Cisco Meraki is a globally known and trusted brand offering cloud computing solutions. It’s the undisputed leader in cloud-managed, centralized enterprise networks. Small and large businesses choose Meraki devices and services because they are simple, secure, versatile, and customizable.
Meraki products are entirely cloud driven. These enterprise-grade appliances and software comprise a powerful, intuitive, cloud-managed network architecture. Administrators can manage all devices and networks from the Meraki Dashboard. Because everything is centralized and simplified, businesses no longer have to spend so much time or money on traditional wireless controllers.
Meraki Devices
What are the components of a Meraki wireless network? Below, we take a closer look at the Meraki Wifi appliances you can add to your network.
-
- MR Series Access Points (APs): Meraki Wifi access points are hardware devices that give wireless-capable devices to connect to the network through Wifi or Bluetooth.
-
- MS Series Switches: Meraki switches are the industry’s first cloud-managed access and aggregation switches. Switches connect devices to a network and facilitate data transfers between the devices and the network via packet switching.
-
- MX Series Security Appliances: These security and SD-WAN enterprise appliances ensure connection security in all hub locations, especially in multi-cloud environments.
-
- MG Cellular Gateways: A brand-new Meraki offering, the cellular gateway captures cellular signal, converts it into wired Ethernet connection, and distributes it to the rest of the network through a router. Cellular gateways enable constant, high-speed Internet administrators can channel to more crucial business processes.
-
- Z Series Teleworker Gateways: These enterprise-class firewalls and VPN gateways allow telecommuting employees to access on-site networks.
-
- MV Series Smart Cameras: These indoor and outdoor CCTV cameras can be linked, configured, managed, and monitored through the Systems Management dashboard.
These Meraki wifi access points make up a cloud-managed architecture that brings the following benefits to businesses or organizations:
- Seamless management and deployment of protocols in multi-site networks
- Zero-touch access point provisioning for every new device added to a network
- Macro to micro, network-wide visibility and control
- Self-learning RF optimization
- Automatic download and installation of vital firmware updates
- Massive time savings when you’re adding new sites to a network (minutes instead of hours) or scaling
- Configure networks and devices in minutes; no need to hire or train dedicated staff to manage and monitor remote networks
- Self-provisioning hardware and software
- Allows users to scale up or down whenever necessary
Outstanding Characteristics of Meraki Wireless Networks
What sets Cisco Meraki Wifi apart from its competitors? Meraki pioneered IT network engineering and created innovative technology and platforms allowing organizations to have incredible management capabilities over their entire network. After Cisco acquired it, the two joined forces in developing business technology that lets organizations maximize the benefits of Meraki cloud.
These are the notable features of a Meraki ecosystem:
-
- Centralized: As a cloud-first Wifi platform, Meraki Wifi enables IT administrators to manage all network deployments from one dashboard using one device of their choosing.
- Multinational Management: IT administrators for multinational organizations can manage entire networks in the country and overseas. The dashboard view shows a world map with clickable pins for hub locations in different cities and countries. You can zoom into a building and pinpoint individual devices in that network.
- Location Analytics: Detailed analytics like user information, visit duration, entry points, and repeat visits are all available.
- Multigigabit Speed: Meraki Wifi can support 2.5Gbps of traffic through a single ethernet cable and high-speed 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless.
- Automatic Identity-Based Firewalls: Configuring every new device that logs into the network is unnecessary. Meraki Wifi automatically deploys firewall permissions based on the user’s classification.
- Auto RF Security: Auto TX Power and Auto Channel monitor all Meraki access points. They detect non-Wifi interference and vulnerabilities. Auto RF also automatically tunes channel assignments, band steering, and per-radio transmit power.
- Optimum Security: Cisco Meraki products have Layer 7 visibility technology. The highest layer of the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Model, Layer 7 tech can identify users, assess the quality of service between communicating users, and deploy privacy and identification protocols.