Easy to deploy

MPLS often is related to a single internet provider. Cisco Meraki SD WAN helps you bring connectivity to shops using any possible internet connection. Also connections redundancy, for example fiber + lte, helps resiliency. It's pretty simple to implement. We are using it in more than 100 shops and it works great.

Easy to configure, so company doesn't need many resources in order to implement it. Also we can see if any of the wan connection has latency problems, if bandwidth is becoming an issue and we have to increase bandwidth from the provider. Easy to find logs and easy to implement security rules.

Meraki MX appliances are deployed in remote offices, ensuring secure SD-WAN connectivity. Webex is now the central platform for video meetings, team collaboration, and file sharing. We’ve seen a high adoption rate among employees, and it has significantly improved communication between remote and in-office teams. Some employees faced internet bandwidth issues that impacted video quality or VPN performance. We’ve addressed this by offering guidance on optimal network setups for remote workers and encouraging the use of high-speed internet where possible.

Even though tools like Webex are intuitive, there were challenges in ensuring that all employees, especially those with less technical expertise, felt comfortable using them. Bandwidth Limitations for Remote Employees: Many remote workers initially struggled with inconsistent internet bandwidth, which impacted their ability to join video calls or access internal systems via VPN.

Cisco Webex was a game-changer here, providing a unified platform for video conferencing, messaging, file sharing, and team collaboration. It ensured that both remote and in-office employees could communicate in real-time, join virtual meetings, and collaborate on documents without friction.
The integration of Teams with Webex Meetings allowed teams to stay connected and instantly resolve issues, making communication much more fluid and inclusive for all employees.

Hybrid meetings, where some employees are in the office and others are remote, presented initial challenges in terms of meeting dynamics. Remote workers sometimes felt excluded from the conversations, so we had to adjust meeting structures and ensure that everyone had a voice. Webex’s video conferencing capabilities helped ensure that all voices were heard.

Cisco's products, particularly Webex and Meraki, provided us with an integrated, scalable, and secure hybrid work environment that is difficult to match with other solutions. We chose Cisco because of its seamless ecosystem, robust security features, and user-friendly management tools, which allowed us to provide a smooth hybrid work experience for our employees while keeping security and productivity at the forefront.

With our growing retail footprint, we should have stress-tested the scalability of Meraki MX in high-traffic locations and ensured it could handle peak holiday shopping seasons without degradation. Also instead of focusing solely on ease of use and cloud-based management, I would conduct a deeper feature comparison with other vendors, particularly in advanced threat protection, SD-WAN capabilities, and granular policy controls.

The Meraki Dashboard is designed to be intuitive and accessible, with a clean and straightforward interface. Most network administrators can quickly navigate the system, configure basic settings, and monitor the network without significant technical expertise. The visual elements, like maps of your network and easy-to-understand status indicators, make it easier to grasp.

Before diving into configuration, ensure you have a clear understanding of your network's needs, including remote users, branch offices, WAN connections, VPN requirements, and security policies. Define and document your VLANs and their respective purposes (e.g., corporate network, guest network, VoIP, etc.) before configuring Meraki MX. This will help maintain network segmentation and security. Meraki MX comes with advanced security features out of the box, such as IDS/IPS, anti-malware, web filtering, and content filtering. Enable these features, as they provide robust protection without requiring extra configuration. Configure WAN failover and traffic shaping rules to optimize traffic. For example, prioritize business-critical applications like VoIP or video conferencing over less time-sensitive traffic.

k full advantage of Layer 7 firewall rules to implement granular control over application traffic. For example, we blocked non-business applications like social media, video streaming, and peer-to-peer traffic during business hours. This helped ensure bandwidth was allocated to critical business applications while preventing unnecessary consumption of resources. Inter-VLAN Routing: For specific needs, we enabled inter-VLAN routing on Meraki MX to allow certain VLANs to communicate with each other while still keeping other segments isolated for security purposes. For example, a specific team might require communication between the corporate network and a separate testing network, so we allowed that traffic while keeping other networks more isolated. To ensure network reliability, we implemented an HA (High Availability) configuration with two Meraki MX devices. This setup ensured that if one MX device failed, the other would automatically take over, maintaining uninterrupted network service. We also ensured that the HA pairing was continuously monitored and optimized through the Meraki Dashboard. We implemented bandwidth limits for non-essential applications (e.g., large file downloads, entertainment streaming) during business hours to prevent congestion and ensure smooth network performance for critical operations.

Premium support comes at a significant additional cost, which may not have been justified given our existing IT team's expertise and Meraki’s reputation for ease of management.
Given our retail network’s scale, the budget was likely prioritized for hardware, licensing, and redundancy investments instead. Meraki’s included support still provides phone, email, and chat assistance, which may have been deemed sufficient for our needs.

One of our flagship stores experienced a sudden network failure that disrupted POS transactions. Using Meraki’s cloud dashboard, their team was able to remotely diagnose the issue in real time, identifying a configuration conflict that had caused the MX appliance to stop processing traffic correctly. After the event, Meraki support helped us apply a long-term fix.

Before diving into integration, it's essential to have a clear understanding of your network's structure and specific integration needs. For example, define what systems or tools you want to integrate with Meraki MX (e.g., Active Directory, RADIUS, SIEM systems). Verify that the third-party systems you plan to integrate with Meraki MX (e.g., VPN solutions, SIEM, cloud security tools) are compatible with Meraki’s integration methods (such as RADIUS, LDAP, SNMP, or API).

The primary terms that were negotiated with the vendor focused on pricing, flexible licensing, premium support, training, and post-sale services such as implementation support and warranties. These terms ensured that we could deploy Cisco Meraki MX in a way that met our needs, both technically and financially, while ensuring that we would receive the necessary support and training to maximize the value of the solution.

Effectively dealing with the vendor requires clear communication, a proactive approach, and a strong understanding of your own requirements. By being upfront about your needs, negotiating for flexibility and better terms, and leveraging trial periods, you can ensure a smoother experience and better value for your investment in Cisco Meraki MX. Building a strong relationship with the vendor and continuously monitoring the solution will help you get the most out of the partnership.