Small to medium businesses trying to extend their wireless network over a relatively large area without losing signal strength have to consider budgets when evaluating networking gear. Thankfully, it is easy to set up and configure a mesh network with Meraki's access points. Packed with of enterprise-rich features, the Meraki MR16 Cloud Managed Wireless Access Point??also offers good throughput, all at an attractive price.
The MR16 gives IT professionals an easy way to deploy a secured, granularly managed AP for wireless clients to access a business network. The $649 price tag may seem high end for smaller businesses, but is well within the reach of mid-sized businesses and is comparable with similar business access points.
Meraki's online administration differentiates the product from competitor models and is worth every penny spent, especially if the network requires multiple access points. Meraki has done a far better job than the competition in integrating cloud capability in its products. Its Cloud Controller software allows administrators to manage multiple APs in a mesh network via a single interface. Considering that Cisco is trying to integrate cloud-based administration and management with its own networking gear, buying Meraki for $1.2 billion??in November was a smart move for the networking giant.
Hardware Specifications and Appearance
Intended to be inconspicuous, the MR16 is a simple white box with a glossy-finish that can be mounted on the wall or placed on a flat surface. Measuring 7.3" x 5.8" x 1" (HWD) and weighing a mere 17 ounces, the MR16 has one RJ-45 Ethernet port to connect to the network. The top of the access point has four LED indicators to show signal strength, Ethernet connectivity, power, and bootup status. When the box is downloading a firmware upgrade, the power indicator blinks orange. The power adapter is at the bottom of the box. The box has integrated omni-directional antennas.
The MR16 has one 802.11 b/g/n and one 802.11 a/n radio and operates concurrently in 2.4 and 5GHz bands. The SMB-focused access point has two spatial stream MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology that can support a theoretical 600 Mbps throughput. The AP has a 3 dBi antenna for the 2.4 GHz radio and a 5 dBi antenna for the 5GHz radio.
Like the previously reviewed
Setup
As promised, setup was a breeze. After unpacking the access point, I plugged it into a power outlet and plugged in an Ethernet cable to the RJ-45 port and to an available port on the network switch. When powered on, the AP automatically contacted Meraki's cloud servers to download and install the latest firmware. The switch's power LED flashed orange for the entire update process. According to the documentation accompanying the unit, the upgrade process can take up to an hour, but it took me less than 20 minutes. Once the upgrade was complete, the power light switched to green and I was ready to check out the AP's management dashboard.
Meraki sent only one MR16 802.11n access point for this review. Meraki's access points use the Meraki Cloud Controller, which means that same model APs detect each other automatically to create the mesh network. If I'd had more than one MR16, all I would have had to do was plug in the access points within range of each other to automatically have a mesh network. The other APs don't need to be connected to the network switch; they connect with each other wirelessly.
To configure the network properly, I also needed a Cloud license key (at $150 per year per access point) for each access point.
Once the firmware upgrade was complete, I logged into Meraki's Web dashboard, (http://dashboard.meraki.com) to administer my access point. I created a network name on the dashboard and added the MR16 to the network by entering the AP's order number (from the invoice) or the serial number (a label on the underside of the unit). Separate networks must be created for different Meraki device types (MR, MX, MS, etc) even if they are all deployed in the same network, but if I'd had multiple MR16s, they would have been added to the same network.
It took a while?about 11 minutes? for Meraki's servers to detect the AP and associate it with my network, but once that was done, I could see on the dashboard what IP Address and configuration settings it had received from the network, as well as the device's MAC address, wireless radio status, and uptime.
For most cases, there's no need to change the assigned IP address or enter any other networking information. It truly is drop-and-go. (If you really need to add static IP addresses, each access point has its own built-in Web server for configuration)
In fact, all you need is someone to plug in the MR16 at a remote location and its self-configuring capabilities will take care of deployment. There is no need for on-site IT staff.
Management
Meraki makes it possible for small businesses to deploy a mesh sufficient to cover a geographic area and support a large number of users without a wireless networking guru. Management is just as easy? Next: Management
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Wmh5MOebzuU/0,2817,2414088,00.asp
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