There’s nothing quite like the day you receive a box of fresh Cisco Meraki devices. Their sleek appearance, clean lines, and glossy surfaces are exciting and a little bit thrilling. Still, the Cisco Meraki setup is notoriously daunting. If you’re not an IT professional, you might think the successful implementation of this system is a distant objective.
That doesn’t have to be the case.
Cisco Meraki products bring best-in-class network security to everyone’s hands. You don’t have to be a global enterprise to reap the benefits of these devices (though they are enterprise-grade and used by major corporations worldwide). Cisco Meraki offers a range of cloud-managed networking solutions designed for secure and efficient network management, providing options for organizations of all sizes. With that in mind, Meraki has developed an ingenious implementation system that doesn’t require an IT professional to handle.
If you’ve recently gotten your hands on Meraki devices for your organization, it’s time to dive in and connect them. Cisco Meraki provides a centralized cloud management platform for all Meraki devices and services, making deployment and ongoing management straightforward. Stratus Information Systems, a trusted Meraki partner, presents a definitive and streamlined guide to your Meraki setup below.
After you’ve received your Cisco Meraki products, the setup process can begin. This step-by-step guide applies to using these products for a small or large business.
Before unboxing the products or plugging in your device, you’ll want to create your Meraki dashboard. Creating the dashboard allows for a less complicated setup experience and makes managing your device(s) much easier.
The Cisco Meraki dashboard is a centralized, web browser-based tool that you’ll use to both monitor and configure your devices and services. This powerful feature is one of the most advantageous reasons to opt for Meraki products. It grants users unparalleled access and control over their network and devices for more customization and security.
There are two organizational levels of a Cisco Meraki dashboard. The first is the networks containing your devices and associated details; the second is your organizations, which are collections of networks. Each Cisco Meraki organization acts as the top-level container for all networks and devices. Organizations include networks that are a part of a single entity, such as a company.
You’ll use your Meraki dashboard account to log in. The dashboard will allow you to manage your organizations, configure your networks, and control your devices.
Here’s the process of creating a Cisco Meraki Dashboard:
Step 1: Navigate to the Meraki dashboard login page.
Step 2: Choose “Create an Account”
Step 3. Select the region where your dashboard account and organization reside (this is crucial because all data related to your organization will reside on servers in the region you select, and this data residency region cannot be changed later).
Step 4: Enter the requested information.
Step 5: Select “Create an Account” at the bottom of the page
After Step 5, check your email and click the confirmation link to activate your account and gain access to the dashboard.
Congratulations—you’ve successfully created a Cisco Meraki dashboard account.
Thanks to the Meraki cloud, you can configure everything for your Meraki devices before you even have the devices in hand.
Next up, it’s time to establish your first network within the organization you’ve just created by setting up your dashboard. The purpose of the network is to hold your devices and their various configurations. If you are expanding your setup, you may need to add devices to a network created earlier. Depending on the size of your organization, you may need more than one network. The standard practice is to create one network for each physical location relevant to your company.
The process of creating and managing meraki networks couldn’t be more straightforward. Just follow these four steps to connect your Meraki devices to a network:
Step 1: Navigate to the Meraki dashboard login page and enter your credentials.
Step 2: A prompt window will appear. Select “Register Meraki devices” and then select “Next.”
Step 3: Now, you’ll provide the requested information to create your network and register the devices you have on hand.
Step 4: Select “Create network.”
You’ve now created your Meraki dashboard and network. You’ll configure and manage your Cisco Meraki devices from within this hardware network. You can configure up to 15 SSIDs per network in Cisco Meraki. Additionally, you can visualize your deployed Meraki devices on a map within the dashboard for better management.
You can configure a network without any devices at all, but to download a device’s configuration, you’ll need to claim and add a new device to your dashboard inventory. You’ll also need to add licenses to your Meraki dashboard for those devices. Adding licenses is a simple three-step process using the order number corresponding to the devices and licenses.
Step 1: Navigate to your Meraki dashboard, and choose Organization > Configure > Inventory using the left-side navigation bar.
Step 2: On the inventory screen, there’s a box next to the blue “Claim” button. In that box, enter one order number or serial number per line. If you don’t have the order numbers, serial numbers will work. To add devices, select add and enter the required information. (NOTE: If the box doesn’t appear, devices were already added. Bring up the dialogue by selecting “Claim.”)
To claim a new device in the Meraki dashboard, you must enter the device’s serial number.
Step 3: Select “Claim.”
You’ve added devices to your newly created dashboard, and it’s time to make some initial configurations. These configurations ensure proper communication from your access point to the internet and the Cisco Meraki cloud. It also allows admin access to authorized users and expands management and reporting capabilities.
Here are three ideas for initial basic configurations (though the sky’s the limit):
Even with the streamlined setup process that Cisco Meraki is known for, occasional hiccups can occur—especially when integrating multiple devices or expanding an existing network. Fortunately, the Meraki dashboard offers a tremendous amount of visibility and control, making it easier to identify and resolve common issues with your Cisco Meraki devices.
One of the most frequent challenges during initial setup is IP assignment. If your Cisco Meraki access point or other Meraki devices aren’t connecting to the Meraki cloud, start by checking whether the device is set to use a static IP or DHCP. An incorrect static IP configuration can prevent devices from communicating with the cloud platform. To resolve this, log in to your Meraki dashboard account, navigate to the device’s settings, and verify the IP address and VLAN configuration. Switching to DHCP can often restore connectivity if you’re unsure of the correct static IP details.
Firewall and VLAN settings are another common source of trouble. If your Meraki devices aren’t appearing as online in the dashboard, review your network type and security appliances settings. Ensure that the necessary ports are open and that your firewall isn’t blocking communication between your devices and the Meraki cloud. The Meraki dashboard makes it easy to monitor device status and network health, so use it to check for any alerts or misconfigurations.
When deploying a Systems Manager network for endpoint management, it’s important to create a dedicated device network for each physical location and assign the correct license key. If you encounter issues with device enrollment or management, double-check that your systems manager settings are properly configured and that all devices are added to the correct network.
For organizations using the MX security appliance, configuration issues can sometimes prevent the appliance from being successfully configured or assigned to the right network. In the Meraki dashboard, navigate to the inventory list and verify that your MX appliance is listed and associated with the intended network. If not, use the add devices option to claim the device using its serial number and complete the setup process.
If you run into persistent issues, Meraki support is an invaluable resource. Their documentation covers a wide range of troubleshooting scenarios, and their support team can assist with more complex problems related to Meraki deployment, license key management, or device configuration.
Here’s a quick troubleshooting checklist to help you get back on track:
By leveraging the power of the Meraki dashboard and cloud platform, you can quickly identify and resolve most issues, ensuring your Cisco Meraki products deliver secure, reliable network infrastructure. For ongoing support or more complex troubleshooting, don’t hesitate to reach out to Meraki support or your trusted Cisco Meraki partner, like Stratus Info Systems.
Now that you’ve connected your Meraki devices and created your dashboard, it’s time to experience the ease of plug-and-play. You can unbox your devices now, plug them in, and boot up the new access point.
There’s mounting hardware for the new access point in the box. You’ll want to ensure you can plug in the device and that it’s in a secure location. Once it’s powered, the device will automatically attempt to connect to the dashboard. It will download its configurations and run a self-diagnostic test when it does. On the following page in the dashboard, you’ll be guided through additional setup steps to further configure your network.
The Meraki dashboard allows for monitoring, optimizing, and reporting on network performance. Cisco Meraki supports the management of thousands of mobile and desktop devices through a single dashboard, and its cloud-managed solutions are designed to be scalable for businesses of all sizes.
As a last mention, once your devices are up and running, you may want to dive into the world of custom wireless network settings. To enable SSIDs in Cisco Meraki, you must log in to the application using your Meraki account credentials. With these, you can:
Tip: For optimal wireless performance, limit the number of SSIDs to three or fewer per access point and use Band Steering to encourage 5 GHz usage.
You can implement these settings anytime now that your Meraki setup is complete.
Purchasing new Cisco Meraki products is an exciting time. As long as you opt to buy from authorized Meraki resellers, you’re sure to have an incredible implementation experience. In your chaotic schedule, having a knowledgeable cloud-networking team implement your Meraki system for you can be tremendously beneficial.
Stratus Information Systems can offer as much or as little support as you need. From end-to-end setup and support to complimentary assistance, we’re your cloud-networking experts. Reach out to us today to see what we can do for your company.
