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Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Juniper EX Series Ethernet ...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
14th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
66
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 Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 3.4%, down from 4.6% 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

Bona Chhith - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides campus switches and access switches that are simple to deploy, but the code isn't stable enough for a leaf and spine design
If we're building a data center and have Juniper, we have hundreds of Juniper switches in a leaf and spine design architecture, and it's horrible. Sometimes after an upgrade, half of the even port can't be detected. They don't recognize third-party SFPs, and now they claim that they don't support that anymore. There are a lot of issues with the hardware and software. Juniper needs to get their code up to par because it isn't stable enough for a leaf and spine design. If you have over 10,000 VMs or Mac addresses, it doesn't scale. I would love Juniper to have more stable features, hardware, and code. We have so many tickets open with Juniper. The switch reboot doesn't detect the port. About 80% of my problems aren't engineering problems, but are Juniper's problems. In comparison, Arista gives me 10% of the problems that Juniper gives me when it comes to hardware and software. It's falling behind compared to Palo Alto because of its features. Juniper's campus switches and data center switches for the leaf and spine design for the overlay and underlay is horrible. I wouldn't recommend that anyone use Juniper fabric, because there are so many problems, issues, and features that aren't supported.
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

"It is very valuable for SRX devices and we have found it very easy to configure."
"The security is good."
"We have found the product to be scalable."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches' most valuable feature is the Juniper-Mist cloud, which facilitates management of the switches and access points."
"The platform is very stable in terms of consistency and reliability."
"It's easy to use."
"It's pretty good as compared to other vendors."
"I like that it's fairly easy to implement these ethernet switches."
"The management is cloud-based so you do not have to be on-premises to work with it."
"The dashboard and the interface, in general, are good features."
"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."
"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."
"With Meraki, there is the advantage that you have dashboard access via the internet and you can work on it from anywhere."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to orchestrate the network from the cloud."
"The switches are very stable."
"The initial setup is easy."
 

Cons

"EX switches take too long to boot when we restart them for maintenance. We need to minimize downtime. Another issue is the command line interface. Juniper's commands are different from other switches, so it's hard to remember them."
"The operating system could be better."
"They could provide better security tools."
"The tool should improve its fabric."
"The initial setup for Juniper switches is complex. Juniper has a new program that solves that problem a little bit, but it is expensive, so I don't use it. It is Juniper Mesh, Juniper Wire, or something like that where you plug in a switch, and it goes out to their cloud, finds a config, and brings it down. So, you can do everything cloud-based, but there is a fee for that. It is expensive, so I've never used it. If we were starting, we would try to do something like that. It is more for a large enterprise for managing hundreds of switches versus what we're doing. They should make its price more cost-effective or include it for new or smaller companies."
"The packet channelizing feature should be improved."
"The stability of this solution should be improved."
"The price is in the intermediate range. It is not overly expensive, but also not cheap. It could stand improvement."
"The troubleshooting could be better."
"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The biggest area that they fall short on is comparing the performance."
"Licensing is the only thing I can complain about. It's expensive, but everything is these days."
"In this solution, you are lacking a feature that Cisco Classic has that allows you to save your configuration with a serial cable."
"If they added the option to manage it locally, not in the cloud, it would be better."
"The solution could be simplified a bit."
"I don't like some of the mobile device management options. They're a little bit hard to find in the system."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The initial cost of the solution can be expensive."
"The pricing of Juniper Ethernet Switches compared to equivalent switches from Aruba, Cisco, and others, Juniper Ethernet Switches are priced a little higher. They are approximately 20 to 50 percent higher. When we receive a new range of models, the prices can come down. The price can also vary by region."
"You require the Junos Management Platform in order to manage the switches and you need to purchase the Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"It is an inexpensive product."
"There is a subscription payment model or you can purchase licenses on a one, two, and five-year basis. If you want decent support, the solution is not expensive."
"We had a leakage in the support process and decided to end the product's life in order to purchase a new product with support. We did not renew product support as a result."
"The maintenance cost is approximately €2,000 ($2,200 USD) per year, including support, for our entire fleet."
"For the QFX5000 Juniper switches, the price is about $10,000, but they would probably sell it for $1,000. Nobody can beat Juniper's pricing when it comes to switches. Juniper out-prices everybody, but they get you on the back end, maintenance, service port, and service contract."
"I rate the price of Meraki MS Switches a two out of ten."
"The DNA subscription is a three-year minimum term."
"The tool 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."
"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."
"Meraki is not an expensive switch, like Cisco."
"My company pays for Meraki MS Switches yearly. Pricing-wise, the product is relatively inexpensive."
"It's $150 per year for licensing on each 250 switch. The 425 switches are about $500 a year for the enhanced enterprise licenses."
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
16%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
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

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Ethernet Switches?
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.
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. Now for the QFX model, 5k/10k in CRB mode IP fabric Ethernet switching is horri...
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

Juniper Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Learn More

Video not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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 Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.