Cisco Meraki Switching And Routing
The Cisco Meraki MX series is a versatile line of cloud-managed security and SD-WAN appliances designed to provide comprehensive network protection and performance optimization. These devices are ideal for a wide range of use cases, from securing small branch offices to managing the connectivity of large enterprise campuses and data centers. With the MX series, organizations can ensure secure and efficient connectivity to various locations, including public and private cloud environments, thanks to its advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities.
Fully cloud-managed, the MX series offers zero-touch deployment and remote management, making it an excellent choice for distributed networks. The integrated suite of security and assurance features, such as application-based firewalling, content filtering, intrusion detection and prevention, and Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), eliminates the need for multiple appliances. This all-in-one approach simplifies network management while enhancing security and performance.
The MX series has a powerful suite of security features designed to protect your network from threats. These include a next-gen layer 7 firewall for identity-based security policies, Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) with sandboxing and file reputation-based protection, and a SNORT®-based intrusion detection and prevention system. Additionally, granular content filtering and SSL decryption/inspection ensure comprehensive protection.
Meraki MX appliances support Auto VPN, which allows for automatic VPN route generation using IKE/IKEv2/IPsec. This feature is available on both physical MX appliances and virtual instances in public and private clouds, ensuring secure and seamless connectivity. The MX series also supports policy-based routing, dynamic VPN path selection, and MPLS to VPN failover, providing robust and flexible VPN solutions.
The Meraki dashboard provides a unified interface for firewall, switching, wireless LAN, and mobile device management. This intuitive, web-based dashboard offers template-based settings for easy scalability from small deployments to thousands of devices. Role-based administration, configurable email alerts, and detailed summary reports help streamline network management and enhance visibility.
MX appliances are built with enterprise-grade hardware, offering options for fixed and modular uplinks, including 1 GbE, 10 GbE, and 40 GbE ports. Features like wire speed, non-blocking switch fabric, and advanced QoS capabilities ensure high performance for voice, video, and data applications. Additionally, the MX series supports PoE, PoE+, and UPoE for powering connected devices.
The MX series provides advanced SD-WAN features, including active/active VPN, policy-based routing, and application-layer performance profiles. These capabilities ensure optimized resource access, whether hosted on-premises or in the cloud. The MX also supports transport independence, allowing the use of multiple uplinks, including MPLS, broadband, fiber, and cellular, with automatic failover.
The cloud-managed architecture of the MX series allows for zero-touch provisioning and remote management. This simplifies the deployment process and reduces the need for on-site IT expertise. The Meraki dashboard also offers advanced troubleshooting tools, such as remote packet capture and dynamic network topology visualization, to help quickly isolate and resolve network issues.
The MX series offers flexible licensing options to meet various needs. There are three license tiers: Enterprise, Advanced Security, and SD-WAN Plus. These licenses can be mixed within an organization to provide the necessary functionality where it’s needed most. Additionally, Meraki subscription licensing offers a simple, hardware-agnostic purchasing model with term lengths ranging from 1 to 10 years.
| MX67 | MX67W | MX67C | MX68 | MX68W | MX68CW | MX75 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended use case | Small branch with up to 50 users | Small branch with up to 50 users | Small branch with up to 50 users | Small branch with up to 50 users | Small branch with up to 50 users | Small branch with up to 50 users | Small branch with up to 200 users |
| NGFW throughput | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
| Advanced security services throughput | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 700 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
| Maximum site-to-site VPN throughput | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 900 Mbps |
| Maximum site-to-site VPN tunnels | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 75 |
| WAN interfaces (dedicated) | 1x GbE RJ45 | 1x GbE RJ45 | 1x GbE RJ45 | 2x GbE RJ45 | 2x GbE RJ45 | 2x GbE RJ45 | 1x GbE SFP |
| Dual-purpose | 1x GbE RJ45 | 1x GbE RJ45 | 1x GbE RJ45 | – | – | – | – |
| LAN interfaces (fixed) | 4x GbE RJ45 | 4x GbE RJ45 | 4x GbE RJ45 | 10x GbE RJ45 (2x PoE+) | 10x GbE RJ45 (2x PoE+) | 10x GbE RJ45 (2x PoE+) | 10x GbE RJ45 (2x PoE) |
| Mounting | Desktop or wall mount | Desktop or wall mount | Desktop or wall mount | Desktop or wall mount | Desktop or wall mount | Desktop or wall mount | Desktop or wall mount |
| Dimensions (w x d x h) | 9.4 in x 5.1 in x 1.1 in (239 mm x 130 mm x 27 mm) | 9.4 in x 6.5 in x 1.1 in (239 mm x 164 mm x 27 mm) | 9.4 in x 6.9 in x 1.1 in (239 mm x 176 mm x 27 mm) | 11.2 in x 5.8 in x 1.1 in (284 mm x 148 mm x 27 mm) | 11.2 in x 6.8 in x 1.1 in | 11.2 in x 7 in x 1.1 in (284 mm x 178 mm x 27 mm) | 11.14 in x 5.83 in x 1.06 in (283 mm x 148 mm x 27 mm) |
| Weight | 1.74 lb (0.7 kg) | 1.84 lb (0.83 kg) | 1.87 lb (0.85 kg) | 2.46 lb (1.12 kg) | 2.55 lb (1.16 kg) | 2.61 lb (1.18 kg) | 1.87 lb (0.85 kg) |
| Power supply | 30 W DC | 30 W DC | 30 W DC | 100 W DC | 100 W DC | 100 W DC | 100 W DC |
| Power load (idle/max) | 5 W/14 W | 15 W/23 W | 6 W/17 W | 11 W/79 W | 19 W/87 W | 19 W/89 W | 12 W/96 W |
| Operating temperature | 32 °F to 113 °F (0 °C to 45 °C) | 32 °F to 113 °F (0 °C to 45 °C) | 32 °F to 113 °F (0 °C to 45 °C) | 32 °F to 113 °F (0 °C to 45 °C) | 32 °F to 113 °F (0 °C to 45 °C) | 32 °F to 113 °F (0 °C to 45 °C) | 32 °F to 113 °F (0 °C to 45 °C) |
| Humidity | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% |
| MX85 | MX95 | MX105 | MX250 | MX450 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended use case | Small to medium branch with up to 250 users | Medium to large branch with up to 500 users | Large branch with up to 750 users | Campus or VPN concentrator with up to 2,000 users | Campus or VPN concentrator with up to 10,000 users |
| NGFW throughput | 1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 5 Gbps | 7.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps |
| Advanced security services throughput | 1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 5 Gbps | 7.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps |
| Maximum site-to-site VPN throughput | 1 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 3 Gbps | 3.5 Gbps | 4.5 Gbps |
| Maximum site-to-site VPN tunnels | 200 | 500 | 1,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 |
| WAN interfaces (dedicated) | 2x GbE SFP, 2x GbE RJ45 (1x PoE+) | 2x 10 GbE SFP+, 2x 2.5 GbE RJ45 (1x PoE+) | 2x 10 GbE SFP+, 2x 2.5 GbE RJ45, 1x PoE+ | 2x 10 GbE SFP+ | 2x 10 GbE SFP+ |
| Dual-purpose | – | – | – | – | – |
| LAN interfaces (fixed) | 8x GbE RJ45, 2x GbE SFP | 4x GbE RJ45, 2x 10 GbE SFP+ | 4x GbE RJ45, 2x 10 GbE SFP+ | 8x GbE RJ45, 8x GbE SFP, 8x 10 GbE SFP+ | 8x GbE RJ45, 8x GbE SFP, 8x 10 GbE SFP+ |
| Mounting | 1U rack | 1U rack | 1U rack | 1U rack | 1U rack |
| Dimensions (w x d x h) | 19 in x 9.8 in x 1.7 in (484.6 mm x 250 mm x 43.8 mm) | 19.08 in x 11.23 in x 1.73 in (484.6 mm x 285.2 mm x 44 mm) | 19.08 in x 12.4 in x 1.73 in (484.6 mm x 315 mm x 44 mm) | 19 in x 17.3 in x 1.75 in (483 mm x 440 mm x 44 mm) | 19 in x 17.3 in x 1.75 in (483 mm x 440 mm x 44 mm) |
| Weight | 8.2 lb (3.7 kg) | 6.99 lbs (3.17 kg) | 10.74 lbs (4.87 kg) (with two fans and two PSUs) | 16 lb (7.3 kg) | 16 lb (7.3 kg) |
| Power supply | Internal 100-127 V | Internal 100-127 V | Modular 100-127 V 200-240 V (50/60 Hz) 2x 150 W PSU | Modular 100-220 V 50/60 Hz 2x 250 W PSU | Modular 100-220 V 50/60 Hz 2x 250 W PSU |
| Power load (idle/max) | 12 W/55 W | 42 W/109 W | 53 W/123 W | 105 W/190 W | 105 W/190 W |
| Operating temperature | 32 °F to 104 °F (0 °C to 40 °C) | 32 °F to 104 °F (0 °C to 40 °C) | 32 °F to 104 °F (0 °C to 40 °C) | 32 °F to 104 °F (0 °C to 40 °C) | 32 °F to 104 °F (0 °C to 40 °C) |
| Humidity | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% | 5% to 95% |
Meraki switches include all of the traditional Ethernet features found in modern enterprise access switches, including:
| vMX – Small | vMX – Medium | vMX – Large | vMX – X-Large | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended use cases | Extend secure SD-WAN connectivity from branch sites to resources in public and private cloud environments | Extend secure SD-WAN connectivity from branch sites to resources in public and private cloud environments | Extend secure SD-WAN connectivity from branch sites to resources in public and private cloud environments | Extend secure SD-WAN connectivity from branch sites to resources in public and private cloud environments |
| Interfaces | Virtual | Virtual | Virtual | Virtual |
| Supported cloud platforms | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Alibaba Cloud, Cisco NFVIS | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Alibaba Cloud, Cisco NFVIS | AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Alibaba Cloud, Cisco NFVIS | AWS |
| Maximum site-to-site VPN throughput | 270 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 1 Gbps | 10 Gbps |
| Maximum concurrent site-to-site VPN tunnels | 50 | 250 | 1,000 | 10,000 |
| Client VPN support | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
If your client count is approaching the maximum capacity for a particular MX model, it’s recommended to size up to ensure optimal performance. MX devices should not consistently operate above 85% utilization. For example, if your office has 53 clients, opting for an MX84 rather than a smaller MX64-68 model would be prudent to avoid capacity issues.
All Meraki MX products come with a powerful stateful firewall. However, for enhanced protection, the Advanced Security License adds significant features such as content filtering, Google SafeSearch, YouTube for Schools, intrusion detection and prevention (IDS/IPS), and Advanced Malware Protection (AMP). This license is essential if security is a top priority for your organization.
Web caching is crucial for networks with limited bandwidth, as it accelerates the loading of frequently accessed content. MX models 84 and above include web caching capabilities, which can significantly improve performance for clients frequently accessing heavy multimedia web content. If your network bandwidth is relatively low, upgrading to a model with web caching is recommended.
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