Hi Tim, On 4/19/07, Tim Kerns <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Thanks for stopping by... got your flack suit on.... :)
Heh.
I have one set up as a hot spot, it looks like it is either free or paid, not some of both. I do not run dhcp so I had to go into the unit and change the settings giving it a static IP. This was not a problem once I discovered the password was the serial number.
Did you consider running static DHCP to serve IPs to the Minis? It sounds like the effort required to reconfigure the Mini to use static IP was not too expensive given you were able to fix the problem successfully.
It appears to me that these will not allow client traffic until they are authenticated via Meraki dashboard. I don't mind this as long as this is for a hot spot, but I would like to use them at a customer to provide a mesh network within their home or property. For this I want it to be "closed", but I don't want the unit to have to "call home" before it will allow traffic.
Yes, for networks that are configured to require authentication before allowing access, the usernames and passwords are stored in Dashboard for security reasons. Have you considered configuring a closed network with a WEP key? We all know WEP is not as effective as WPA (support for that is upcoming), but WEP encryption is effective for providing deterrent for the layman. In this case, the network will be closed and the Mini will not "call home" when someone with the correct WEP key connects to it.
It would be great to have the dashboard on one of my servers so I could then control them. With this I could see deploying nearly one or two at every customer I provide service to. I think we are maybe looking at these units to do something different than the original intent and that is not as a hot spot, but as a "local" mesh network.
It's great to hear your interest in building a local mesh. While we support a hotspot configuration, we also want the Mini to be used in mesh networks. Our testbed San Francisco network (http://sf.meraki.net/) uses this functionality in high-density urban environments. As you note, Dashboard is only available right now as a hosted service. We have many network operators and thousands of users around the world using the system and we're very confident it can fit your needs as you build and expand your network. We expect your costs to be reduced, as well, since we host and manage the service on your behalf. What sort of control are you looking for over Dashboard that you don't get via our hosted interface? These are great questions, guys! Thanks for your interest! Regards, Chase -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
