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CISCO Meraki is a cloud-based networking solution offered by CISCO. It provides a range of hardware devices and software tools that allow organizations to easily manage and monitor their network infrastructure through a centralized web-based dashboard. CISCO Meraki simplifies network management by offering features such as wireless access points, switches, Security appliance and mobile devices management tools, all managed through a single interface.
Overview: CISCO Meraki
CISCO Meraki is a cloud-managed networking solution that offers a comprehensive set of hardware devices and software tools to simplify network management for organizations. It utilizes cloud-based technology to provide centralized control, visibility and monitoring capability for network infrastructure, eliminating the need for on-premises controllers or management servers.
Related: Cisco Meraki Interview Questions & Answers
Advantages of Cisco Meraki as a Cloud-Managed Networking Solution
With CISCO Meraki, network administrators can easily deploy, configure and monitor networks across multiple locations from a single web-based dashboard. This cloud-based approach provides several advantages:
- Scalability: Cisco Meraki is designed to scale effortlessly as organizations grow. New devices can be easily added to the network and integrated into the existing infrastructure without the need for complex configuration or additional on-site equipment. The flexibility allows networks to adapt to changing business needs.
- Comprehensive Visibility: The cloud-based dashboard provides real-time visibility into network performance and device status. Administrators can monitor and analyse network traffic, user behaviour and application usage gaining valuable insights to optimize network performance, detect potential issues and make data-driven decisions.
- Seamless Updates and Security: Cisco Meraki simplifies firmware updates, security patches and features enhancement through its cloud-based architecture. Update can be applied remotely across the network, ensuring that devices remain up to date with the latest features and security measures. This organization stays protected against emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
- Integrated Security Features: Cisco Meraki includes built-in security features such as firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, content filtering, secure VPN connectivity. These features can be easily configured and managed through the cloud-based dashboard, providing comprehensive network security without the need for additional hardware or software.
- Centralized Policy Management: Administrators can define network-wide policies and configurations through the cloud-based dashboard, ensuring consistency and compliance across the entire network. The centralized approach simplifies policy management and reduces the risk of misconfiguration or inconsistencies.
- Enhanced Collaboration and Troubleshooting: The Cloud-based dashboard facilitates collaboration among network administrators, allowing multiple users to access and manage the network simultaneously. Troubleshooting becomes more efficient with real-time monitoring and troubleshooting tools available through the dashboard, helping administrators quickly identify and resolve network issues.
- Simplified Management: The Cloud-based dashboard offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy to manage and control network devices. Administrators can access the dashboard from anywhere with an internet connection, enabling efficient network management and troubleshooting, regardless of the physical location.
- Easy Deployment: With power and internet connectivity to device meraki devices can be deployed and installed very easily and quickly.
- Consistent and Replicable Configuration: If we need to copy configuration from one site to another site is very quick and easy. We can also clone device configuration to keep consistency within your network.
- Automatic Firmware Upgrades: Schedule maintenance window for particular time and next time there is new software or improvement available for Meraki device like switch, security appliance or AP it will be installed automatically.
- Secure Site-to-Site VPN: Meraki can be Configure sites and preferred connectivity between them with VPN. Auto VPN will automatically build secure IPsec tunnels between them without any IPsec knowledge required to administrator.
- Layer 7 Traffic Visibility and Control: Meraki devices can filter or report traffic on the network based on application level (Layer 7). Administrators can easily create rules based on domain names and block it or limit speed.
- Virtual Stacking: All Meraki switches support Virtual Stacking which lets you manage all switch ports as if there were all on a single switch. This rapidly reduces configuration effort.
- Intelligent WAN Traffic Optimization: Select internet uplink based on the current performance of the line. Specify the preferred path and QoS for different traffic classes and shaping of links.
- Manage your Mobile Devices and Desktops: Administrator can control applications installed on your company phones and tablets as well as push configuration changes to them, push certificates, wipe stolen devices and much more.
- Automatic Network Topology Map: Meraki Dashboard automatically builds a dynamic topology map of your networks.
Final words
Overall, CISCO Meraki as a Cloud-managed network solution offers organizations a simplified approach to network management. It combines ease of use, scalability, comprehensive visibility and integrated security features to enable efficient and secure operation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am here to share my knowledge and experience in the field of networking with the goal being – “The more you share, the more you learn.”
I am a biotechnologist by qualification and a Network Enthusiast by interest. I developed interest in networking being in the company of a passionate Network Professional, my husband.
I am a strong believer of the fact that “learning is a constant process of discovering yourself.”
– Rashmi Bhardwaj (Author/Editor)
