Introduction
Cisco Meraki is a cloud-based router and firewall solution that helps you manage your network better than ever before. In this article, we’ll explore what Cisco Meraki is, its benefits, and how it can help you navigate the complex world of IT.
What is Cisco Meraki?
Cisco Meraki is a cloud-managed networking solution that allows you to manage your entire network from a single dashboard. It provides centralized management of security, performance, mobility and more across small to large businesses.
Meraki’s wireless access points (APs) are pre-configured with security policies that can be applied at the AP itself or by an administrator on the controller console. These policies include:
- MAC filtering – only allow devices on particular subnets
- VLAN assignment – assign each device to specific VLANs for native switching capability
Useful Terms
A few important terms that you’ll want to know are:
- Cloud Management. This is the centralized, scalable infrastructure that allows for easy access and management of your network. It also allows for monitoring and troubleshooting of your entire network from one location, as well as provisioning of new devices from within the cloud.
- Virtual Private Network (VPN). The Meraki VPN provides secure connections over public networks such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections in order to protect sensitive data while traveling through these environments. You can connect via VPNs on both wired and wireless networks, including those used by mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.*DHCP/Dynamic DNS/Dynamic Routing/NAC/Firewall etc.,
Basic Configuration
To complete the basic configuration, you’ll need to add devices to your network. This step is done through the Network section of your dashboard. It’s important to note that not every device can be added in this way; you’ll need to consult its documentation for more information on how these options work.
Once you’ve added a device, you’ll want to configure it before moving on with other steps in this guide (such as adding subnets).
WAN Bandwidth Analysis
In this section, we’ll cover WAN bandwidth analysis. We’ll talk about what it is and how to measure it.
WAN Bandwidth: The amount of data that can be sent over a WAN connection in bits per second (bps). It’s measured in Kbps or Mbps for larger networks with more than one device connected at once. For example, if you have three people working together on an internet project and two devices running at full capacity (with no complaints), then their total bandwidth will be 120Kbps (1Mbps). If they add another device with its own full-featured internet connection but doesn’t use all of its ability at once either—such as an old laptop or phone—then the total amount becomes 160kbps(2Mbps).
Networking Considerations
Before you get started with Cisco Meraki, it is important to consider the following:
- How will your network grow in the future?
- How are you planning for redundancy? For example, what if a device goes offline or becomes unusable due to an issue with its hardware or software (e.g., a server crash). In this case, what would happen if another device was available to replace it? Would there be any downtime at all? If so, how long would it last and what kind of impact does this have on your organization’s operations?
- What security measures do you want in place on your network? Are they adequate given where we are today as a society with regards to cyber threats and attacks against us all day every day (and night)?
Takeaway:
Meraki is a cloud-managed network security system that helps you secure your network from hackers and malicious attackers. Meraki is an easy way to manage your network and keep it secure, but it’s also affordable. To use Meraki, you don’t need any technical knowledge or experience in networking—just sign up for an account online and get started!
Here are some other takeaways:
- Meraki works with small businesses as well as large corporations—and if you’re looking for a good starting point when it comes to setting up an enterprise-grade wireless network, this might be just what you need!
- It’s completely secure so there’s no worry of data loss or theft; this makes it suitable even for businesses located far away from one another (e.g., on different continents).
Conclusion
If you’re new to the world of network security, then Cisco Meraki may be something that you’ve never heard of. However, if you’ve been in the industry at any point during the last decade or so, then chances are good that you have already come across this company’s products. In fact, they’ve been around since 1999 and continue to be one of the leading providers of high-end wireless solutions today.