Networks in Dashboard

[Shadius]

Hi Merakians,

I was wondering why my Dashboard is displaying like this:

As you can see, there's no Wireless section. Is this due to the Cisco switch stack being connected to the MX250?

[cmr]

@Shadiusyou only get the entries for what you have set the network up to be.  In your case it looks to be set up as an appliance (MX) network.  Below you can see a network of ours that is combined with MX, MS and MR but no SM or MG

[cmr]

If you have Meraki wireless (MR) then it must be in an separate network that could be combined with the appliance one if they cover the same clients.

[Shadius]

Hi @cmr 

I see in your screenshot, you have a drop-down for Organization. This is because you have more than one Organization, correct?

In my case of having only one Organization, this drop-down menu wouldn't show?

I think our network is set up as separate networks having the MX and MR separate. I'm not sure why it was set up that way and what that offers to benefit us.

[cmr]

@Shadius yes I have two orgs, one for work and one for home, hence the drop down. So as you surmised, you will not have a drop down for Org.

As for keeping them separate, there is nothing I can think of that would mean you want to have it this way.  I'd simply combine the networks that are on the same physical site as you can always split them out again if you find a good reason to keep them separate, I have done this many times with sites where we have MXs for public access and our own SD-WAN as you cannot have both in the same network, sometimes it works better with one in the combined network, sometimes the other.  Never is it best to have neither!

You combine and split networks by going to the all networks view:

If you select a single combined network you can split it out to the separate parts.

[DarrenOC]

Hi @Shadius , on that basis where is the link for the switch?  Have you by any chance accidentally created separate Networks for your Switch and Access Points?

if you go to Organisation > Monitor > Overview how many networks do you see?  Are the Network Types showing as Combined?

[Shadius]

@DarrenOC 

Here's a screenshot.

[DarrenOC]

Hi @Shadius . I would move the switch and APs into a single network. Easier to work through when configuring and troubleshooting in the dashboard.

Try moving a single AP first:

Wireless > Monitor > Access Point

click in the check box by your AP then click Edit > Move to Another Network 

[Shadius]

@DarrenOC

Yeah, I agree with this. I'm confused as to why the Administrator set it up like this. It'd be so much easier to monitor with a combined network, no?

Also, there's a site that is able to get the computer names as the description while other sites just displays the IP address. Any reason why that would be?

[DarrenOC]

Hi @Shadius , easier to setup and troubleshoot in a single combined network as you’re not moving through different Networks to find info.  Why would the admin create individual networks.....

With regards the ip and host name piece:

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Monitoring_and_Reporting/Hostname_Visibility

[DarrenOC]

Also worth a read:

https://documentation.meraki.com/MX/Monitoring_and_Reporting/Client_Tracking_Options