We use this solution to create VPN tunnels between remote sites and our core.
Network Technician at a government with 10,001+ employees
Helps us to easily update and manage multiple devices, and simplifies creating our VPN tunnel
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the single pane of glass that gives you multisite visibility."
- "The one issue that we have had is that the VPN tunnel would go down unless you worked out with the ISP that you would be using a static IP address on the WAN interface."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
It has made creating VPN tunnels between remote sites and our core a lot easier. To create a VPN we need to deal with multipoint VLANs that we have between our different sites. Using this solution has meant that we don't have to create a bunch of specific policies, such as firewall exceptions. Instead, we just have the Meraki Cloud profile set up properly.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the single pane of glass that gives you multisite visibility.
It has the ability to push a configuration to multiple devices, or you can use the single pane of glass to login to any one of them. It saves a lot of time if you have to make a change on the fly.
What needs improvement?
The one issue that we have had is that the VPN tunnel would go down unless you worked out with the ISP that you would be using a static IP address on the WAN interface. If you're allowed to just be dynamic then whenever the port and IP changes, it will break the VPN connection and it does not always come back up. Our ISP has the dynamic IP addresses change on a cycle, so this was a problem for us.
Buyer's Guide
Meraki Dashboard
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Meraki Dashboard. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
So far, stability seems good, aside from the collapsing VPN tunnel issue that we were having due to having a dynamic IP address.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't scaled the product enough to give an accurate answer, but so far it has met our needs.
How are customer service and support?
We have been in contact with technical support, but I have not dealt with them personally.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, for the remote VPN, we were using Aruba. There is a certain amount of complexity, and we had issues in terms of scalability. The Meraki solution was easy to use and allowed us to separate the traffic. It had to be split between our general inter-LAN that includes internet access, and data that is prioritized because it is handling 911 traffic.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was pretty straightforward. I obtained my Meraki certification in one day.
What about the implementation team?
We worked directly with the Meraki team.
What was our ROI?
ROI is hard to gauge because we are a Not-for-Profit organization.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to anybody who is implementing this solution is to attend the Meraki classes and obtain your CMNO certification. You have to be familiar with the dashboard, the visibility, and the different products that you will be working on.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CyberSecurity & Cloud Solutions Manager at alet communications
Easy to access, simple configuration, and responsive technical support
Pros and Cons
- "Some of the features I have found valuable are the ease of access, simple configuration, and monitoring."
- "There are some issues with the NAT configuration, it is now impossible to some operations with the solution."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to connect any devices to the network and for monitoring.
What is most valuable?
Some of the features I have valuable are ease of access, simple configuration, and monitoring. We do not need a lot of people to solve problems because the solution is easy to use. Easy access is important especially in the summertime when you are on holiday and want to connect mobile devices.
What needs improvement?
There are some issues with the NAT configuration, it is now impossible to some operations with the solution.
I would like to see a VPN feature in a future release that supports tunnelling.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found the solution to be stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is extremely fast, we were about to fix many of our issues in one day. The staff is knowledgeable and able to help.
What other advice do I have?
No solution can be a ten, nothing is perfect.
I rate Meraki Dashboard a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Meraki Dashboard
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Meraki Dashboard. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Owner at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
It is very easy to manage and has good security
Pros and Cons
- "It is very easy to manage. It has good security, and it is working well with our firewall."
- "There is a bit of a problem when you try to log in and you don't have a fixed IP address. If you're granting access, you need to log in by using the IP address. If your administrator's IP address is not a fixed IP address and it has changed, you might need to update the changed IP address in the interface. For this, you need to log in to the interface to update the IP address. This issue might not have so much to do with Meraki interface."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Meraki Dashboard to log in to the firewall and to set up the VPN, etc. Our firewall is deployed on-premises.
What is most valuable?
It is very easy to manage. It has good security, and it is working well with our firewall.
What needs improvement?
There is a bit of a problem when you try to log in and you don't have a fixed IP address.
If you're granting access, you need to log in by using the IP address. If your administrator's IP address is not a fixed IP address and it has changed, you might need to update the changed IP address in the interface. For this, you need to log in to the interface to update the IP address. This issue might not have so much to do with Meraki interface.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not seen any issues with its stability and scalability.
How are customer service and technical support?
We contacted their technical support once during the initial setup. We had a couple of questions, and it was a quick call. Their technical support was fine.
We are a volunteer organization. Being a not-for-profit charity, we have a couple of companies that provide charity support to us. We also have one person who remotely provides in-house support.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this product. I would rate Meraki Dashboard a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Adm. Director at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Easy to use, stable, and a quality support team
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is ease of use."
- "The initial setup is complex and can be made more straightforward."
What is our primary use case?
We use this product for managing our Meraki devices.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is ease of use.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup is complex and can be made more straightforward.
The scalability can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the Meraki Dashboard for between three and five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've found this product to be quite stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I was having issues and technical support was able to help solve them, so they have quality support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is somewhat complex.
What other advice do I have?
This is a product that I can recommend.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
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Updated: October 2024
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