Replacing Meraki Z3 / Z4 gateways
Meraki Z gateways are popular in small branches and with remote workers. Here is what to replace them with when renewal or end of life comes.
What a Z3 / Z4 does
Firewall, built-in Wi-Fi, a few network ports and a VPN to HQ, all cloud-managed with a licence.
The UniFi equivalent
A compact UniFi gateway (for example a Cloud Gateway) with a Wi-Fi 7 access point, or a gateway with built-in Wi-Fi depending on the model. Site-to-site VPN, DNS filtering and firewall rules run on the device, with no annual licence.
What we often add
- LTE/5G backup where coverage is good
- Content filtering on the gateway instead of a separate service
- An identical template for every branch
Preparation
We list sites, their ISP and the cellular coverage at each, then pre-stage devices so in-store installation takes under an hour.
Compare Meraki and UniFi over 5 years
Frequently asked questions
Can we drop a separate DNS-filtering service?
Often, yes: the UniFi gateway offers category filtering. We check that the rules cover your needs before removing the old service.
Planning multi-site network?
Describe your situation in a few lines; an engineer will call you back quickly. The site visit and quote are free.
Request a quote
Free, no obligation. A quick answer from an engineer, in English or French.
- Free site visit and quote
- An engineer, not a salesperson
- RBQ licensed, 15+ years’ experience
- Hardware stocked on altea.io
Updated 2026-11-05