Meraki cloud controller and config question

[Scifigirl]

Hi all,

 

As part of our new building, the LA team is providing us with a new wifi solution - Meraki. We had no choice in this, it is being provided as part of commissioning.

 

This gives our main building a chance to upgrade our wireless provision to match, so as the LA is paying for the points and controller, we just need to add the new points from our main building to the controller.

 

my question is this: do the new points require configuration? or is this a plug and go situation as if you had an onsite controller.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[computer_expert]

The meraki devices reach out to the cloud to download the config. There's a very limited UI on the devices themselves as all config is done in the cloud controller (providing the UI hasn't been disabled in the dashboard).

 

Once you add the devices to the organisation (see here) they will download and install the config once they have internet access.

 

Edit - changed terminology and added a link

Edited June 18, 2020 by computer_expert

[Scifigirl]

Thank you @computer_expert

 

I just wondered why we were being charged a "config" cost if the cloud controller was already set up and running, and we were just adding to the estate as it were!!

[willtech]

I would watch out for the cloud management licence cost as Meraki says that every Meraki hardware component requires a cloud license to be managed. Meraki hardware that isn’t licensed won’t pass traffic.

 

Guessing that LA are paying that is good, as long as they are covering the cloud licence. But you might need to be careful if they pass the cost at some point.

 

Meraki FAQs

Edited June 18, 2020 by willtech

[Scifigirl]

Guessing that LA are paying that is good, as long as they are covering the cloud licence. But you might need to be careful if they pass the cost at some point.

 

We have been assured by our Meraki agent that the apparent 5 year licensing costs are actually 10 year education specials..... so we should not have to pay licencing costs for a while!!

Edited June 18, 2020 by Scifigirl
spelling

[computer_expert]

We have been assured by our Meraki agent that the apparent 5 year licensing costs are actually 10 year education specials..... so we should not have to pay licencing costs for a while!!

 

Unless you want to add more access points where you have to pay for a cloud licence per AP (not including the price of the hardware).

 

We ended up moving away from meraki due to the costs of renewal and new hardware.