Meraki MR series access points

What the MR series is

MR is the product family name Cisco Meraki uses for its own cloud-managed wireless access points. Every MR is configured, monitored and updated from the Meraki dashboard, with no wireless controller on site, and every MR needs a Meraki licence to operate.

Cisco's wireless line-up has changed in the last few years. Cisco now lists its cloud-managed access points on cisco.com in three generations:

• Wi-Fi 6: Meraki MR access points, indoor and outdoor.
• Wi-Fi 6E: MR access points plus Cisco Wireless Wi-Fi 6E access points built to run in the Meraki dashboard.
• Wi-Fi 7: the Cisco Wireless family only, which can run in Meraki cloud mode or on a Catalyst controller. See Meraki Wi-Fi 7.

So when people search for "Meraki access points" today, the answer spans MR and Cisco Wireless hardware, all in the same dashboard. This page covers the MR side, by family; we can match specific models to your building once we know the requirements.

The MR range by family

Cisco's own product pages and datasheets carry the current model list, and models move to end of sale over time. Before buying, check what is current; we can do that for you as part of a quote.

Features common to the MR family

Meraki's licence guide lists the standard features covered by the MR Enterprise licence, which every MR runs. They include:

• Cloud management: zero-touch provisioning, so an access point downloads its configuration when it is plugged in, and zero-touch firmware upgrades scheduled from the dashboard.
• Radio management: automatic channel and power adjustment to work around interference, with Meraki's newer AI-assisted radio management in the Advanced tier.
• Security radio and Air Marshal: current models include a dedicated scanning radio used for wireless intrusion detection and RF analysis, alongside the radios that serve clients.
• Bluetooth Low Energy and IoT: on access points with the IoT radio, used for location services and integrations such as electronic shelf labels.
• Firewall and application control: layer 3 and layer 7 firewall rules and application visibility on each SSID.
• Meraki Health and Intelligent Capture: health views, plus manual and live packet capture from the dashboard.
• Open APIs: the Dashboard API and integrations, including Cisco Umbrella through its API (Umbrella needs its own licence).
• Support and replacement: Meraki support and hardware replacement (RMA) are part of what the licence covers.

Some newer features, such as Adaptive Policy and AI-assisted radio management, need the higher licence tier; see MR Enterprise vs MR Advanced.

How to choose an MR access point

Picking the right access point is less about the newest model and more about matching the building and the users. The questions we work through with customers:

1. How many people and devices per area? Meeting rooms, classrooms and canteens need higher-density access points than corridors.
2. Which clients will connect? The 6 GHz band in Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 only helps if your laptops and phones support it.
3. Indoor or outdoor? Outdoor and rugged models are built for weather and temperature; some take external antennas for directional coverage.
4. What will the switch provide? Higher-end access points want multigigabit uplinks and more power over Ethernet. Check your switch ports, or plan cloud managed switches at the same time.
5. How long will it stay in service? A refresh planned for many years may justify Wi-Fi 7 rather than Wi-Fi 6E.
6. What does the building do to signal? Walls, glass, racking and ceiling heights change everything, which is why a wireless site survey comes before the order.

Licensing MR access points

Every MR needs a valid licence to keep running. How that works depends on your organisation's licensing model:

• Co-term: MR licences are model-agnostic, so the same licence covers any MR. There are three types: MR Enterprise, MR Advanced and MR Upgrade (which turns Enterprise into Advanced). The whole organisation is on one edition.
• Subscription: wireless is licensed by network in Essentials or Advantage tiers. Meraki's subscription page groups MR and Meraki-managed Cisco Wireless Wi-Fi 6E access points under one wireless product class, with Wi-Fi 7 as its own class.

The details, including what MR Advanced adds, are on our MR Enterprise licence page, and Meraki licensing models compares subscription and co-term. Ask us for a quote for hardware and licences together.

End of sale and refresh planning

Cisco marks several Wi-Fi 6 indoor MR models as end of sale on its access point page. End of sale is not the same as end of support: Meraki's policy is that devices stay supported for a period after the end-of-sale date (typically five years) as long as they are licensed, but no new units are sold and firmware development eventually stops.

The dashboard shows end-of-sale and end-of-support dates for devices in your inventory. If you have older MR access points, our Meraki end of life page explains the dates and how to plan a refresh, and we can help compare a like-for-like replacement with a move to Wi-Fi 7.

Mounting, power and cabling

Good Wi-Fi depends as much on installation as on the access point. A few points we plan for on every MR deployment:

• Power over Ethernet: check the power class each access point needs at full capability against what the switch port and the switch's total budget can supply. An under-powered access point may run with features reduced.
• Uplink speed: higher-end Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 access points have multigigabit ports; to benefit, the switch port and cabling need to support the higher speed.
• Mounting position: ceiling-mounted omnidirectional models suit most offices; directional and external-antenna models suit long halls, high ceilings, warehouses and outdoor areas.
• Outdoor work: outdoor access points need weatherproof cabling, suitable mounts and, often, a site visit to agree positions with the building owner.
• Labelling and naming: name each access point by building, floor and location in the dashboard, so alerts and floor plans make sense later.

If your switching needs updating to power new access points, our Meraki MS switches page covers the options.

Supply, installation and support

Forever Systems is a Cisco Partner. We can survey, design, supply and install MR and Cisco Wireless access points, build the dashboard configuration and help with licensing and renewals afterwards. For our main installation service see Meraki access points on forever-group.co.uk, or contact us with your sites and we will suggest the right families.