D-Link Ethernet Switches and Meraki MS Switches compete in the network switch market. Meraki MS Switches offer an upper hand in advanced features and centralized management.
Features: D-Link Ethernet Switches are known for their affordability, user-friendliness, and energy-saving technology. They come with various port options and support easy setup with solid security. Meraki MS Switches are praised for cloud management, advanced visibility, and seamless integration into larger networks, providing robust security through their cloud management approach.
Room for Improvement: D-Link Switches need improvements in stability and cloud integration, lacking centralized management and advanced features. Meraki MS Switches could reduce cost and reliance on cloud connectivity, addressing pricing concerns and improving global support services.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: D-Link Switches are easy to deploy, suitable for simpler networks, but suffer from inadequate technical support. Meraki MS Switches handle hybrid and cloud deployments effectively, offering centralized management, though their dependency on internet connectivity is a disadvantage. Meraki's customer service, while rated highly, is expensive.
Pricing and ROI: D-Link Switches are cost-effective, providing good ROI with affordable pricing and no licensing fees, appealing to budget-focused buyers. In contrast, Meraki MS Switches, though costly with a subscription model, offer advanced features and consistent service, appreciated for their value despite higher expenses.
Whenever there is an issue, the local technical team supports us, whether through physical presence or remotely.
If the devices are licensed, the support team will assist you depending on the severity level of the case.
Cisco's tech support is pretty good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Improvements in the voltage facility, like increasing from 360 watts to 400 or 450 watts, would make them more competitive with other vendors.
Meraki should also consider improvements in stacking features, particularly in the lower-end models like NS130, where stacking isn't supported, unlike with Cisco traditional switching.
There are compatibility issues with certain Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, which we would like to see resolved.
Most people are familiar with the Cisco commands, and it would be beneficial if the switch could be accessed by GUI configuration and by normally accessing the console.
The pricing is competitive in the market, making D-Link Ethernet switches a good option for both middle-end and high-end brands.
High-end switches should be slightly cheaper.
Meraki pricing is a little premium compared to other vendor products.
Pricing is affordable, and licenses for the cloud need to be purchased every three to five years.
There are no stability issues with D-Link Ethernet switches.
If something happens to the device or hardware, Cisco will automatically change the device by the next business day.
We faced issues following firmware updates, which we now handle by performing updates outside of working hours.
It's especially valuable because Cisco and other products function similarly, but for smaller networks where high transfer rates aren't necessary.
The most valuable feature is the ability to access devices from anywhere in the world through the cloud.
The control plane is in the cloud, and the data plane is local, allowing manageability from anywhere.
One of the most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches is its precise traffic analytics capabilities, allowing us to query the system for any place at any time.
Meraki MS Switches are first-line cloud-managed access and aggregation switches that combine the benefits of cloud-based centralized management with a reliable access platform. With cloud management, thousands of switch ports can be configured and monitored instantly over the web.
Meraki MS Switches Features
Meraki MS Switches have many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
Meraki MS Switches Benefits
There are many benefits to implementing Meraki MS Switches. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
Reviews from Real Users
Meraki MS Switches is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are its accessibility, application visibility, and flexibility features.
Jóhann T., IT Manager at Sund Upper Secondary School, says, “Accessibility is what I find most valuable in Meraki MS Switches, because I'm able to check things and see if they're working, without being on-site at all times.”
A Senior Network Engineer at a tech services company mentions, "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 into a single dashboard where you can completely manage all your network devices."
John M., user at Baseline Consulting, LLC, comments, "I like the flexibility of the Meraki firewall. It gives you the ability to lock things down. Having multiple VLANs is helpful for the switching infrastructure and firewall. It's crucial when you have a public-facing VLAN, a private-facing VLAN, and a secure VLAN."
PeerSpot user William M., Consulting Engineer at IV4, expresses, "It is easy to deploy, maintain, and update. It has been trouble-free so far. I am still a Cisco command-line bigot, but the web interface makes it a lot easier for our help desk to interact with a client. When the clients call in and say that they aren't able to connect, it takes the help desk 10 minutes or less to look at everything in the enterprise or location. They can look at the firewall, switches, or access points in the dashboard. That's why I like the dashboard."
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