The Cisco Meraki Dashboard: What are the Benefits Over and Above Other Solutions?

Intelligent, intuitive, scalable and centralised, the dashboard is one of the biggest benefits of a Cisco Meraki solution. There are so many reasons our clients find it game-changing from a network management perspective, setting it miles apart from other vendors within a similar price-point.

So what makes the Cisco Meraki dashboard worth the hype?

1. Meraki is a cloud-first focused vendor – and the dashboard proves it

The Meraki dashboard is fully cloud-based, and was designed to be so from the off. Trust us when we say that this makes a difference. This is a game-changer for organisations with large, multi-site, or diverse networks, bringing the entire IT architecture together in one place, accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This shift removes the need for on-site hardware, software installations, and on-site IT staff.

2. The most powerful, user-friendly interface on the market

The Meraki dashboard’s extensive tools and comprehensiveness might lead you to think that – as with many network dashboards – it’s complex, clunky and difficult to navigate. It’s rare to find a control centre that delivers both technically impressive controls and an intuitive experience for IT teams. Here’s where Meraki makes a huge difference; its dashboard was designed with simplicity in mind, which saves organisations time, and supports staff with less industry knowledge or experience by simplifying network management.

3. Your entire network in a single pane of glass

Meraki’s cloud-first approach means that your dashboard is designed to house your entire network, including switches, APs, security, IoT, and device management – plus so much more. This is truly transformative for organisations with scaling networks, removing the need to log in to separate platforms and manage devices disparately.

4. Real-time analysis, monitoring and remedial actions

The Meraki dashboard allows administrators to monitor their network in real-time, offering instant visibility into network traffic, device status, and performance metrics. Additionally, it can be configured to send alerts and notifications for specific events, ensuring timely responses to critical network issues. Longer term, the dashboard offers detailed analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing administrators to gain insights into network performance, event logs filterable by device, hardware type, or event type, as well as user behaviour, and application usage. This information can be valuable for making informed decisions about network optimisation and resource allocation.

5. Automated updates and optimisation that cut costs

The dashboard simplifies the process of keeping network devices up to date with the latest firmware and security patches. Automated updates ensure that devices are running optimally and protected against vulnerabilities. Wi-Fi in particular can be set to auto-optimise based on user behaviour to improve performance, reduce energy usage, and allocate bandwidth intelligently. When manual intervention is required, IT teams can identify and resolve network issues without needing to be physically present at the network location thanks to cloud-first technology.

6. Smarter security, sown network-wide

Meraki’s dashboard makes security simpler and stronger simultaneously. Digitisation has made networking the backbone of organisations, and as networks continue to grow in size and scope, the responsibility of managing them also scales. Meraki’s dashboard has powerful tools for creating network segments, applying role-based and/or device-based security policies, as well as multiple access permissions for the dash, ensuring just the right amount of visibility and control for every job function.

The Meraki dashboard really is a game-changer when it comes to network management. Don’t just take our word for it – take a look at our client case studies. From cutting costs in time to supporting staff with an easier management experience, it has the capacity to hugely simplify how you monitor, manage and master your networks.

If you’d like to find out more about Meraki’s portfolio – and dashboard – you can visit our partner page, or get in touch with our team for a full demo.

Full-stack networking solutions have revolutionised the way businesses operate and communicate. These solutions offer comprehensive and cohesive tools that allow businesses to streamline their operations, improve their security, and enhance their overall performance – both now and as networks become increasingly complex. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the benefits of a full-stack networking solution from Cisco Meraki and why it drives the ROI that more diverse IT infrastructures can’t.

Compatibility

Full-stack networking solutions are designed to work seamlessly together because they are built by the same manufacturer. This means that all the components of the solution, including switches, routers, and access points, are designed to be compatible with one another. This compatibility ensures that the network operates efficiently and that there are no conflicts between different products.

In contrast, when using products from different brands, there may be compatibility issues that arise due to different protocols, standards, and configurations. This can result in issues such as slow performance, network downtime, and security vulnerabilities.

Easier to manage

Full-stack networking solutions are designed to be managed through a single interface. This means that administrators can configure and monitor the entire network from a central location, making it easier to manage and troubleshoot issues. This streamlined management approach can save time and reduce the need for IT staff, which can be especially beneficial for small to medium-sized businesses.

When using products from different brands, network administrators may need to use multiple interfaces to manage different components of the network. This can be time-consuming and result in errors or misconfigurations, which can compromise network performance and security.

Enhanced security

Full-stack networking solutions are designed to work together to provide enhanced security features. For example, a full-stack networking solution may include a firewall, intrusion detection and prevention system, and virtual private network (VPN) that work together to provide a layered security approach.

When using products from different brands, there may be gaps in security due to the lack of integration between the products. This can result in vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers.

Better support

Full-stack networking solutions come with dedicated support from the manufacturer. This means that if there are any issues with the network, businesses can rely on the manufacturer’s support team to provide assistance. The manufacturer’s support team is familiar with the products and can troubleshoot issues more efficiently.

When using products from different brands, there may be challenges in getting support because different manufacturers have different support teams and policies. This can result in delays in getting issues resolved and can be frustrating for network administrators.

Cost savings

Full-stack networking solutions can offer cost savings compared to a network with multiple products from different brands. By using a full-stack solution, businesses can avoid the costs associated with purchasing and integrating different products. Additionally, the centralized management and support provided by the manufacturer can save time and reduce the need for IT staff, resulting in cost savings.

In conclusion, a full-stack networking solution from one brand can provide significant advantages over a network with multiple products from different brands. These advantages include compatibility, easier management, enhanced security, better support, and cost savings. By choosing a full-stack networking solution, businesses can ensure that their network operates efficiently, securely, and reliably.

With cyber attacks in education on the increase, we provide Cisco Umbrella (a cloud security platform that provides the first line of defence against threats on the internet) to help our education customers take the right steps to protect their networks and give students and staff safe online experiences from a single, unified solution. Cisco Umbrella provides an internet-wide layer of cybersecurity that both protects against malware infections, and prevents command and control callback infected devices from phoning home. With Umbrella, malware can’t get in to your school and threats can’t wreak havoc!

Cisco Umbrella DNS for Education is the easiest, most powerful way to secure your campus and proactively ‘see’ and protect users so they have the freedom to work anywhere safely. Umbrella enables IT administrators to seamlessly extend web filtering and internet security to all devices, even those that leave campus. At Redway Networks we can integrate Umbrella with your existing security stack and its low-touch deployment means you can have Umbrella’s cloud-based service up and running in a day, instantly delivering the best defence against ransomware and other malware. Additionally, the Cisco Umbrella Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) for Education package offers unmatched protection when a higher security posture is required. As more apps move to the cloud, educational compliance requirements now need more granular control and visibility into web traffic at a URL level, which Umbrella offers through a secure web gateway.

With nothing to download or install, Umbrella’s cloud-native, low maintenance solution is ideal for schools and is the smartest way to meet compliance and protect your students, teachers and 1-1 learning programmes. Its the easiest way to secure your campus and protect users, data, and applications in the cloud.