Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000) vs. Cisco Meraki MX

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
The Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000) is a SD-WAN ready router.N/A
Cisco Meraki MX
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Meraki MX Firewalls is a combined UTM and Software-Defined WAN solution. Meraki is managed via the cloud, and provides core firewall services, including site-to-site VPN, plus network monitoring.
$595
per appliance
Pricing
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Meraki MX
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
MX64
$595
per appliance
MX67
$695
per appliance
MX68
$995
per appliance
MX84
$1,995
per appliance
MX100
$4,995
per appliance
MX250
$9,995
per appliance
MX450
$19,995
per appliance
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Meraki MX
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Meraki MX
Features
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Meraki MX
Firewall
Comparison of Firewall features of Product A and Product B
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)
-
Ratings
Cisco Meraki MX
7.9
138 Ratings
9% below category average
Identification Technologies00 Ratings8.1133 Ratings
Visualization Tools00 Ratings8.4130 Ratings
Content Inspection00 Ratings8.0128 Ratings
Policy-based Controls00 Ratings7.8128 Ratings
Active Directory and LDAP00 Ratings7.8112 Ratings
Firewall Management Console00 Ratings7.2130 Ratings
Reporting and Logging00 Ratings7.3135 Ratings
VPN00 Ratings8.9129 Ratings
High Availability00 Ratings8.8131 Ratings
Stateful Inspection00 Ratings7.5124 Ratings
Proxy Server00 Ratings6.874 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Meraki MX
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Score 8.8 out of 10
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Score 9.2 out of 10
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Score 9.3 out of 10
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Score 9.2 out of 10
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User Ratings
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Meraki MX
Likelihood to Recommend
9.8
(26 ratings)
9.2
(181 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(2 ratings)
8.6
(16 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(3 ratings)
8.2
(10 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Support Rating
9.3
(3 ratings)
8.3
(19 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(148 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.5
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Meraki MX
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Based on my past and current experiences as a network engineer, they serve and run really well and also simplify our setup where we used them as edge or border or internet gateway routers. And also we used them as Data Center Interconnect, terminating dark fibers using LR or ZR SFP+. Even though they are well suited for enterprise network, there may still be some room for improvement with SRv6.
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Cisco
The Meraki MX lineup is well suited for organizations that need centralized management of multiple locations, as it allows for both quick deployment and simple/easy remote administration all from a single pane of glass. It also works very well for providing VPN access for remote workers and helps monitor end-device uptime. It does, however, fall a bit short in its firewall's customization, compared to traditional appliances (like our WatchGuard Firebox), so perhaps less suited for organizations that need more customization, as the Meraki MX lineup is primarily designed for simplicity and straightforward cloud-based management.
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Pros
Cisco
  • Open standard routing protocols (OSPF, BGP)
  • VRF Aware > allow us to segment each circuit per VRF instance.
  • Port density depending on the model and customer needs.
  • Easy to troubleshoot and configure.
  • Support for sub-interfaces using VLAN tagging which allows to separate traffic at the logical level.
  • High throughput.
  • Support for open standard LACP protocol and Cisco own PAGP protocol.
  • Route leak supported between VRFs.
  • Redundant PDUs.
  • Support for open standard AAA.
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Cisco
  • The Cisco Meraki MX series is phenomenal at allowing us to remotely manage networks. So the devices usually act as the brain behind our client's networks, which makes it really, really easy for our team to take a look at what's going on in those client network environments, resolve any issues, and make sure that our client's networks are staying secure.
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Cons
Cisco
  • The ASR 1000 series routers can, as with most devices, improve with additional memory capacity and upgraded chip sets for faster processing.
  • There seems to be limitations on the number of routing sessions the smaller ASR devices can handle, which can be overcome with proper planning and placement within the network.
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Cisco
  • Layer seven firewall rules. Just making them more granular. We've been in meetings with Cisco SES where I've said feature requests many times and that's one of the big ones where it's just a little cumbersome to implement layer seven rules right now.
  • Just making them more granular. We've been in meetings with Cisco SES where I've said feature requests many times and that's one of the big ones where it's just a little cumbersome to implement layer seven rules right now.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
The device without a doubts performs at the level required and expected, we can renew it and use it as we have been using it for years. The device can be used as DCI, IPN/ISN, or even private cloud for customer circuit handoff, it also supports IPSec properly. The device is well suited in multiple segments of the network.
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Cisco
The simplicity and ease of use for the Meraki Dashboard make it an easy choice for our organization to renew our Meraki Enterprise Agreement. We will likely continue using the Meraki MC67-C, MX450, and other MX models in their catalog until we shift away from Meraki completely
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Usability
Cisco
All our modular contingency service exercises use this equipment, it allows us to perform this type of exercises very easily, in a controlled and effective way. It is used at least once a month for these types of events. It also allows configuration replication in computers that are under the same model.
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Cisco
Some features simply aren't there, but the ones that are there are pretty easy to use. Sometimes it is easy to get lost when trying to find the specific device you want to work on, but that's mostly due to how rarely we have to go into the interface.
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Reliability and Availability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
Meraki MX devices support high availability (HA) configurations, which ensures minimal downtime if one device goes offline. This feature has helped us maintain a stable and reliable network, even in cases of hardware failures. ince Meraki is cloud-managed, we've noticed that the cloud infrastructure is generally highly reliable, with minimal service interruptions or downtime. This makes it easier to manage the network remotely without significant availability concerns. Meraki automatically pushes firmware updates and patches, which helps maintain system stability without requiring manual intervention. These updates are rolled out in a manner that ensures minimal disruption to service.
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Performance
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
The interface is pretty responsive. The lower end devices are easy to overwhelm if you have a lot of throughput. Be sure the model you get is rated for the amount of traffic you will have. Overbuild if possible, otherwise you won't be fully leveraging the connection from your ISP.
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Support Rating
Cisco
We have received training on the equipment, which has made us add more networks on our own, we provide first level support, we validate the publication of the equipment and we can satisfy the needs of our internal clients in terms of the prompt recovery of the affected services
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Cisco
I haven't ever had a bad experience with Meraki support. On the few occasions where I wasn't understanding the UI or needed some clarification about what a setting actually would do, I contacted them and they were very quickly able to provide help. Returns are simple and fast, too. We had to return a defective device one time and they shipped the replacement before we had even un-racked the one that was faulty. Unlike many other vendors, they didn't ask use to a do long list of scripted diagnostics, they just took my word for it that the device was broken and sent out a replacement immediately
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In-Person Training
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
great when they offered it, really tested your knowledge with hands on and see what your peers from other orgs know. glad to see that we were ahead of the curve of what our peers knew
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Online Training
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
it was okay as it was moderated but still better than nothing and done via semi self paced webex meeting
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Implementation Rating
Cisco
Implementation was as per design and all best practice configuration was followed.
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Cisco
Implementing Meraki MX devices in phases—starting with a pilot group or select branch offices—was invaluable. This allowed us to identify potential configuration issues, troubleshoot problems, and refine our setup before rolling it out company-wide. It also helped to get feedback from early users and adjust the deployment strategy accordingly. The SD-WAN capabilities in Meraki MX were essential for optimizing our WAN traffic and ensuring better application performance across various locations.
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
We haven't used any other manufacturer other than Cisco. [H]owever, we have used different models that Cisco offers. The ASR has a little more horsepower than the ISR. Both are very good routers though.
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Cisco
Cisco Meraki MX provides simplicity and scalability while cutting costs. With Meraki MX, you get a Security appliance, router, and Firewall in one appliance and managed with one GUI. These features enable the network engineers to maintain large-scale enterprises with a single dashboard from a remote site or anywhere with internet, all thanks to the Meraki cloud dashboard
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Scalability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
When I first started with my company we had various infrastructure and a mix of tech. Since going to Cisco Meraki MX we have noticed better network performance and our new sites are much easier to bring online. Users have noticed an improvement in VPN connection and getting into all our systems.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • It is a healthy return on investment with planned packed size data. Average unicast latency is low and consistent with small and large packets (barring mid-sized).
  • Cisco devices last longer and also have a decent trade-in policy to recover some value when equipment is replaced.
  • Higher concurrent IPSec tunnels are offered, we tested for 1500+, fielding both encrypted and a mix of encrypted and cleartext traffic.
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Cisco
  • From a positive impact? Basically it allows us to set up shop very quickly. It allowed us to add sites to our network very quickly. From a negative perspective, I think the only thing is that I can see from a negative perspective is I have a preference to working with ACLI in terms of how I engage with the youth tool At the moment, the only way to actually engage with a tool is on a gui and sometimes what I'd actually like is more detailed information in terms of actual configuration that you'll actually get out of ACLI.
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