Is the test connection feature supposed to work?

[BrandonS]

I have only two Meraki Go installs and both of them are super flaky and intermittent with the 'test connection' feature.  I have GX20, GR10 and GS110 and two different customer's sites and sometimes the test connection works and most of the time it doesn't.  I guess I just want to vent here because it makes troubleshooting much more difficult when you can't trust the test feature.  I have had the same results with cable tests from the switch ports too.  I can run the test 10 times and maybe 1 or 2 times it works and the rest say it is having trouble reaching Meraki Go?  WTF??

[hidden0]

Hi @BrandonS 

It definitely helps to vent, and we're here to listen and help as best we can. These failures are certainly not the experience I or any of my team want for you and your customers using Meraki Go. This behavior most certainly deserves more attention with a support case. Definitely open up a ticket so we can better help you:

https://documentation.meraki.com/Go/Meraki_Go_-_Support

Another facet of this problem is the vague error "having trouble reaching Meraki Go". To partially resolve this issue, we'll be including a new feature to submit error reports when these vague errors occur. This will help our support team, and yourself, pin down the exact nature of these problems in a more rapid timeframe. The functionality is in place and we're actively working to implement the tool in situations much like these.

[IanTerry]

Hi 

Did you ever get an answer from Cisco regarding this. 

I have this with customers and its confusing, also finding it works on app but not on the web-link and vice versa. 

Very odd.

[hidden0]

I hope I count as Cisco @IanTerry  😄

We recently rolled out a fix for the web connection test tool. I'm not entirely certain that is the feature being discussed here, but it should be working without a hitch. If that isn't the case, let me know here and we'll take a closer look. It's working on my lab account as I write this.

[IanTerry]

Thanks for the reply and apologies in responding - short answer is there appear to be differences in how the tool works between using the app or webpage

its a useful tool to have, one of very few in the Go product. I appreciate the Go product targets the plug and go mindset, but when it doesn’t the basic tools for diagnosing issues are lacking in my opinion. 

[hidden0]

Thanks for the feedback @IanTerry - we expect the tool to work identically between the app and the webpage. What differences do you see?

When things don't work on a cloud managed product, it almost always means you'll have to be on-site to do any troubleshooting. The only remote diagnostic that can truly be made is denoting the hardware as online and configurable, or offline and requiring some troubleshooting.

A new tool was introduced about a year or so that creates a quick-link to the local status page of the hardware if you are directly connected to it. We should do more to draw attention to this link, as the local status page typically has relevant real-time information about problems with the device.

What is a problem you faced that would have been solved with a missing tool? We can work on getting it in the app for you!

[IanTerry]

thanks for the reply

I guess I am used to CLI providing more information - certainly DHCP information in detail, interface frame count/errors. That information isn't readily available and certainly makes no difference if you attend site or not. 

I have seen multiple issues between Webpage and app - if something is offline in the app, its online in the webpage or vice versa. Same with active devices reporting, seems like there is a lag or operational state issue when APIs access the central database, whatever that is.

[hidden0]

Hello @IanTerry 

We typically keep interface and frame counters available on our switches but have not extended that to the Go product line. I see value in that, but it would have to be accessed locally if the hardware is not checking into the cloud. The same goes for the DHCP information in detail, we can definitely make that information readily available too. I've put these items down on the wish list.

Where were you hoping to find these items?

[IanTerry]

thanks for the reply

Appreciate something that would not be available in the cloud, but the demographic associated for the product range is often installed in an environment having other vendor network equipment, which typically challenges customers and hence they seek help. 

As you'll appreciate, basic network information will be sought by any worthy engineer. Therefore a method for the engineer to have access to the backend management using secured userid/MFA access would be very helpful. 

I suspect have some form of CLI access is too much to ask for 

[hidden0]

Interface counters as well as event logs are on the horizon. CLI is not something we plan on working towards. Anything you might find in the CLI we'd rather include as perhaps an item on the local status page, so do let us know what you might find there and what you would want to see locally.

[IanTerry]

Thats good news. No issue how the information is presented, it just needs to be available and dynamic to highlight the statistics.

For DHCP, highlighting the IP allocations would be useful and possibly with a filter, similar to Meraki Enterprise products??