Looking for Guidance on Improving a Medium-Sized Business's Meraki Network Performance

[Romie]

Hello Meraki Community,

I’m managing a medium-sized business network with about 200 devices connected across a single location. We use several Meraki products, including MR access points, MS switches, and an MX firewall for security. While everything generally runs smoothly, I want to ensure we’re getting the best possible performance and security from our setup.

Here are some specifics about our network:

1. Usage Patterns:

   • We have a mix of video conferencing, file sharing, and cloud-based applications in constant use.
   • Guest Wi-Fi is offered but separated from the main network via VLANs.

2. Issues Experienced:

   • Occasional dips in Wi-Fi performance during peak hours.
   • Some reports of latency when accessing certain cloud services.

3. Goals:

   • Improve Wi-Fi reliability and reduce latency.
   • Ensure the network is fully optimized for high traffic.
   • Maintain robust security without sacrificing performance.

I’ve already implemented the following:

• Enabled traffic shaping rules to prioritize business-critical applications.
• Deployed VLANs to segment traffic.
• Regularly updated firmware for all devices.

That said, I feel there’s still room for improvement. Could anyone suggest advanced configuration tips or best practices for:

• Fine-tuning wireless settings (channel selection, power levels, etc.)?
• Enhancing traffic management or QoS settings?
• Leveraging insights from the Meraki dashboard more effectively?

I also checked this: https://community.meraki.com/t5/Full-Stack-Network-Wide/AnyConnect-VPN-Subnet-Can-t-Communicate-w-LA...python training-first-unread-message 

Additionally, if there are specific tools or reports in the dashboard I should focus on to monitor and diagnose issues more proactively, I’d love to hear about them!

Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise.

[RWelch]

Wi-Fi Basics and Best Practices 

QoS (Quality of Service) 
Wireless QoS and Fast Lane 
QoS over a Site-to-site VPN 

Meraki Insight Introduction 

[PhilipDAth]

>Occasional dips in Wi-Fi performance during peak hours.

Do you think this is actually a WiFi performance issue, or just a general Internet or application performance issue?

>Some reports of latency when accessing certain cloud services.

These are so vague - I think you would need to get measurements of the actual issue so you can understand what needs to be fixed - if it is even fixable.

You could take a look at getting Cisco Thousand Eyes, which integrates with Cisco Meraki.  I believe it is included with SDWAN Plus licences.  You can also buy it separately.

Cisco ThousandEyes Assurance - Cisco

Meraki MX ThousandEyes Configuration Guide - Cisco Meraki Documentation

[DarrenOC]

Hi @Romie , you’ve stated that you use cloud based applications, video conferencing etc so the vast majority of your traffic is North/South. I would verify with your ISP that your internet connection is sized appropriately and enquire to see if there’s any congestion/drops on the wire.

Did you have a wireless survey completed to ensure both coverage, secondary coverage and can handle the qty and types of devices you have on your network?  You can throw in as many tweaks as you wish but without a solid design/foundation you’re just plastering over the cracks.

[DarrenOC]

@Romie  - which MX are you using?  What’s the size of your internet connection?  You have 200 employees but how many devices are they each bringing onto the network each day?  What’s the CPU looking like on the MX when your users are experiencing wireless issues?