So, my device arrived today -- solid piece of hardware, so no complaints. As I review the setup instructions, I see a different concern than the ones that have been voiced thus far.
I'm really not worried about what might happen 3 years from now, but rather how much information a cloud managed network device will provide about my whole network, and not just the device itself. The basic instructions say to logon to the website and configure the settings for the device, then put it on the network and have it download all its settings. I'm going to pay close attention to the type of traffic that this device sees fit to disclose. :) Not a complaint so much as an observation. There's always OpenWRT... *ASB **http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker* <http://xeeme.com/AndrewBaker>* **Providing Virtual CIO Services (IT Operations & Information Security) for the SMB market…*** On Mon, Mar 18, 2013 at 11:34 PM, Jon Harris <[email protected]> wrote: > Here is the question and answer from Meraki about what happens when the > license expires. > > > 1. What happens when or if the license for the Cloud Management of > the device lapse?****** > > ** **- Devices have a 90 day grace period for renewal. Beyond that, they > will not be able to pass traffic. > > > > Jon > ------------------------------ > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Meraki > Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:34:35 -0400 > > > The actual response was at the end of the contract + 90 days is when the > action would take place. The action in this instance was that "it would > stop passing traffic". When I get to work later I will cut the > actual question/answer from my email and send it to the list. > > I don't doubt that most larger businesses would keep this device > under contract. It would be very unwise to do otherwise, although I have > seen other businesses that depend on their network, not keep their high > dollar network devices under contract. > > Like I said earlier did find the fact that unlike a lot of other IT > directed businesses they seemed to be more interested in allowing their > hardware, in this case, to sell themselves rather than have some sales > drone push it hard. That in itself to me is a big plus for the company. > > Jon > > ------------------------------ > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Meraki > Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:57:46 +0000 > > It doesn't stop passing traffic and right now that’s not a hard cut off. > We have gone a few weeks past an expiration and we can still monitor and > make changes. I am sure at some point though you would lose ability to > manage it. > > That is the one part of the whole solution that I am concerned with, but > in almost all of my clients they keep up the warranty on their devices, > controllers, servers, etc because to have it fail and either the > replacement cost or downtime exposure is pretty steep. The renewal cost > on the licenses is paying for the service. If you factor the cost of a > Rukus, Firetide, Cisco, etc by the time you pay for the AP's, the > controller and license cost I am pretty sure you would be very close to the > cost over 3 years. > > At least we were when we checked it over Ruckus on 3 years. > > *Greg Sweers* > > CEO > > *ACTS360.com <http://www.acts360.com/>*** > > *P.O. Box 1193* > > *Brandon, FL 33509* > > *813-657-0849 Office* > > *813-644-3479 Cell* > > > From: Adam Greene <[email protected]> > Reply-To: "[email protected]" < > [email protected]> > Date: Saturday, March 16, 2013 9:27 AM > To: "[email protected]" < > [email protected]> > Subject: RE: Meraki > > I wonder if after 3 years you just lose the ability to manage it via > the cloud. It seems pretty bad that the device itself would stop working if > you don’t renew the license. > > > > *From:* Jon Harris [mailto:[email protected] <[email protected]>] > *Sent:* Friday, March 15, 2013 7:57 PM > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: Meraki > > > > Yes but at the end of 3 years you have to renew the license or the device > will stop passing traffic. At least that is what the sales drone told me. > I still don't know a lot of homeowners or mom & pop SMB's that will buy > into something that requires this type of commitment or yearly price. I > will know better after I do my evaluation but I don't see it happening long > term. Once I am finished with my evaluation I get the lovely chore of > passing my findings to my boss here at work for him to think about. We are > not that commited to doing wireless except for BOD and certain officers at > only certain locations. This looked like something they would think about > but with the yearly cost I don't know. > > Jon > > ------------------------------ > > From: [email protected] > Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:03:56 -0400 > Subject: Re: Meraki > To: [email protected] > > My understanding was that the devices came with a 3 YEAR cloud license... > > > > > > > > > *ASB > **http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker* <http://xeeme.com/AndrewBaker>* > **Providing Virtual CIO Services (IT Operations & Information Security) > for the SMB market…* > > > > > > On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 12:02 AM, Jon Harris <[email protected]> wrote: > > After a little talking to a sales drone (quite nice they let me initiate > the conversation) I found out that if the Cloud Management License lapses > by 90+ days then the AP will stop passing traffic. I don't know yet if > that would be good thing or bad. I guess I will have to actually do some > testing of the device they are shipping me to see if it is worth the MSRP > of $150/AP/year. I can't see this for homeowners or even a lot of mom & > pop SMBs. I don't think they will be willing to fork over the year fee. > > Jon > > ------------------------------ > > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Meraki > Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:23:41 +0000 > > > > I love the Meraki AP’s. We have 40+ over multiple clients. Easy > management, great performance. We had have replaced clients that were > having horrible issues with Rukus, Firetide, Cisco, etc.. Not because the > equipment was bad, but because the reseller sold it without the proper > controllers, or told them they could manage multiple sites from a web page, > when in fact they had to connect to the controller locally at each site to > manage…. Fortunately almost all of them were able to return their products > to reseller or direct. > > Setup the info on the dashboard. SSID, policies, etc.. > Connect your laptop to the Meraki, set the IP/connection info, plug in to > POE or injector and 2 mins later you are on and connected. Seamless > roaming across a 12000 sqft facility with multiple walls, offices, floors. > We have had what we think was just a bad manufacturing batch because about > 4 in a one month period arrived, plugged in and promptly (3 -4 mins) > fried. Different locations… But since then no issues. Prompt RMA service > also.. > > Now the Firewalls…Same interface, excellent performance. Seriously > lacking on features and granular controls. Sonicwall, Watchguard have them > beat hands down. Needs polishing on the usability of the interface as > well. We are actively involved with their development team as we have some > of their higher end stuff in our datacenter and I am unable to meet some > client application needs, but I am hopeful for some resolutions. In the > meantime I had to install my old Sonicwall 2040 to get around it. > If you are just looking for basic firewall and don’t need a lot of higher > end firewall features the single management interface for everything is > really nice. Automatic Site to Site with WAN Acceleration, Failover, etc > are all included. > > The switches have some huge promise too. We only have one at a client due > to price.. Definitely not the cheapest when you can get a 24 port HP 1910 > for 400 bucks vs 1100+… > > > *Greg Sweers* > CEO > *ACTS360.com <http://www.acts360.com/>* > *P.O. Box 1193* > *Brandon, FL 33509* > *813-657-0849 Office* > *813-644-3479 Cell* > *813-644-3476 Fax* > > > > *From:* Tom Miller [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Monday, March 11, 2013 8:56 AM > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: Meraki > > > We're looking at Meraki for our two manufacturing facilities. Here at > HQ we installed Cisco wireless last year. I've been trying to get Cisco to > buy back the equipment so it would be Meraki everywhere. So far no luck - > seems like they are pretty much separate companies. I'm still hopeful > since I like the meraki management. > > > *From:* Patrick Salmon [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Friday, March 08, 2013 4:38 PM > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* OT: Meraki > > > Since it came up the other week (and with full disclosure: I am a Cisco > employee and Meraki is now a part of Cisco), anybody want a free AP? Yeah. > Free. > > > > Follow link. sign up. Participate in webinar. Validate shipping details. > Done. Before I get spanked, it is limited to NA and EU so apologies to > anyone outside those geos. > > > > 802.11n, fully cloud-managed with a 3-yr subscription. Setup is a breeze. > > > > I did this a couple of months ago and was very happy with the MR16 they > sent (I'm pretty certain that's the $699 one referenced in the link) and > when I certified (SE's and Cisco partners only) they replaced it with the > MR24 (more radios) added the NGFW and POE Switch. My home network is now > entirely Meraki and while I have incentive to be somewhat biased have found > it to be uber cool in its own right. Kinda harks back to the good old days > when you could get Cisco t-shirts and books just by finding the right link; > this is one such link, and you're welcome ;-) > > > > Link here: http://www.meraki.com/freeap > > > > Pat. > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
