Solved: Wifi Network

larrysmidbersky · ‎12-09-2023

Hi Cisco Meraki Community,

I have a network built with MH36 accesspoints (POE) and want to extend the range to certain rooms where the is absolutely no possibility of installing an ethernet cable. I managed to do so with some spare MH36 units and a power adapter installed right around the corner in the entry area of these rooms.

As there are different access points in the MR Series: Do they all work together? Can i use different access points (lower price range) then the MH36 for extending the range too?

Thanks 🙏 Larry

aleabrahao · ‎12-09-2023

The MR series is known for its ability to work together to provide wireless network coverage. The MR series use advanced Wi-Fi 6 technologies such as MU-MIMO, OFDMA, beamforming, and channel bonding to deliver the bandwidth and reliable coverage required by challenging enterprise applications.

In general, Meraki products have a similar licensing model, meaning all MR series share the same license across all hardware models. This suggests that different access points within the MR series should be able to work together seamlessly.

To extend the range of your network without the need for Ethernet cables, you might consider using additional access points or specific range extenders that function as repeaters or bridges. It's important to ensure that all access points share the same SSID and security key to allow smooth transitions for clients between access points.

Therefore, you should be able to use different MR series access points, including those in the lower price range, to extend the range of your network, as long as they share the necessary network settings for a seamless user experience.

I am not a Cisco employee. My suggestions are based on documentation of Meraki best practices and day-to-day experience.

Please, if this post was useful, leave your kudos and mark it as solved.

View solution in original post

aleabrahao · ‎12-09-2023

The MR series is known for its ability to work together to provide wireless network coverage. The MR series use advanced Wi-Fi 6 technologies such as MU-MIMO, OFDMA, beamforming, and channel bonding to deliver the bandwidth and reliable coverage required by challenging enterprise applications.

In general, Meraki products have a similar licensing model, meaning all MR series share the same license across all hardware models. This suggests that different access points within the MR series should be able to work together seamlessly.

To extend the range of your network without the need for Ethernet cables, you might consider using additional access points or specific range extenders that function as repeaters or bridges. It's important to ensure that all access points share the same SSID and security key to allow smooth transitions for clients between access points.

Therefore, you should be able to use different MR series access points, including those in the lower price range, to extend the range of your network, as long as they share the necessary network settings for a seamless user experience.

I am not a Cisco employee. My suggestions are based on documentation of Meraki best practices and day-to-day experience.

Please, if this post was useful, leave your kudos and mark it as solved.

Philip D'Ath · ‎12-09-2023

You can see all the MR models at the URL below, and there is a tool to help you choose a model or MR.

https://meraki.cisco.com/products/wi-fi/models/

The WiFi integrated into MX units is not "fully" compatible with MRs, but to the best of my knowledge, all MRs will work with all other MRs.

You could extend the range by getting an additional MR and operating it in "mesh" mode.
https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Wi-Fi_Basics_and_Best_Practices/Wireless_Mesh_Networking

Note that you don't take a performance hit when you do this, so you always want to use a cable when you can.