What is the best option to move from Cisco Catalyst switches to Meraki switches

[AzeemHaider]

I am looking to move our current Cisco Catalyst setup to Cisco Meraki switches.

In current setup I have MX95 as firewall then C3650 switch with VLANs (doing inter VLAN routing) on access switch c2960 I have 15 MR44, windows servers, Avaya phone system, printer, etc. DHCP running on windows server.

Now I am thinking to move that setup to Meraki switches. I want to use setup VLANs and DHCP on MX95 and replace core switch c3650 with C9300 and access switches c2960 with MS225.

Network is not very big, I have couple of VMware Host, couple of network printer, around 50 laptop, 50 Desktop, POE Avaya phones system.

My question is should I add new Meraki switches in current network, or should I make another network in new Organization, take my time to setup and when I think new network is ready then start moving over devices, as I am only 1 person in IT, what will be the best option for less downtime.

[PhilipDAth]

>should I make another network in new Organization

If everything is in the same "location" (same building, site, etc) put it all in the same network.

On your existig Cisco Catalyst switches - change them all to using mst spanning tree before swapping things out.  It will make things work better (that means less things will break).

spanning-tree mode mst

[cmr]

Adding to what @PhilipDAth said, replace the edge switching with the MS225s first, but also look at lower end C9x00s running Meraki code as the traditional MS switches are dying off one by one 😢

[AzeemHaider]

Thank you @PhilipDAth @cmr 

everything is on same location, same MDF and IDF.

I'm just making some note that what would be my steps, please see if these make sense.

1. Rack mounts all switches in MDF and IDF.
2. Setup stacking between MS225s and C9300 switches.
3. Connect MS225 with C9300 using SFP
4. Verify all links are up.
5. Downtime Start
6. Connect C9300 with MX using SFP
7. Configure VLAN/DHCP on MX95
8. DHCP reserve / static
9. Move all server and storage from Catalyst 3650 to C9300
10. Move all MR from Catalyst 2960 to MS225
11. Move all desktop and Printer over.

[PhilipDAth]

That sounds reasonable.

You can also do it over a series of smaller changes if that is easier.

[AzeemHaider]

@PhilipDAth that's what i am looking for to do changes in small steps, no matter if that takes me month, i am ok with that but want less downtime.

[Abacab]

Greetings! I am facing the same situation and appreciate all of the contributors as in our field "It's all about sharing information" . Right or wrong I learn something new every day and collaboration between other professionals is

paramount. I'll post my current network shortly. 

[AzeemHaider]

thank you @Abacab 

[AzeemHaider]

Hello @Abacab would you share your network.