New Network - From the ground up

[GOwens]

I am starting a replacement network with everything Meraki. Multiple Edge switches in different closets- MS210-48lp, multiple Access Points - MR33, 2 Core switches - MS410-16 and Two MX 84 Firewalls. I am going to have my own local DHCP server to hand out all DHCP but i need to set static ip's on all of my equipment.

Edge switches are Configured as follows:

IP x.x.x.x

subnet 255.255.0.0

Gateway x.x.x.254 This is one of my core switches or should this be my firewall? If it should be the firewall how do I set that in the firewall?

DNS - Local DNS server

If it is the firewall should all my switches use that as the default gateway including my 2 core switches?

[PhilipDAth · Accepted solution]

If you are having mutiple VLANs, and especially if any of them move a lot of data, you should make the MS425 the default gateway.  An example guide (just ignore the router bit):

https://documentation.meraki.com/MS/Layer_3_Switching/Layer_3_Switch_Example

If you are using just a single VLAN then you can make the MX the default gateway.

[GOwens]

Thanks for giving the answer. I will be using multiple vlans, but just so i am clear, the core "distribution switches" use the MX as their gateway and all other down stream switches use the MS410's as their gateway? Would this include any other vlans like for our wireless?

[GOwens]

This documentation really helped clear it up for me. Thanks.

[Nash]

Regarding DHCP, you should probably set reservations for your Meraki switches and APs on the DHCP server vs. trying to set static IPs. You should be able to preemptively setup reservations using the device mac address on the box for your switches and APs. 

This'll help avoid fun problems like a client had, where he updated DHCP scopes with the new DNS servers, but not his multiple statically assigned switches. Then mysteriously half his switches stopped talking to the dashboard.

[GOwens]

Yes I do plan to pre-configure all of my scopes with reservations, great idea, thanks.