Meraki Dashboard count mismatch with scanning API data

[karthick_m]

I have started gathering the API data from one of the locations. In the dashboard location analytics passer by, visitors and connected not matched with API data.

Example:

     On 28-09-2021 

The dashboard has the following data

Passersby		236
Visitors		101
Connected		8

But I got 24 unique client mac address with SSID not null which means I got 24 connected clients.

Similarly, I got 440 client device sessions with SSID null.

Please help me with this.

[Inderdeep]

@karthick_m : Did your keys are same on the dashboard and the APIs ?

[karthick_m]

Yes, I have used the validator key which is available in the Location and Scanning section.

[John_on_API]

If SSID is null then doesn't that mean they aren't associated? In which case, I don't expect Scanning API to return it (see documentation here).

Of the unique client MACs, are any of them randomized MACs?

[karthick_m]

I have referred to the scanning API document

   https://developer.cisco.com/meraki/scanning-api/#!3-0/wifi-payload-example

ssid

string

Client SSID name; null if the device is not connected

If the SSID is present then they were connected to the network. Otherwise, they are not connected to the network.

Please correct me if I have understood wrongly.

Please let me know How to find the randomized MACs?

[sungod]

When looking at a single day, the summary numbers on the Dashboard location analytics page are hourly averages (over the 24 hour day), otherwise they are daily averages.

The discrepancy you see may simply be due to that.

For a single day, if you had 24 devices connecting, each for an hour, I'd assume the hourly average would be one.

Though I'd guess time connected is also part of the calculation, so if the 24 devices each connected for a total of two hours, the hourly average would be two.

Comparing what is seen in Dashboard to what is calculated using API data is not always straightforward. To get the same answer you would need to replicate how the Dashboard calculation is being made (which is not something that is documented).