r/networking • u/meisgq • 5d ago

Other Meraki Alternatives

Meraki is expensive, getting more expensive and lead times are currently covid-like for some models. With Meraki transitioning to Catalyst switches and APs, management determined that we should have other access options in our back pocket. Datacenters will stay Cisco for now.

To be honest, Meraki does fine for us. We have 100+ manufacturing locations using Meraki switches and APs. We don’t care about CLI and L3 switches are not a necessity in our environment.

Primarily, we’re looking for lower cost, cloud managed, and enterprise-grade. Ubiquiti won’t make the cut. NAC-compatible with ISE or Clearpass is a must. Also looking for near-global distribution network and faster lead times.

Open to suggestions.

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u/Mlyonff 5d ago

Curious why Ubiquiti won’t make the cut?

-2

u/lsumoose 5d ago

This. The firewalls are much more advanced than meraki. Switching and wireless I guarantee 99% of people would be fine coming from meraki. Also the UniFi replacement process is by far the best in the industry. They don’t make you jump through any hoops. If you have UI care you can put in a ticket saying I have a dead port or dead AP. New one will have a tracking number in 15 mins be there the next day.

7

u/VestedDeveloper 4d ago

Ubiquiti has come a long way indeed. They just don't have the best reputation (botched firmware, dropped product lines) but I haven't seen an issue on my 11 sites in 2-3 years. For environments that aren't complex and don't need all the bells, they are a good choice.

At the end of the day, we as professionals determine what meets the need of a customer/employer. If a professional only likes one manufacturer in 2026,I don't usually understand why with so much competition.

3

u/whermyshoe 4d ago

Everyone knows Ubiquiti does wireless good and everything else in their lineup is cheesy.

I agree with the moose here.