Cisco Meraki MX vs. WatchGuard Network Security

So most use cases, this product fits. There aren't that many situations where it doesn't, and I've put it inside of banks. I've used it inside of schools, I've used it at normal businesses, big, bigger, and or small, but very small use cases where it has not, and we could not lead with it was at some banks. They did require NetOver VPN when communicating with higher-fed entities. If in the future Meraki could include NetOver VPN, then this would just be an auto-include for most of our deployments.

Incentivized

For first-time users, the basic setup provides the best level of security that most will need. Following their periodic webinars is something that I feel is very helpful and important to communicate what's going on in the World of computing. Their resellers have provided great support when I needed it and keep my system up-to-date.

Incentivized

• The management is the best. I'm an old-fashioned networking guy, so I'm used to going to the site itself and connecting. For example, a console cable and start and start configuring. Now since the management is so easy on Meraki I can configure everything from the headquarters from where I sit in Israel and then just go to the site and connect and basically, it's plug and play. After I configure everything from my office in Israel, I can just go to the site for a few hours, and connect everything. Just the magic happens.

Incentivized

• Vlan for different divisions and networks within the office
• Easy to setup and use VPN options for remote users
• Ability to block and filter certain network traffic
• A lot of features to configure that can seem overwhelming in the beginning but are simple once you start diving into it

Incentivized

• Firewall Policies
• Hardware Performance Statistics
• IPS Performance + Efficacy
• Limited port counts when leveraging network templates on higher end units.
• No options for HTTPS decrypt or encrypt visibility
• No EIGRP Routing
• No ability to clear ARP table / release DHCP leases through GUI

Incentivized

• Help with a better solution for working with MS Exchange on-prem so that we can secure the ECP and OWA from the outside without losing functionality for active sync for cell phones and such.
• Even more affordable smaller boxes for home use.
• Built-in ways to handle the newer network protocols/features such as QUIC protocols that services like google are using so that we don't have to block all of that type of traffic just to be able to block youtube from loading for users that we don't want using it.

Incentivized

As we have it in place now, we will continue to keep it at our remote sites. Future expansion is something we are reviewing, and may well start with some of the larger switches as they seem to offer good performance and management at a reasonable price. Wireless is also something we're investing in and their devices are great for that.

Incentivized

I'm giving this note to WatchGuard Network Security due to its ease of daily support (after acquiring necessary knowledge in the solution), which allows agility in configuration changes, its integration of several reliable security features (such as SSL VPN, VPN Virtual Interfaces between companies, and others) and functional and stability in operation, with no downtime in the equipment due to problems or malfunctions

Incentivized

The Cisco Meraki MX series is very easy to use. Setting up user VPN access, site to site VPN to tie multiple locations together and managing all your devices. You can even download the latest firmware and install without ever leaving the dashboard. Meraki is the very definition of easy to use

Incentivized

Although it might take some time to figure out, we have been able to use WatchGuard's online reference library and tech support to create/implement/modify all of our filtering rules and exceptions needed. There really has not been a shortcoming other than perhaps a learning curve.

Incentivized

Applications errors should always be expected in any kind of technology. What matters most is the way you find to resolve it.

Incentivized

WatchGuard works seemlessly and so in the background you don't realize it's there until you need it!

Incentivized

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

Incentivized

We have only had to contact them once during the initial set up to help bring the internet back on line. After that for the most part our systems have been automated, and could easily be checked form their online FAQ and Knowledge base that they provide. Everything else is easily handled from their browser based interface

Incentivized

We participate to a in person training and the three days of learning was really useful and complete to gain skill to solve the major part of the problem we encounter during our life. And more the in person training give us the opportunity to create a network with other WatchGuard partner.

Incentivized

Online training is good for learning how to use the product. It does not teach security strategy because that is not its intent.

Incentivized

Good product and simple to use.

Incentivized

I had my key information for setting up the firewall, and they assisted me in finding the settings and appropriate places to enter data. They also helped troubleshoot when I didn't understand some of their feature concepts, and we got it running.

Incentivized

I have used Sonicwall and Meraki, and they are very similar and functional, but they go about it in different ways. Meraki is a little more user-friendly with less of a learning curve, but it comes at a little steeper price. I do like the online dashboard of Meraki better, though.

Incentivized

I can't compare Watch Guard to Sonic Wall, because it was many years ago. The reason that I moved to Watch Guard was the ability to block users from downloading, and create a screen that allows me to over-ride that blocking with a logon name and password. I can sit at the users desk and not have to go back to my desk to logon the website

Incentivized

Every network we create will allow us to automatically be attached in the mesh network. The ability for the automatic VPN connections is very convenient and allow us to focus on other configuration points without having to worry about if the VPN will work or not. The GUI showing the VPN is kind of confusing, but as long as it has direct connection to the other Meraki MX units, it will be up.

Incentivized

We scaled it exactly as we needed it to be! Easy, money-saving, and we didn't end up with features or options that we'd never use or worry about.

Incentivized

• Network hardware needs to function 100% of the time with no one really ever thinking about it - it just needs to work. Cisco delivers here.
• The Cisco Meraki MX products are fast and reliable helping productivity.
• Cisco's support is solid and helpful.

Incentivized

• High reliability has not only limited the time I have to spend maintaining my own network but has also made them an easy sell to smaller clients who balk at the price tag compared to a home router.
• The ability to configure a dimension server to ease log collection and analysis has cut down significantly on the man hours required to monitor and maintain all of our various clients.
• Rapid replacements in the rare instances of failure means that we are able to get failed units swapped out fast and so this limits the number of backup devices we need to keep on hand in case of outages.

Incentivized