Meraki MT sensors: end of sale, licences and next steps

What Meraki MT sensors are

MT sensors are small, battery or mains powered devices that report environmental and building data into the same Meraki dashboard as your network. The line includes:

• Temperature and humidity sensors for server rooms, cupboards and stores.
• Temperature probe sensors, with wired probes for places such as fridges and freezers.
• Water leak sensors, using a cable or spot detector.
• Indoor air quality sensors, including a version that measures CO2.
• Open/close sensors for doors, cabinets and windows.
• A smart automation button that triggers actions in the dashboard.
• A smart power controller for monitoring and switching power to a device.

The sensors do not need their own network. They talk over Bluetooth Low Energy to compatible Meraki access points and MV cameras acting as gateways, which upload readings to the Meraki cloud. Meraki's documentation says a sensor connects to any compatible gateway in range in the same dashboard network, recommends no more than 32 sensors per gateway, and notes that MT sensors are designed for indoor use only. Readings, thresholds and alerts are handled in the dashboard.

The end-of-sale timeline

Source: Cisco Meraki's MT Sensors End-of-Sale FAQ. Cisco's stated reason is limited growth: it is exiting the sensor market to focus its resources elsewhere. Until end of support Cisco says customers continue to receive technical support and critical updates and security patches.

Meraki's lifecycle list also shows a separate MT subscription item with different dates. Where Cisco's documents differ, check current availability with us before relying on a particular licence option.

What happens to your sensors and licences

End of sale does not switch anything off. Cisco's FAQ is clear on the main points:

• Existing sensors keep working and existing contracts and support are unaffected until end of support.
• Licences bought before end of sale stay valid, whatever their term, and can still be claimed and applied to hardware in the dashboard.
• Renewals after end of sale are one-year only. Licences longer than one year are no longer offered, so that no MT licence extends beyond end of support. Cisco advises buying renewals by the end-of-sale date to leave time for the transition.
• After end of support, Cisco says it cannot promise legacy hardware will keep connecting to the management software indefinitely, technical support may no longer troubleshoot it, firmware updates may stop, and new dashboard features may not work with it.

MT sensors need a dashboard licence to operate; Meraki says these licences are not tied to a particular sensor type. In a co-term organisation, MT licences count towards the shared expiry date, so a change in MT licensing affects your co-term date like any other device. Our guides to Meraki licence renewal and Meraki licence expiry explain what to watch for.

Running MT sensors until end of support

Five years of support leaves time to plan, but the sensors still need looking after in the meantime. Points from Meraki's MT documentation worth keeping in mind:

• Gateway firmware. Sensors rely on compatible access points and MV cameras as gateways, and Meraki publishes minimum gateway firmware for MT support. When you upgrade or replace access points, check the new ones are on Meraki's compatible gateway list, which includes Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 models.
• Gateway capacity and range. Meraki recommends no more than 32 sensors per gateway (older gateway firmware supports fewer). Bluetooth range behaves much like 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, so moving or removing an access point can leave a sensor without a gateway.
• Short outages. Meraki says most MT sensors store around five days of readings if they lose contact with the dashboard, and upload them when they reconnect; some types hold less.
• Alert ownership. Sensor alerts often go to one person or a shared mailbox set up years ago. Check that the right people still receive them.
• Licences in the organisation. If you are moving to Meraki subscription licensing for the rest of your network, confirm how your MT sensors will be licensed before you change model.

If you are refreshing access points anyway, our Meraki MR series and Meraki Wi-Fi 7 pages describe the current ranges.

Is there a replacement for Meraki MT?

No direct one. Cisco states there is no alternative sensor from Cisco and no successor planned. It encourages customers to look at Cisco Spaces, which supports a validated ecosystem of third-party sensors, and at third-party sensors outside Cisco, and it publishes guidance on the closest alternatives that work with Meraki networks.

That makes this a planning exercise rather than a like-for-like swap. The questions that matter are what each sensor is actually doing for you today, who relies on its alerts, and whether a replacement needs to live in the same dashboard or can sit in another system.

Planning your move off MT sensors

1. List what you have. Export the sensor inventory from the dashboard: type, location, the network it reports into and the alerts attached to it.
2. Check licence dates. Note your co-term date or subscription end date and how many MT licences you hold, so renewals are only as long as you need.
3. Rank by risk. Sensors protecting stock, medicines, food or server rooms matter more than a door sensor on a store cupboard. Replace those first.
4. Choose the replacement route. Cisco Spaces with validated third-party sensors, a building management system, or a standalone sensor platform, depending on who needs the data.
5. Run in parallel. Install replacements alongside MT sensors and compare readings and alerts before removing anything.
6. Update processes. Move alert recipients, escalation steps and any integrations, then retire the MT sensors and their licences.

Our Meraki end of life guide covers the same approach for other Meraki families reaching end of sale.

How Forever Systems helps

Forever Systems is a Cisco Partner. With Cisco ending the MT line, we can help you review your MT estate and licence position, quote one-year renewal licences while Cisco sells them, and plan the transition to an alternative, including how it fits with the rest of your Meraki network.

Timing matters: Cisco's last day to order MT hardware and licences longer than one year is 10 November 2026, after which renewals are one year at a time. Ask us for a quote for renewals. Contact us to talk about your MT sensors.