topic Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7 in Wireless

Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

ChrisSkees — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:28:15 GMT

Wi-Fi 7 from Cisco is here! With the Cisco Networking Subscription, we’re also introducing a complete reimagining of how organizations deploy and manage their wireless networks, starting with our Wi-Fi 7 access points.

Check out two learning modules on these topics in our new Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7 learning path.

Learn more about the subscription licensing model in Introducing the Cisco Networking Subscription
Get up to speed on Cisco's evolution to Wi-Fi 7 in Introducing Cisco Meraki Cloud-First Wireless

These modules are free, fun, and easy--empowering you to learn what you want at your own pace!

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

inderdeepsingh1 — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:57:26 GMT

Thanks for update @ChrisSkees

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

Philip D'Ath — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 09:37:37 GMT

I think you should avoid starting Cisco WiFi announcements with "Unify". It sounds a lot like another brand ...

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

Paccers — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:47:16 GMT

To be fair, Cisco's own public announcements on this uses 'unified' quite frequently

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

Network Sean — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 21:51:07 GMT

I will say the models was quick, informative, and wasn't boring. It also gave me the information I needed. The one question I have for the APs is what is holding you guys back from unifying 😉 the current 916x lineup?

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

ChrisSkees — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:29:00 GMT

Thanks @Network Sean appreciate the feedback! More to come on future products!

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

joey.debra — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 08:37:16 GMT

Unification of... could be a better way of putting it?

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

joey.debra — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 08:40:39 GMT

The WiFi 7 AP's come with builtin GPS eliminating the need for the various SKU's of the AP's on the Catalyst side. So only then you no longer have APmodel-Countrycode or APmodel-MR. You now only have APmodel.

In case of co-term licensing I'm not sure why they couldn't have one new SKU that covers both Catalyst or MR deployments.

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

Thomas Obbekaer Thomsen — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:54:42 GMT

What I have learned from watching videos, and presentations, about the new licensing for the new APs in the previous weeks.

1: Meraki stays the same (more or less). You want subscription , no worries, here is a subscription, and you can perhaps save a little money on the "essential" license, versus co-term (a good offer to go to advantage perhaps ?).

You are still on co-term, no worries as well, you can just continue here if you like.

Its all good, and everyone is happy.

2: Current Cisco on-prem. customers, unfortunatly, *frelled*

- Imagine having bought DNA licenses for 5 or 7+ years, then, before this, still just changing APs, because the license is the same in your smart-account. Now, if you want Wi-Fi7 AP , buy new licenses (aka. subscription).

There does not seem have been any though put into giving these customers anything (a upgrade path, a 1:1 conversion, anything).

That is gonna be one awkward conversation with those customers.

(I have already started to create memes for our sales support).

The best one involves the "two buttons meme", as a current Cisco DNA license holder, to convert your licenses to Meraki Co-term, or buy new licenses.

"Funny" stuff.

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

joey.debra — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:12:38 GMT

I have another issue.

So our office still has a bunch of MR33's and MR36's.
Somewhere next year we were going to replace them with newer AP's.

However our license is already at it's end and we were going to go with subscription licensing.
I believe the order has already been placed. This means we will end up with licenses that we can only use on the current AP's... I'm hoping there is a way we can replace those licenses with the CW versions once we upgrade to WiFi 7 AP's? Or will we be stuck in having to replace with WiFi6E? On it's own it's not THAT big of a deal but lifecycle management is one important thing for me so it would be a shame that we would be stuck like this.

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

Thomas Obbekaer Thomsen — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:22:35 GMT

No no .. Meraki licenses (even Subscription) is still one license to one AP, even with the new WiFi7 ones, no difference.

Its only Cisco on-prem with 9800 WLCs that has a problem with DNA licenses versus Subscription (that is now required here for WiFi7 APs).

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

joey.debra — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:10:17 GMT

Please check the documentation. You will see that the MR license does not cover the Wifi7 AP's and the CW license only covers the Wifi7 AP's.

https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Subscription_-_MR_Licensing
https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Subscription_-_Unified_Licensing_WI-FI7_APs

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

Thomas Obbekaer Thomsen — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:28:19 GMT

Just learned that everything is now Cisco-network-sub on CCW (and thats just fine).

If you have old APs you still select the MR in the Meraki part of the SUB, and then you can convert later to "Network-SUB" if you acquire WIFi7 AP. - and this, at a glance of course seems fine.

But..... what you CANNOT do is selecting the NEW Network-SUB (that inclused Spaces) for wireless, for old APs, even when you are renewing or creating a new SUB, because the "new" one does not "work" with old APs.

To quote Python : "Alright, this has become far too silly, let's end this before it becomes sillier".

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

Thomas Obbekaer Thomsen — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:34:56 GMT

You are right. You can only use the MR-SUB with old APs, and the Wireless Network-SUB with new WiFi7 APs. - I just learned this.

But co-term licenses are "free for all".

BUT .... If you acquire WIFi7 APs during your MR-SUBs lifetime you can get your MR-SUB licenses converted to Wireless Network-SUB (I just read a very long document about it).

But whats really dumb is that you cannot, up front, when aquiring a new sub use the Wireless Network-SUB for old APs, why not just let me buy those ? I dont get it, at all.

@joey.debra - I just PM'ed you a "thing" 🙂 Hope it helps. But still as I say right now about these licenses : "Alright, this has become far too silly, let's end this before it becomes sillier" - Monty Python

Re: Unifying Cisco Hardware and Licensing with Wi-Fi 7

tyshawn76 — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:46:49 GMT

@ChrisSkees - Do you think we should add the 9172s to this document?

https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Subscription_-_Unified_Licensing_Wi-Fi_7_APs