Cisco Meraki network admins, rejoice! In addition to wireless networks, the mobile app now supports MS Switch and MX Security Appliance networks. Yes, now you can monitor your entire Meraki infrastructure right from the mobile app.
Support for switch and security appliance networks
Switch support brings centralized management of switch networks right to your mobile device. Monitor switch up/down status, load, and traffic, and click on a switch to see its configuration and status details. Drill down on any port to view details such as port status, PoE draw, and device information reported via LLDP/CDP. Need to rack a new switch in the network closet? Leave laptops behind and add the new switch to the network right from the mobile app. Blinking LEDs is especially helpful when trying to identify one device among a large stack – now you can do it right from a mobile device.
Similarly, view the status of MX Security Appliances and crucial information such as WAN / LAN connectivity, connected clients, and bandwidth utilization. Since the need to investigate issues can strike anytime, and a laptop may not be readily available, on-the-go troubleshooting is simplified through built-in traceroute, DNS, and throughput measurement tools. Organizations that use the MX’s Auto VPN to connect sites can monitor the status in the new VPN tab, which keeps an eye on each site’s connectivity and roundtrip latency.
Summary reports for switches and security appliances show the most important information about activity on the network. Bandwidth utilization, top applications, top clients, and throughput graphs help you stay on top of your network’s usage.
We’re excited to release this update, and our engineering team is working on more exciting features to come. We’ve already received hundreds of wishes – if there’s something you’d like to see added to the app, just shake to make a wish.
Our Support team works 24/7 to answer questions across all product lines and to troubleshoot with customers around the world. We chatted with Dom, one of our Technical Support Engineers (TSEs), about how he came to work at Cisco Meraki, and why he enjoys tackling complex problems to help users resolve their most pressing networking concerns.
A Brooklyn native, Dom recently graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Information Security and Forensics, and a minor in Literature. Drawing on his education and past professional networking experience, Dom interviewed for a summer internship with the Cisco Meraki Support team and aced the technical tests. After three months as an intern, the team was excited to offer him a full-time position.
As a TSE, Dom helps customers solve any and all problems they may be experiencing with their networks, via incoming email and phone cases. Like all of our Technical Support team members, Dom is armed with a strong networking background, is well-versed in all Cisco Meraki products, and possesses a keen aptitude for problem-solving. He works with customers and other members of the Cisco Meraki team, including developers, product managers, and sales representatives, every day to ensure that end users have the best possible product experience.
Dom attributes his knack for networking and troubleshooting prowess to his gaming background. In the heat of spirited competition, his computer would break quite frequently, so he quickly became an expert at fixing it. He later turned this knowledge into profitable use by operating a one-man computer repair service in his hometown, allowing him to continue learning and to hone his technical agility.
Speaking with customers in deployment settings that range from educational institutions to small businesses to luxury resorts, Dom gets the opportunity to see different ways in which people are using Cisco Meraki products to meet their organizations’ varying needs. Dom and the Support team have a wide variety of troubleshooting experience under their belts, from working with customers with a single access point in a home office to helping large enterprises implement reliable mobile device management.
Dom enjoys the unpredictable nature of his job, as he is intellectually engaged and kept on his toes throughout the day. “There’s no script in support. You have to use your brain and and apply your knowledge to new situations all the time. You never know who’s going to be on the other end of a call, what they’re going to say, and how they’re going to say it. One of the most valuable things you learn here as a TSE is how to be tactful and patient with people, and that extends to many other aspects of life.”
When asked to describe his favorite part of being a Cisco Meraki TSE, Dom narrows it down to the feeling he gets after helping a customer. “Do you watch Suits? You know how Harvey is the greatest “closer”? That’s what I want to be, and it’s the feeling I get when I solve a customer’s problem and close a case. It’s very rewarding to help someone and to be able to relieve their distress.”
To chat with Dom or another member of our wonderful Support team, visit the Help section in Dashboard. From here, you can choose to submit a case via email, or give us a call with your Cisco Meraki customer number ready. This number routes your information to the appropriate TSE, or the one we believe best suited to assist with your case.
Dom also credits much of his job satisfaction to the upbeat office environment and team spirit among coworkers. Looking around, he notes, ”You can tell people like to work here, and a good feeling like that is contagious.” When he’s not closing cases, Dom is a fan of fitness and literature. “If I read a book and go to the gym every day, I’m the happiest person in the world.”
Looking back, Dom recalls the decision to accept his job offer and become a full-fledged member of Support as being an easy one to make. “I learned more about networking in my three months as an intern at Meraki than in my four years at school, so I was definitely excited to come back and keep learning.”
Does Dom’s story sound exciting? Good news – we’re hiring! Feel free to visit https://meraki.cisco.com/jobs to check out current openings.
We’ll be heading over to the ExCeL Centre in London in a couple of days for the upcoming Bett Show 2014, and our super friendly and technical team from Cisco Meraki are excited to meet you.
Pop by our stand, E92, from January 22-25th and join us for one of the group demos that will occur at the top of each hour. Better yet, one of our product managers would love to give you a personalized 1:1 demo on how to manage your network with the Meraki dashboard.
Interested in hearing what Cisco Meraki customers have to say about their Meraki experience? Adrian Hollister, IT Director of Plymouth University, and Andrew Breakspear, IT Officer at St. Edmunds Hall of the University of Oxford, will share their stories on how they moved to a cloud controlled wireless network providing secure, reliable WiFi at their campuses. Adrian and Andrew will be speaking at both sessions and no pre-registration is needed!
Wednesday, January 22 from 11:30am-12:15pm in the Schools Live Learn Theatre 3
Thursday, January 23 from 2:30-3:15pm in the Higher Education Learn Live Theatre
We look forward to meeting you and if you can’t make it to the show in person, follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates and pics over the the next few days. See you soon!
The engineers for Cisco Meraki Systems Manager have been hard at work over the past couple of years. From releasing new features that extend and simplify control of enrolled devices to supporting new device platforms like Android and iOS, it’s easier than ever to get up and running with Systems Manager.
Check out the two updated videos below that will get you started and managing your devices in just a few minutes!
This short video is perfect for those who are setting up Systems Manager for the first time. It covers registering for an account, getting started in your cloud-based management dashboard, enrolling devices, and more.
After setting up Systems Manager, check out this video to learn various tips and tricks to manage enrolled devices. It covers tracking and monitoring devices, establishing device tags and group profiles, enforcing restrictions, deploying apps, and more.
Itching for more? Check out the weekly webinar on Systems Manager.
Thinking about what network aspects K-12 environments need to be prepared for? Or how to protect students and networks from possible security threats?
It’s now more important than ever to provide reliable, high performance networks that easily support high density usage. States are taking great strides to create rich learning environments fostering creativity and collaboration, as well as instituting educational milestones through academic testing.
Cisco Meraki webinars have helped thousands of attendees identify top concerns and, more importantly, find simple solutions for their needs. Even though the changes states are requiring have short ramp-up times and high demands for widespread technology in schools, it doesn’t have to be an impossible task to implement them.
The classroom dynamic is fundamentally changing and K-12 IT teams are being tasked with supporting a variety of new learning initiatives: BYOD, 1:1, Common Core standards, state-specific assessments, etc.
Sign up for a K-12 webinar below to find the solution for your IT challenges:
Jan 14
10am PT
Wireless for K-12: A Technical Deep Dive on Security, Scalability, Devices & More
In-depth demos of security options, device management, airtime fairness, etc.
Jan 29
11am PT
1:1 and BYOD for K-12
Best practices for managing devices and solving bandwidth challenges
Feb 6
10am PT
Definitive Security for the K-12 Networking Environment
The latest innovations in content security, network management, and more
Feb 20
9am PT
Wireless for K-12: A Technical Deep Dive on Security, Scalability, Devices & More
In-depth demos of security options, device management, airtime fairness, etc.
In May 2011 Meraki – as it was then – opened its first overseas office as it expanded its fast-growing business into Europe, locating itself right in the heart of London’s Tech City. This burgeoning melting pot of digital businesses and trendy coffee bars is widely considered the home of tech startups in the big city, so a perfect fit for Meraki at the time.
To begin with, Meraki Europe operated from a single room on the third floor of a large 1930s building with Art Deco features and a roof terrace, housing no fewer than 48 startups! Initially only a handful of sales employees worked at the office, running their entire IP telephony needs remotely over VPN through a single MR12 Access Point! Here’s how it looked…
The team has some fond memories of life in this building, including its susceptibility to power cuts, one of which occurred 5 minutes before a webinar was scheduled to begin. One team member found life in this cramped little office so noisy that he had to sit under the table to answer calls! The office frequently became uncomfortably hot due to an absence of air conditioning, and happened to be right across the street from a night club which began its happy hour at 4.30pm, sending waves of thumping bass in through the open windows. Those were the days.
With the team growing rapidly a new home was urgently required, and so in September 2012 Meraki London relocated a couple of Underground stops away to Farringdon, close to the site of the new Crossrail hub station. The new office came equipped with luxuries like a kitchen, meeting rooms – one with enough space to house the first European CMNA courses – and even a Fussball table. Oh, plus the all-important air conditioning!
Creating appealing workspaces has always been a priority for Meraki, consistent with its work-hard-play-hard startup culture. The Farringdon office was no exception, designed by the wife of a team member who just happens to be a specialist in graphic design and branding.
Following a year of tremendous expansion in 2013, particularly in the sales and support teams, we’re excited that the London office begins the new year by doubling its size, and design work for the new space is now well underway. We can’t help wondering how long it’ll be before that floor fills up as well!
With Cisco Meraki continuing to grow into new territories, it’s only a matter of time before there’s an office in every region of the globe. Care to join us?
The new year brings a fresh start, and with it, a chance to reflect on the past. What a year it was, 2013! Here’s a look at some of the highlights.
The Meraki team got a running start to the year, with Cisco’s acquisition of Meraki closing in late December 2012. In January, we joined one of Cisco’s largest events – Cisco Live! In London, and later in the year in Orlando, we were fortunate to meet hundreds of partners and customers, and give live Meraki demonstrations to those who’d previously only seen the solution from afar.
Partner training accelerated with the expansion of the ever popular CMNA program. Over the course of the year, we trained thousands of partners in over 100 sessions, dotting North America, Europe, and new CMNA locations like Singapore and Australia.
The CMNA program continues to get rave reviews
The spring brought the introduction of new MX Security Appliance features for K-12, the first of several major Cisco Meraki releases throughout the year. The addition of YouTube for Schools, enhanced content filtering, and web caching strengthened online safety for kids and improved network performance.
A few weeks later we introduced one of the most popular features of the year, WiFi with Facebook Login, through which organizations can provide seamless guest WiFi, using their Facebook Page as the splash login page. Along with our new Presence Analytics, this significantly enhanced the solution for retail and guest WiFi environments.
Update: Cisco Meraki Presence is now known as CMX (Connected Mobile Experiences), a comprehensive location analytics and engagement platform ideal for both cloud-managed or on-premise solutions. Click here to learn more.
WiFi with Facebook Login on a mobile device
All along the way, we continued to hire and added many new faces to the Cisco Meraki team (if you’re interested in joining us, check out our job opportunities), including in San Francisco and around the world. After several years of sustained growth, it was time to move from our main office into a place with a bit more room. The Meraki team settled into a brand new home in San Francisco – complete with wonderful views of the San Francisco Bay, some upgraded meeting spaces, and a few ways to take advantage of the sunny weather on this side of the city.
Upgraded work spaces in our San Francisco office
In August, we introduced the industry’s first cloud-managed 802.11ac AP, the MR34, not only adding blazing fast WiFi speeds, but also including a third radio dedicated to security and RF optimization.
Gadget fans got some treats in the fall with the introduction of the Apple iPhone 5S, iOS 7, and the Google Nexus 5. We added to the excitement by extending dashboard management of Meraki wireless networks to mobile devices through the new iOS and Android app. We’ve already received some great feedback about the app and are looking forward to releasing some new features that are in the works, such as support for switching and security appliance networks.
New Meraki dashboard mobile app available on Android and iOS
In early November, we launched our biggest product release ever – 10 new switch models, including access switches, aggregation switches, and features for mission-critical applications, like hot-swappable, redundant power supplies. We also strengthened switching layer security and management, with layer 3 essentials and a new field IT admin role.
To round out the year, just a few weeks ago we added new wireless features that enhance management of large-scale, distributed networks, like reporting by tag, RF channel planning via maps, and time-scheduled group policies.
We’re grateful for your continued support, and proud of what we accomplished in 2013. We look forward to making 2014 even better, and can’t wait to share the exciting projects we’re working on with you.
We’re starting off the new year full speed ahead with a handful of events lined up in the next few weeks.
Check out the full list below and meet a member of our wonderful team made up of our engineers and product managers for a custom 1:1 demo at each event. We’d love to meet you and show you some of our favorite features of the Cisco Meraki dashboard, including our newest wireless features like group policy scheduling and network tagging.
Our newest members of the Cisco Meraki MS family along with our 802.11ac access point, the MR34, will also be on display. Not only will their super sleek design impress you, but so will what it can do. Get a first-hand look at why over tens of thousands of customers have chosen Cisco Meraki and you’ll also have an opportunity to receive a free 802.11n access point!
NRF Big Show
New York, New York
January 13-14, 2014
Booth 1954, Cisco Systems
Bett 2014
London, England
January 22-25, 2014
Booth E92, Cisco Meraki
WiFi with Facebook Login on a mobile device
Upgraded work spaces in our San Francisco office
New Meraki dashboard mobile app available on Android and iOS