Meraki Work at Home issues

[Kazooper]

It worked for years previously. It got more and more unstable to the point I can't work at all once I take a call, it power cycles. I used chatgpt to summarize:

 **Meraki Z-series keeps power cycling at home, stable at office — extensive troubleshooting done, need insight**  

I’m dealing with a really strange problem I can’t pin down.  

- **Hardware swapped:**  

  - I’ve tested **multiple brand-new Meraki Z-series units** (not just one).  

  - I’ve also replaced the **54 V OEM power brick multiple times**.  

  - All new gear → same behavior at my house.  

  - These same units/adapters run perfectly stable when tested at my office.  

- **Symptom:**  

  - At home, the Meraki will **randomly power cycle**, but most often **during Teams/VoIP calls** or other real-time traffic.  

  - At idle, it can sit on without issue.  

  - When it reboots, my other network gear (Eero Wi-Fi, ISP fiber ONT) stays up — so it’s not an Internet outage.  

- **Power testing:**  

  - Plugged directly into wall outlets → same behavior.  

  - Put it behind a **CyberPower LE1000DG simulated sine UPS**. Still rebooted.  

  - Even tested with the UPS **unplugged, running only on battery**, to rule out my house wiring. Still rebooted.  

  - House outlet testers show “correct,” but I know I’ve got some grounding/neutral quirks.  

- **What I suspect:**  

  1. **Simulated sine UPS output** doesn’t play well with Meraki’s Active PFC 54 V brick, especially under load transitions during calls.  

  2. **Ground/noise feedback via Ethernet from the ONT (fiber ISP)** could be upsetting the Meraki. Even if AC is isolated by UPS battery, the WAN line could still carry ground reference. Thinking about **fiber media converters or Ethernet isolators**.  

- **Where I’m stuck:**  

  - If it’s waveform: a **pure sine UPS (CyberPower PFCLCD or APC Smart/BR)** should solve it.  

  - If it’s Ethernet feedback: need to isolate the ONT connection.  

  - Not sure which path to pursue first, since I’ve already replaced everything else.  

Has anyone else seen Merakis randomly reboot only under VoIP/call load? Did a pure sine UPS fix it, or was Ethernet isolation necessary?

I'm trying to avoid an electrician coming out at least for the moment, nothing else is giving me any trouble

[DarrenOC]

Crikey - looks like you’ve got a fun one to troubleshoot there!

What does the CPU look like when in calls and prior to the device reloading?  Simply being on a Teams call shouldn’t place too much load on the device!

[Kazooper]

I can mostly use the work computer fine until I need to do something that uses voice calling. Teams. The program I get customer calls through. It'll start power cycling shortly into being on a call, call will drop out, it'll try and reconnect, the second I end call, it usually stabilizes pretty quickly. Sometimes it'll do a random cycle not on a call, but that's a definite trigger, and keeps me from being able to work.

[PhilipDAth]

Is the Z unit running a current stable or better firmware?

Have you tried a different power cube?

I am wondering if you have a power quality issue in your home.  Have you got any kind of battery-based supply you could run the Z unit off to rule this in or out?

I haven't had reports from any customers of random Z unit reboots.

Is there any chance the reboot is happening regularly, such as every 2 hours or every 4 hours?  You can check its Connectivity graph to verify this.

If this is happening, open a case with support and see if it is getting stuck doing a firmware upgrade.

Out of desperation, you could try giving it a factory reset and let it download its config again.

https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Support/Resetting_Cisco_Meraki_Devices_to_Fa...

Do you live with someone who like playing pranks on you?

[Kazooper]

Yes. Work has given me more than one brand new one with all updates, and works in office. i am leaning towards a power issue myself. Others said they don't think it is, but I can't fathom how it's not at this point. I bought an Cyberpower 1000 UPS to run the Meraki off that. Didn't solve the problem. Chatgpt said maybe because it wasnt a pure sine wave but a simulated?? I really thought that would be fix since I think it's my power. It does cycle sometimes randomly it seems like but never set times. It's pretty much just when I try to make or receive calls..I wish it was a prank someone was pulling and was that easy to fix.

[PhilipDAth]

Unplug the UPS from the mains, so that it is only powering the Z uit from the battery.  Does the issue still happen?

The sine wave on the grid is usually very well regulated.  My guess is a power factor issue.

[Kazooper]

Yes. I really thought that was going to be a fix. Chatgpt seems to think because it's a simulated sine wave not a pure sine wave. I'm tempted to go buy a pure sine wave UPS after returning first one, but they aren't cheap. The one I have now did have me connected on a call for a couple minutes when I first tried it but then did the same thing, power cycles until the call ends, then connects back 

[PhilipDAth]

Try the test of leaving the UPS unplugged so it is only running on batteries.

This may have nothing to do with the waveform.  As I suggested, I would bet money on it being a power factor issue ahead of a sine wave issue.