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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
94
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 19.1%, down from 20.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 4.6%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Ronald Van Rees - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a power stacking feature and enhances port speed with impressive stability
The vendor is presently working with large digital network architectures and additional software, as it is now willing to become a software-focused company instead of a hardware one. Cisco Ethernet Switches presently provide two options, either the user can utilize the basic features or the advanced software. Previously, advanced features were included in the basic package, but now they are provided as add-ons that need to be purchased separately for an extensive period of three or five years. As part of the advanced features in the solution, there is Digital Network Architecture (DNA) that provides insights, multiple dashboards and monitoring capabilities over Nexus and Catalyst switches from Cisco. Sometimes, customers need to buy features for Cisco Ethernet Switches that they do not require or use. The basic switches like the C1000 from the vendor don't have the DNA feature, but advanced version switches like Cisco Ethernet Switches have made the add-on purchases mandatory to avail certain features, which makes it difficult for several users.
Jóhann G. Thorarensen - PeerSpot reviewer
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

"As I am Cisco certified, I like the way that I can program them."
"The solution is highly reliable."
"The solution's valuable features are the speed of network transfer, it can transfer four to six gigabits per second."
"The product is pretty much reliable and stable."
"A stable product that is absolutely dependable."
"The solution effectively provides a stable connection for users."
"Cisco switches have several valuable features like VLAN mapping. We seldom use that, but we find the security configurations helpful, like high availability with trading port channels and MAC filtering."
"The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance."
"The most valuable feature is the cloud management architecture from Meraki."
"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."
"The most valuable feature is cloud management."
"The management is cloud-based so you do not have to be on-premises to work with it."
"he product is easy to integrate with other software tools."
"The most valuable feature is the cloud management architecture from Meraki."
"I like the portal, it's really interesting."
"It is easy to configure and claim the switches by their serial number directly from the portal."
 

Cons

"There's are other products that are better for network programmability. Cisco isn't as programmable as some preferred vendors. For example, on iOS 6 products, you have to commit the change directly on the running configuration. If you have a generic product you can do this, so it can improve in programmability."
"Very highly priced in comparison to other similar products."
"Switches should be made stackable, even if they are not of the same model."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very expensive solution."
"Pricing could be lower."
"They need to offer free replacements until the end of life for devices."
"The solution is expensive."
"The product could improve in the area of simulated switches."
"There is not much training available for this solution."
"The solution needs to improve its ability to back up the auto-configuration."
"The GUI can be improved for a better comfort level."
"They need to work on prioritizing different types of data on the network, whether it's voice, data, video, et cetera. Video needs to be prioritized in a much better way, for example."
"They tend to have some weird issues with fiber uplinks."
"In this solution, you are lacking a feature that Cisco Classic has that allows you to save your configuration with a serial cable."
"Sometimes the controller in the cloud that controls the access points does not have the most accurate information. There is sometimes a glitch in keeping the management controller that is in the cloud up to date."
"Tracking native ports with IP addresses is not currently possible in Meraki. This is a potential area of improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive product."
"With all of the features and when you compare with other solutions, the cost is much less."
"I pay a fixed price on it. I'm not the person on the pursing, so I don't really compare."
"The solution is highly expensive compared to other solutions. The prices get tripled when they arrived in my country of Angola."
"The price is a bit on the high side."
"The solution has different prices depending on the features that you want to have."
"Pricing for this product is high but the cost is worth it if you can afford it."
"Cisco offers annual and three-year license options."
"We paid for our switches outright, at a cost of between $15,000 USD and $18,000 USD."
"The DNA subscription is a three-year minimum term."
"The tool is expensive."
"The product's licensing cost is about 30% to 40% of the hardware cost."
"It's $150 per year for licensing on each 250 switch. The 425 switches are about $500 a year for the enhanced enterprise licenses."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
"When you compare it to other switches like HP, Juniper, and Ruckus, Meraki MS Switches are cheaper."
"The price of Meraki MS Switches is high."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

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
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Retailer
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

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 ...
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...
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...
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 solution is a bit expensive as it is on the high end. The cost depends on the model and the number of years of usage.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.