Item: Cisco Meraki MS
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Meraki MS

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have 160 subsidiaries and need affordable and cloud managed switches for our smaller subsidiaries. Cisco Meraki MS switches are the perfect match because they are worldwide available and not too expensive. Easy licensing model includes warranty and support. Furthermore a good compatibility / coexistence with Cisco switches was an important point for us.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Management from the cloud, no need to have VPN to the local subsidiary
Good price to cost ratio
Easy and fast setup
Integrates perfectly with Meraki APs and Meraki Routers

Cons

Boot of the switch does take 2 minutes
Cannot connect via SSH into the switch
No CLI
Local status page of the switch provides little information

Return on Investment

Speeds up the configuration 3x times by comparison to classic Cisco switches
Onboarding is really easy, just enter serial or order number and the switch is linked to the Dashboard
RMA is very fast and easy

Simplified Management

Setup is really fast and easy. Only the serial number of the device or the order number must be imported to the Dashboard and the device is automatically linked to company account.
After that the device needs to be placed to the correct location and the needed settings could be applied.
Also software / firmware updates can be scheduled and automatially done over the night or on weekend.

Integrations with other Cisco products

Cisco Meraki MR, Cisco Meraki MX and Cisco Meraki MV

If you have all devices from Meraki the Dashboard unleases it's real power. Clients can be tracked wired and wireless which makes it very easy to troubleshoot problems and monitor clients.

Also the Dashboard offers visibility of network traffic, which protocols are used most often and if there are any problems with the infrastructure.

Scalability

The are a lot of possible hardware products in the Cisco Meraki MS segment. From small 8 port switches to powerful fiber core switches, everything is available. That means Cisco Meraki MS switches can be used for bigger campuses as well.
The easy configuration allows to scale the network infratructure very fast if needed.

Alternatives Considered

Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches

Cisco Meraki MS switches are cheaper and the setup and configuration is much faster than traditional classic Cisco switches. Also the available free Dashboard offers easy access to monitoring and assurance services.
Whereas with classic Cisco switches there is a need for separate monitoring system which makes it very unhandy.

Key Insights

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

Yes

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

Yes

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

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Meraki MS go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Meraki MS again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Cisco Catalyst Center, Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco Prime LAN Management (discontinued), Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches

Likelihood to Recommend

Generally Cisco Meraki MS switches are a good solution if there is no direct access to the Headquarters via VP or if the switch simply needs to be managed via internet.

The switch cannot be used if there is not internet connection available. E.g. in production / manufacutring networks it's not usable.

Cisco Hybrid Work

Cisco Products Used for Hybrid Work

Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Point

Hybrid Work Model

Working from anywhere (e.g., coffee shop, airport)
Working from an office or other company space
Working from home

Hybrid Work Implementation Progress

Hybrid work solution was rolled out during Covid pandemic and is working really fine since then. With the help of Meraki devices it was really easy to roll out the solution. Client VPN to the nearest subsidiary can be done via L2TP or Cisco AnyConnect software. Both solutions are working but L2TP is not used anymore due to weaker encryption compared to AnyConnect.

Organizational Challenges Faced

The biggest challenge was to roll out the Cisco AnyConnect VPN software client automatically on all devices. Also the use of always on VPN was a bit challenging because this feature means a certain change for the employee. All traffic is routed through the VPN which means that in a few cases a special website or application may be blocked.

Impact on Organizational Challenges

some organizational challenges were solved with hybrid working

Hybrid Work Experience

The most important thing is an improved Work-Life Balance. Hybrid work offers greater flexibility which can be used for more family time or private appointments right before or after work. Many workers also say they feel more productive working remotely due to fewer distractions and the ability to create a personalized work environment.

Other Products Considered

Cisco Meraki products offer a variety of advantages that are especially valuable in today's IT landscape. One of the biggest benefits is their user-friendliness. Meraki products are cloud-managed, meaning that networks can be centrally controlled from anywhere in the world through a web-based platform. This allows administrators to manage the entire infrastructure without being physically present, saving time and greatly simplifying network management.

Other Collaboration Services Used

Microsoft Teams

We use Microsoft Teams collaboration service. Mainly due to the fact that it's already included in our Enterprise Aggreement licensing model with Microsoft.

Using Cisco Meraki MS

Users and Roles

5000 - all employess use the network provided by Cisco Meraki switches

Support Headcount Required

25 - IT personell which configures and monitores network.

Business Processes Supported

cloud management
good hardware quality
provides reliable network infrastructure

Innovative Uses

RMA process is very streamlined

Future Planned Uses

extended use of Meraki product portfolia, e.g. use routers or sensors

Likelihood to Renew

Evaluating Cisco Meraki MS and Competitors

Products Replaced

Yes - Cisco classic

Key Differentiators

Cloud Solutions
Ease of Use

Evaluation Lessons Learned

no change

Cisco Meraki MS Implementation

Implementation Rating

very smoothly

Implementation Details / Implementation Partner

Implemented in-house

Implementation Phases

Yes - First we started with a PoC on two small locations. After a few weeks testing we increased the testing locations to five. The experience was really great and we agreed to speed up the changeover to Meraki devices. In the next few weeks we installed meraki devices in nearly all our locations.

Change Management Lessons

Change management was a minor issue with the implementation

Implementation Issues

sometimes it took a while (>10 minutes) until devices showed up in Meraki Dashboard

Cisco Meraki MS Training

Training Types Used

No Training

Cisco Meraki MS Support

Support Rating

very fast answer and always solving the problem within 2 or 3 contacts

Cisco Meraki MS Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response	None

Using Cisco Meraki MS

Usability

very good experience, almost no problems

Usability Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar	None