As our org has grown, the demands on our internet usage have also grown. We started out using consumer-grade routers, moved up to high-end gaming routers with QoS, and finally we got big enough that we had to move to real enterprise-level networking.
I did the research and decided to go with Meraki based on other recommendations, ease of use, a single cloud-based console for managing all networking gear, and maybe most importantly: traffic shaping.
Traffic shaping on our MX65 router allows me to give VoIP data the highest priority, video conferencing data high priority, leave most other traffic at normal levels, and lower the priority of file sharing and downloads.
We've had the system for a couple of months now and it has been a huge improvement over the previous. For small offices, you might be able to get away with just a Z1.
If you attend one of their many marketing webinars, they will send you a free wireless access point with a 3 year license.
The biggest downside to Meraki is you are forced to go through a reseller in order to buy them. You can't buy directly from places like Amazon or even direct from Meraki. And I found a lot of resellers don't want to deal with small orgs. CDW has a division for non-profits and I have been working with Reed Carroll there (reedcar at CDW). Prices are negotiable—especially when you buy in volume—so don't pay full retail.
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