Overview
Cisco Meraki offers a broad range of switches built from the ground up that are designed to be easy to manage without compromising any of the power and flexibility traditionally found in enterprise-class switches.
Meraki access and aggregation switches are all managed through an elegant, intuitive cloud interface, freeing administrators to spend less time on configuration and more time on meeting business needs.
How does Meraki licensing work?
Meraki devices use the Meraki cloud for centralized management and control. The Meraki cloud is licensed on a per device, per year basis. Each device is licensed for a set duration with an expiration date.
What is the difference between co-termination and per-device licensing models?
Meraki supports two main types of licensing models, per-device licensing (PDL) and co-termination licensing (co-term). Details regarding the similarities and differences between the two models can be found in the Meraki Licensing document.
Can I combine co-termination and per-device licensing models in the same organization?
No. Licensing is handled on a per-organization level and each organization can only have one licensing model. Organizations will use the co-termination model by default, but administrators can opt into the per-device model if they choose.
How much does an Enterprise Cloud license cost?
License prices vary for each product line. For example, a one-year wireless license list price is $150 and a three-year switch license list price is $400. Licenses are available for different time durations (1 day, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years).
How do I buy an Enterprise Cloud license?
You can buy a license through an authorized Meraki partner or reseller.
Do I have to buy more licenses every time I buy new hardware?
Not necessarily; licenses are sold separately from the hardware. For example, you could upgrade from the MR18 to the MR33 without buying new licenses, as the wireless APs do not have model-specific licenses
NOTE: Some Meraki MX security appliances are eligible for license conversion. Please call Meraki support for additional information and assistance.
Do I need to have a license for every piece of Meraki hardware?
Yes, every Meraki hardware component requires a cloud license to be managed. Meraki hardware that isn’t licensed won’t pass traffic.
Are there different license tiers or editions?
The cellular gateway, camera, and systems manager product lines have one tier: Enterprise.
The switch product line has two tiers: Enterprise and Advanced licensing
The wireless product line has two tiers: Enterprise and Advanced/Upgrade, which are described in detail in the MR Advanced/Upgrade License document.
The security/SD-WAN appliance product line has three tiers: Enterprise, Advanced Security, and Secure SD-WAN Plus, which are described in the Meraki MX Security and SD-WAN Licensing document.
Meraki Insight has five tiers: X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large. Details can be found in the Meraki Insight Introduction document.
How does licensing vary between different Meraki product lines, e.g., wireless, switches, and security appliances?
In general, all Meraki products follow the same licensing model. The primary difference between them is that for all wireless access points (MR series), and camera lines (MV), the license is the same for all hardware models. In contrast, for the switches (MS series) and security appliance line (MX series), each hardware model has a different license.
Example: the LIC-ENT-1YR (1-year Enterprise MR license) applies to any of the MR access points. The LIC-MS220-24-1YR (1-year Enterprise MS220-24 license) applies to the MS220-24 model. The LIC-ENT-MX64-1YR (1-year Enterprise MX64 license) applies to the MX64. MI has a sizing model depending on how much throughput is needed to be monitored and also dependent on the MX; the details can be found in the MI Web App Health document. SM is licensed on the number of devices that are enrolled in your SM networks.
Is Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus licensing available for Z-Series devices?
Advanced Security and Secure SD-WAN Plus licensing and features are currently only available on MX devices and not on Z-Series, or any other Meraki series of devices.
Can I have an MX with Advanced Security and an MX with Enterprise in a single organization?
No. An organization has to either consist of all Secure SD-WAN Plus or Advanced Security or Enterprise licenses (MX) edition.
How does support relate to licensing?
A Meraki license includes enterprise-class support.
How does the hardware warranty relate to licensing?
The hardware warranty is tied to the hardware unit, not the license. Hardware that has a lifetime warranty (e.g., the MR24) is warranted for the life of the hardware. Hardware with a fixed-term warranty, (e.g., 1 year), has a 1-year warranty, regardless of the license.
Can I upgrade my organization from Enterprise to Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus (MX only)?
- You can purchase an Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus key, which includes all of the devices operating in your dashboard organization, and apply it as a renewal onto your account.
- You can also contact the Cisco Meraki Support team via phone or email, requesting that they assess if your organization can be upgraded to Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus without purchasing additional licensing.
- Any MX keys will be adjusted to account for cost weight between Enterprise and Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus
- Please note that if going through Cisco Meraki Support, the process is irreversible
Note: If the incorrect license key edition was purchased within the past 30 days, the Cisco Meraki team will not upgrade/downgrade the key. The key must be returned and the correct key reordered.
Can my organization be downgraded from Secure SD-WAN Plus or Advanced Security to Enterprise?
Yes, you can purchase and apply an Enterprise renewal key that covers all devices in your organization, which will revert your organization to an Enterprise state. You can also contact Meraki Support via phone or email and have your organization downgraded. Please note that if the organization is downgraded, you will not receive any additional time from the downgraded license keys. This process is irreversible.
Can I purchase a new license for a used piece of hardware purchased on the secondary market?
Before purchasing any piece of Cisco Meraki hardware on a secondary market such as eBay, you are advised to contact Cisco Meraki Support to confirm that the hardware has not been reported stolen from a Cisco Meraki trial program or a bonafide purchaser. Please have the serial number of each piece of hardware available when you contact Cisco Meraki Support. Cisco Meraki will not support or sell licenses for hardware units that have been reported stolen.
Do I need duplicate licenses to cover my security appliance in a warm spare configuration?
No, if two security appliances are in a warm spare/HA configuration, licensing is only required for one of the two devices. The only additional cost of a warm spare configuration is the redundant hardware. Switches in warm spare/HA will require two individual licenses.
Co-Termination Licensing FAQs
Can I move licenses between organizations?
Yes. With the co-termination licensing model, licenses that have been applied to an organization within the last seven (7) days can be reapplied to another organization. Please read Removing and Undoing License Claims article for more details.
What happens if I add devices in the middle of my license term?
Meraki sells 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10-year licenses, but does not sell prorated licenses. When you add a license to an existing account, we calculate the amount of extra time in your account and extend the co-terminating renewal date for all your devices accordingly.
Let’s say you originally purchased a 10 AP, 1-year license. 4 months into the license term you decide to add a 6 AP, 1-year license. You have extra credit of 4*6=24 AP-months. We automatically apply those 24 AP-months for your new 16 AP network. This gives you an additional 24/16 = 1.5 months.
In this way, an account only has a single co-terminating renewal date, avoiding the confusion associated with multiple renewal dates. To anticipate how new licenses will affect your co-termination date, please reference our License Calculator.
Show me an example of a co-termination organization’s license state.
A: The screenshot below shows a customer with different Meraki prod
