school, while having the level of security and stability we need. For example, we looked at Ubiquiti UniFi which was a cheaper system, but it was less stable, though I know that some schools were using that system. It was really just a question of stability and accessibility, and these were deciding factors in the system that we chose. Even though Meraki MS Switches were more expensive than the other solutions, we ended up with Meraki.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco provides very good support services."
"It is an infrastructure tool, so it is just providing a backend service. Its most useful feature is that it operates on a regular basis. It is reliable."
"One of the most valuable features is the MatchBox Switch."
"The product is stable, and it performs well."
"The product’s scalability and performance are valuable."
"The product is also flexible."
"If we lose some network connections, the system automatically creates new connections between equipment."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade. Additionally, CDN has been very helpful for separation."
"Support has been very good."
"The product is reasonably priced."
"The most valuable feature of Meraki MS Switches is user-friendliness."
"The most valuable features are ease of use and configuration. It has a cloud-based configuration that makes it easy."
"The switches are very stable."
"The most valuable feature is the dashboard because it makes it easy to manage all of the switches. It's easy to turn them up and get it configured."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to segment my infrastructure between phones, security systems, and other tasks."
"To me, this is a product that meets all of the needs that anyone could possibly have for a networking device."
 

Cons

"Any improvements that they make should be in the wireless area of the product."
"The solution could improve by having a video IP feature."
"These switches should have better compatibility with software-defined technology."
"The price is high and it should be improved."
"Cisco should support all of the features that are included with the suite."
"The solution could be cheaper."
"Services should be improved."
"It should have better security and the prices can always be lower. The cheaper the price, the better but if the quality is good, it's worth it. They also have to improve the firewalling."
"When we do any changes to the core switch it causes the devices to reboot."
"Management from a single dashboard is what I want to see from Meraki MS Switches."
"The solution needs to improve its ability to back up the auto-configuration."
"We have dealt with a few minor bugs."
"In my opinion, there's room for improvement cost-wise. With Meraki's licensing terms, you're required to pay an annual licensing fee, which can be for a one-year license or perhaps a five-year license. But if you analyze the costs involved, there are huge expenses incurred as far as the licensing is concerned."
"Technical support hold times seem to be getting longer."
"They're definitely missing some of the higher end data center Cisco features."
"If they added the option to manage it locally, not in the cloud, it would be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of these switches is on the upper end. It is around $3,500 plus for a 24-Port switch. These switches are more expensive than Linksys and TP-Links, but you get what you pay for. If you look at the pros and cons per switch, you can justify the cost compared to a lesser and cheaper brand."
"We have a contract for service with this partner, meaning we don't purchase the license or equipment directly."
"Compared to the price of other solutions such as Huawei and HP, Cisco Catalyst Switches is a cheaper solution."
"The pricing is on the high end."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an affordable solution."
"I rate the overall product a six out of ten from a price perspective since it is an expensive tool."
"There is no licensing fee. All of the features are available on the switch from day one."
"It is reasonably priced because we have already conducted a tender, allowing Cisco and other vendors to compete for the best price."
"It's $150 per year for licensing on each 250 switch. The 425 switches are about $500 a year for the enhanced enterprise licenses."
"Securing licenses and devices for more than a year can make the product expensive. In general, the product is expensive."
"Meraki MS Switches is a pricey product. You have to get a license for each product annually. It would have been perfect if there were product bundles."
"Its price is definitely competitive."
"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."
"My company pays for Meraki MS Switches yearly. Pricing-wise, the product is relatively inexpensive."
"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."
"Meraki is not an expensive switch, like Cisco."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
60%
Computer Software Company
8%
Government
4%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Retailer
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

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 ...
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?
The licensing for Meraki MS Switches is good and reasonably priced. While the cost is slightly higher, approximately 5 to 10 percent more than some competitors due to market conditions, it remains ...
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
We prefer Meeraki to be installed only on a local network rather than in a cloud-managed network. Meraki MS Switches are one of our largest categories, with over thirty-five deployed. However, the ...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,325 professionals have used our research since 2012.