Cisco Meraki mr55 User manual

MR55 Installation Guide

The Cisco Meraki MR55 is a dual-band enterprise class 802.11ax cloud-managed access point with internal antennas. Designed for high capacity and high

density, the MR55 meets the needs of the most demanding environments. The access point also includes a third radio dedicated to optimizing the RF

environment and securing the airwaves along with a BLE radio for supporting IoT applications.

Package Contents

The MR55 package contains the following:

•MR55 Cloud-Managed Access Point

•Mount cradle including built-in level tool

• Drop ceiling mount kit

• Wall screws, wall screw anchors, and security screws

Understanding the MR55

Your Meraki MR55 has the following features:

The mount cradle has the following features:

Security Features

The MR55 features multiple options for physically securing the access point after installation:

1. Security screw – The accessory kit includes screws that can be used to secure the access point to the mount cradle. Engaging the security screw

prevents accidental dislodging and theft.

2. Kensington lock – The access point contains a hard point that allows it to be secured to any nearby permanent structure using a standard Kensington

lock.

Ethernet Ports

The MR55 features a Gigabit Ethernet R 45 port that accepts 802.3at power (labeled “Eth0, PoE”). This port should be used for uplink to your WAN connection.

Power Source Options

The MR55 access point can be powered using either the Meraki AC Adapter, PoE Injector (both sold separately), or a third-party PoE switch.

Factory Reset Button

If the button is pressed and held for at least ﬁve seconds and then released, the MR55 will reboot and be restored to its original factory settings by deleting all

conﬁguration information stored on the unit.

LED Indicators and Run Dark Mode

Your MR55 is equipped with a multi-color LED light on the front of the unit to convey information about system functionality and performance:

•Orange - AP is booting (permanent Orange suggests hardware issue)

•Rainbow - AP is initializing/scanning

•Blinking Blue - AP is upgrading

•Green - AP in Gateway mode with no clients

•Blue - AP in Gateway mode with clients

•Blinking Orange - AP can't find uplink

The MR55 may be operated in “Run Dark” mode for additional security and to reduce the visibility of the access point. In this mode, the LED will not be

illuminated. This mode may be enabled through Meraki dashboard.

Pre-Install Preparation

You should complete the following steps before going on-site to perform an installation.

Conﬁgure Your Network in Dashboard

The following is a brief overview only of the steps required to add an MR55 to your network. For detailed instructions about creating, conﬁguring and managing

Meraki wireless networks, refer to the online documentation (documentation.meraki.com).

1. Login to http://dashboard.meraki.com. If this is your ﬁrst time, create a new account.

2. Find the network to which you plan to add your APs or create a new network.

3. Add your APs to your network. You will need your Meraki order number (found on your invoice) or the serial number of each AP, which looks like Qxxx-

xxxx-xxxx, and is found on the bottom of the unit. You will also need your Enterprise license key, which you should have received via email.

4. Go to the map / ﬂoor plan view and place each AP on the map by clicking and dragging it to the location where you plan to mount it.

Check and Upgrade Firmware

To ensure your MR55 performs optimally immediately following installation, it is recommended that you facilitate a ﬁrmware upgrade prior to mounting your

MR55 access points require 802.3at (PoE+) to function properly and do not support low power mode.

NOTE: Blinking Green LED indicates that the device is in site survey mode. Please see the Conducting Site Surveys with MR Access Points for more

details.

MR55.

1. Attach your MR55 to power and a wired Internet connection. See the "Power the MR55" section for details.

2. The MR55 will turn on and the LED will glow solid orange. If the unit does not require a ﬁrmware upgrade, the LED will turn either green (no clients

associated) or blue (clients associated) within thirty seconds.

* If the unit requires an upgrade, the LED will begin blinking orange until the upgrade is complete, at which point the LED will turn solid green or blue. You should

allow at least a few minutes for the ﬁrmware upgrade to complete, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

Check and Conﬁgure Firewall Settings

If a ﬁrewall is in place, it must allow outgoing connections on particular ports to particular IP addresses. The most current list of outbound ports and IP addresses

for your particular organization can be found here.

Assigning IP Addresses to MR55

All gateway MR55s (MR55s with Ethernet connections to the LAN) must be assigned routable IP addresses. These IP addresses can be dynamically assigned

via DHCP or statically assigned.

MR45/55 APs are based on the latest WiFi-6 technology. Due to this, some WLAN adapters may not be able to

list the SSID on 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequencies. We recommend updating the software driver for the wireless NIC

on your client device if the client is unable to see the configured SSIDs. Alternatively, you can disable AX

functionality for 2.4GHz band using RF profiles. If you need to disable AX in the 5GHz band, please reach out to

Meraki Support.

Dynamic Assignment

When using DHCP, the DHCP server should be conﬁgured to assign a static IP address for each MAC address belonging to a Meraki AP. Other

features of the wireless network, such as 802.1X authentication, may rely on the property that the APs have static IP addresses.

Static Assignment

Static IPs are assigned using the local web server on each AP. The following procedure describes how to set the static IP:

1. Using a client machine (e.g., a laptop), connect to the AP wirelessly (by associating to any SSID

broadcast by the AP) or over a wired connection.

2. If using a wired connection, connect the client machine to the MR55 either through a PoE switch or a

PoE Injector. If using a PoE switch, plug an Ethernet cable into the MR55 ’s Ethernet jack, and the other

end into a PoE switch. Then connect the client machine over Ethernet cable to the PoE switch. If using a

PoE Injector, connect the MR55 to the “PoE” port of the Injector, and the client machine to the “LAN”

port.

3. Using a web browser on the client machine, access the AP’s built-in web server by browsing

to http://my.meraki.com. Alternatively, browse to http://10.128.128.128.

4. Click on the “Uplink Conﬁguration” tab. Log in. The default login is the serial number (e.g. Qxxx-xxxx-

xxxx), with no password (e.g., Q2DD-551C-ZYW3).

5. Conﬁgure the static IP address, net mask, gateway IP address and DNS servers that this AP will use on

its wired connection.

6. If necessary, reconnect the AP to the LAN.

Static IP via DHCP Reservations

Instead of associating to each Meraki AP individually to conﬁgure static IP addresses, an administrator can assign static IP addresses on the upstream

DHCP server. Through “DHCP reservations,” IP addresses are “reserved” for the MAC addresses of the Meraki APs. Please consult the documentation

for the DHCP server to conﬁgure DHCP reservations.

Collect Tools

You will need the following tools to perform an installation:

Collect Additional Hardware for Installation

You will need the following hardware to perform an installation:

Installation Instructions

Choose Your Mounting Location

A good mounting location is important to getting the best performance out of your MR55 access point. Keep the following in mind:

1. The device should have unobstructed line of sight to most coverage areas. For example, if installing in an ofﬁce

ﬁlled with workspaces divided by mid-height cubicle walls, installing on the ceiling or high on a wall would be ideal.

2. Power over Ethernet supports a maximum cable length of 300 ft (100 m).

3. If being used in a mesh deployment, the MR55 should have line of sight to at least two other Meraki devices. A

Cisco Partner can help ensure that your AP placement is ideal.

Install the MR55

For most mounting scenarios, the MR55 mount cradle provides a quick, simple, and ﬂexible means of mounting your device. The installation should be done in

two steps. First, install the mount cradle to your selected location. Then, attach the MR55 to the mount cradle.

Attach the mount cradle

The MR55 mount cradle can be used to install your access point in a wide range of scenarios: wall or solid ceiling, below a drop ceiling, on various electrical

junction boxes.

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