Connectivity methods for Meraki MX dedicated management port

[Redman1804]

Hi 

I appreciate very limited configuration is possible via the dedicated management port but I have a customer who insists on connecting it to a sort of OOB environment so as to be able to remotely access the MX appliance in emergencies when connectivity to the remote site via the WAN fails.

Should the dedicated management port on a Meraki MX device be viewed as a resource only to be accessed by directly connecting a laptop to it or can be utilized for connectivity via a separate LAN?

Does the management port deliver an IP address to a directly attached PC via DHCP?  And can this subnet be changed, including the actual default IP address of the management interface? Also, does the port have a default gateway or is it itself the gateway? The following link specifies the default management IP addresses for the MS, MR, and other Meraki devices but excludes the MX:

https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Tools_and_Troubleshooting/Using_the_Cisco_Meraki_Device_Local_Status_Page

Thanks

[marce1000 · Accepted solution]

               >Does the management port deliver an IP address to a directly attached PC via DHCP? 
 Indeed  the Meraki MX dedicated management port is designed to provide an IP address to a directly attached PC via DHCP. When you connect a PC to the management port using an Ethernet cable, the MX device will assign an IP address to the PC using DHCP. The IP address will be in the same subnet as the management port, which is typically 192.168.128.0/24.

Once the PC has been assigned an IP address, you can use a web browser to access the Meraki dashboard and manage the MX device. The default login credentials for the dashboard are:
                Username: "admin"
                Password: "meraki"
       It's important to note that the dedicated management port should only be used for management purposes, and not for general network traffic.

   Also :  the IP address of the Meraki MX dedicated management port can be changed. To change the management IP address, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Meraki dashboard.
2. Navigate to the "Network-wide" page.
3. Click on the "General" tab.
4. Scroll down to the "Management IP address" section.
5. Enter the new IP address in the "Management IP address" field.
6. Click the "Save changes" button.
   It's important to note that changing the management IP address may disrupt connectivity to the Meraki dashboard, so be sure to use a new IP address that is within the same subnet as the current management IP address. You may also need to update any firewall rules or network settings to allow access to the new management IP address.

  But in the end the latter solution is considered better when designing an out of band management vlan and or not use separate managed ip address for the devices connecting to the management port (not 'local subnets')

 M. 

[bill cismar]

There is no "Management IP address" section for my MX85.
I have a pair of MX85s' in Warm Spare, as the hub, in routed configuration, and would like to have the security of being able to recover or readdress the HUB in the event of an issue with my ISP rendering them off-line from the WAN ports.
I am particularly concerned that these ports are in the default mode and are making DHCP offers in my infrastructure Management Vlan!!
Yikes!

[Redman1804]

@marce1000 - Thanks for the super quick response. Very detailed and clear explanation.