Compatible SFP and Patch Cable for Cisco Meraki MS Series Switches

The Cisco Meraki MS series switches are cloud-managed enterprise-level switches that combine the power of network hardware with the simplicity of centralized cloud-based management, providing reliable, scalable access and aggregation solutions for networks of all sizes. From a hardware perspective, the most revolutionary feature of the MS series is the complete implementation of cloud management. It offers a variety of RJ45 and SFP/SFP+port configurations to meet the needs of different scenarios. The Meraki MS Series SFP module types are highly diverse, supporting interface speeds from 1G to 100G.

In this article, we will introduce this switch and compatible transceiver replacement like SFP, SFP+ and QSFP+. Now, let’s dive into the guide.

Key Features of Cisco Meraki MS Series Switches

The biggest innovation of the MS series switches lies in the cloud management architecture centered on the Meraki Dashboard, which greatly simplifies the complexity of traditional networks through a GUI. From the product matrix, the MS series has a clear layered architecture:

• Entry-level non-stacked types, such as the MS120 and MS130 series. These models offer streamlined Layer 2 functionality at a high cost-performance ratio. Compact models such as MS120-8 and MS130-8 feature a fanless design, making them suitable for desktop or open-office deployment.
• Mid-end stacked access: such as MS150, MS210, MS225, MS250 series. They have a physical stacking capacity of 80 Gbps and support basic three-layer routing, which meets the needs of growing parks.
• High-end performance and multi-gigabit access: The MS350/355/390 series is designed for high-density Wi Fi 6/6E/7 environments. Among them, MS355 and flagship MS390 support 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G mGig ports, fully unleashing the bandwidth potential of high-performance wireless APs.
• Aggregation and Core Layer: From MS410/425 to MS450, this series provides ultra-low-latency fiber-aggregation solutions, including the MS425-32, with a maximum switching capacity of 800 Gbps and a latency of 1.2 µs.

MGig and UPoE can be connected using a single Ethernet cable. This makes it easier and more convenient to address the high power consumption of 2.5G/5G high-speed backhaul and Wi-Fi 6E. In addition, the Meraki series offers different stacking speeds, and users can choose the appropriate speed based on their needs.

Limitations of Cisco Meraki MS Series

This series of switches excels in cloud management and convenience, but there are some areas to note regarding costs and hardware features.

Firstly, regarding license costs, the MS series uses a mandatory “by device, by year” subscription model. This is a key factor to consider in economic investment. If the license expires and is not renewed, the device will not be able to be managed and configured through the cloud. For users, this is a significant expense. Therefore, considering the cost, this series is not a good choice.

At the same time, the main promotional point of this series is cloud management. This means the series is heavily dependent on cloud networks. Once you disconnect from the cloud, you will lose the ability to manage the switch. Its local management capabilities are limited, and available resources will be constrained when problems arise.

In terms of hardware specifications, some entry-level models lack 10 Gigabit uplink ports. For example, the upstream interface of the MS120 series supports only 1G SFPs. This has become a hardware weakness that cannot meet future bandwidth upgrade needs. In addition, some MS390 switches have manufacturing defects, which require further attention. In addition, in terms of software ecology, the troubleshooting information that appears is too general, such as only prompting “DHCP error”, which makes it difficult to locate specific problematic components. Some models may experience intermittent network disconnection or loss of connection.

Figure 1: Meraki MS Series Switches

Cisco Meraki MS Series Models

Meraki Access Switching Models

Specification	MS120-8	MS120	MS125
Usage	Compact	Small branch and office	Small branch and office
Interface	8x 1 GbE RJ45	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45
Uplinks	2x 1 GbE SFP Fixed	4x 1 GbE SFP Fixed	4x 10 GbE SFP Fixed
PoE capabilities	67W (LP model) 124W (FP model)	370W (P, LP models) 740W (FP model)	370W (P, LP models) 740W (FP model)
Power configuration	External PSU (non-PoE, LP model) Internal (FP model)	Internal	Internal
Stacking capabilities	Virtual only	Virtual only	Virtual only
Routing capabilities	DHCP relay	DHCP relay	DHCP relay
Models	MS120-8-HW MS120-8LP-HW MS120-8FP-HW	MS120-24-HW MS120-24P-HW MS120-48-HW MS120-48LP-HW MS120-48FP-HW	MS125-24-HW MS125-24P-HW MS125-48-HW MS125-48LP-HW MS125-48FP-HW

Meraki Access Switching Models (MS130)

Specification	MS130 compact	MS130	MS130R	MS150
Usage	Compact	Branch and campus	Ruggedized (hot/cold/tight environments)	Branch and campus, Wi-Fi 7 ready
Interface	8/12x 1 GbE RJ45, 6/8x 1 GbE + 2/4x 2.5 GbE RJ45 (in select models)	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45, 18/40x 1 GbE + 6/8x 2.5 GbE RJ45 (in select models)	8x 1 GbE RJ45	8x 1 GbE RJ45
Uplinks	2x 1 GbE SFP, 2x 10 GbE SFP+ (in select models) Fixed	4x 1 GbE SFP, 4x 10 GbE SFP+ (in select models) Fixed	2x 1 GbE SFP	24/48x 1 GbE or 16/32x 1 GbE + 8/16x 5 GbE (select models)
PoE capabilities	120 W, 240 W (MS130-12X only)	370 W, 740 W (MS130-48P/X only)	Up to 240 W	370W / 740W / UPOE+
Power configuration	Internal (MS130-8P-I only) External	Internal	External	Internal
Stacking capabilities	Virtual only	Virtual only	Virtual only	Virtual only
Routing capabilities	DHCP relay	DHCP relay	DHCP relay	DHCP relay / Static
Advanced capabilities	Adaptive Policy Segmentation	Adaptive Policy Segmentation	Adaptive Policy Segmentation	Adaptive Policy
Models	MS130-8-HW MS130-8P-HW MS130-8P-I-HW MS130-8X-HW, MS130-12X-HW	MS130-24-HW MS130-24P-HW MS130-24X-HW MS130-48-HW MS130-48P-HW MS130-48X-HW	MS130R-8P-HW	MS150-24T-4G / MS150-24P-4G / MS150-24T-4X / MS150-24P-4X / MS150-24MP-4X / MS150-48T-4G / MS150-48LP-4G / MS150-48FP-4G / MS150-48T-4X / MS150-48LP-4X / MS150-48FP-4X / MS150-48MP-4X

Meraki Stackable Access Switching Models

Specification	MS210	MS225	MS250	MS350	MS355	MS390
Usage	Branch and small campus	Branch and small campus	Branch and campus	Campus and multigigabit	Branch and small campus	High-performance campus and branch
Interface	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45	24/48x 1 GbE RJ451, 8x mGig RJ45 (24 port only)	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45, 8x mGig RJ45 (24 port only)	24/48x 1 GbE RJ45 24/48x mGig RJ45 (in select models)
Uplinks	4x 1 GbE SFP Fixed	4x 10 GbE SFP+ Fixed	4x 10 GbE SFP+ Fixed	4x 10 GbE SFP+ Fixed	2x 40G QSFP+, Fixed	4/8x 10GbE SFP+ 2x 40GbE QSFP+ Modular
PoE capabilities	370W (P, LP models) 740W (FP models)	370W (P, LP models) 740W (FP models)	370W (P, LP models) 740W (FP models)	370W (P, LP models) 740W (24 port, FP models)	740W (24 port, X2 models) 740W (48 port, X2 models)	830W (24 port models) 822W (48 port models)
Power configuration	Internal Optional RPS	Internal Optional RPS	Modular Redundant PSU optional	Modular Redundant PSU optional	Removable PSU	Removable PSU Modular 80 Plus Platinum PSU
Stacking capabilities	Compatible with MS225 80G physical + virtual	Compatible with MS210 80G physical + virtual	80G physical + virtual	160G physical + virtual	400G physical + virtual	Compatible only with MS390 480G physical + virtual
Routing capabilities	Static only DHCP relay	Static only DHCP relay	Static + dynamic1 DHCP server + relay WarMSpare (VRRP)	Static + dynamic2 DHCP server + relay WarMSpare (VRRP)	Static + dynamic DHCP server + relay	Static + dynamic DHCP server + relay
Models	MS210-24-HW MS210-24P-HW MS210-48-HW MS210-48LP-HW MS210-48FP-HW	MS225-24-HW MS225-24P-HW MS225-48-HW MS225-48LP-HW MS225-48FP-HW	MS250-24-HW MS250-24P-HW MS250-48-HW MS250-48LP-HW MS250-48FP-HW	MS350-24-HW MS350-24P-HW MS350-24X-HW MS350-48-HW MS350-48LP-HW MS350-48FP-HW	MS355-24X-HW, MS355-24X2-HW, MS355-48X-HW, MS355-48X2-HW,	MS390-24-HW MS390-24P-HW MS390-24U-HW MS390-24UX-HW MS390-48-HW MS390-48P-HW MS390-48U-HW MS390-48UX-HW MS390-48UX2-HW

Meraki Aggregation Switching Models

Specification	MS410	MS425	MS450
Usage	1G fiber aggregation	10G fiber aggregation	1G fiber aggregation
Interface	16/32x GbE SFP	16/32x 10 GbE SFP+	12x 40 GbE QSFP+
Uplinks	2x 10GbE SFP+ (MS410-16), 4x 10GbE SFP+ (MS410-32)	2x 40 GbE QSFP+	2x 100 GbE QSFP28
Power configuration	Modular Redundant PSU optional (sold separately)	Modular Redundant PSU optional (sold separately)	Modular Redundant PSU optional (sold separately)
Stacking capabilities	160G physical + virtual	Front-port 160G + virtual	Front-port 160G + virtual
Routing capabilities	Static + dynamic DHCP server + relay WarMSpare (VRRP)	Static + dynamic DHCP server + relay WarMSpare (VRRP)	Static + dynamic DHCP server + relay WarMSpare (VRRP)
Models	MS410-16-HW MS410-32-HW	MS425-16-HW MS425-32-HW	MS450-12-HW

Compatible SFP and Patch Cable for Cisco Meraki MS Series Switches

The replacement of these components and some accessories can use third-party SFP modules. Cisco Meraki’s official policy clearly states that Meraki MS Series SFP “will not lock” third-party optical modules, but Meraki still recommends customers test them themselves to ensure compatibility. That is to say, you can use cost-effective modules, but given the potential compatibility risks, it is best to verify them before purchasing.

Here, OPTCORE provides compatibility reports for some of our brand’s optical modules compatible with Meraki MS Series SFPs. These solutions are widely used in projects where users want stable performance without relying solely on original vendor optics.

Part Number	Description
10G SFP+ Module
MA-SFP-10GB-SR	Meraki MA-SFP-10GB-SR Compatible 10GBASE-SR SFP+ Module
MA-SFP-10GB-LR	Meraki MA-SFP-10GB-LR Compatible 10GBASE-LR SFP+ Module
MA-SFP-10GB-LRM	Meraki MA-SFP-10GB-LRM Compatible 10GBASE-LRM SFP+ Module
10G SFP+ DAC Cable
MA-CBL-TA-1M	Meraki MA-CBL-TA-1M Compatible 1m 10GBASE-CU SFP+ Twinax Cable
MA-CBL-TA-3M	Meraki MA-CBL-TA-1M Compatible 3m 10GBASE-CU SFP+ Twinax Cable
MA-CBL-TA-5M	Meraki MA-CBL-TA-1M Compatible 5m 10GBASE-CU SFP+ Twinax Cable
Fiber Patch Cable
LC-LC-OM2-DxM	LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm OM2 Multimode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length)
LC-LC-OM3-DxM	LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm 10G OM3 Multimode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length)
LC-LC-OM4-DxM	LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm 40G OM4 Multimode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length)
LC-LC-OS2-DxM	LC/LC Duplex 9/125μm OS2 Singlemode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length)
MC-LC-LC-OM2-DxM	LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm Mode Conditioning Fiber Optic Cable (MCP, 1m-50m or Custom Length)

Conclusion

In practice, selecting a third-party optical module incompatible with the Meraki MS Series SFPs can easily lead to link failures, data loss, and even device abnormalities. To ensure your stability, we provide 1G to 100G full-rate SFP/SFP+ optical modules and matching patch cables that have undergone our rigorous compatibility testing. OPTCORE’s optical modules are compatible with Meraki MS Series SFP. To ensure that the MS series performs to its expected level.

In summary, the Cisco Meraki MS series is a switch family with an extremely rich product portfolio and distinct advantages and disadvantages. As we have analyzed in depth, its ongoing license fees and port specification limitations on certain models make it more suitable as a multi-branch enterprise network dedicated platform. For users who pursue simplified management and remote deployment, it is an ideal choice. But if you need stronger local control or avoid annual subscription fees, you need to evaluate carefully.

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Note: All trademarks, products, and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are used for comparative purposes only. All the recommended transceivers and cables are from 3rd Party. They are NOT OEM products and are NOT certified or endorsed by OEM.