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LG AN-MR18VV remote control

Mfg # AN-MR18VV CDW # 6413152 | UNSPSC 52161525

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This item was discontinued on October 29, 2021

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LG AN-MR18VV remote control is rated 4.40 out of 5 by 93.
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides a reliable portal and a straightforward setup process What needs improvement? One significant area for improvement with the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN solution lies in its licensing model. The issue primarily revolves around failure to renew the license on time, leading to service termination. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate the platform's stability a ten out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a scalable platform. We have deployed 60 access points across our organization. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was straightforward and seamless. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The product is expensive. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten. What other advice do I have? Using the Meraki portal has significantly streamlined network management tasks. It makes the process much easier by providing visibility and centralized control over the network. It has primarily addressed reliability concerns related to aging equipment. It has yet to improve operational efficiency, but it has stabilized the environment from an IT perspective. The feature that I find most beneficial for our networking needs, especially wireless networking, is the portal's reliability and accessibility. I recommend it to others and rate it a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2024-03-29T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Reliable solution used for 15 years, complemented by an effective support team What is our primary use case? We have previously used PBXs, wireless solutions and LAN solutions. Our strategy is now to move everything to the cloud which is why we moved to using this solution. What is most valuable? The fact that Cisco Meraki is cloud based and is reasonably priced has been most valuable. What needs improvement? It would be useful to have a service management platform integrated within this solution where we can measure the customer experience. It would also be useful to have assistance with the go-to-market strategy when using this solution. For how long have I used the solution? We are a partner of Cisco and we have been working with them since 2006. What do I think about the stability of the solution? This is a stable solution. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This is a scalable solution solution. We are based in Mauritius and since it is a small island, the scale we need fits into the range that Meraki can offer. How are customer service and support? This solution has a good support team and when we raise a support case, it is resolved quickly. We have a local representative for Cisco and they facilitate any support we need. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? The initial setup was straightforward and deployment was easy. What about the implementation team? We have our own team who are certified in using this solution and who implemented it. What other advice do I have? I would rate this solution a seven out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-02-27T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to implement and reliable What is our primary use case? We are primarily using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for applications. How has it helped my organization? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has benefited organizations by meeting their requirements. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The solution is stable and reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The scalability of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good. How are customer service and support? We have used technical support for some issues but not many times. How was the initial setup? I have found Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN easy to implement. It can be done in a very short time. What about the implementation team? We have a three-person technical team that does the implementation and support of the solution. The team is mostly engineers and architects. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? There is an annual license required for the solution. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We evaluated other solutions before Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What other advice do I have? I would recommend this solution to others because it's reliable, stable, and easy to implement. I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Microsoft Azure Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-01-09T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Consistent wireless coverage, responsive support, and beneficial user viability What is our primary use case? We installed approximately 20 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN in our headquarters and we have a remote site, a satellite office, which has about seven more installed. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is an on-premise solution, but it uses the Meraki cloud portal. We have to register the WAP with the cloud. In our Satellite office, we have approximately 30 users and guests. We have a guest network that runs through the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and a corporate network that runs through it. Our headquarters network hasn't been used as much, everybody's working remotely over the last year and a half because of COVID. Prior to the pandemic, we would have up to 300 people in the headquarters and guests. How has it helped my organization? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has helped our organization because we are able to be connected to the network while moving around. For example, I am able to take a presentation from one conference room and walk across the building and present it in another conference room without losing connection. This is pretty good for us. What is most valuable? The most valuable features in Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are that we were able to see all the registered users for each particular WAP, which is a big help. The roaming allows us to have continuous wireless throughout the building. The signal can carry over from one WAP to another. Which is probably the most important feature. What needs improvement? We're are not fully utilizing the features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN to know a more in-depth analysis of what areas need to be improved. However, the security could improve. It would be a benefit to be able to lock out particular clients that are trying to connect from outside the building. In an upcoming release, it would be a benefit to have a security dashboard that could show additional information. In addition to our Meraki solution, we have a Cisco product called ISE, Identification Security Engine, and we can detect non-compliant or non-corporate addresses from our network. Instead of using a second product, the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN should be able to isolate the non-specified MAC addresses into the network. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately three and a half years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of the network is very good. I think we had oversaturated our HQ environment, where we had too many devices in a particular location. We actually had to change some of our configurations because it was causing some connectivity competition between WAPs trying to connect. We had to remove a WAP to allow better connectivity. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is scalable. If we needed to expand, it's easy to add another WAP for a new location. As we come back into the office, in January, we'll start out with approximately 100 users. We're going into a hybrid mode and we will not have as many users as we did, prior to COVID. We had upwards of 300 people connecting and that's mostly everybody with their mobiles or laptops that come into the office. At our highest, it is approximately 300 users but starting in January, we'll probably have approximately 100 to 200. We do not have plans to expand our usage at this time. However, if we open up a new office then we will most likely expand usage. How are customer service and support? We have contacted Cisco's technical support a couple of times and they're very responsive. I would give them a thumbs up. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used the previous version of Meraki at our old headquarters. The only reason we switched was that we wanted a newer product in a new office. In terms of our office move, we decided to buy all new equipment and that's the only reason we switched. How was the initial setup? The installation is straightforward. The wireless portion of the installation took approximately one week. This included mounting and bringing activating the network. What about the implementation team? We used a consulting group for the completion of our network completion in our building. I followed along with them, it wasn't too complex. My experience with the constant was very good. We have three system administrators, one being myself, and my two coworkers. We're all capable of managing the Meraki environment. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? We are on a SmartNet contract. All of our Cisco products are licensed under one contract. I do not think there are any additional costs. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We did not evaluate any other options when we switched over to the newer version of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What other advice do I have? My advice to other thinking about implementing this solution is to look at other products that are out there. I don't want to say stuck, but we are using all-Cisco products at the time and there are probably products that may be less expensive that could do the same job. We're in contract with Cisco and this is why we went with the newer version of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN when we needed a new solution. If anyone was looking for a wireless solution, look at different manufacturers. I never rate anything at 10 because there's always room for improvement. I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-01-09T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Friendly to manage and good in office environments What is our primary use case? My primary use of this solution is to provide WiFi to users and guests. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature is that the solution is friendly to manage. What needs improvement? An area for improvement would be that Meraki doesn't work well in a warehouse environment. The device is too sensitive to other wireless devices, which provokes noise and can require a reboot to erase this. In addition, the cost of the product could be better. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using this solution for three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of this product is good. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This solution has good scalability. How are customer service and support? Cisco's technical support is good. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? Previously, I used TP-Link, but it's designed for use in the home, so I switched to Cisco, which is a better product for the office. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is easy. What about the implementation team? I used a partner team to implement, which took around thirty minutes. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? My yearly license costs $200. What other advice do I have? This is a good solution for the office but not for warehouses. I would give this solution a rating of eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Private Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-01-05T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A trustworthy solution which is easy, secure, has great scalability and stability and an easy installation What is our primary use case? I do not know which version we are using. What is most valuable? I find Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN to be more secure and easy to use. It is easy to control. With the solution, we have a little mesh and wire LAN, and the performance is awesome. What needs improvement? The price can always be better. There should be better Spanish-language technical support. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I am wholly in agreement that the solution is stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I agree wholeheartedly that the solution is scalable. For the moment, we do not have plans to increase the usage. How are customer service and support? There should be better Spanish-language support. How was the initial setup? The solution's setup was easy. The previous deployment took, perhaps, two weeks. What about the implementation team? We were assisted by the main controller and several partners. Our experience with them was positive. We found them to be helpful. There was an engineer who was responsible for configuring the solution and a technician for connecting the cables in the wall. What was our ROI? I have not seen a return on our investment. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? As is always the case, the price could be better, although I do not recall exactly how much this comes out to. I do know that I make tri-annual purchases of the solution. The fee is once every three years. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We did not use another solution prior to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. We considered Fortinet as an alternative, but felt Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN offered better wifi and was a superior routing solution. What other advice do I have? I am a customer. There are, perhaps, 25 or 30 people making use of the solution in our organization. The solution is trustworthy. I find it easy and secure. I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN as an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Hybrid Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-12-02T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable, issue-free, and scalable What is our primary use case? I primarily use the solution for network connectivity. They have a microcontroller and size the firmware with access points. I didn't need to buy another controller to control all of them in one click. At any one of the access point, I can configure the whole network. What is most valuable? It's a very useful product. The solution is stable. So far, it has been issue-free. I have found the scalability to be very good. What needs improvement? Cisco offers pretty expensive devices. I'd like it if Cisco made it possible to integrate its solution with HP. The initial setup is a bit difficult. For how long have I used the solution? I only installed the solution one month ago. I haven't used it for very long. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of the solution seems to be very good. There are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The product scales well. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so. We have 500 users who are on the solution currently. How are customer service and support? I've never had to reach out to technical support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I'm also familiar with Ubiquiti. How was the initial setup? The initial installation is a bit hard. It's not quite like, for example, Ubiquiti. If you have a mountain of access points, it will take a while, as it typically takes a technician 15 to 20 minutes per access point. The installation doesn't require a lot of people. It took only a few guys - one for integration and one for administration. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The solution is pricey. It's an expensive product. What other advice do I have? I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. It's been extremely reliable and I've been happy with it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the solution to smaller offices or organizations as Cisco can be expensive. Something cheaper, such as D-Link, may be better in small environments. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-11-10T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable wireless LAN solution with a cloud-based management architecture that's easy to deploy, troubleshoot, and scale What is our primary use case? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a wireless LAN solution providing wireless access points for the organization. What is most valuable? What I like most about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is the cloud based management of the entire system. The product was also easy to deploy and easy to troubleshoot. What needs improvement? I haven't really come across anything that was a big issue with this product. I can't think of anything that would have raised a flag about something needing to be improved in Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, but it could be their support. We had some issues, and we couldn't figure out why they happened, but some of their first level support staff does not seem to be well-versed with how to solve those issues. Nothing really comes to mind about what I would like to see on the next release. I know they are using the six GHz band now for Wi-Fi 6, submitted out as an option, seeing use of the six GHz band down the road for Wi-Fi 6. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for two years now. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a stable solution. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is scalable. How are customer service and support? Support for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN needs improvement, as it seems their first level support staff isn't that knowledgeable on the solution, however, their response time on the issues is okay. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used a different solution before switching to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. We decided to use Cisco products because the Meraki devices were much better than other platforms, particularly in cloud management, ease of deployment, and ease of troubleshooting. How was the initial setup? The initial setup for this solution is a combination: it could be straightforward, or it could be complex, e.g. setting it up would've been complex in some situations. What about the implementation team? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a cloud solution with on-premise deployment, and we did the deployment ourselves, without an integrator, reseller, or consultant. The deployment did not take long. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We tried Aruba, but we didn't get any feedback from the vendor. What other advice do I have? We try to have a relationship with the vendor, e.g. we have a Cisco rep for that, but they wouldn't really help us with the Meraki blocks. I'm a network engineer assigned to the company that uses Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. We cannot have more than 400 users of this product, and we currently have 200 to 300 people using it. For deployment and maintenance, we only have one staff who takes care of it, e.g. one engineer. We have no plans of increasing the number of users of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, unless we expand in size. My advice to others looking into implementing this product is that it's definitely a good investment. They just have to be mindful and really understand the technology. They should be able to go through the documentation on the website, to really understand the product features and functionality, because sometimes they may need to exert effort in examining issues on their own, because sometimes support doesn't really provide a proper, tangible response. I'll give Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a rating of eight out of ten, because we're very satisfied that it meets all the technical attributes we were looking for, and it's a solid infrastructure. It works with our problems, e.g. any major problems. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-02-18T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Reliable, scalable, and simple installation What is our primary use case? We are using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for enterprise access in our building. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately five years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is very good. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a scalable solution. We have approximately 300 people using this solution in my organization. How are customer service and support? The technical support from Cisco is good, but they can improve themselves in some areas. Sometimes it takes a while to provide a solution or an answer to our problem. How was the initial setup? The deployment of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN was simple. It took a couple of weeks to complete. What about the implementation team? We have certified people that do the implementation of the solution. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The price of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is per unit and it has annual maintenance costs. What other advice do I have? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-02-16T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A robust product What is our primary use case? I am an electronic engineer and a specialist in Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. I am a distributor of Cisco Meraki and have 100 customers using this solution. What is most valuable? There are many valuable features of Cisco Meraki, including the switches, stacking, and layer 3 routing. What needs improvement? The products are delayed when arriving in Argentina. These delays can be as long as 6 months, causing the customers to be unhappy. I would like to see Cisco Meraki improve the accessibility by region level here in Latin America. For how long have I used the solution? I have been working with Cisco Meraki for the past few years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is great. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This solution is scalable. How are customer service and support? Technical support is easy to contact and ready to help. How was the initial setup? When you are in the dashboard of Cicso Meraki, you configure the hardware and connect to the internet line and the script will download to the hardware. The deployment is very easy, it is plug and play and takes 50 minutes. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Cisco Meraki requires either a one year or three year license for a standard enterprise license. What other advice do I have? This is an excellent product. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is robust and has a tough access point. I would rate this solution a 9 out of 10. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-01-31T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy solution if implemented on the cloud What is our primary use case? With Meraki Wireless Solutions of Cisco Wireless, I can manage them from the cloud. We are a partner of Cisco. What is most valuable? Being able to manage in the cloud is a valuable feature. The other valuable feature is the monitoring device, you can see the network health. What needs improvement? I have some problems when I want to connect some users when there are a lot of users and they disconnect. Another pain point is that we have to manually do the frequency settings, especially the power of the access points. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Cisco Meraki is quite stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This solution is scalable. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could be better. What other advice do I have? The solution is easier if you implement it with the cloud. I would rate Cisco Meraki an 8 out of 10 because of the problems we have with concurrent users. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Other Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-01-20T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Enables you to monitor traffic so you can see if the network is having issues and allows you to easily locate computers in the cloud What is our primary use case? We sent everybody home because of the new variant. People were trying to be safe, so we decided if you want to connect to our network, use this solution. The solution is deployed on a private cloud. The cloud provider is Microsoft Azure. How has it helped my organization? Instead of having to go the old-fashioned dinosaur way and look for the computers, you could just look in the cloud, find the computer, and change the IP address. That helped so much. I was like, "This is the Mac address. Find it up there, change the IP address from A to B," and then we could continue doing work from there. What is most valuable? You can monitor traffic so you can see if the network is having issues or laggy or what people are doing. You can point them out and say, "Stop doing that." If you're trying to identify one of the switches or pinpoint a computer or pinpoint something, you could find it just like that and change the IP address. It's easiest to do it that way. What needs improvement? Documentation could be improved, but everything else has been spot-on. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for a couple of years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? There have been no issues with stability. The solution is being used every day in my organization. The solution doesn't require a lot of maintenance. It's easy to do. If you go on the cloud, you can just push the updates from there. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution is scalable. There are 200-300 users in our organization. There are plans to increase usage in the future. How was the initial setup? Implementation was straightforward. It took a couple of months to set up, implement, and start using. For initial setup, you have to do the access once and then you have to go to the cloud to make sure they connect. What about the implementation team? We used a consultant from Cisco. What other advice do I have? I would rate this solution 10 out of 10. It makes life easier. You don't have to go cabling. It saves time. It saves man hours. It's just better. My advice is to use this solution instead of using the old-fashioned one. It will save you headaches. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Private Cloud If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Microsoft Azure Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-01-25T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to deploy, includes a cloud controller, and updates continuously What is our primary use case? We use Meraki Wireless LAN to provide wireless services at a school. What is most valuable? Meraki WLAN is easy to deploy, includes a cloud controller, and updates continuously. It also offers high visibility. For how long have I used the solution? We had one location for over a year, so I was familiar with the console for three years and the wireless solution for over a year. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Meraki WLAN is solid. I can't recall the last time I had to replace an AP or anything like that. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I would say that Meraki WLAN is scalable, but the licensing makes it a little difficult. You can't just add on more APs within your scope. You have to purchase more licenses to scale. How are customer service and support? I really only used my sales engineer for support. He was able to answer most of my questions, but he was previously an engineer before, so I didn't have to call them. How was the initial setup? Deployment is straightforward. It requires very little configuration. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The licensing isn't very customer-centric. They may have improved it, but previously, if you forgot to pay on a certain day, your service would be shut off. What other advice do I have? From a purely technical point of view, I would rate Meraki WLAN eight out of 10. If you are considering implementing Meraki, I would suggest considering the size of your team. If you are strapped for resources, I would say go with something else over Cisco. But as far as functionality goes, I would rate it over some of the others, like Juniper and Mist. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-10-12T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Simple installation, good coverage, but priced high What is our primary use case? We use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for our networking and security. What is most valuable? The solution provides good coverage and identity management. Additionally, the user interface is straightforward. What needs improvement? Overall the solution needs to have more time to mature. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN within the last 12 months. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Most of our customers are enterprise companies using this solution. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is very easy. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The solution could improve the licensing structure and the price is expensive. The subscription model needs to improve because when the subscription expires the solution stops working and you are not able to use the product. This needs to improve. What other advice do I have? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a six out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-09-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable, no issues and meets specifications What is our primary use case? I do networking fit-outs for schools. I'm an advisor to about 30,000 schools. What is most valuable? The most valuable thing to me is the stability of the product. For how long have I used the solution? I've been in the business 47 years, and I've been using Meraki for as long as they've been in business, which is about 14 years now. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I don't have an issue. It meets specifications. How are customer service and technical support? I don't get involved on that end of it. How was the initial setup? I don't get involved in the setup or installation. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The price could be slightly better, but then again, we negotiate deals every time so the market price isn't really relevant. What other advice do I have? I would rate it eight out of 10. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-09-22T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Fully control all aspects of LAN access points from anywhere, anytime What is our primary use case? At World Vision, we run most of our applications in the cloud. So most of the people need to have a strong and stable internet connection. Our offices are kind of in a box with not much infrastructure in terms of the LAN. So I deploy Meraki WIFI access points and they become the connection to the internet so that people can get to the systems that they use wherever they are. How has it helped my organization? We have a centralized dashboard in the cloud. I send the access point somewhere and I configure it remotely on cloud. Ours is on premise, managed from the Meraki dashboard itself. So I could be anywhere and manage it, but we are deploying them for World Vision offices across the country. It benefits the organization and my work because we do not have a lot of IT guys here. Before, we used to manually deploy wireless and I needed to drive miles and miles across the country to configure an access point. When it goes off, we lose connection to it. I still need to drive there, but these days Meraki has reduced the workload because I can just send it wherever it is going and configure it wherever I am. I can be in many places at once. First of all, it helps with the workload, but also with the flexibility in that I can do everything remotely. I can view when the app is off, I can view when it's on, when it's acting up, when it's fully loaded, I can do the RF setting, even on my phone right now, in case there is any issue. This is what we found good about Meraki. What is most valuable? I like the fact that the deployment is so easy. Deploying and setting up a network have become so easy - like 1, 2, 3 steps and you are up and running, whereas originally we needed to log into the app and all those things. Now, it is more robust for me to deploy networks. And because of the field we are in where offices open up and others close, it helps my turnaround time to deploy these networks for the customers. What needs improvement? In terms of anything to improve, recently I have seen that the Meraki access point, maybe due to congestion, just kicks off my customers, mostly when they are in Zoom meetings or Teams meetings and they have to reconnect. It is not a good thing. I have been on the communities trying to find solutions, but I think Meraki is working around the clock to fix that bug. Other than that, I think it's okay. We moved to WIFI Fix, so I think that the improvements are there. They are already in R&D. So I look forward to more good things coming from Meraki. It just kicks them off, because one minute they are connected and then they are completely dropped, and then after a minute or two, we connect back. I think it is an AP issue that Meraki might need to take a look at. If anyone has some hack around that, I would be interested in knowing what it is. In terms of what I would like to see in the next release, for starters, I would like an air marshal not to interrupt service. I would like to be able to do a separate scan of the network while the service is still running. It is important for me to know what environment I am working in. But every time I do that, it tends to have the IP go off and everyone starts complaining. That would be a feature that I would like to be added. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for about three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? In terms of stability, it performs until lately, when it started to kick off my people. But it is not so often. It is during peak hours, like Monday mornings when we have so many Zoom meetings and then maybe Wednesdays when it is too busy. Other than that, it has been stable. We have been okay for the past two and a half years. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The scalability is as I want it to be. The only thing I need to do is add a few licenses here and there, but it is scalable. I get a new device, add it on the dashboard, and I don't need to pay dashboard fees. Not too bad for me. It is scalable enough. I wouldn't want that to be changed. As a rough estimate, we are about 1,200 users. That is the breadth of the network across the country. We have about 30 offices, with some more populated than others. I do the deployment and maintenance myself - only one person. We use it everyday. Every time someone walks into the office, they are using the Meraki Wireless at that point to connect to the internet and everyone who walks in the office needs the internet to work. It is being used 24/7. How are customer service and support? I have spoken to support, but not too many times because we have not had that many issues. But I have contacted support and they are quick to respond. I would say for the last issue that I sent them, they are still doing the investigation on that. I checked everywhere on the communities and I think it is still something they are working around. In terms of support, when I send a ticket, it is responded to, I get feedback and then I'm asked if it works or if I still have any issues. That is also a good thing they are doing there. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? Before we started using Cisco, we were using the Ubiquiti UniFi. We switched from UniFi, because at the time, the UniFi access points were being managed locally at each location here. So we had to set up local accounts for admin. At the time, most of those controllers were on desktops which were off all weekend. So we had the whole work of going back to each office and resetting them and reconfiguring them. It was a disaster for us. So we were looking for a more centralized solution where one person could do all this stuff in his office or wherever they are. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is quite straightforward. It takes me five minutes to set up a network, because I configure everything in the dashboard. I only have to synchronize. I need to onboard it and assign it a network and it is up and running. What about the implementation team? I do this deployment myself. I buy the equipment. It comes in, I onboard it and I send it out to the field. I tell someone to power it up and it is good to go. What was our ROI? We have seen ROI, yes. Because we save. Just imagine for three years we saved all that transport costs, fuel costs, and admin costs that they had to pay me to go out of office. They had to pay for the driver, the car and all those things. So we have cleared on that. Originally, we used to employ temporary staff who would help with the manual work of removing the access point, putting it back up, and troubleshooting. All that now is at zero. And the beautiful thing is that this Meraki Wireless shows us our utilization, so we get to know how the internet is being utilized and we can possibly leverage ISP on reducing the cost on bandwidth, because we require more. I have conversations with them to reduce the cost of our bandwidth and give us more bandwidth for that data. It also has the analytics that know what our customer is doing. I really think that the organization has obtained its return on investment. This is why when I say that we need another $13,000 next year, they will gladly give it to me because they know that the solution helps us do our work. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Each Meraki license is around 130. We pay $139 for three years. So every three years we spend about $13,000. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We also checked out Ruckus Wireless. I went with the Meraki because it gave me more capability in what I was looking for What other advice do I have? My advice to anyone considering Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is, if you can afford it, I think it is a good solution. If your CBA, cost benefit analysis, is okay - I would recommend Cisco Meraki because it helps you reach many, many points from just one center. It has simplified my work because before I had to travel every day to a different place because of a different wireless issue. Now I have remote oversight over all of them. I can know what to do if someone called and said, "Something's wrong here." First take a close look, study some of these things, maybe come to PeerSpot and get some notes before embarking on Cisco Meraki. On a scale of one to ten, for point to point for big crowds, I would give Meraki a nine. A nine because there is always a need for improvement. This is only on the technical part - of course if you factor costs and all, I may have a different score, but for me as an engineer, I give it a nine. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-02-09T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides ease of deployment and management, but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to throughput, availability, and other technical capabilities What is our primary use case? We are a reseller, and because we're doing mostly refreshes, we have its latest version. How has it helped my organization? Its interface is not as daunting as others, which makes customers a bit more at ease. What is most valuable? For Meraki, the ease of deployment and management is most valuable. What needs improvement? Meraki leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the technical capabilities in terms of throughput, spectrum, management, higher-level functions, etc. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for eight years or so. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Its stability is a five out of 10. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Its scalability is a five out of 10. How are customer service and support? I would probably rate them a six out of 10. How was the initial setup? Meraki is probably the most straightforward. For its deployment and maintenance, just one engineer is required for a medium-sized company. What was our ROI? The return on the investment with Meraki isn't from scalability, rollout, or saving in hardware costs or software costs. The save is either in terms of the ability to keep the number of technicians that you hire or in terms of being able to outsource it all together to an organization that specializes in it. The higher costs of Meraki are offset by the cost of the people you may have to bring in, depending on your Wi-Fi airspace. What other advice do I have? I would advise knowing your use case and matching it to the technology. I would rate it a six out of 10. It provides ease of management to customers, but it is not for throughput and availability. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Date published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Helpful centralized dashboards, beneficial user visibility, and simple setup What is our primary use case? The last company I was working for did an overall network revamp project where they replaced all of the access points, switches, and firewalls. We replaced all the aging equipment with new ones including Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN solutions. What is most valuable? The automatic VMware update is very useful because you don't have to worry about outages and planning for VMware updates. It is very advantageous from a management point of view. The ability to restrict and review the clients connected to each of our segments. Additionally, the solution is easy to use. What needs improvement? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could improve by having more granularity in terms of the data displayed. However, I understand that with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, you need to have a compromise point to what are the functions that you're going to provide to the users versus ease of use. More granularity in terms of the data and the things that you can do to the devices would be helpful. For example, when we wanted to make a change, restriction, or segregation within Palo Alto, we can go to the level of detail that we want. The amount of detail provided is amazing, it is very granular. However, it comes with much more difficulty, it requires a technical understanding of the environment compared to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. For how long have I used the solution? I used Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN within the past 12 months. How are customer service and support? I have not used the technical support because the equipment was new. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used other vendor devices previously, such as Dell PowerConnect. We were looking for a solution that was easier to configure and maintain while not compromising the visibility of our environment. That's why we chose the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN solutions because they have user-friendly dashboards to use the equipment and at the same time, it does provide the visibility that we needed to control our traffic in all our branches. When you are deploying equipment in remote areas where you don't have many employees having a cloud dashboard where you can make changes to your equipment easily is a large benefit. Having a centralized, single pane of glass dashboard where you can manage all your equipment in one place has been helpful. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was very easy considering it is a Cisco solution. It took us approximately two to three weeks, to migrate small branches which were quite fast. We hadn't migrated the head office systems when I left the company but that implementation would have been more complicated because that's where the data center is involved. What about the implementation team? We hired a network architect as a consultant and that team helped us do the whole migration and implementation. When we were doing the setup of switching and the access points, it require a lot less preparation because of its ease of use. Other solutions, such as Palo Alto, required a lot more planning. We have 12 branches and our head office and we use one person for marinating and supporting the solution. However, we did outsource the support, we pay annually for support from a third-party company that helps us maintain our equipment. They are on call if we need them. What other advice do I have? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of ten. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN was easy to deploy and use, it gives us the functionality that we need to maintain our infrastructure functions, and at the same time, it does provide the security that everybody's looking for these days. We did replace the firewalls with Palo Alto, which gives us another layer of security because Palo Alto's very good in that regard. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-04-01T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Beneficial cloud management, reliable, and good support What is our primary use case? We are using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for our corporate network for internal users. What is most valuable? The most valuable features of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN are the ease of use and the ability to manage it from the cloud. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately one year. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of good for Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is scalable. How are customer service and support? The support from Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used Cisco Aironet before we switched to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was simple. However, the full deployment could be easier. What about the implementation team? We used a local partner for the implementation. We use four technicians for the maintenance and deployment of the solution. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The price of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN could be improved, it is too expensive. We pay for the solution on an annual basis. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We evaluated other solutions before choosing Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What other advice do I have? I would recommend this solution to others. I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-03-16T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from User-friendly interface, simple to install, configure, and deploy, and good technical support What is most valuable? The most important feature is flexibility. I believe it is user-friendly. The techie guys don't care for it, but in my opinion, essentially, it has a very simple interface. Most other vendors are now including those in their dashboard features and interfaces as well. What needs improvement? The only concern is when the license has expired and it will no longer function, the entire network goes down, without any notification, or warning. The price could be reduced. For how long have I used the solution? I have been working with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for four or five years. The first implementation we did was with the MR32. MR32, MR42, and MR62 What do I think about the stability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is easy to scale. How are customer service and support? Technical support is very good. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I used to work for VS Information Systems, and I'm currently looking after the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and the data center infrastructure. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is straightforward. We use a couple of guys for the more physical aspects of the implementation, such as access point mounting. Because they are cloud-based, we are only using one person for maintenance. What about the implementation team? Previously, I did the majority of the configuration by myself. Now, another person has been assigned to the configuration part. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? When compared to other vendors, Cisco's pricing is higher. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We did some research and found that we already had the HP solution in-house. Because of the features and feasibility, flexibility, and everything else, as well as the cost, we like the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What other advice do I have? We haven't received any requests for additional features at the moment. Previously, any request for additional features was made on the other Cisco dashboard, and the majority of them were already implemented on this one. We have a partnership with Cisco. For my experience, I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2022-03-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Offers very good integration and allows for cloud-based management of your Wi-Fi network What is most valuable? I've worked on this solution for a couple of clients who already had it deployed. It has many good features and good integration. This is more of a hybrid setup where the switch takes over a lot of responsibility depending upon what you have deployed. It takes a lot of control and allows for cloud-based management of your Wi-Fi network. What needs improvement? One of the key problems is that, similar to a solution like Ruckus, if you lose connectivity with the controller, your Wi-Fi network is immediately impacted and users are unable to connect to the network. It's a challenge because then your budget inflates as you have to invest in a high availability kind of solution and have more than one controller. If you are spread across a large area geographically, then you may want to have multiple controllers at different sites so that if one fails you always have a backup to go to and you're not dependent on the links that connect to your offices. It can become costly as a result. There is nothing much that can change but I believe the hardware could become more economical. The licensing part is okay, and compared to other cloud-managed Wi-Fi's, Meraki is well placed on the pricing, but the hardware costs a bomb. If they could reduce the price of the hardware, the access points, that would be a great benefit for them. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The solution is stable and more secure when you compare it to Ruckus because if you have an MX firewall, you automatically get the firewall features over your Wi-Fi as well. The outcome is that all the data passing through the Wi-Fi definitely passes through the firewall. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Meraki is quite scalable. How are customer service and support? Thanks to my experience with Wi-Fi, I haven't needed tech support from Meraki. One good point about Meraki and Cisco overall would be the documentation. It's extremely comprehensive so that you don't need to call tech support unless you encounter a specific problem, and you can find most things by doing a Google search. How was the initial setup? I believe the initial setup is pretty straightforward although I've never deployed the solution - I've managed it for clients. We currently have three companies that are using this product. From a maintenance perspective, it requires a couple of maintenance staff to keep a tab on the solution, depending upon your work environment. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Licensing is on an annual basis and there is also the hardware inventory. If the firewall goes down, for example, that could cause a problem. The point of failure and the work involved around it makes it a more costly solution. What other advice do I have? For anyone looking for a simple management solution in a geographically spread-out network, Meraki is a good bet compared to Ruckus. However, they lose points on the cost as well as on the complexity of its multiple-tiered structure, where you have an MX firewall or a switch, your Wi-Fi access points, and then the cloud. It's too much and could be as easy as having the cloud and access points, but the product has an additional tier integrated, which makes it somewhat complex. I would place them at eight out of 10. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Hybrid Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Integrator
Date published: 2021-10-06T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides a high level of security and stability for teleconferencing What is our primary use case? We have a small, growing company, and they're looking for a wireless capability to do typical office stuff, except that now, we're doing a lot more meetings on Teams and Zoom. We often have a setup where a few people in a conference room connect with remote workers on a Teams meeting. We've had some Teams and Zoom calls interrupted due to problems with the wireless and the wide-area network, as well as some other standard internet issues. Meraki is a decent solution for a small company, and we use it in a pretty typical way. We need Teams and Zoom to work, and we need a high level of security because we want our business to remain confidential. For how long have I used the solution? My company has been using Meraki Wireless for several years, but I've only been involved for a year and a half. How are customer service and support? I haven't interacted with technical support. I hire third-party technical staff, and they deal with all the actual support. What other advice do I have? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless eight out of 10. My suggestion to anyone looking to implement this kind of solution is to use a smart consultant. I use technical consultants to handle things like picking out a solution. So I have one guy who says Ubiquiti would be a great platform, and the other says they think Meraki is the best platform. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-10-03T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to configure and manage with a great dashboard; lacking sufficient modules and switching categories What is our primary use case? We are resellers and our customers are generally medium to enterprise size organizations. I'm the senior manager and we are partners with Cisco. What is most valuable? The dashboard is a great feature that is architecturally based and I like the fact that the solution is accessible from anywhere. As an administrator, it is very useful to have access to the dashboard from anywhere through my mobile Meraki app. I can see if there are any issues and can get alerts over my emails. The basic value of the product is the ease of use and ease of access from anywhere. The product is very easy to manage, easy to configure, and easy for our customers to understand. It's the ease of use that sells Meraki. When it's used as a whole stack, Meraki is one of the very good and easy to manage products. What needs improvement? There are a lot of improvements that could be made, especially from the feature point of view. If you compare the Meraki firewall to UTM, Meraki has close to 90% of all the features that UTM offers but there are some that are lacking and that need to be rectified. For example, UTM has a feature that enables you to block videos inside Facebook or block particular applications inside another application. In Meraki, you can only block the entire app or the entire URL. For example, you can block the category video, but not any applications that are inside apps. When it comes to switching, Meraki lacks categories of features, like the traditional Cisco, Aruba, or Ruckus app, and I think they need to increase the number of modules and categories of switches. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using this solution for almost six years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The product is stable and I have not seen any issues over the past couple of years. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution is scalable, the only problem we had earlier was the Meraki firewall did not support more than two ISC links, but I think the hardware has matured and can now support more than two ISC links. Some years ago now, Meraki used to lose many customers because it didn't support more than two ISC links. How are customer service and support? It's very easy to get support from Meraki, because everything is there in the dashboard. You just need to open a case through the dashboard and you get good support. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The pricing is a little higher than other similar architecture products such as Ruckus or Aruba. Meraki has a premium pack added to it so it's costly. What other advice do I have? If you're a medium enterprise type of organization, I'd recommend something like Meraki, at least from the wireless point of view, because I think it has a very, very simple and easy-to-use dashboard. As mentioned, it's easy to configure and very easy to manage. Wherever there are very low resources to manage a network, Meraki is the one. If a company isn't managing many people and there aren't too many network administrators, it's a very good solution. I rate the solution seven out of 10. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:partner
Date published: 2021-10-25T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Everything can be done through the GUI, easy to set up, and very stable What is our primary use case? We use it for wireless and our network. All our switches and our APs are Meraki. We are using its latest version. The device is on-prem, but everything is on the cloud. Meraki has its own cloud. What is most valuable? It is easy to set up. You can do everything on the GUI. You don't need to trace cables. You don't need to connect to the switch. Everything is there, right in front of you. What needs improvement? They're great. If there's anything that they need to change, it is just simplifying the site to which you go to make changes on the admin side. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for five years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is very stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I can add or remove without any issues. So, scalability is no issue. It is being extensively used in the organization at the moment. How are customer service and support? I have never contacted their support. It has always been great. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used to have just the plain Cisco, and we just switched to Meraki. We switched because in the past, for you to trace or change VLANs and all that, you actually needed to log into the actual switch and make the changes there. You had to run a lot of commands and all that, but with Meraki, you could just go to their portal and make the changes there. Everything is kind of right in front of you. So, it makes things so much easier. How was the initial setup? It is easy to set up. It took weeks because we had to install it, but the setup itself only took an hour or two. What about the implementation team? It was done in-house. In terms of maintenance, it is very lightweight. I'm the admin for it. We do have other IT staff, but they don't really have to do much. What other advice do I have? I would advise others to go and get it now. If you don't have it, get it. I would rate it a nine out of 10 for the ease of use. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-10-15T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from East to use with content filtering but needs a more detailed dashboard What is our primary use case? It's for our head offices, remote offices branches. The solution is primarily used for giving access to our users, including controlling their access and granting access. What is most valuable? The solution is easy to use. With the cloud dashboard, it's easy to control the APs and other items. It has controlling, content filtering, and other options. A lot of things are there. It has a lot of great features. The solution is stable. The scalability is good. What needs improvement? I am new to this solution. At the moment, I am not the right person or in a position to suggest something new or point out something that's lacking. I time to use it properly and see the pros and cons of the product and the requirements regarding our business. The dashboard could be a bit better. I'd like to see more information about the whole controller and APs. It should be as simple and convenient. For how long have I used the solution? I haven't used the solution for very long. It's been about a month. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It does not crash or freeze. It's reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The scalability of the solution is great. However, it depends on the business' needs. How are customer service and support? I can't speak to technical support. I didn't actually open any ticket, so I am not sure. I can't say how responsive or helpful they are. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I've been using Aruba Wireless Controller, and Huawei - just the controller. I'm new to this environment and I'm new to the device. How was the initial setup? I did not handle the initial setup and I didn't configure anything. I've just started administering the solution actually. I can't speak to the implementation process and how difficult or simple it is. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? I can't speak to the pricing or licensing. It's not an aspect of the solution I take care of. What other advice do I have? We're just customers and technical users. We use different versions, such as the MX64, 800 series, and 100 series. At the moment, I'd rate the solution at a six out of ten. I have no experience, or at least, not too much experience yet. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-11-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Strong integration wit IoT solutions What is most valuable? I think the IoT integration is the most valuable. I started applying IoT solutions 12 years ago on location-based services. Aruba had implemented this at the time. So I think the integration, particularly into the applications and stuff, is pretty interesting in Meraki. It's a substantial network from my point of view. It's good. What needs improvement? You're starting to see CO2-type sensors come into the classrooms and stuff like that. So it would be nice to build some "if-then" functions into IoT-type sensors. For instance, if a classroom has high CO2 levels, you could automatically open the Windows and use heat exchange to bring in fresh air into the room. At the same time, you could have the temperature control adjust automatically so it doesn't get too hot or too. So you would need to plug in some configurable where you collect the output from the sensors and have it carry out some small actions based on that. I think it's well within Meraki's capabilities. For how long have I used the solution? I've been working in IT for 40 years. I was working on Nortel products even before Cisco, so I have more than 20 years of experience in WiFi alone. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Everything works. I can't knock the product. I know a lot of the senior management within Meraki and used to work with them at Nortel. I know many people who work on the product side, and I've never had a problem. I've deployed Meraki for one customer with 2,500 sites in the UK, and I don't think I've ever had a wireless AP go faulty on me. We've just never had a failure, to be quite honest. That's unusual. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The only thing that always causes problems with Meraki is the license. It's a bit of a bugbear with Meraki, and it remains today. So it's an unusual concept compared to the other products in the marketplace, but then it does cause a bit of a nuisance from time to time. The license they sell is difficult. Which other solutions did I evaluate? I've worked on Meraki and other Cisco products as well as Hewlett Packard, Aruba, Siemens, and Aerohive. Aruba's first-class product is easy to work with, and I've done a lot of the complicated location with services on the Aruba kit. Most of the WiFi solutions are pretty good. The main difference between products is the application integration for location-based or IoT services, and Meraki has a good lead. You can buy IoT centers that work. So I know they're pretty basic sensors, and they are a bit expensive. However, I don't think you can beat Meraki when you're talking about multiple deployments, particularly in retail and stuff like that. It's very good for that. With loads of different sites and small amounts of kit, it works perfectly. I haven't had many problems, and in the many times I've worked with the kit, it's never failed me. That's unusual. What other advice do I have? I rate Cisco Meraki WLAN mine of 10. However, it would be a 10 out of 10 if it could apply some conditional logic where the result from a sensor triggers an action on another IoT device, such as a motorized heat exchanger, to bring fresh air into the building. If you were able to do something like that, it would improve things even more. It's a good LAN, but there's always room for improvement. There are some things that I'd like to see, such as more applications, integrations, and stuff like that, but apart from that, it's pretty good. When you look at the benefits, some wireless solutions are more flexible than others. Meraki is easy to configure and monitor. The best thing Meraki can do is give them a test AP on their network because there is some problem with APN allowing other kits on the network and letting people test, but handover between the APs is satisfactory. I've got four APs in my home that go between the office, workshop, and high space, and the handover is still seamless. The coverage is brilliant from my point of view. I deployed it in a large warehouse, and handover was seamless. It was covered. To me, the easiest way is to get a customer to test their network with two, so they can do a handover and allow them to test and configure. That's plug-and-play. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:partner
Date published: 2021-11-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A scalable and stable solution, but is overpriced and could be more secure What is our primary use case? We use the wireless network switches for wireless network communication as concerns our hotel. What needs improvement? The solution should be more secure. It is overpriced and more expensive than Hauwei. For how long have I used the solution? We've been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for more than two years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The solution is stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution is scalable. How are customer service and technical support? We have had no problems with the technical support. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? Prior to going with the solution, we used Ruckus. How was the initial setup? The installation is fine. The solution is easy to install. It took under five minutes. What about the implementation team? Installation can be done on one's own. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The solution is overly expensive. What other advice do I have? I would recommend the solution to others, unless the price would be competitive. We make use of 50 to 100 Meraki units. I like Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, so I rate it as a six or seven out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-08-12T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable with good performance and excellent features What is most valuable? With Cisco Meraki, I've tried motherboard, switches, and wireless, and everything is good. If you want to complete visibility, then you are required just a firewall and switches, and wireless. The solution offers good features and good performance. It's quite stable. We have never faced challenges just from our ID access point. You can scale the solution easily. What needs improvement? The problem with the solution is that if you go for firewall, then there is no SSL encryption available. If you are talking about deep packet inspection, that is not available. If you want SSL encryption, then you have to integrate with Cisco Umbrella. If they could work on the Meraki firewall hardware, and add SSL decryption as well as more application control and deep packet inspection, that would be ideal. Also in Cisco Meraki access points, MAC filtering is not available. If they could add that feature, that would be great. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using the solution for two or three years at this point. It's been a while. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is very good. There are no bugs. There are no glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This is a cloud-based product and the best thing about a cloud-based product is if you have a cloud controller and access point, then you don't have to worry about that key for licenses. If you've got 70 access points, you can register there. If you have 1,000 and 2,0000, you can also register there. There is no need to change any controller hardware as that is a cloud-based product, which makes it fully scalable. You can add to it and still maintain a single point of management. What other advice do I have? This is a pure cloud-based solution and everything is managed by the cloud. I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-08-14T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from The outstanding visibility offered by the tool to its users makes it a tool that can be easily deployed and managed What is our primary use case? My company deals with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN since it provides better visibility, from my point of view, making it easier to manage. With Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, you don't need to create something else to create controllers. You can just enter in your internet browser to deploy and manage it from there. L7 firewall is also a very good sync option available with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature of the solution is the simplicity of operating it, which is its biggest asset. The product also has similar, if not better, capabilities than traditional wireless access points. What needs improvement? As a daily user of the solution, I haven't found anything that needs improvement. The solution's mobile application and management of dashboards are areas with shortcomings that need improvement. Though there are a few features that I would like to see in future releases of the product, they cannot be made possible. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for a year. I am an integrator and not an end-user of the solution. I don't remember the product version I use. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is a very stable solution. Besides a few outages from my power supply, I had no problems with the solution. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a scalable solution, though I never tried to use its scalability option. I don't even know how many devices you can add to the product. How are customer service and support? I have, unfortunately, never interacted with the technical support team of the product. Based on the opinions of others, I came to know that the product's technical support team is very good. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I don't have any experience with other solutions at a business level. I work with Huawei and TP-Link at home, though I find Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN comparatively superior. Huawei and TP-Link's costs are very low, while Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is more reliable from both hardware and security point of view. How was the initial setup? The initial setup of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN was very easy. Though, I don't remember the steps involved in the deployment process of the solution since it was done a year ago. The deployment process was very simple because I only had to make a few clicks to create an account on the device to complete the deployment process. In the last stage of the deployment process, you need to put your license into the product and configure your SSID. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is not a reasonably priced product for home use. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a reasonably priced product for enterprise-sized businesses. What other advice do I have? Apart from the firmware upgrades, no other processes are followed to maintain the solution. I wouldn't recommend the product to those planning to use it at their home. I recommend the product to those planning to use it commercially in a certain industry or market. I rate the overall product an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-08-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Has an easy-to-use controller feature, but its network analysis feature needs improvement What is most valuable? The product's cloud controller is easy to use. What needs improvement? The product's features for network analysis need improvement. It lags a bit in providing reports for Wi-Fi performance. Additionally, they should offer a higher-end firewall. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for more than seven years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's stability a seven out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? We have 800 Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN users in our organization. I rate its scalability an eight out of ten. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We have used Cisco Aironet and Ruckus products before. Later, we switched to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN as we wanted more control of remote office administration. We are a small company that administers switches, configuration, and backup remotely. In comparison, the traditional Cisco switches need upgrading firmware. How was the initial setup? I rate the initial setup process an eight out of ten. It takes 30 minutes to configure it and around two hours to complete the installation. We connect the switch to the LAN, which is already connected to the Internet. Once the device is seen on the Meraki portal, we configure it from there. What was our ROI? The product generates a return on investment for us. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is expensive. I rate its pricing an eight out of ten. What other advice do I have? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a seven out of ten. I advise others to configure the product and then utilize the plug-and-play functionality. It has limitations for pricing and supply of material. It takes around four months to be delivered. It is very time-consuming. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-08-31T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Enables organizations to control many sites globally with a lean IT team and provides visibility into the user activities What is our primary use case? We use the solution for the office infrastructure to migrate from LAN to Wireless LAN. We also use it for IoT. What is most valuable? Meraki is far better than any other wireless solution. It is pretty easy to use. I can control any number of sites globally with a lean IT team. The product provides visibility into what the users are accessing. I can see where they are connected, what kind of traffic they are running, and why they face issues. The product has mesh, MIMO, and BLE. I can use the location tracker, too. I can also integrate Air Marshal to reduce interference. Before the site is ready, I can configure the virtual environment. When the site is ready, I need to sync it up with the cloud. All the configurations will be live within three minutes. I can go live within a day. I can do the third day’s job directly on the first day. I don't have any bottlenecks when I need to upgrade my wireless controllers. If I had an on-premise product that went down due to a power outage or natural calamities, restoring it would be very hectic. I would have to pay for a virtual license and add a server. If I put it on the cloud, I need to pay a huge amount for the egress cost, whether it is AWS or Azure. If it is in the Meraki cloud, I do not need to pay anything, and everything is under control. Even if the cloud goes down, it will not affect my productivity. The solution’s performance is much better than that of the other OEMs. What needs improvement? The solution can handle only medium and small businesses. We face a bottleneck on the gateway while using the solution for large enterprises. The solution must be able to expand to larger enterprises. Currently, the MX device can support only up to 10,000 users. It would be good if it can go beyond 1 lakh users. Catalyst 9300 is coming on the Meraki Dashboard. The vendor must also bring in the 9400 and 9600 Catalyst series. It will be very helpful. We will not have any choke on the gateway. There is no active-active concept. It will be very helpful if the solution provides active-active. Now, we are doing an active-passive setup, which is a warm spare. If it is an active-active setup, the gateway bottleneck issue can be resolved. I would be able to segment the Wireless LAN IPs. It will help support 20,000 devices at a go. Meraki does not have a single dashboard. I need to port an on-premise controller. There is a bottleneck while scaling the product. I need to consider a lot of things. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using the solution for five years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The tool is very stable. We face failure issues only due to power outages. Apart from that, there is no failure. We have installed a lot of sites. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? For my use cases, I am planning to use 500 APs. Our clients are planning to increase the number of users to 15,000. So, I would need more than 2000 APs. I can scale without any issues by just purchasing the license. If it were on-premise, I would have had to upgrade the hardware and purchase the license. How are customer service and support? We have 24/7 support from Meraki. We get responses within four hours. The support is good. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? The initial setup is not complex. We have a login, and we have to enter the serial number. If it needs configuration, we can do it and keep it aside. Once the device arrives, we can connect and sync it up with the cloud. Within three minutes, it will go live. Then, we can test it for a day and close it. We can reduce everything. It is very easy to maintain the tool. That is why we use it. I am recommending the solution to clients. I can manage 100 sites with one person. I can set alerts, and all the alerts will come automatically. I can do a cable test on the Meraki dashboard to understand if the cable is connected to the switch or not. It is very easy to maintain a large infrastructure. I can easily manage 10,000 users with one or two people. What was our ROI? The customers can see an ROI in three to five years. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The tool is reasonably priced. What other advice do I have? We are partners. My recommendation depends on the use cases. If an organization has a lean IT team and a medium-sized infrastructure in multiple locations globally, I would recommend Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN to them. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2024-03-27T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Terrible licensing, trouble with updating, and unhelpful support advice What is our primary use case? The solution was deployed in five locations in The Netherlands. We are in K-12 education. Around 2000 students and 500 staff have used Meraki WiFi for the past seven years. Younger students have Apple iPads and older students use Microsoft Surface. Staff have a mixture of Dell laptops and Microsoft Surfaces, and can move between sites using the same SSID on all sites. Infrastructure is mostly Cisco Catalyst switches L2 and L3, with Sophos firewalls. The use of mobile devices is mainly internet browsing, with some local access to internal database applications. How has it helped my organization? Cisco Meraki is easy to set up and maintain, yet has issues with firmware updates breaking functions, and not being fixed for months - in one case more than one year. Roaming seems to be a function they break regularly with their updates, and then cannot find a solution for. They ask us to wait 18 months for a fix, whilst telling us to upgrade to fix other issues, and not fixing the roaming issue. If you don’t discover the problem within two weeks, they refuse to downgrade you to a working firmware version, leaving you with a non-working one. And putting the emphasis on you to prove you have a problem. We are a Microsoft school and don’t have Apple, and yet they asked us to find a personal Apple device to install packet capture software on, so they can troubleshoot their issues. It took more than a month to get them to admit there was a problem with their firmware and roll it back to a working version. All the time, students were having problems with roaming. Licensing is obviously an issue with these devices. You need to buy a license to keep it working. If the license runs out you have no WiFi anymore. For the last issue I reported, the response from the helpdesk was ‘use a less complex password’. Our password was ‘password’. On the positive side, they will replace any broken hardware without question. After five years we decided to replace our old Meraki APs, and Cisco gave a quote for 80 thousand euros, plus they wanted us to relocate every access point to a different position in the building. Another company gave us a quote for a quarter to this price, with no licenses needed and access points in every classroom. Needless to say, we ditched Meraki. What is most valuable? It is very handy to have a support number to call. They will replace the hardware the next day if you prove it is broken. The dashboard has a lot of functions and is fast, and you can configure everything you need from the dashboard. The app is handy - when it works and you can log in. Firewall and traffic shaping are very useful. Also, application blocking is handy. You can see exactly which clients are connected to which device and trace traffic going to that device. Maps and floor plans are very useful to see where a client is connected. What needs improvement? The licensing model is a terrible idea. Don’t buy a license for seven years, you will be stuck with old hardware that doesn’t work properly anymore, and can’t be replaced and you are expected to pay yourself to replace in order to fix their issues. If they can't fix the issues anymore in 7-year-old hardware they should replace the hardware at their expense, however, all they say is you have to buy new hardware. A maximum of a five-year license is my recommendation. WiFi technology moves fast and seven-year-old hardware is no longer workable. The limit of two weeks on rolling back a firmware update is ridiculous. If you report a problem that affects a whole location they should let you roll back the firmware after any amount of time, not limited to two weeks. Then you have to spend a month every day on the phone trying to persuade them that you have a serious issue with their firmware. For how long have I used the solution? I've used the solution for seven years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is fine until you upgrade firmware and then discover something doesn't work. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution is good and easy to scale if you keep the same settings everywhere. How are customer service and support? The helpdesk is always available to help you, but their help is very limited sometimes. For example, if you have gone over the 2 weeks deadline with downgrades, they can refuse to downgrade you until you prove to them that your new firmware isn't working properly. So don't expect to have working WiFi for a few weeks, whilst you try and prove to the helpdesk you have a problem. Then after a month they finally admit there is an issue, and agree to downgrade you, and all the problems magically go away. Until the next time, you upgrade. How would you rate customer service and support? Neutral Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used Cisco's traditional WiFi with hardware controllers on all sites - AIR-CAP and AIR-LAP We switched due to the fact that the cloud dashboard to manage all sites seemed like a great idea, no more controllers on-site to maintain, and support was built in to the licensing. How was the initial setup? The setup was done by a reseller, who said 'this is a standard install, nothing special' until we had 1,000 students all come into the school after the holiday and discovered it didn't work properly. Then when talking with Meraki, we discovered the reseller had set it up with default settings, hadn't accounted for high density, and didn't do the channel planning properly. After several re-visits, they did a channel plan and set it up manually, which did help. What about the implementation team? Through a reseller. Level of expertise = nil. Meraki had to tell them how to setup the correct channels. What was our ROI? High capital expenditure and licensing costs make it an expensive option compared to other vendors in the market. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The cost of the hardware and licensing is extreme compared to other vendors. The Meraki model would be great for small/medium businesses with many locations to manage in one dashboard. However, it's not good for education, the roaming often doesn't work and the rollback is difficult, especially if Meraki decide they are not going to help you, and not fix their issues for 18 months. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We might have looked at Ruckus and Aruba, however, Meraki seemed like the best option for us. It was also recommended by Oxford University at an education event. What other advice do I have? Make sure it's the right solution for your business. Don't buy a seven-year license as seven years is too long in the WiFi space. Get a good reseller who will give you good support, not just say "contact Meraki" every time you have a problem. We are transitioning away from Meraki to another vendor, with four sites down and one to go. There are no regrets so far. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Private Cloud If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Other Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2022-06-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Reliable convenient access point management through dashboard connection What is our primary use case? It is primarily used for wireless access, both indoors throughout the plant and outdoors. How has it helped my organization? One of the most convenient aspects of having access to the dashboard is the ability to work on access points from any location. This eliminates the need for a wireless controller, as all connections are made through the dashboard. This is the best feature of using this system. What is most valuable? The most valuable aspect of this solution is the single pane of glass management and reliability. It has been very reliable. What needs improvement? The licensing could be improved. Licensing is, in my opinion, the least appealing component. It can be difficult to keep licenses up to date in order for the system to function properly. For how long have I used the solution? I have been working with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for more than five years. We use MR74. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I would rate the stability of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. We rarely have any issues with them. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? We only have two and didn't have any issues. I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten. There are no plans to expand our usage, and instead, we will opt for a single-vendor approach by replacing them with Fortinet. How are customer service and support? Technical support is fine, but I would rate them a six out of ten. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was straightforward. What was our ROI? When we initially purchased them, having these access points was particularly useful since I was the only one managing everything. It made my job much easier. For small businesses, these access points are fantastic, as their stability and easy installation make them ideal. However, for larger businesses, the return on investment may not be as significant. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The cost of both the hardware and licensing is high, and it is more than what I would prefer to spend currently. What other advice do I have? I would definitely try a proof of concept, unless you do a proof of concept, If they work, then, you use them. They are definitely reliable. They usually upgrade the firmware on their own. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-04-07T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Highly scalable but not very stable What is our primary use case? We provide use cases for hospital systems and enterprise solutions where customers connect to Wi-Fi for office purposes. We also provide guest solutions. What is most valuable? The single dashboard of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is the most valuable feature for me. What needs improvement? In terms of improvement, the time taken to update to the cloud can be made better. There is a small delay, so if there is a way to make it real-time, exactly like a real-time update, that would be the best option. Log monitoring and log view features can also be improved upon. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for more than eight years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is not a very stable solution. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a super scalable solution. There are no limitations to the number of devices you can add. How are customer service and support? The customer service team is awesome. Each time we call, we're connected with a new engineer who can quickly assess our issue and provide helpful guidance. However, Meraki should follow Cisco's approach, which would be more helpful for us. How would you rate customer service and support? Neutral How was the initial setup? I would rate my experience a seven out of ten. It was easy. What other advice do I have? It's a must-try, completely cloud-managed solution. It can be used for non-critical environments. Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Amazon Web Services (AWS) Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-04-07T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Straightforward setup, stable, and user-friendly console What is our primary use case? We use the solution for our 100-plus access points. What is most valuable? Cloud management, wireless infrastructure, and implementation are all valuable features. What needs improvement? The wireless infrastructure scalability has room for improvement. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using the solution for seven years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I give the stability an eight out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Our ability to scale is determined by our licensing and can be easily managed through cloud consoles. However, the wireless component of our end users poses some scalability challenges. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment was completed by the system integrators and engineers which took less than one week. What about the implementation team? The implementation was completed in-house. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? There are multiple licensing options including three months, six months, and one year. What other advice do I have? I give the solution an eight out of ten. We have around 120 access points which support around 70 users at a time for a total of around 7,000 users. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-04-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from We can easily monitor the up/down time so establishing KPIs and SLAs for the IT department becomes something attainable, but there can be problems if using older POS devices. What is most valuable? The dashboard to keep track of 30 or so APs, switches, routers and logs, is invaluable. I liked the UX on this. Notifications (minus the techno-speak so it's obvious what the problem is) help us respond to access points down or rogue access points attempting connections. Tracking the usage of staff, access points, switches and routers becomes an insanely easy thing and so do producing reports for your Exec team. Splash screens for T&C sign off by users are very easy to implement - it takes about 30 seconds to put a splash screen up. RADIUS and SSO are possible with similar ease. Networks can be segmented into SSIDs very easily for those needing to provided users, office, POS, Events, etc, with seperated access. You can then monitor the usage down to a single MAC address for great granularity. Reporting is easy - press two buttons et viola! How has it helped my organization? It's cut down the amount of time administering an expansive WiFi network spread over 43 acres. We can easily monitor the up/down time so establishing KPIs and SLAs for the IT department becomes something attainable. Adding APs is a very simple process. Plug in. Turn on. Meshes with the existing network. In an emergency, almost anyone can do it. What needs improvement? The error logs need to be much more comprehensive. For how long have I used the solution? 4 years What do I think about the stability of the solution? There can be problems if using older POS devices, WiFi APs, and you have a lot of people with mobiles around. So, say, a large event. The mix of signals can kill the WiFi APs and then you are left hard wiring "mobile" tills. Be aware if you're carrying old equipment. How is customer service and technical support? Customer Service: Good. Technical Support: Very good. Some times the odd problem may drag and require a dog-with-a-bone approach but that's the same everywhere. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Negotiate the deal put in front of you! Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2015-10-21T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A cloud-based solution with a GUI and perfect stability, scalability, and support What is our primary use case? There are so many use cases. You can have multiple SSIDs and different LANs such as guests, private, or hidden. There are so many options with it. It is cloud-based, but the physical hardware is on-premises. We are using the Enterprise version. What is most valuable? It is cloud-based. It has a GUI rather than a command line, and it just works. What needs improvement? The biggest pain point is that they limit you through firewall throughput. I understand why they do it, but that really grates me. For instance, for 450 Mbps throughput, you're looking at £800 for a router, whereas if you look at the one gig connection, for some of us are lucky enough to have a gig connection, you could almost be spending £3,000 for the option to have one gig connectivity. That's one of the pain points I've got. I don't mind paying for throughput, but I should at least have the option to be able to update that throughput, maybe through extra licensing or something else. It is crazy expensive to jump through to the next one. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for a good couple of years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is perfect in terms of stability. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is perfect in terms of scalability. I've got one system here in the UAE and one in London, and I haven't even touched the one in London, and I can do it all from here. How are customer service and technical support? Their support is perfect. They're there 24/7, 365 days a year. Whether you email or phone in, there is always someone there to help you. How was the initial setup? Its initial setup is straightforward. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Its licensing is on a yearly basis. It can be for three, five, or ten years. I'm happy with the pricing. You basically pay for what you get. It is that simple. When you look at Ubiquiti or Aruba, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN far outweighs what you get. If you're in the UK, Ubiquiti gives a three-year or five-year warranty, whereas here in the UAE, they only give a one-year warranty, which is no good to me. Who buys a piece of equipment with only one year warranty on it? It doesn't make sense. What other advice do I have? I would recommend this solution, but there are limitations with some of these devices. The main issue that I have is related to the throughput. You can get any router that will do a gig connection, but you don't get the other features. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-04-07T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Allows me to integrate another system very quickly, as we continue expanding for our client What is our primary use case? I use it both at my home office, and we just installed it for one of our clients with about 11 different units in their building. We have been pretty impressed with it. How has it helped my organization? It has improved our organization immensely. We were using: * Not enough access points at one of my clients. They did not have enough. * They were using Ubiquiti, which was getting overloaded with traffic. Therefore, it has been a big speed improvement, as well as in coverage. What is most valuable? I find it very easy to manage because of the cloud management, so I can update all my buildings at once and see all of my clients from one spot. That is probably one of my favorite features, as well as it has good security with its Layer 7 protections. It has a lot of overall functionality. What needs improvement? At this price point, I would not mind seeing a four-way channel, instead of a 3x3 or a 4x4, like they do in the Cisco Aironet system with their other brand. For the same price point in this other Cisco brand, it is a lot cheaper, and you can get a slightly better throughput than you can with these. It does not have the cloud-base. This would be something that I would like to see, and they do have it in their bigger units, just not at the price point we were at for the MR 42s. For how long have I used the solution? Less than one year. What do I think about the stability of the solution? So far, there have not been any issues. The only ones that we did have were with some wiring in the building. The products were fine. The only time they have gone down is when they first had to do firmware updates. It has only been three weeks, but so far, they have worked very well. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I have not had any issues with scalability. If we need any more, it is literally just plug and play. It will immediately go in the network, because it is cloud-based. Everything from the network is on the cloud, so it just pushes right into the new device. How is customer service and technical support? I have not yet talked to technical support. I talk to our rep if I have any questions because I have a direct Cisco rep. Which solutions did we use previously? We had Ubiquiti UniFi and the standard APs. They were not the ACs; they were the standard APs. Their coverage was always rough. We had a lot of dropouts due to speed issues, and this particular client of mine was putting in a new system in their building, and we knew this was going to push the WiFi really hard. Therefore, we knew we would have to upgrade it when we put the system in. How was the initial setup? It was very straightforward. I did all the setup on it. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? If you are wondering if Meraki can work for you, contact one of their representatives because they will do onsite trials where you can set up their system. If it does not work, you can send it back to them for no charge. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We were looking at improving the system that we currently had with Ubiquiti. We also did consider Ruckus and Cisco (the standard Cisco units). The reason I went with Meraki was mainly for its ease of setup and control of multiple locations, which this client has. It will allow me to integrate another system very quickly, as we continue expanding for them. Being an offsite vendor, and having remote access into it, the simplicity of that made a big difference in choosing their system. What other advice do I have? Most important criteria when selecting a vendor: The device needs to hold up to what they are telling me it can do. I want to see good throughput from it, as well as that it has security and protection. Usability is a big one. How simple it is, easy it is to set up, use, and for the client to understand. Finally, it would be the technical support. They have to have a good technical support base. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2018-03-14T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A good interface makes it easy to manage, and it provides good connectivity What is our primary use case? We use this solution to provide wireless connectivity. What is most valuable? The interface makes it easy to manage. What needs improvement? The price of Meraki Wireless should be reduced to make it more affordable. When we are using SSID roaming, it is not flexible in terms of which AP it connects to. It will not switch to the closet one, but rather, it will maintain a connection with the first one that it had connected to. This has a negative effect on signal quality because as we move around the building and the signal from the original access point gets weaker, it remains connected to it. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for more than one year. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is good. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Scaling has not been an issue. How are customer service and technical support? We have been in contact with technical support and they have made suggestions to deal with problems that we have had. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The pricing is based on a subscription and is a bit high at the moment. Which other solutions did I evaluate? I am currently searching for solutions that perform similarly to Cisco Meraki, but are most cost-effective. If in the future, the price of Meraki remains as high, then we will be choosing another product. What other advice do I have? In summary, I find that this is a really good product and I recommend it. However, improvements with the cost and signal roaming would make it better. I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-06-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Scalable, robust, and it can be deployed on the cloud and on-premises What is our primary use case? We have deployed this solution both on private cloud and on-premises across at least 100 distinct locations. What needs improvement? I can't say that there are any additional features that we would like to see included in it. Our only concern at this stage is how it's licensed. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately four years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is very stable, very resilient, and very robust. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? We don't have any challenges with the scalability so far. From our experience, it's quite scalable. On a daily basis, we probably have an excess of 5,000 users on this solution. There are no immediate plans to increase usage, however, there's probably a growth rate of about 5% to 8% per year for the next year or two. How was the initial setup? This solution is not significantly hard to setup and deploy. It's a manual process. We deployed this solution across a complete government network over a three-year period. What about the implementation team? We had a system integrations consultant working cohesively with us on it. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? We don't like the licensing model and we think that it needs to be improved significantly. What other advice do I have? I would rate this solution an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-01-31T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good management, good support, and easy to install What is most valuable? Its management is most valuable. It is the major feature of Meraki. What needs improvement? Integration with the corporate LAN where Catalyst products are installed is a major challenge. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for the last seven or eight years. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? We cater to medium and enterprise companies. We have good experience in managing large networks. How are customer service and technical support? Because it is a part of Cisco, we are getting good support. How was the initial setup? It is easy. Its ease is the main thing. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Its price is higher than other products. It is above the expectation of customers. So, every time we need to fight for a good price. What other advice do I have? I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:partner
Date published: 2021-06-07T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Reasonably price and easy to set up but not a fit for enterprise-level customers What is our primary use case? I haven't deployed it for myself. I have deployed it for customers. I work for a systems integrator. We use it for Branch-type of installations where you have a small branch. You just need to manage it via the internet. You don't need a controller-type of environment there, for a small office-type of deployment. How has it helped my organization? It's a cheaper resource that helps manage a company's WiFi network. What is most valuable? The solution's ease of use is great. The ease of management has been great. The initial setup is easy. The product has been very stable over the years. Technical support is okay. The pricing is reasonable. What needs improvement? Meraki is still very much a small office type of solution. It is not a fit for large enterprise networks, as it doesn't have tunneling functionalities. If you are configuring Meraki as a RADIUS client, you have to add individual 100 or whatever devices on the site as a RADIUS client. There is no RADIUS proxy option. Therefore, it is pretty much still a good use case for small networks, however, it's not a great use case for larger networks. The product needs to offer role-based access. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using the solution for more than ten years now. It's been a decade or so. I have quite a bit of experience with it. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The solution is very stable. As long as your internet links are stable, Meraki works perfectly fine. There are no bugs or glitches. it doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Meraki is not a very scalable solution. It has its own limitations on the number of devices you can deploy. I would say it's not a very scalable solution. How are customer service and technical support? I've contacted technical support a couple of times. They were okay. I didn't have any issues with them; they are fine. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I've used Cisco EROs, Cisco Meraki, Catalyst 9800, Aruba, and Instant Aruba, controller-based. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is not complex or difficult. It's very straightforward. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The pricing is okay. However, they don't have a perpetual license option. Regardless of what type of functionality a customer is looking for, they have to go for subscription-based licensing. What other advice do I have? I'm a Cisco partner. Meraki is a public cloud. With Meraki, you don't have a private cloud solution. I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:partner
Date published: 2021-07-10T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Very easy installation, stable, and scalable What is our primary use case? We're using Meraki for our AP. We're also using Meraki for our SD-WAN. What is most valuable? The visibility of the site is most useful. What needs improvement? Its licensing can be better. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is pretty stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? We have scaled it. There is no problem. We have 230 users, and they don't even know that it exists. How was the initial setup? It is straightforward and very easy. It is basically plug-and-play. It is very quick. It probably takes more time to actually do the physical installation. What about the implementation team? I did one site myself. The rest were done by others. They were IT guys. We have four people for deployment and maintenance. They are SMEs or system specialists. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Its price is okay for an enterprise. Its licensing is the most painful. If you hear anything bad about Cisco, it's about that. We're supposed to be one of the resellers but had to come back down to become a user. It's really bizarre. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We did evaluate other options. It was a long ago. What other advice do I have? I would recommend this solution to others. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of 10. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-06-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to use, straightforward to set up, and very stable What is our primary use case? We primarily use the solution for our campus environment. What is most valuable? The solution has worked very well in our campus environment. The solution has proven itself to be very stable so far. The product is very easy to use. The initial setup is very straightforward and easy. We've found the connectivity to be excellent. What needs improvement? We would like the solution to work on the pricing of the solution. It would be ideal if it could bring the overall costs down. For how long have I used the solution? We haven't even used the solution for a year yet. We've used it for about six months or so. It hasn't been that long just yet. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. It's been good so far. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution can scale quite well. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so fairly easily. We currently use the solution in order to cover 500 users at our company. Our company does plan to increase usage in the future. How are customer service and technical support? Technical support has been fine. We've found them to be helpful and responsive. We're satisfied with the level of support we receive. How was the initial setup? The installation was very straightforward, from what I recall. A company shouldn't have any trouble with the initial setup. It's not overly complex or difficult. The deployment is pretty fast. It only took us about two hours or so. What about the implementation team? We did not need the assistance of a consultant or integrator. We handled the initial implementation ourselves. We handled it in-house. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The pricing could be cheaper. It's the one pain point. We pay a monthly fee. What other advice do I have? We are using the latest version of the solution. I can't speak to the actual version number. I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We haven't used it for that long, however, we have been quite satisfied with its overall capabilities. I'd recommend the solution to other organizations and users. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-05-22T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to use with great dashboards and good business insights What is most valuable? The solution is very easy to use. The user interface is very nice. There are really great dashboards available. Users can see everything they need to on one pane of glass. Users have the capability of capturing business insights on the solution. For example, we can see who uses the WiFi or monitor movement. What needs improvement? The solution should be open to introducing more IoT sensors and to have a more complete solution to medium-sized customers. The solution could saturate more of the market, as likely 80% of the market would like to see more simple solutions such as Meraki. It would be ideal if you didn't necessarily have to go to professionals to get a product like this. It should be sold more in the retail space. It would be great if the solution could integrate with Amazon Alexa. We'd be able to leverage Meraki and build more intelligent homes and businesses. It would help us build new items we could deliver to our clients, and to build better B2C relations. It would be nice to have licensing that stays in place while the system is being renovated or changed. If there was a way to have remote WiFi to support local connections during issues, so that technical support doesn't have to shut down the entire network, that would be great. If there was something like a robot that could continue running the network while there are licensing or technical issues, so that WiFi never goes down, that would be an ideal situation. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used to sell other Cisco solutions, however, now we only really focus on Meraki. What other advice do I have? The solution from Meraki is more public cloud, however, if we need to we have an internal team that manages alarms, and coordinates action zone disputes to changes devices when it is needed, and have support to our customers. We have partners that can sell the solution to us, and we in turn offer them to our clients. We're similar to a reseller. In general, I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-03-09T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A fully-managed Wi-Fi solution to provide internet access for our guests What is our primary use case? The primary use case of this solution is to allow access to our guests and to grant our employees Wi-Fi access while at work. Mainly we use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN as a Wi-Fi solution, occasionally as switches, but primarily as a wireless solution. The deployment model was on a public cloud. What is most valuable? What I like most about this solution is that it is a fully managed solution. We can deploy it and check in on our customers without having an on-site connection or an on-site infrastructure for elderly customers. What needs improvement? The technical support for Meraki needs improvements made to the waiting times. The explanation when you have problems, and the tools in place to follow the case, are not very good. They should reconsider the rules under licensing. If you do not pay your subscription within the month of it being due, the use of the product will stop. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for four years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? This is a stable solution, it's perfect! We have not had any issues with glitches or crashes. Once it's installed, it's running all of the time without problems. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This solution is scalable. We have more than one thousand users, and we have plans to increase usage in the future. How are customer service and technical support? I have contacted the technical support once or twice but to be honest, the technical support is not very good for Meraki. I had contacted the technical assistance center for Cisco to order parts, and they have a really good support center. On the Meraki end, it is not the best part of this solution. If you previously used a different solution, which one did you use and why did you switch? Previously we used other solutions from Cisco, other vendors, and small vendors with local Wi-Fi controllers. The configuration for our customers was very complex so we switched to Cisco Meraki Wireless. How was the initial setup? A person who doesn't have the experience or background will need some assistance in the beginning. They will not be able to open the box without one or two words of explanation, after that, it is very easy. This solution is very easy to deploy, install, and to manage. We have an experienced internal team in place that knows the features in the deployment of Meraki products very well. They know how to manage it and we propose this to our customers as well. What about the implementation team? We are resellers and we did the implementation ourselves. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? You have to renew your contract every year, or for three or for five years. If you do not pay right away they will suspend your subscription. You only have the option to pay yearly, not monthly. This solution is expensive, but it's a Cisco product and the solution is really stable. You pay for the quality of the product. What other advice do I have? I like this solution, it's really good. It's a good solution for small to medium-sized businesses or companies. We sell this solution to small businesses here in Belgium. Meraki is easier to configure than other solutions, which is most likely the reason why Cisco purchased Meraki. I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Reseller.
Date published: 2019-10-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Secure internet access with good technical support, but management needs to be simplified What is our primary use case? We use this product for the branch network connecting with the core application in the data centers of our main customers. We provide a Wi-Fi, secured internet connection for the customer branch. This is an entry point to excel in other value-added services. Connectivity is the base of our internet provider service. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature is the technology of the security that is offered. What needs improvement? The connection to the internet via Wi-Fi, for external people who frequent the customer branch, needs improvement. In the next release, I would like to see the central control plane have the flexibility to control and distribute policies to all LAN networks, balance the traffic, and the performance based on application monitoring. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for approximately three or four months. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It's a stable solution. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This is not an area that I have explored as I am not a project specialist, but we would like to increase our usage. We have approximately 300 users. How are customer service and technical support? Technical support is good, but not easy to access and the technology is not open. It is very proprietary. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We have to have a variety of solution vendors in our portfolio. Currently, we have Aruba, Huawei, and Fortinet. We will be increasing our vendors to include others to enlarge our portfolio. Aruba is better for radio performance coverage, and it's easier. Meraki is more secure. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is quite complex. We have a team of six or seven internal members, plus the system integrator to maintain this solution. What about the implementation team? We used a systems integrator selected by Meraki. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? This solution is quite costly and there are costs in addition to the licensing fees. Depending on the preference of the customer, we have some monthly or yearly licenses. What other advice do I have? This is a product I can recommend to others. I would rate this solution a six out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2020-07-22T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Cloud-based dashboard allows me to see all my locations in one place What is our primary use case? Our environment consists of five locations and we are using the Meraki APs in all of them for user/guest WiFi access. How has it helped my organization? This product has allowed us to easily create custom SSIDs for clients and carve out the necessary bandwidth for clients needs. What is most valuable? * Ease of use * Central management * Pretty reliable devices I also really love their cloud-based dashboard which allows me to see all my locations in one place. What needs improvement? I believe every product always has room for improvement. When it comes to Meraki I would like to see them improve their support where an assigned engineer can take the case all the way to closure. Usually, you get a different engineer calling regarding the same ticket. For how long have I used the solution? Three to five years. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2018-04-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Flexible cloud solution that offers good administration, management, development, and deployment features What is most valuable? The flexibility, since it's a cloud service, is the most valuable feature of this solution. As well as: * The administration * Management of the whole platform * Development * Deployment options in the cloud What needs improvement? There is only one particular thing that needs improvement. Sometimes, for example, when you need to open a ticket, although it's under the umbrella of Cisco, you still need to go to the Meraki support. We had issues with Cisco in general. We have multiple platforms from Cisco but when it came to Meraki, we thought to go to another support team to open a case. That's something that might be improved. My opinion and recommendation would be that when you open a case at Cisco, Meraki should be irrelevant. You should have the same support experience just as we have with Cisco. In the next release, they should improve the way that you engage support. Once you engage them, they are quite knowledgeable and they are okay. There's no issue with that. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for a year and half. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It's stable. In terms of our users, we have guest users and such. It might be that on a particular day we have about a thousand clients and devices connected to the platform. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It's scalable. How are customer service and technical support? The technical support is good. We never had any particular dispute. From the technical point of view, the technical support is fine. The only thing is the thing that although it's Cisco, you have Meraki dashboards. If you previously used a different solution, which one did you use and why did you switch? We did have another wireless solution that was made up of bits and pieces from different vendors and obviously Meraki was one of the vendors that integrated everything together. So you had one platform from one supply manufacturer. That's a big plus for them. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was quite straightforward. As always in technology, you have difficulties. It was normal on the second deployment because it was in phases. You will always have failures but that's normal. What other advice do I have? I would rate this solution a nine out of ten and would recommend it. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-10-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from The Dashboard, with its centralized "cloud" interface is the most valuable feature of Meraki. What is most valuable? The Dashboard, with its centralized "cloud" interface is the most valuable feature of Meraki. If you are a smaller organization, have a small IT staff, and/or basic wireless needs Meraki provides the perfect solution. That is not to say that larger more educated organizations might not also find Meraki to be a great fit. How has it helped my organization? We use Meraki as a managed service provider for several clients that found the product and price a fit for their organization. What needs improvement? One of the virtues of the product could possibly be viewed as an achilles heel. The product is straightforward and does not have lots of features and fine tuning available vendors such as Cisco and Aruba. Some may be available when unlocked by Meraki TAC, but the product is not as feature rich as non-cloud offerings. This may be viewed as a positive by many users that do not want the complexity that comes with the extra features. For how long have I used the solution? I have been certified and used this product for 3 years. What was my experience with deployment of the solution? Very few issues. TAC works well with standard requests. If one needs something very advanced and rarely needed the TAC has difficulty escalating quickly. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The product is completely stable in our implementations. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The Meraki products scale quite well by allowing multiple organization with subdivisions of "networks" APs can be added to networks and tagged with other information as well. I would say that it works best for organizations with many diverse locations with smaller numbers of APs. How is customer service and technical support? Customer Service: I would say that customer service is an 8/10 Technical Support: For basic technical support I give a 9/10. Once in the BETA program Irate Meraki a 10/10. The area in between basic support and "white glove" BETA program support is a little rough as I think most Meraki users keep things simple. Which solutions did we use previously? My company implements Cisco and Meraki and are certified for both. As I am also Aruba certified we occasionally service Aruba implementations. How was the initial setup? Setup is very straightforward. The GUI is very intuitive. What about the implementation team? We are the vendor doing the implementation and often maintenance/monitoring. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Pricing is directly tied to licensing. Longer terms are a better value than shorter ones, but the customer needs to determine which options is best. Which other solutions did I evaluate? yes we evaluated all the competition. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:I am Meraki certified and my company is a Cisco-Meraki partner
Date published: 2016-06-29T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A scalable and trouble-free solution with multiple SSDs and good record-keeping What is our primary use case? We are using it in our school. We are using an old version. It is five years when my contract expires. How has it helped my organization? It has improved the way our school functions. What is most valuable? I like the record that is being kept and multiple SSDs. What needs improvement? Its price could be improved. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for eight years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is stable. I didn't have any issues with its stability. We have probably 30 to 40 users. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is scalable. I need to add a couple more and upgrade to four. How are customer service and technical support? I did not use their technical support. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I didn't use any other solution. How was the initial setup? It was pretty straightforward. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? It is expensive, but it is a good product. What other advice do I have? If you have some money, it is a good thing to buy. It is a trouble-free product. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-04-06T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A flexible solution that provides great in-depth visibility for network analytics What is our primary use case? We are a solution integrator and this is one of the products that we provide to our customers. I develop, market, and strategize products. We have customers in all sorts of market segments including large businesses, government, SMEs, retail, hospitals, hotels, and others. We have a lot of clients who use this product. How has it helped my organization? Well since we are reselling the Meraki as Partner product, the aim was to choose the vendor for the organization as revenue-generating and enhance customer experience product, Meraki happened to be the best fit in this regard. We marketed this product according to regional market trends, and it generated potential sales leads for the company. What is most valuable? One of the best features of this solution is that it has enough in-depth visibility for the people who connect to their wireless technology. This solution is quite flexible and compatible with other devices. The most amazing part is that their access points have the ability to connect to multiple conference devices at different times, and it shows you the very in-depth Wi-Fi analytics through their dashboard. This solution is simple and easy to use. What needs improvement? These products are more suitable for SMB rather than an enterprise for one of the listed Access Points like MR-20, Whereas MR-33 and above models covers and target the Enterprise customers. We would like to see Wi-Fi 6 support for devices sold in the Middle East, however, Meraki has introduced WiFi-6 where we would strategize our GTM plans for WiFi 6, where we would offer WiFi 6 to specific customers with extensive needs of high WiFi availability in KSA. For how long have I used the solution? I have been working this solution for almost one year. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It's a very stable solution, the stability of wireless networks depends upon a lot of factor like how much and complex the requirement is for the customer, its not always necessary to have bulk Access Point installed on customer site, in case of Meraki as of different model option and feature like high-density broadcasting, few access points would be enough to cover WiFi coverage, The solution itself is stable. As its cloud-based Access Points, The stability in Meraki networks is autonomous. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This solution is scalable. How are customer service and technical support? The service with them has been amazing. I would rate their technical support a nine out of ten. If you previously used a different solution, which one did you use and why did you switch? We did competitive and comparative analysis while we were in the ideation phase for the company, having said that, after reaching conclusion to our ideation study, we found Meraki as a market leader in WiFi technology from a commercial perspective as well as features and benefits to end customers. Thus we choose to go with Meraki as our Strategic Partner for our standard WiFi product. How was the initial setup? The initial setup of this solution is plug and play and very straightforward. What about the implementation team? We never used vendor teams to install or configure rather we have our own certified people working to install the configure the Meraki network at customer premises. In fact, we have our own business processes which the organization follows. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The setup cost varies from Service Provider to others, how they want to build the cost model. The licensing part for Meraki is extensible, it depends on which model you would choose to offer to the market as SP. Mostly pricing models are yearly contractual fees, but normally you would pay as one time cost as SP. In our case, we followed the international pricing trend for WiFi where you Bundle connectivity Per Access Point on a flat-rate monthly fee, and the customer doesn't want to pay extra charges and want easy to install plug and play solutions. In that specific case, you transfer the ownership of the hardware to the customer, while you charge only for Monitoring and Management which are minimal fees. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We did look into other options, there are pros and cons, but since the company strategy was to focus on SME's, we found Meraki was the most suitable option. The option that we were looking for the Field Operations for Site Survey, Meraki Access Point had features like Site Survey Mode where Access Point would detect the signal strength and adjust its broadcasting range to premises where it was installed. In other vendors, we did not find that feature. This was important for us to make an easier job for our Field Operations teams who would visit the customer site to install the WiFi Solution, it saved time and efforts and especially the Site Survey cost which was Plus in reducing the Operations Opex for WiFi. What other advice do I have? The implementation and suitability of this product depend on the client and the want they want to achieve. When it comes to Wi-Fi wireless technology, you also have to consider 5G. The 5G is already here and it's the fastest, ever, wireless network. There is going to be a conflict between Wi-Fi and 5G when it comes to what enterprises are using. Wi-Fi 6 will help to keep the technology in the market. I would rate this solution a ten out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner.
Date published: 2019-10-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to deploy, good integration with other Meraki products, and very good technical support What is our primary use case? We primarily use the solution for our customers. What is most valuable? The solution is easy for deployments. As we are an integrator, we sometimes have several levels separating the customer and our work. With this solution, the customer can look at his environment, and we also have the right to monitor it and to configure it if we need to from our end. The functionalities are quite professional and complete. It offers good integration with other Meraki products, like switches and the firewall. You can get an overview of all networks and the host. It's really great; nobody else can do that. What needs improvement? Some operations can be quicker within the solution. When it is deployed and registered on Meraki cloud, when you move, for example, a device from one customer to another, you need to un-claim the device from Customer A, and then claim it to Customer B. This process can take one hour. If they could shorten this time to about 10 minutes or so, that would be ideal. The commercial version of the solution could be cheaper. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using the solution for two years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of the solution is good. It's stable almost all of the time. We haven't experienced any crashes or anything of that nature. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution is scalable. It's very easy. If a company grows, we just have to do a few clicks and it's ready. How are customer service and technical support? Technical support is good. We're satisfied with them so far. They're very interactive, knowledgable, and quick. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was straightforward. What about the implementation team? We're an integrator. We handle the implementation ourselves. Sometimes we may need support from Meraki directly for very specific keys and some expertise, but it's very rare. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The price is quite high, but it does have higher functionalities as well. You pay a lot, but you get a good product. Still, it could potentially be 10-15% cheaper than it is. We pay a yearly subscription. It's my understanding that you can pay for one, two, three or five-year subscriptions. There aren't any fees above that. What other advice do I have? We use the public cloud deployment model. I'd recommend the solution. It does depend on what the organization needs, however. I'd rate it nine out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-10-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides high-performance, next-generation deployment What is our primary use case? We use it for our IoT devices in the office. It is currently our wireless solution for all devices that require wireless connectivity, for example, our IoT devices and our user's laptops and phones. Within our organization, there are roughly 400 to 500 users, using this solution. Mostly developers, editors, finance — everybody uses it. Soon, we're making the switch to Aruba wireless. How has it helped my organization? Because it's so easy for the common person to use, It has become less desirable for people who know the technology. The funny thing is that Meraki does have the ability to allow you to do that because you're talking about stuff that is controller-based. That is very good for small to medium-sized businesses with somebody who doesn't have that kind of skill-set to troubleshoot their environment; however, it's frustrating for somebody that wants to actually configure certain things. You can't do it because there's no way that you can get into that without asking them for permission. What is most valuable? The fact that it's cloud-based is valuable because you don't have to have an actual physical controller in your location. That cuts down on space that you need, the redundancy, the power that you consume, how much it takes to cool down your server room, etc. Because it's user-friendly, you can hand off some of the easier troubleshooting tasks to people that are not necessarily wireless engineers. You can hand it off to a desktop team, so that's helpful. With other solutions, you have to configure the right guardrails to keep people from messing things up, but Meraki already has those guardrails in place. This is very frustrating for a competent engineer because then he doesn't have the ability to customize it the way he wants — it's a double-edged sword. What needs improvement? The advanced configuration makes it so that any user can enable some of these features without having to ask them for help. It's designed like this because their business model targets people with mid-range expertise. I think Meraki's doing fine, but I had to leave them because I came from using Cisco before they bought Meraki — which gives you so many options that you can expand upon that it's absolutely mind-numbing. As you learn, you miss some of those features when you switch to something else. I did enjoy using Meraki and I would use it again, but I wouldn't be using it for a large office because they don't have the kind of manpower to properly administrate it. If there are advanced features that you can have enabled, they should allow users access to that in an easier manner. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for roughly four years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I don't remember any outages that were caused by a loss of connection to the Meraki cloud controller. They can operate independently, which is good — they were stable. It has not been a chore or a very hard thing to work through. I really don't have any problems with the stability of the product. It's a good product, it's just not great for everybody. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Because it is cloud-based, you don't have to worry about it. Once you deploy it, it's very easy. You could actually ship one to a remote office, have them plug it in and once it phones home, you register it, and then you can configure it. So in that regard, it's very easy to set up a remote office. It's very good that way. How are customer service and technical support? Their technical support is pretty good. Overall, I would give their support a rating of 8 out of ten. They should expand their knowledge base online. I think a lot of problems could easily be solved if they had a better knowledge base. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We were using a WLC wireless LAN controller. We stopped using that solution because we had just been purchased by another company that was using Meraki, so we just sort of moved it over against my wishes. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was very straightforward. Our network engineer had it deployed in roughly one week. What about the implementation team? We deployed it ourselves. We read about it and then we implemented it. As I said, it's not very hard. What other advice do I have? Utilize the packet capture — I found that very helpful. Troubleshooting is one of the features that I found really helpful — day by day, trying to figure out what's going on. I think that people that are going to purchase it are looking for something really simple and something that works. If I had to summarize Meraki, the biggest lesson that I learned while using it would be: simplicity has its costs. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of eight. It's a very good solution for small to medium-sized businesses that don't have the technical know-how to look for an enterprise-wide wireless solution. It's a great product for sub- enterprise solutions. It's also really good for hospitals and schools because of the easy deployment. I use the product and I think that for what they're trying to achieve, there's nothing better. Even though I'm moving to Aruba, I've seen and felt their wireless cloud-based controller system. I think that might be a little complicated for the average person. To take it to a rating of ten, there should be some more advanced features. I know that they have more stuff. You buy into the Meraki way, so to speak. You buy their switches, you buy their access points, everything starts to work a little bit better together; I never did that. I think that some of the stuff that I've even thought was making them better, they probably have already done. It's just that it wasn't for me. They should allow for some more granular configuration features that give people more control over their environment. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-04T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to setup and and offers a single point of management What is our primary use case? We are a system integrator and this is one of the Wireless solutions that we implement for our customers. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature is cloud management. What needs improvement? The Meraki platform needs better on-premises management options. For how long have I used the solution? I have been working with this specific product for three years, and more generally with Cisco for 20. What do I think about the stability of the solution? This solution is scalable and we haven't had any issues with it. I would say that it is for medium-sized and enterprise-level businesses. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Meraki Wireless LAN is a stable product. How are customer service and technical support? We have dealt with Cisco's technical support in the past and we are satisfied with the service. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We have experience with similar products by other vendors such as Aruba and Arista, and we prefer products by Cisco. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is very easy. The length of time required for deployment depends on the situation at the client's site, in terms of readiness. It will also vary depending on the number of switches and routers that are in-place or need to be installed. Generally, the deployment will not take more than two hours. What other advice do I have? This is a product that we recommend over other similar ones by other vendors. I would rate this solution a ten out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2020-08-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A reliable cloud-based solution with good support, but its biggest downside is the yearly fee and the initial price What is our primary use case? We use it for Wi-Fi. What is most valuable? It is cloud-based. You can manage it remotely from anywhere in the world, and you don't have to be on-site, which is a very big advantage. What needs improvement? It is super expensive for what you get. I just wish it was less expensive. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for 20 years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is stable and very reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? You just buy more. In terms of the number of users, it is used by everyone in the organization. It is Wi-Fi, so you hook your phone or laptop. Everybody uses it. How are customer service and technical support? Their technical support is very good. I would rate them a ten out of ten. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I've used Ubiquiti. The reason I use them is that they're very inexpensive, but they're not cloud-based. You have to be on-premises in order to manage them. How was the initial setup? It is really easy. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? It is super expensive for what you get. You also have to buy a license every year. Otherwise, it stops working. What other advice do I have? If you can afford it, you should go for it. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a six out of ten. The biggest downside is the yearly fee and the initial price, but it is very reliable. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Other Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-04-20T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good technical support, but not stable and has poor functionality What is most valuable? This is a cloud-based solution that is easily managed. You can manage the visibility and the cloud controller. It's a cloud solution that we can access from anywhere, on a mobile phone or any device. We can connect to it, manage it, and we can configure it. It's simple, really easy. What needs improvement? The stability of this solution is not good. It needs improvement. Operation-wise this solution has some problems and the functionality is not very good. In the next release, I would like to see a third-party high tech center to connect multiple users to a particular network. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for fifteen years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? This solution is not stable. This solution is still evolving and sometimes the authentication stops working and the client is not able to browse anything even though it is connected. It's quite an unstable solution. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This solution is scalable. It's good and we have no issues. How are customer service and technical support? Cisco's technical support is very good and better than other vendors. What other advice do I have? I would rate this solution a five out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-10-27T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A flexible product complete with integrated security and content filtering What is our primary use case? We use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for offices, small retail stores, and restaurants. Most of our clients are medium-sized businesses. Most of our clients have around 200 employees. There are around 50 access point users. Only one person is required for maintenance. What is most valuable? The captive portal feature is my favorite. It allows us to keep track of how many people are entering our client's businesses. Also, the security and content filtering that's included on the cloud is great. What needs improvement? The signal coverage radius could be extended. I would also like to have a planner for designs. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for roughly eight years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Stability-wise, it's very good. The problem is the coverage. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Scalability-wise, it's excellent. You can integrate with other products like MX, the firewall and router of Meraki, and you can also integrate with Umbrella which is cloud security from Cisco. You can also add more access points very easily. How are customer service and technical support? Cisco's technical support is excellent. Still, sometimes it takes a while for them to respond. There is also a lot of information on their web page for support. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We used to use Aruba and Cisco Access Point. Cloud management was the main difference between these solutions. We have more flexibility with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is easy but it's important to have training. Configuration takes around one hour. It's the same for any access point but the installation depends on the physical installation — overall, it takes around three hours. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Meraki is a very good solution, but the price is quite high for small markets. We are based in Mexico and within Latin America, most of our customers think that this is an expensive solution compared to other brands. Overall, we think that the price is too high. For example, the cheapest license subscription is around $600. It's around $1,200 for one access point. This is really expensive for one customer. Other brands charge the same amount for around five access points. What other advice do I have? I'd recommend this solution because it's easy to use and secure — the security is integrated. Apps can also be integrated very easily and it's very scalable. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a rating of eight. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-03-23T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from User-friendly with a great dashboard and very good scalability What is most valuable? The dashboard is the solution's most valuable feature. It's very user-friendly. It's a good solution for people that don't have a big technical team. What needs improvement? In many wireless solutions, there are a lot of things that can be added, like WiFi 6. Meraki should share its viability roadmap. It is really hard to know which functionality will appear or when they will be available. It is also hard to know which features are available now but are not visible on the dashboard. In France, there's a law that requires we should keep a log of connection for 1 year, so it would be really nice to have a solution or feature that allows us to keep a log in the cloud during the year with log rotations and secure log authorizations. Right now, in France, it is not possible. For how long have I used the solution? I've been dealing with the solution for 25 years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? So far, we haven't had issues with stability. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution is easily scalable. There are not really any limits for the customer in terms of expanding if they need to. How are customer service and technical support? The technical support of Meraki is very good. They're always quick to answer. You can create a case on your dashboard and after a maximum of 30 minutes, they contact you. This is a great process. Many other solutions should copy their support model. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is easy; it's not complex at all. In terms of deployment, depending on the customer, it can be installed rather quickly. A customer can even handle the installation themselves. Some may need more help with design, and it can take a bit more time to do that, but overall it's rather simple. What other advice do I have? We're a partner with Cisco. We create architecture for customers and design solutions for surveillance products. We also deploy WiFi production engineers from our company. My advice to others considering implementation is to be aware of Meraki limitations. If you are not sure if the features you need are available, you should verify that with Meraki. It will keep you from having any surprises down the road. I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. It's a really good product. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-10-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Plug and play set up, stable, scales well with multiple access points What is our primary use case? There are a variety of use cases. It is being used in a community center, a school, a gymnasium, and a youth center. It's a combination of constituents. We have teachers, employees/staff, students, parents, and visitors. We have many different users. What is most valuable? The most valuable features are the multiple types of user groupings and access management. For example: what, when, how long for, what is the performance, and what device are they using are all groupings. What needs improvement? Some of the built-in capabilities need to be improved. The radius capabilities for filtering by MAC address, some of the group-based policy management, even though they have more flexibility. They need a better reading of device TACs, which are terminal equipment codes. When you read a MAC address or a serial number, you can detect if it's an iOS or an Android device. Specifically, within the Android world, it can detect if it's a Samsung, an Acer, or if it's a Dell. In the Apple world, you can detect if it's iOS, iPhone, or an iPad. Their TAC reading and interpretation capability are not as effective. For example, they may be reading a MAC address and reporting it as an iPhone, but it may be a Samsung. It's not just iPhone and iPad confusion, but iPhone and Android cross confusion. There is a processing limitation when you have multiple SSIDs, above three or four. For how long have I used the solution? I have been working with this solution for three years. We are working with the original version of Meraki, not the latest version. What do I think about the stability of the solution? In terms of stability, it's relatively straightforward. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It's a scalable solution. It's pretty good. How are customer service and technical support? We have never had to contact technical support. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We work with Meraki, Eero, and Ubiquiti. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is relatively straightforward. It's literally a plug-and-play, once you set up on the portal. I would be stretching to find an issue. Anything that is common to all of the access points is the same, You have to run the cables. Once you have done the Delta it's probably a couple of days to deploy. It depends on what you want to configure or the level of configuration complexity. We have, for example, access points in a specific location that are broadcasting on certain SSIDs and providing access to only certain users or certain devices, and for specific services which have to be configured. If you generate an existing configuration, you can just plug it in and it will boot. If however, it requires a specific configuration, it will take time to configure the specific set of requirements. What was our ROI? We had a deal and we went for it. If I had to go for it today, I would reconsider, unless I get more competitive pricing. The gap in terms of performance, quality, features, and functionality has decreased significantly compared to what it was five years ago. Now they have much more. They used to be a startup and they did pretty well. They got into growth mode, VCs pushed them to grow and they started developing features and functionality. Amazon bought them. Now that Amazon has its backing, they should be able to grow and improve features, which is going to put them on a similar pedestal as a Cisco Meraki, and the same for Ubiquity. But those are just nuances. Today, it would be harder for me to push for Cisco Meraki. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Their biggest challenge is cost. Since it's been acquired by Cisco, it's an even higher cost. What other advice do I have? If they are going for the long run it's good, but if you go too long, there is a cost component to consider and figure out, because the cost is something that is coming down with a lot of new solutions. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-04-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A solid product with good network security and the potential to scale What is our primary use case? The product is used mainly for wireless switching security. I like to call it network security, however, they also have products on that end, such as FC LAN. I don't focus too much on the wireless stuff. I focus on the services and products. What is most valuable? The network security the solution provides is its most valuable aspect. Overall, it's a very solid product. I really like it. The initial setup is pretty straightforward. The solution scales very well. We've found the product to be quite stable. What needs improvement? On the performance side, there are always updates to different versions. It's more just getting it out to the client-side that's often the issue. The licensing could be a bit better. They should market Meraki as a mid-level solution for SMBs. There are a lot of SMBs out there, and they could use this technology. For how long have I used the solution? I've used the solution for a while, however, it's hard to give a timeframe. I use it as clients use it. They can go on and off of it, or I can be on different accounts. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability has been very good. It's very solid. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution can scale very well. There are not problems expanding it if you need to as an organization. It's easy enough to do. Even on an enterprise-level, you can scale. How are customer service and technical support? Technical support is more channeled to the partner side of things. However, Cisco is a great product and has a great team. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I can name a lot of companies that do network security, however, we pull up Cisco Meraki and we read off everything they do. How was the initial setup? The initial setup isn't overly complex. It's pretty straightforward. A company shouldn't have trouble implementing it. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? I don't deal with pricing directly, however, it's my understanding that it is around $40 per unit. I'm not well versed in MDM pricing, to be honest. It's not something I work with. I'm more on the managed services, professional services, which includes getting everything set up and dealing with all the problems around it, versus the actual licensing part. What other advice do I have? We're partners with Cisco. Meraki is probably one of the number one solutions. On my team that's all we've talked about or sold. Cisco is 100%, one of our top partners. Just in terms of network security, there's a lot of digital transformation happening. There will be a lot of moving to the cloud for many customers and you'd be surprised how many enterprises still just aren't prepared for the changes that are coming their way. I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. It's a legitimate switch and a legitimate solution. It does what it says and it gets the job done. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-03-31T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Excellent graphical interface, good stability, and an easy initial setup What is our primary use case? We primarily use the solution to understand what is happening in terms of troubleshooting the performance on the network. We have pretty specific user issues. We use it to ensure both our users and devices are secure. What is most valuable? We like the analysis that allows us to see how our cloud applications are performing and we like the way that the solution shows where suites are coming from, including if they are coming from overseas. We like the way that we can map the solution against the floor of our building. We are able to see a few things from a topography perspective and can show us if certain aspects are wrong. The interface is excellent. We've been really happy with it. What needs improvement? We haven't had any issues with the solution. We like the way it works. There isn't anything I can think of that makes me worry that it might be lacking in a certain area. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using the solution for two years now. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is good. We haven't had any crashes. There haven't been bugs or glitches that have interrupted us or our work. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? We currently have 60-75 users on the solution. They all use it daily. For us, the solution seems to be pretty scalable. We haven't had any issues and haven't seen any shortcomings. How are customer service and technical support? I don't recall ever reaching out to technical support. That's not to say we haven't, but I can't remember any specific event or problem where I can discuss a real-life encounter with them. My understanding is that it's good as long as we log a case quickly. If a case was logged and it's been registered with them, we find the effects in terms or response and resolution are good. We all have different customers with different firewalls and we find technical support in general pretty good. They've got a pretty good presence here in New Zealand, and the support from overseas is pretty good too. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We previously used Ruckus. Meraki is far and away much better for our needs. It was the user interface and its superiority that sold us. It's just far superior and easy to use. The ability to troubleshoot on the graphical interface is just better because the graphical information is so clear. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is quite simple. I wouldn't describe it as complex at all. When we moved to a new building, we were able to have everything up and running in a day or so. Maybe even less than that. Maintenance is pretty straightforward as well. We just do the updates regularly in order to make sure the server is up to date, as well as any security features. What about the implementation team? We're the integrator. We use the solution and also have the capabilities and know-how to bring it all together. We don't need any outside help in order to implement the solution. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? I don't have any information about the pricing of the solution. I'm not sure I could estimate the costs on a yearly or monthly basis as I don't deal with finances at our organization. I do believe our company offers very good value for money, although it's my understanding that it's not exactly on the cheapest end of the spectrum. What other advice do I have? We have a business relationship with Cisco. We're also a partner. I'd advise other organizations to think about the solution right through to how they manage and troubleshoot end users. I would recommend that anyone looking at a solution such as this consider that. A lot of people just think about the LAN performance, but I think the ability to understand it and save time by troubleshooting the end-users would be a more important consideration. I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Private Cloud If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Other Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2020-06-17T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A straightforward and easily operated system What is our primary use case? I work for an elementary school and Meraki's used to cover the entire building with wifi. It's not just a specific location. We're a kindergarten through sixth-grade school — an elementary school. What is most valuable? In terms of the product, it's been very good for us. They don't have all of the tools built-in that we would like to have such as heat mapping, but when it comes to managing it, it is straightforward and easily operated. We're able to automate as well as manually control as necessary. What needs improvement? This solution could benefit from a heat mapping ability so that you can tell where the hotspots are, and where the good signals are. To have that be available from within the management software would be fantastic. For how long have I used the solution? We've been using this solution for four years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Stability-wise, it's excellent. However, the software cannot tell us where there are issues. It would be nice if it could point them out to us, but without that event's information, it's more of a challenge. In terms of when we see that it's working, we know that it will be working, period. It's simply reliable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It's very scalable. We could increase the system we have, but because of its age, we actually need to replace the entire thing at once. So instead of doing it piecemeal and having some of the older products remain while we put in a new product, we would rather replace the whole system. How are customer service and technical support? We have not used Meraki support directly. We haven't had any problems that were so horrible that we needed their assistance. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We're looking at whether to replace Meraki or go with ruckus or Aruba. There are all sorts of options for us. The signal coverage has been quite good with Meraki, but we just simply are in need of a stronger system than what we have now. How was the initial setup? I was very surprised. The initial setup was very straightforward. What about the implementation team? We had a company (reseller) install this solution because we needed so many access points. Once they put it in place and did the initial configuration, everything was straightforward and easily managed. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? I don't recall the licensing cost. There is a hardware cost and separate licensing. We did buy the free lessons, but I can't recall how much it cost. What other advice do I have? In terms of caution, I don't have any advice. In terms of a recommendation, it's been a very stable system for us. However, because our needs grew exponentially when we had to go one-to-one for students, this has made things too complicated. That's why we're looking into upgrading and replacing the whole system. Still, Meraki is not off of our list while we're considering new solutions. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-03-13T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable, works well, and you don't have to worry about it What is our primary use case? They were for our Sheriff's department. What is most valuable? What I liked about these is that they worked. I didn't touch them or do anything with them. They were up and running when I came here. Once they are set up and running, you don't have to worry about them. What needs improvement? It is expensive. Juniper seems to have a lot more to offer for future expansion. Juniper has some features that are not there in this solution. For how long have I used the solution? It has been over three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? They have been very stable. We didn't see any issues. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I didn't have to scale it. We had 26 users. They included secretaries and deputies to Sheriff. How are customer service and technical support? I never used them. I never had to. How was the initial setup? They were set up before I got here. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? It is expensive. What other advice do I have? I would advise others to take a look at Juniper. We were using Cisco Meraki devices, but they are kind of end-of-life. We're changing our systems because of a policy change about the use of wireless solutions. So, we don't need them anymore. Juniper seems to have a lot more to offer for future expansion. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. It works well. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-03-26T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from HIPAA compliant, with good wireless monitoring but the throughput could be better What is our primary use case? We are implementors. We implement solutions for our clients. What is most valuable? All of the compliances are available with Cisco Meraki. For example, you have all of the HIPAA compliance. Cisco Meraki is HIPAA compliant. Because of HIPAA compliance, it can be used in the pharmaceutical industries. I like cloud-based monitoring. What needs improvement? The throughput of the switches for wireless could be improved. I am expecting more from it. The bandwidth should be improved. It should be increased. For how long have I used the solution? We have been dealing with this solution for six months. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It's a stable solution. There are no issues with stability. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? There is no problem with scaling. It's a scalable product. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We have recently provided a client the complete Aruba solution. It's both on-premises and on the cloud, for switching, for wireless, and monitoring. It is called Aruba Central. What other advice do I have? I would rate this solution a seven out of then. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Hybrid Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Integrator
Date published: 2021-04-21T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Knowledgeable and helpful support, and it scales and load-balances to fit our needs What is our primary use case? Our basic feature here is that we're in the education field. I used to be a Cisco controller-based program, and How has it helped my organization? This product has absolutely improved the way our organization functions. It's much faster and it's more balanced. It gives me the ability to balance the network a little bit better from a 2.4 interface, as far as channelization is concerned. Then, with AC coming out with the five gigahertz, getting much more stable, it's allowed a lot of us to switch over to that. However, it is important that you still have the support for 2.4 because it's out there. What is most valuable? What I like best about Meraki is that I can change it from anywhere. I'm really the only person here that understands the concepts, which means that if I'm not on campus, resolving the problem is something that I can do online. We also have a resident program here as well. So, if something's not right with the resident or they have an issue with their internet over there, I can flip to make it go over to a different internet circuit pretty quickly without ever coming onto campus. What needs improvement? Initially, I liked some of the filtering features, but that's one of the components that we ran into problems with. We don't use it as much anymore. This is one of the things that I'm trying to find out if Aruba does better. For example, I like all of my iOS devices to go on one network so that if they try to do iOS updates, we have an Apple server online so that they can just pull the iOS updates from it instead of having them on other parts of the network. Also, we're a one-to-one school where we give laptops out, and I'd like to be able to block the old laptops from being able to access the network. That means that the students are forced to use their new laptop, as opposed to an older one. It would be really helpful if there were a way that the access point could determine whether the client has an AC radio and if so, force it to try and connect to there first. As it is now, it lets the client determine how it wants to connect. This is the case with wireless in general, but it would be nice to have this option. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for approximately six years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The only time we've had any issue at all is when the firmware upgrades don't automatically apply. You can set them to automatically apply, but you have to be really careful in a school setting, because you can't just say, "Oh yeah, I want to reboot this building." It would mean that the entire building will go down. This means that you have to schedule those a little bit differently. I always do it manually instead of automatically. I wish it would let us do one access point at a time because then I could literally do a building. It doesn't let you do one at a time. It does let you schedule them as a network but doesn't let you pick a specific access point for a specific time. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This is a product that scales pretty easily. We have about 1,200 people using it. We have students and teachers and parents, and then, of course, we have staff members in general, and lots of different devices. One of the big things that I will challenge people at, and I don't think a lot of people realize this, but the challenge of some school networks is, especially for us, I'll use a final time, for example, is all of a sudden you have to have 850 to 900 people on the network at one time. The exam starts now and all 850 students have to get on the network now. You don't see that any other school at that point in time. Kids come on, they join whenever, they've already got it on. You don't see that, but in those classes when they have to start exams, everybody has to hit that network and load a page now. Your network has to be able to be designed to handle that. This is one of the reasons we've had to balance the wireless to make sure that we've been able to get good successful connections throughout the entire campus inside of every classroom. That way, no access points overloaded or the bandwidth is not overloaded. If you lose one in the middle, it's enough that it can withstand the fail over of another classroom in the middle of that type of exam. It is this concept and design that has allowed us to sustain this system for more than five years without a problem. How are customer service and technical support? The technical support is pretty good the team is very knowledgeable. Normally it takes once or twice to get through to them or get to the right level, but other than that, it's really good. I would rate them an eight out of ten. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We originally had Cisco and it was really costly. They eventually grew out of our price range in terms of the price of their equipment. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is pretty straightforward. Which other solutions did I evaluate? We evaluated Aruba but at the time, I didn't feel that they were quite there. They had just introduced some of the web-related products, and Meraki was already seasoned. We are currently looking at other products, including those from Aruba and Cisco. This is because our licensing is about to expire and it's time to upgrade the access points in some of our buildings. What other advice do I have? My advice for anybody who is considering this product is that you have to evaluate what your overall goal is. If you have a team that's going to monitor your network, that's not going to be there, especially if they're offsite, then you're going to have to do a web-based solution because that's the easiest way that they can help maintain it, versus an on-premise solution. That narrows you down to a couple of different entities. Then, you just have to look at your features and what you like, from security measures to applications to structure. You have to find what fits the best. I would definitely do an evaluation with any of them to make sure that they all fit within your confines. In summary, this is a good product but there is always room for improvement. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-01-25T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Has excellent stability, it works and doesn't stop What is our primary use case? Our primary use case is for business, the end within the business, no guests or anything like that. We use the on-prem deployment model of this solution. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature is the stability. It works and doesn't stop. What needs improvement? In terms of improvement, we're waiting on is the new standard WiFi 6. That's really where the research comes into. With wifi coming out, we're going to refresh everything. Hence we're going to look at the top three players. I'd like better integration with security providers. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using this solution for around eight years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is stable. We've never had any bugs. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It's scalable. We have between 50-100 users in my company. The users are our general employees. We don't require any staff for maintenance. For the deployment, we required four staff members. We have plans for increasing usage. The idea is to double it in size with Wifi 6. How are customer service and technical support? We were in touch with technical support a while ago. They just said what was in the book. If you previously used a different solution, which one did you use and why did you switch? We previously used Aruba Wireless. We switched because of the price. It wasn't my choice, it was my client's choice. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was complex. It took about 200 hours. Our deployment strategy was to get it all in and then get all hardware in, put one service layer at a time. When it's finished, disable all the old stuff. After migrating the clients, disable all the old stuff. What about the implementation team? I reached out to Cisco for boilerplate plans and worked on their standard design for a smaller office. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? After the third year, because it's Cisco, the prices go higher. What other advice do I have? My advice to someone considering this solution would be to use the white paper comparisons, they're excellent. Particularly not a newspaper review of a product, as it comes out of the box. That does nothing. But it has to really be an installation that is similar to yours. It might match the number of sites or match the number of consumers in the end but it has to be similar in some ways. Not a lab, a lab work doesn't tell you anything. That's like a practice run. I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Date published: 2019-10-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy to install and manage, but the customization needs improvement. What is our primary use case? We are MSP, resellers. We provide solutions for customers. Meraki is a good entry-level enterprise Wi-Fi solution. How has it helped my organization? Customers that have gone from SMB solutions into the Meraki have noticed an increase in satisfaction in the work. What is most valuable? The big draw is the ease of installation. It's easy to manage, and it's easy to implement. What needs improvement? It's a little bit customizable, but that's where it probably has one of its downfalls. It is not as feature-rich as some of the others. The customization needs to be improved because it's pretty locked down. You can't customize it much. In the next release of this solution, I would like to see the Radio Control feature included, and improved customization on the radios. Also, it needs more ability to control it. It works well but you can really change it a lot. For how long have I used the solution? We have been working with Cisco Meraki Wireless Lan for approximately 10 years. They don't really have versions with Meraki. They have different access points. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It's a very stable product, very mature. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is scalable, but it definitely suffers during really large implementations. How are customer service and technical support? Technical support is good. They are pretty solid. I think everywhere there's always improvement to be had. That's just kind of the big thing for technical support. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is straightforward. The usual requirements are less than thirty days to install. It's pretty quick. We do our pre-installation survey, help design the network, and then implement it, test it, and then make adjustments as required. What was our ROI? Wi-Fi is a necessary evil. You have to have Wi-Fi, so I think that it's a situation where you have to put something in. Some of the companies have had a return on investments and they will generate revenue off of their Wi-Fi, but that's in hospitality for example. It's a little bit different for those customers, who have to put a Wi-Fi solution in. This one from a budgetary standpoint is mid-range. It's not super expensive and it's not super cheap. It's a good solution. A lot of customers pick it because it's got decent feature sets and it's not the most expensive in the market. What other advice do I have? To anyone who is interested in using this solution, make sure that you're happy with their features and that it's the right solution. Look at all of its features and also look at its downfalls and/or weaknesses, as well. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good, but not great. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-08T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good monitoring and reporting features, and easy to install What is most valuable? The most valuable features are the management tools, including monitoring and reporting. It can also be used for monitoring photos for all iPhones. It's an awesome application! What needs improvement? The price is good, but it could be improved. The camera needs improvement because currently, it only accepts a 128-gigabyte memory card. It's too small to record a video. In the future, I would like to see IP telephony in Saudi Arabia. It is currently not available. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for one month. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is very good. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The scalability of this solution is good. How are customer service and technical support? The support for this solution is good. They're brilliant. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was very easy to install. What other advice do I have? I would rate this solution an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner.
Date published: 2019-10-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Very Good Simple Solution that is Great for management but It comes at a premium to do so. What is our primary use case? I'm an Associate Engineer and as part of my work is that I look after a number of companies where I recommend and install different network equipment. Anything from the SonicWall networks, Fortinet, you name it, depending on what the client requirements are. I would prefer high-end and that could mean Ubiquiti, Mojo, and Cisco. In terms of the version I would choose, it really depends on the client's requirements. We deal with small, medium and enterprise size companies. How has it helped my organization? From an organizational perspective, Meraki has made a difference because it's simple to manage with High level of detail and troubleshooting access, when there's a problem. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature would have to be the cloud management with high level of detail and ability to be able to use all the information to troubleshoot issues remotely before having someone onsite. What needs improvement? The product is fine as it is. Having been in the IT industry for nearly 20 years, there's nothing that jumps out at me. The product is improving all the time. It could be slightly cheaper but it's fine. It's actually a very good product. For how long have I used the solution? I've been working with Cisco for 10 years. Meraki is more recent, maybe three or four years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The product is very stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It's not exactly the cheapest solution in terms of scalability, but it's very good. A lot of my clients have to look at other alternatives because of the cost and it's likely that in the end, they take Mojo even though I don't like that product as much. If I were going to choose an alternative to Cisco it would be Ubiquiti but it all comes down to cost. How are customer service and technical support? Cisco provide good support and there have been times when we've needed it. What other advice do I have? We can deploy on-premises or on the cloud, but it's usually cloud. The amount of time it takes to deploy is really dependent on the client and the size of the company. I would suggest that sometimes it might be better to spend more money on better equipment that will perform a lot better, so if you have the funds go for it, but if not, then you have to work within your budget. I would rate this product a seven out of 10. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-11-19T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from We can use a single dashboard to manage our 5 offices in different parts of the world. Valuable Features * Centralized management * Easily configurable Improvements to My Organization We implemented Meraki APs across our 5 offices in USA, UK, and India, and we can manage all of them from one dashboard. We have great metrics for bandwidth usage, easily finding out who is downloading movies. ;-) Using Radius server for user authentication is very simple to configure, creating new SSID, and it has a great alerting system. Use of Solution 2 years Deployment Issues Deployment is very simple- just add the device to your dashboard, connect to the network, and it will automatically connect, update firmware, and update configuration to match with your others APs. Stability Issues Nope Scalability Issues No Customer Service and Technical Support Customer Service: 10 Technical Support: 10, to get help you can open the case or just call them directly, give them your customer ID and boom, you are talking to the tech who can see all your devices. Previous Solutions Aruba, Ruckus - they are ok, but you need to spend more time to configure and their support is not even close to Meraki. Initial Setup Can't be more simple Implementation Team In-house Pricing, Setup Cost and Licensing I think the Meraki APs are very cheap, I am using them even at home. Other Advice Don't waste time and money for the other solutions, only Meraki! Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2015-07-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Excellent support, easy to use, and flexible, but needs better pricing What is our primary use case? We are using it at the hospitals for transmission for hardware switches. We are connected with various IoT devices. What is most valuable? Its ease of use and flexibility are most valuable. It is cloud-based software. What needs improvement? Its price should be reduced. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using this solution for a few months. What do I think about the stability of the solution? We have been using it only for a few months. We need to use it for a longer time to see its stability. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? We have more than 40 users at the moment, but the number is growing. How are customer service and technical support? Their support is extremely good. They generally dispatch the hardware in four hours. They give us a dispatch notice just after four hours of lodging a complaint. Their engineer does the on-site visit within 24 hours. How was the initial setup? It is not complicated. It is quite user-friendly. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Its price is high and should be reduced. What other advice do I have? I would recommend this solution. They have a good setup and local support in India. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a seven out of ten. There is always room for improvement, and they can do some things better. We have been using it for a few months, and we don't yet know if there are any bugs or issues. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-04-06T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Traffic analytics give us insight and the management and upgrades are very simple and straightforward What is our primary use case? We use our Meraki system to provide new IOD access and internal access for wifi devices. How has it helped my organization? It provides an easy login page for most students. In terms of wireless network visibility, we have a lot more insight into what students are doing now. We can track down peer to peer very quickly and can just lock it down. If we find an offender that gets caught with the law, we can direct the authorities directly to them. The solution also reduced our false positives by about 50%, as well as saves us time, money, and administrative work. What is most valuable? The management and upgrades are very simple and straightforward. Traffic analytics give us insight, but they don't decrypt anything. What needs improvement? I would be interested in seeing more enterprise-level, advanced user features. Technical support can be improved, as well as having more detailed capabilities to go without using an API. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I would rate scalability as five out of ten. It's kind of hard to say. How are customer service and technical support? Their technical support is hit or miss. If you previously used a different solution, which one did you use and why did you switch? The wifi solution that we had before wasn't great so we had to go with something else. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? It's a pretty good value, but not great. Pricing is on a yearly basis for the Meraki solution. What other advice do I have? The biggest lesson we've learned is that wifi systems are very complicated. My advice is to be sure you understand the depth that the system gives you. I would rate this solution as eight out of ten. It's a pretty solid solution. It lacks the advanced features that I would like to see to do proper wireless engineering, but it's a pretty solid solution. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-07-16T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good device connection functionality, stable, and scalable What is our primary use case? We use this solution for device address connection. What needs improvement? The ease of use is average. It could be more user-friendly. The initial setup could be simplified. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for a few months. We are using the latest version. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It's a stable product. We don't have any issues with stability. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This is a scalable solution. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was not easy, it was a bit complex. We need a team of three technicians to deploy and maintain this solution. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? We pay licensing fees. What other advice do I have? We plan to continue using this solution and I would recommend it to others. I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-05-12T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Good management, easy to setup, stable, and it is scalable What is our primary use case? I am a system integrator. I help integrate Meraki Solutions. We have customers with offices in Sri Lanka who have other small resorts globally. We use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for the management and configuration without having to go to the site. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature of this solution is the application visibility, which is one of the main features. What needs improvement? We need more options for core switches. More switches with hardware capabilities that can be used at the core level. That would be very helpful. It would be good to integrate with ISE in the future. For how long have I used the solution? I have been integrating Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for more than five years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I don't have any issues with the stability of the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It's a scalable solution. Most of our clients are enterprise companies. How are customer service and technical support? Technical support is good but can be improved. I would rate them an eight out of ten. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I am a design engineer. I work with Cisco Meraki, Aruba, Alcatel, and Ruckus. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is straightforward. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? I would say that they have adequate pricing. What other advice do I have? I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Integrator
Date published: 2021-05-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable, scalable, and easy to use What is our primary use case? I work for a system integrator company. I am in charge of approximately 15 people — I am head of the network department. We deal with many different companies, but Meraki and Cisco are the most popular. We have approximately 100 customers using this solution. What is most valuable? The user interface is very simple and easy to use — our customers are very satisfied. Meraki in general is easy to use. I recently hosted a webinar regarding SD-WAN. I compared Cisco Meraki with other Cisco products. Meraki's performance is a little bit lower compared with other Cisco products, but the platform is very, very simple. As long as a customer has a dedicated IT team, then Meraki will be a good option for them. What needs improvement? There could be more functionality. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for a couple of years. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? This solution is both scalable and stable. How are customer service and technical support? We're a highlighted partner. If we have any questions, then we can go to the technical guys and get answers immediately. We get the best support all of the time. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was straightforward. The platform is very simple. You have to install the EPs and put them on the virus controller so that you can fine-tune the different settings. What about the implementation team? We typically install this solution for our customers. Still, if a customer wants to install it themselves, then they can do so easily. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Meraki and Aruba are available for almost exactly the same price. The price/benefit ratio is great. Meraki is more affordable than Aruba, HPE, and others. What other advice do I have? I would absolutely recommend this solution to others. On a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a rating of ten. For small to medium-sized businesses, I think it's the best. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Integrator
Date published: 2021-06-03T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from With an easy setup phase, it offers a great cloud management functionality What is most valuable? The cloud management feature is a great feature of the solution. What needs improvement? Since we have no complaints in our company using the product so far, it looks like we are using a great product. The solution cannot be looked upon for one year or short term because you will pay back all the discounts they offer the next time you pay for renewal. So, the aforementioned details can be considered under the solution's room for improvement. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for a couple of years in our company. Information related to the version is something that we can obtain from the portal because it's available there. My company has a partnership with Cisco Meraki. What do I think about the stability of the solution? Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten. Less than 50 people in my company use the solution. How are customer service and support? We didn't need to contact technical support. How was the initial setup? The solution's initial setup process was straightforward. In a couple of days, the deployment process was done. What about the implementation team? Our in-house team did the implementation. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The box itself is very cheap. The question here is about the subscription because this is what you will pay every year. In the initial year, for purchasing, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN gives you an attractive price. While during renewal, we are not given much discount. What other advice do I have? I would recommend others to use it and urge them to pay the subscription upfront so that they can have the best value and discount. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Date published: 2023-05-15T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Stable solution and has good technical support service What needs improvement? The cost for the solution's license could be better. For how long have I used the solution? We have used the solution for seven years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It is a stable solution. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a scalable solution. We had 50 solution users in our organization. How are customer service and support? The solution's technical support service is good. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? One executive is required for the solution's maintenance. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? It is an expensive solution. There are additional costs apart from standard licenses as well. What other advice do I have? It is a good product. I recommend it to others and rate it as a nine. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-05-03T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides fast wireless network connection inside the company What is our primary use case? We use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for the wireless network connection inside the company. What is most valuable? The most valuable feature of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is fast and does the job. What needs improvement? The initial setup of the solution can be improved and made easier. For how long have I used the solution? My company has been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a ten out of ten for stability. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a ten out of ten for scalability. 2000 people are using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN in our company. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is complex according to me. We require 12 people to deploy and maintain Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. What about the implementation team? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN was implemented through an in-house technical person. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Users have to pay a yearly license fee for the solution. The pricing of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good. What other advice do I have? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a very good tool that users can use without problems. Overall, I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a ten out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-04-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Robust with good connectivity and decent pricing What is our primary use case? We primarily use the solution for wireless connectivity for our wireless network. What is most valuable? The connectivity is very good. It's a robust, stable solution. We haven't had any issues at all. The graphic user interface is very nice. It makes using it very easy. The product is simple to manage. It is not too expensive. The setup is easy. It is stable. The solution can scale. What needs improvement? I don't really need any changes to be made. It may be expensive for smaller setups. We'd like to have better mapping to showcase low-coverage areas. For how long have I used the solution? This is a recent installation. We did this installation towards the end of last year. We've used it for less than one year. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. I'd rate the stability ten out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution can scale. That said, I've never reached the limit of our deployment. We haven't tested the scalability too much. We have about 100 users in our office. We do not have plans to increase usage. We may decrease the number. How are customer service and support? We've never contacted technical support. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We previously upgraded from Cisco's 2500 series. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is straightforward. However, it is a global configuration and handled by another unit. I did not set it up myself. We got it out of the box and just needed to put it up. My understanding is that it would be relatively easy to set up. While it is on-premises, it does have some cloud reporting features. We received the solution partially configured. Therefore, I cannot speak of the setup process from end to end. We have four members in IT in our office and are supported by a bigger team at our company's headquarters. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The cost isn't too high for an enterprise setup. We pay a license for three years for support and maintenance. What other advice do I have? While I would recommend ht eh solution to others, it does depend on the environment and usage. If it is a small setup, there are other options that are less expensive. Meraki works well in an enterprise environment. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-04-17T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Excellent performance with an impressive speed What is our primary use case? We use the solution for wireless network connection in the organization. What is most valuable? The solution is fast. It is a really good tool, and we do not face any problems with it. What needs improvement? The initial setup could be made easier. For how long have I used the solution? Our organization has been using the solution for three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability is fine. I rate the stability a ten out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? About 2000 employees in the organization are using the solution. I rate the scalability a ten out of ten. How was the initial setup? The initial setup was complex for me. What about the implementation team? The implementation can be done in-house. We need twelve employees for the implementation and maintenance of the solution. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? We pay a yearly license fee for the solution. What other advice do I have? Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-04-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A cloud-managed, scalable, and user-friendly solution complemented by fast and knowledgeable tech support, seamless deployment, and a centralized dashboard for efficient management What is our primary use case? We use it for our office's wireless solution, allowing employees to connect to Wi-Fi within the office environment. What is most valuable? The most valuable features include key elements like creating SSIDs, networking configurations, and the ability to manage all devices through a single console. What needs improvement? The pricing structure could be improved. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using it for approximately two years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? If my internet connection experiences disruptions, the Meraki registration on the internet goes offline, causing the device to also go offline. I would rate the stability nine out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It's highly scalable, receiving a perfect rating of ten out of ten. It is extensively used by over ten thousand users. How are customer service and support? The technical support is prompt, knowledgeable, and customer-friendly. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is straightforward. What about the implementation team? The deployment is quick and straightforward, requiring minimal time and effort. We simply need to configure the IP and default gateway. The implementation strategy depends on our business needs and the modifications or deployments we undertake, whether it's for production or office use. Seven individuals are responsible for managing all the information. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The license is based on an annual subscription. It is a relatively expensive solution compared to traditional network alternatives. What other advice do I have? Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-12-05T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Offers good mobility, stability and scalability What is our primary use case? The main company is a hotel resort with around 120 rooms. They have approximately 90 devices deployed throughout the complex, and they haven't had any issues with the streamlined version or established information. What is most valuable? Cisco offers a service where they provide internet access to clients. This allows for greater mobility and speed, and it's one of the features most people like. What needs improvement? The cost of the devices and the solution itself could be more competitive. There is room for improvement in pricing. We manage the price for Ruckus and haven't received any quotes from Meraki yet. We requested Meraki quotes directly from the distributor to compare the solutions' prices. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using it for six years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? We rarely encounter any issues. The solutions have been very stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The scalability is actually fine. I thought it might not be as scalable as other brands, but it's been working well for us. How are customer service and support? My experience with customer service and support was nice. How would you rate customer service and support? Neutral Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We have several clients with different brands, including Cisco, Fortinet, Aruba, and Ruckus. We work on a project that requires a wireless connection. My colleague suggested Cisco, but my work brokers proposed Aruba. That's why I need to compare Cisco Meraki to Aruba. How was the initial setup? The first time was difficult because it was new to me, but subsequent installations have been very easy. The time taken for the process depends on the size of the deployment. For example, if it's a small office with three access points, it could take two to three hours. What about the implementation team? We initially required assistance from a third party, but I got certified by Cisco and learned how to do it myself through online resources. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The licensing costs depend on the environment. In comparison to other brands, it is expensive. What other advice do I have? Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-12-11T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Easy-to-scale product with a valuable cloud management feature What is our primary use case? We use the product to manage three SSIDs catering to different network traffic. What is most valuable? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN has a valuable cloud management feature. It is easy to manage and monitor cloud activities. It enables quick deployment within all branches for the users. It provides great performance even in 0? temperatures in some places. What needs improvement? In some cases, they could include enhanced features in the product, such as a firewall console and traffic analysis. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for three years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? We encounter some issues related to DNS resolution once or twice a year. However, the stability works fine for almost 99% of the time. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The platform is easy and quick to scale. We can add up devices on SSIDs for every configuration or node. How are customer service and support? We never contacted Cisco's technical support team directly. We receive services from an authorized partner. Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? We previously used Fortinet APs integrated with their UTM solution for security. It provides an efficient integration. How was the initial setup? It is easy to set up, and we take assistance from a third-party engineer to execute the process. It takes a few hours to complete. What about the implementation team? We take help from contractors. They assist us with any queries during implementation. What was our ROI? Cisco Meraki Wireless provides 20 ports and other components like switches at half the price of Aruba HP for the same features. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The platform is expensive. Its licenses for 20 ports cost around $1000, including one year of support services. What other advice do I have? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-12-24T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Designed for challenging enterprise environments characterized by high-performance hardware What is our primary use case? I deliver daily corporate line services and guest services, along with BYOD services for our office users, totaling ten individuals, utilizing Meraki. What is most valuable? The solution ensures seamless connectivity as users move within the office. Six installed Meraki APs provide excellent coverage for around three hundred users, offering reliable speeds. Additionally, the system allows guests and users with priority devices to connect using their SAP ID. The traffic is managed through D and G controllers to meet the specified requirements for continuous connection and speed. What needs improvement? Currently, with Meraki, a controller is required to direct guest and user traffic to the internet. Improvement is needed in the portal for enhanced visibility into activities. Additionally, addressing multiple bugs, especially those arising with new releases, is crucial to ensure system stability. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for the past one and a half years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate them a nine because they are highly responsive, and we are satisfied with their service. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I would rate it a nine; it's highly scalable. How are customer service and support? I haven't personally engaged with Cisco Meraki; instead, two individuals from our team handle direct interactions. I raise queries to them, and they communicate with Meraki. However, there have been instances where Meraki didn't provide clear information, which our team has consistently highlighted during their interactions with Meraki technicians. How would you rate customer service and support? Neutral How was the initial setup? Regarding the initial setup experience, I would rate it a ten for Cisco Meraki wireless. The setup was easy and seamless, earning full points for simplicity and integration with their cloud. What was our ROI? Regarding the return on investment with Cisco Meraki wireless LAN, we have seen positive results so far. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? I haven't conducted a price comparison yet, but based on information, it appears to be more affordable than the current environment. Therefore, I consider the price to be reasonable. What other advice do I have? My recommendation is to test Aruba Wireless if it offers better service for their requirements. If they seek a more affordable solution, Cisco Meraki could be a suitable choice as both can meet the needs of a small organization. However, for larger-scale operations, a thorough POC is necessary before opting for Meraki. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, I would rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN as an eight. The slightly lower score is due to the comparatively lesser support. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2023-12-25T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from An user-end connectivity solution that provides an overview of user analytics in its dashboard What is our primary use case? We use the solution for user-end connectivity. What is most valuable? The tool's most valuable feature is report generation. Its dashboard helps me a lot with user analytics. What needs improvement? Despite being enabled, I've encountered an issue where the alert main dashboard fails to detect when any of the devices go down. Hence, the tool's notification feature should improve. We have also faced issues with integration. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using the product for five years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate the product's stability a ten out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's scalability a nine out of ten. My company has three users. How are customer service and support? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's tech support is problematic and takes time to respond. We don't even have contact numbers. How was the initial setup? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's deployment is simple. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's pricing is high. What other advice do I have? I rate the product a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2024-02-11T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides a seamlessly integrated, cloud-managed solution with excellent scalability, stability, and high-quality performance What is our primary use case? The majority of our Meraki sales focus on advising and implementing robust networks. In some instances, we complement these setups by incorporating Meraki switches into the infrastructure. What is most valuable? It is highly effective and user-friendly. The primary value lies in the ease of configuration; these products seamlessly integrate, and work well together. Deployment is straightforward and hassle-free. What needs improvement? It is not a budget-friendly solution. If, for instance, you invest in Meraki access points with five-year licensing keys, a significant downside is that once that licensing period expires, the devices cease to function unless you either renew the licenses or replace the hardware. For how long have I used the solution? We have been working with it for approximately ten years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? It consistently maintains stability, ensuring a reliable and robust performance for our network infrastructure. I would rate it nine out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It offers excellent scalability, making it well-suited for medium-sized businesses like ours, with approximately ten clients. I would rate it nine out of ten. How are customer service and support? I would rate its customer service and support nine out of ten. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? The initial setup was straightforward. I would rate it nine out of ten. What about the implementation team? The deployment time varies, contingent on factors such as network size and complexity. Generally, assuming the access points are already in place, you can deploy around five access points in a couple of hours. This estimate considers a straightforward setup where the cabling is pre-installed, and the configuration process involves mounting the devices. However, the actual time may extend to three hours or more for more intricate networks with additional considerations like VLANs and user policies. Typically, we begin by ensuring the client has network points in the desired locations for the access devices, a responsibility that lies with them. We then proceed to configure the devices before they are sent to the site. An engineer is dispatched to install the access points, conduct network testing, and finalize the setup. To assess network coverage, our engineers employ software during on-site walks. The process involves creating a heat map, which is initially loaded onto the site to plan the optimal placement of access points. We share this anticipated coverage model with the client, keeping them informed about the expected outcomes. While we can't guarantee absolute accuracy due to factors like wall construction details, we work closely with the client to align their expectations. Following the installation, we use additional software tools to verify the actual coverage and performance, ensuring the client has a clear understanding of their investment. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The pricing is on the higher side. I would rate it eight out of ten. While it may be relatively expensive, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN justifies its cost with its high-quality features and performance. What other advice do I have? My advice is to thoroughly assess and plan the placement of access points in your network. Planning is the key. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:MSP
Date published: 2024-01-10T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A user-friendly solution that provides good performance and stability What is our primary use case? My customer wanted to configure the solution as Wi-Fi instead of a firewall service. What is most valuable? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a user-friendly solution that has good performance and stability. What needs improvement? The solution's pricing could be improved. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for two years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I don't recall facing any bugs with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, but the patches are done remotely. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is a scalable solution. How was the initial setup? It was easy to deploy the solution. We had some help from the support team, making it easier to deploy the solution. What about the implementation team? I read the document for a day and deployed it the next day. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is an expensive solution. What other advice do I have? Users with a big budget should go with Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. Customers with a low budget can choose Meraki Go, which is less costly than Cisco Meraki and does not require any license. Cisco Meraki has physical boxes for centralized cloud management. If we are talking about a dashboard, we can configure location-wise, which will be called a network. In an organization, for each location, we can create a new network where it will be managed centrally. I would recommend the solution to other users. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN alone does not give security. In every company, the front-end will be firewalls, which will take care of the compliance part. Overall, I rate Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN a nine out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2024-02-13T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Simple-to-use platform with a centralized management system What is most valuable? The product's most beneficial feature impacting network security is the ability to provide centralized security management. It is simple to use compared to other technologies. What needs improvement? Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's management tools need enhancement. For how long have I used the solution? We have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN since 2018. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate the product's stability as seven out of ten. It needs improvement in terms of configuration. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Regarding scalability, our organization primarily focuses on private network solutions for customers. Approximately seventeen percent of medium enterprises have opted for Meraki over other solutions like Fortinet or Huawei. While I have a different number of customers using Meraki within our team, we estimate around 100 customers, with their networks graded on SD-WAN technologies. How are customer service and support? The technical support services are good. How would you rate customer service and support? Neutral How was the initial setup? We have a team of 13 engineers who maintain and monitor network performance. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Cisco products are generally recognized for their performance and quality, which may justify the higher price point compared to other options on the market. However, customers have some concerns regarding pressure to upgrade certain services, such as video surveillance, based on Cisco LAN infrastructure. Now, Cisco has shifted its strategy to be more open to integrating other technologies and brand devices. What other advice do I have? Deploying Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is relatively easy for our colleagues in the delivery department. They face challenges in planning, learning critical issues, and finding solutions during deployment. However, our team has gained valuable experience handling such deployments over the past three to four years. Currently, I am not directly involved in the configuration, design, or delivery analysis. However, maintenance may present more challenges for us. Our primary proposal for network solutions typically involves Cisco Meraki because our team has a long-standing familiarity and confidence in Cisco technologies. However, we also work with Fortinet, depending on the specific requirements of our customers. We offer both options to ensure we meet the diverse needs of our clients. I rate it an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Date published: 2024-03-17T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from The tool offers integration capabilities, but the licensing model needs improvement What is our primary use case? I haven't personally recommended the product to my company's customers. Many of my company's customers use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN at corporate levels where wireless LANs are needed. What is most valuable? I am not a big fan of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. Based on my company's customers' opinions, I feel that the best feature of the product stems from the fact that it serves as an actual cloud management platform and the ease of deployment it offers. What needs improvement? The thing that concerns me the most about the product is that, with a lot of our other customers, the platform's behavior once its licensing runs out. The product doesn't effectively do its job anymore since some issues crop up in it once you run out of your subscription licensing. Once customers run out of subscriptions, they could end up with a non-functional environment, an area of concern. Overall, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is an easy platform to use. I think it would be good if the tool provided a perpetual licensing option, even if it has a limited set of features. If you went back to a basic set of features or something available on a perpetual basis, it would probably be the single biggest improvement in the solution. Improvements are needed in the licensing part of the tool. The predominant reason why I don't recommend the tool to others is because it puts a large onus on the customer in terms of the tool's operational expenditure year on year. A lot of the customers my company works with want some flexibility and want to stop a product's use after the fourth or fifth year. If customers plan to implement a tool today, they are forecast to replace it in the upcoming four or five years. Having a tool that doesn't lock customers into subscriptions during a time when they want to switch to other products would be great. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for four to five years. My company is a reseller of Cisco Meraki. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? From a scalability perspective, I think the tool is incredibly scalable. I assisted one of our company's customers, which is a global supermarket chain, in an evaluation, which included Cisco Meraki and the wireless component, during which, for the first time, I was exposed to the true scalability feature of the platform. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. Which other solutions did I evaluate? Compared to Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, I recommend products like RUCKUS and HPE Aruba Networking. Considering customers who largely use Fortinet infrastructure, I would also recommend switches and firewalls from Fortinet. Apart from the advantages offered by the product other than Cisco Meraki in areas like licensing model, from Fortinet's perspective, I like the product's ability to offer a single pane of glass, so it has a single vendor. RUCKUS and HPE are normally deployed due to the RF capabilities it offers. My company did quite a detailed RF study four or five years ago, and HPE and RUCKUS stood out quite well. RUCKUS has adaptive antenna technology. What holds back RUCKUS is that it has been acquired multiple times over the last six or seven years. CommScope is rebranding a lot of the switches under RUCKUS, which is something my company is interested in seeing and observing how that pans out over the next few years. What other advice do I have? The cloud management aspect of Cisco Meraki has improved our company's customer's administrative efficiency in some cases, while in some other cases, it hasn't. Depending upon whether or not the tool integrates the switching and SASE aspects as well, I had a few customers whom I had to split apart due to some of the tool's features not being visible once you opt for the product's unified infrastructure model. With Cisco products and third-party products, integration of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good. The tool doesn't have a lot of integrations that are necessarily native. I think that a lot of the larger infrastructure providers offer the same integration features as Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN since such a solution brings on additional products through acquisition, and true integration processes take time. Speaking about how the tool's specific security features strengthened our company's customer network defense, I would say that I am not a fan of the product as a security platform. MS Switch Access Policies (802.1X) and NAC are good areas in the product, especially if you integrate with Cisco's platform. I won't usually use the product as a layer 3 boundary. With the current models offered by the product, it is not a solution that my company recommends to others. If our company's customer already has a large Meraki deployment in place, we recommend it for continuity's sake. The product is not normally something our company would encourage others to use, but if there are additional facilities, we recommend it. I rate the product a six out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Reseller
Date published: 2024-03-18T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A wireless solution for LAN connectivity with easy setup What is most valuable? The Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is hosted on the cloud. Users enjoy all the features available on the platform, and it facilitates seamless communication for our business operations. Integrating with the router, firewall, and Wireless Controller is advantageous. What needs improvement? The solution could be cheaper. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for more than 2 years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The product is stable. It is working well. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution’s scalability is good. Around 20 customers are using this solution. How are customer service and support? Technical support is good. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is easy and takes 10-30 minutes with zero IP deployment. It also depends on the customer's requirements. Whether it's a small or large project, the system can accommodate various sizes. LAN configurations have been implemented for better connectivity. One employee can do the deployment. What was our ROI? There are two values, but the first one is that the network demands more. However, the current value lies in using advanced technology. Additionally, its ease of use and deployment facilitates creating a profile of a beneficial customer. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The market is competitive. Customers do not have much money to invest. However, we have a new solution. We are looking for McAfee share. In Vietnam, the license policy is yearly, which could be one year, three years, or five years. What other advice do I have? Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2024-03-18T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Offers flexibility and a centralized dashboard What is our primary use case? I have sold Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN in Pakistan's market since its cloud management features are good. The product is useful for security purposes, specifically network security or to secure a network. It is useful for our company's clients who want to secure their network over the cloud. The product helps to manage your network centrally. How has it helped my organization? The product offers solutions for businesses ranging from small to large companies. The product offers HA solutions and redundancy features to ensure reliable operations. Some products don't offer the aforementioned features. The tool offers products for small businesses and large enterprises, with high availability and redundancy features. What needs improvement? There needs to be some work done on security because, with time, some viruses may emerge that one may not know about. The tool provides basic security features for VPNs like IPS and IDS. The tool should have its own lab where engineers can work on new viruses or upcoming and undefined viruses. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for more than two years. I am a seller of the product. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The product's stability is good. The product can improve in the area of security. The switches provided by the product are good and are commonly used in Pakistan. There is also demand for used switches in Pakistan. In Pakistan, businesses cannot afford new switches, or they face some import-related issues when it comes to products like the Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN. Pakistan market has a few network switches in stock as a backup. In terms of network switches, the tool is good, and I rate it an eight and a half out of ten. In terms of security, the product needs to improve. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten. If I compare the other brands in the market, like Sangfor or Sophos, with Cisco in terms of security, I see that Cisco is not a part of the Gartner Report. Cisco is deployed in multinational companies and not in small to mid-sized organizations. How are customer service and support? The solution's technical support is good. Through Google, you can get support from the product's community website, on which you can reach out to comments to help you deal with the areas where you are stuck with the product. How was the initial setup? The product's initial setup phase is not complex. It is quite easy to configure or deploy it due to its simple and centralized backbone. The solution is deployed on the cloud model. The deployment process is easy since you just need to connect the firewall. You can log in to Cisco portal and put in your password and user information, after which it opens your dashboard. You can configure whatever policy you want to implement and use it as per your requirements. You can activate your license by simply putting in the license key. If you face any issues with the tool, you can open a ticket with Cisco's support team or approach resellers. I also help people who face issues with the product. I can align my technical team to help those who have issues with the tool. Which other solutions did I evaluate? Against Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, I offer tools like Sangfor and Sophos. Many of my company's customers opt for Sophos, considering its visibility in the Gartner Report. What other advice do I have? only sold a few Cisco Meraki Wireless LANs in the market. My company's clients had asked me about the specific models of the product, and I had them in stock, so I sold them without having to convince them or tell them the technical features of the tool. My company's clients already know about the product via its website and how easy it is to integrate and use the scalability features. My company's clients are also aware of the tool's subscription and base licensing that Cisco offers. As I am a salesperson, I don't think it's difficult to convince IT people to use the tool since they already know about Cisco. It is a positive thing how Cisco has captured the market. The most valuable feature of the product for network management stems from the fact that the product is flexible, has a centralized dashboard, and offers a yearly subscription-based licensing model and support while being scalable, reliable, and cloud-centric. The tool is already popular in the market. The tool's analytics are quite capable of securing a user's network, and the insights from Cisco Meraki ITM are good as they allow organizations to get valuable insights in areas like visitor behavior, traffic patterns, and device presence in an environment. There are a lot of resellers that deal in Cisco, so its availability is not difficult. In terms of the tool's built-in security features, VPN capabilities are quite good. Intrusion detection systems and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) can filter out malicious content and offer advanced security features. The product can offer protection against malware and offer a threat intelligence platform. The tool provides basic features that can be used as default or built-in functionalities. Considering the technical support and security features, I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The scalability of the tool aligns with my organization's goals. I rate the overall tool out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Reseller
Date published: 2024-03-18T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Provides good features like bandwidth shaping, URL filtering, and group policy configuration What is our primary use case? We use Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for wireless networks. What is most valuable? We use the solution's bandwidth shaping, URL filtering, and group policy configuration features. What needs improvement? The solution’s pricing could be improved. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN for six months. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate the solution ten out of ten for stability. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution's scalability is limitless and can meet our organization's growth. Around 200 users are using the solution in our organization. I rate the solution ten out of ten for scalability. How was the initial setup? The solution’s initial setup is easy. What about the implementation team? Two people deployed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN in our organization within a few hours. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten. What other advice do I have? We use the solution to support the IT workforce in the wireless network. The solution has simplified management and seamless connectivity. The solution provides security from viruses and reduces my bandwidth overhead. We have two types of monitoring. We use a third-party tool to monitor my entire network. In the Meraki dashboard, we use Meraki monitoring for the wireless client. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is deployed on the cloud in our organization. I would recommend Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN to other users. Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2024-03-13T00:00:00-04:00

This page was printed on 4/18/2024 6:14:27 PM.