Item: Cisco Meraki MR
Rating: 10
Author: Lee Ollett

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have been deploying Cisco Meraki MR access points for approximately ten years to education. The customers love the simplicity of management, quality and reliability. Historically with other vendors it was always difficult to perform capacity planning (even with full site survey) but the Meraki dashboard allows us to quickly identify and address problem areas with ease.

Pros and Cons

Reliability
Easy problem diagnosis
High capacity
Management from anywhere

You have to have license to use them, otherwise they effectively they become trash! It would be good to see a one off standalone license where they don't have any support or access to Meraki dash, but could be reused as a simple standalone AP with limited features.
(Much like I see people reflashing with OpenWRT)

Return on Investment

When using Meraki as a single vendor for all networking (switches, firewall, wireless) it has simplified troubleshooting and greatly reducing need for site visits.
Speeds up implementation as an entire network can be pre-provisioned before equipment has arrived directly to the customer site.

Simplified Management

All customers are in a single multi tenant dashboard, so have full oversite from login and can quickly jump into a site without having to find network topology diagrams, IP addresses, passwords, etc.

When using Meraki we also no longer have to rely on expensive 3rd party network monitoring solutions (Openview, Solarwinds, PRTG, etc.)

Integrations with other Cisco products

Cisco Meraki MS, Cisco Meraki MX and Cisco Meraki MV

Simplified network management and troubleshooting.

Scalability

It just works and is simply highly scalable.

Alternatives Considered

Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Points, Aruba Instant Wi-Fi Access Points, ArubaOS, HPE Aruba Ethernet Switches and Ubiquiti WLAN

I would personally always recommend Meraki over the above for ease of deployment and management. My only reservation is you feel like you never really own the equipment... its more like you're leasing it and that the end it all just stops working. Where with the above products, you own it until it dies.

Key Insights

Do you think Cisco Meraki MR delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco Meraki MR's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco Meraki MR live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Meraki MR go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Meraki MR again?

Yes

Other Software Used

PRTG Network Monitor, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Points, Ubiquiti Wireless WAN

Likelihood to Recommend

All Meraki equipment is very suited to large multi-site / multi-customer MSPs. It's less appropriate home use and even some small SOHO use.

Management from anywhere thanks to Cisco Meraki MR

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Meraki MR