Cisco & Meraki specialists. Across the UK.
+44 203 196 6566 · option 1sales@proxar.co.uk

Connect. Secure. Manage.

MPLS to SD-WAN Migration

Assess and migrate suitable MPLS-connected sites to Cisco or Meraki SD-WAN, validating application dependencies, replacement paths and exit sequencing.

Cisco Partner since 2009 Projects & ongoing support

Illustrative Cisco and Meraki data-centre network infrastructure
Your network. Properly considered.Design · Implementation · Support
1,000+

Devices supported
across the UK

20+

Client locations
supported

Nearly 8 Tbps

Traffic handled
at peak time

3 min

Average
response time

Average response is not a resolution time or a contractual guarantee. Support scope and response commitments are agreed for each engagement.

MPLS to SD-WAN migration changes how sites reach applications and how the business manages connectivity. It is not simply a circuit replacement. MCI Network Services plans and delivers migrations to supported Cisco Catalyst or Meraki SD-WAN designs, taking account of routing, security, application dependencies and contract exit sequencing. We help customers move in controlled stages while keeping a clear distinction between the new overlay and the transport services beneath it.

01

The whole path

Understand how sites, providers, cloud networks and security controls fit together.

02

Resilience that can be tested

Separate a second circuit from genuine end-to-end service resilience.

03

Provider coordination

Keep addressing, routing and escalation ownership clear across organisations.

Establish why the existing WAN needs to change

The business case may involve cloud access, additional sites, operational visibility, resilience or service cost. We record the actual objectives and constraints before selecting a platform. SD-WAN does not automatically make every circuit cheaper or every application faster. The recommendation compares the required outcomes with what the proposed topology and available connectivity can deliver.

We inventory the MPLS-connected sites, addressing, routing, shared services and provider responsibilities. Some applications may rely on central internet exits, fixed source addresses or private reachability that is not obvious from a site list. Those dependencies must be identified before the carrier service is withdrawn. The migration scope also distinguishes network changes from application, endpoint and commercial work owned by other teams.

Illustrative enterprise Cisco network rack in a modern office environment
01Enterprise switching and routing, built to be operated.
Cisco PartnerCisco Partner
Cisco MerakiCisco Meraki
ISO 9001Quality management
ISO 27001Information security
Cyber EssentialsCyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials PlusCyber Essentials Plus

MCI Network Services is operated by Proxar Ltd. Certifications apply to the certified legal entity and the scope of its certificates. View accreditation information

Select the target architecture deliberately

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Meraki SD-WAN have different operating models and supported features. We assess the fit against routing scale, segmentation, security, management ownership and the customer’s engineering resources. The choice should be based on the estate’s requirements rather than a promise that either platform is universally interchangeable with the other.

The design identifies hubs, branches, cloud connections, internet exits and the transport available at each site. It also defines the failure behaviour and degraded capacity. An internet-based overlay still depends on reliable underlay connectivity, and a second circuit may share physical infrastructure with the first. Those risks are considered alongside the operational benefits of the new management model.

Illustrative Cisco and Meraki network rack in a modern office
02The office network: switching, uplinks and structured cabling.

A useful starting point

Not sure where to start?

Bring the requirement. We will help you define the engineering work.

Talk to a specialist

Build a safe coexistence phase

Most migrations need the old and new networks to operate together for a period. We define the routing boundary between them, the prefixes exchanged and which path should be preferred at each stage. Redistribution, default routes and return paths are tightly controlled to avoid loops or traffic unexpectedly crossing a security device in the wrong direction.

Coexistence also affects troubleshooting. Engineers need to know whether a site is still using MPLS, has moved to SD-WAN or is operating through a temporary integration point. We keep a migration register with topology, responsibility and rollback state for each location. Temporary routes and exceptions have explicit removal criteria so that the final network does not inherit every workaround used during the transition.

Illustrative Cisco and Meraki fibre network rack with structured cabling
03Fibre, switching and the physical path behind the service.

Pilot representative sites and applications

A useful pilot includes more than the easiest office. We select locations or services that expose important differences: a cloud-heavy branch, a site with voice, a private partner connection or a larger hub. Acceptance covers the application experience, security controls, monitoring and operational tasks that the support team will perform after migration.

Tests include normal traffic, loss of a transport and restoration where safe. We examine public-address changes, VPN behaviour, DNS and any application allowlists. A pilot is not accepted solely because the dashboard shows devices online. Its findings are used to refine the rollout method and identify sites that require a different design or additional preparation.

Illustrative Cisco and Meraki network operations centre with monitoring displays
04Visibility, monitoring and operational control.

Coordinate cutovers and commercial exits

Each site cutover has a change plan, communications, pre-checks and rollback conditions. Access arrangements and local support are confirmed before the window. We capture the old state and verify the new path with application owners where necessary. If the acceptance conditions are not met, the decision to restore the old service is made within the agreed time and authority boundaries.

Circuit cancellation follows successful technical and operational acceptance, not the date equipment was delivered. We identify notice periods and dependencies using the customer’s actual contracts, without providing invented savings or assuming the provider will release services early. Retaining a temporary overlap can be sensible where it protects rollback, but it should have a defined purpose and end date.

Illustrative Cisco and Meraki equipment in a modern data-centre aisle
05Resilient infrastructure from rack to service path.

Finish with an operating model, not just a new topology

The handover includes site standards, route ownership, monitoring, firmware responsibilities and the process for adding or changing locations. Training and knowledge transfer focus on the customer’s chosen platform and actual workflows. We also remove obsolete redistribution, unused routes and retired management access as part of the agreed completion criteria.

MCI’s WAN and cloud services support migrations across UK sites, including London and the surrounding counties. We can deliver the programme or work alongside an internal team for design assurance and critical cutovers. Provide the site inventory, current provider arrangement and reasons for change to begin; the proposal will distinguish prerequisites, migration work and the ongoing service after transition.

Illustrative Cisco and Meraki data-centre network infrastructure
06Network infrastructure designed around the workloads it carries.

Talk to a specialist

What does your network need next?

Tell us what you are planning, changing or trying to improve. We will help define a practical next step and the engineering scope.

+44 203 196 6566

Choose option 1

sales@proxar.co.uk

UK-wide service.
Most of our engineers are based in Kent, with a focus on London, Sussex, Essex and Berkshire.

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