MX250 - After Factory Reset the Local Login password does not work.

senior_zezty
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MX250 - After Factory Reset the Local Login password does not work.

We moved from one office to another and brought over the MX250.

We have the ISP plugged into Internet 1 and the mgmt port to a laptop.  We can get the local mgmt screen, but when we click on config the password of the serial doesn't work.

We tried plugging the ISP directly into the MGMT port to test, nothing.  (hope was to "panic" the settings hoping for anything)
We tried both Internet 1/2 ports with the ISP, nothing.
We factory reset with both Internet 1/2 ports with ISP connection, nothing helped.

We have tried the following:

Admin or admin. + serial as pwd = no luck
serial username + blank pwd = no luck
serial username + serial as pwd = no luck
Admin or admin + blank pwd = no luck

The mx250 at the old building had both wan1/2 ports filled with ISP data, can't get lucky with DHCP internet port 2.

When we factory reset the mx250 we had some oddness.  We did this process 5 or 8 times, the factory reset process.

We held it for the 1 second quick reset, not help.
We held it for 20secs, the lights wouldn't power down, no help.
We held it for 20secs, the lights DID power down and the port lights flickered, no help.

We tried clearing Cache of the browsers, didn't help.

We never input a password under the organization > General > Password settings.


Am I missing something?

To make this even more fun, I am in SEA and the box is now in NY.  I can't fly over there and the helpers over there are not it people, but they try.

Any thoughts on what to do here?

13 Replies 13
Mloraditch
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

Can the helpers take it back to the old building and get it connected back to the dashboard there? Or anywhere with DHCP internet? It certainly seems like you've tried everything possible. Did you reboot after doing the factory reset? I've had that be necessary for the config to actually clear? 

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senior_zezty
Here to help

Thank you!

We did try the Factory Reset and then powered it off via the cable pull.

Sadly, the other building is in SEA, so it's not super easy to plug it back in.


I'm looking at this post and sent the team in NY some instructions.
https://community.meraki.com/t5/Switching/Login-failed-on-Local-Status-Page/m-p/273485#M20684

RWelch
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Kind of a big deal

For devices running newer firmware versions (MR 32+, MX 19+, MS 17+, MS390/Catalyst (CS 17+ or IOS-XE 17.15+), MG 4.1.1+), the username is "admin" and the password is the device's serial number (Cloud ID) in upper case letters with dashes.

Network-wide > Configure > General should be ENABLED for local device configuration.

 

Screenshot 2025-07-28 at 11.07.16.png

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senior_zezty
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Thanks for this.

Yes, those device configuration settings are the same; we never had a local password.

This is the MX device, I do not see a cloud serial number, but I do see THE serial number on the dashboard.

 

RWelch
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Kind of a big deal

SN and Cloud ID are the same #s. 

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RWelch
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Kind of a big deal

Can you manually configure a laptop wired IP address as if it were your ISP?  Then connect the laptop wired port directly to the MX WAN port (either WAN 1 or WAN 2) and connect via wired.meraki.com? 

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senior_zezty
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Wow, never would of thought of that.  I'm not sure if the helpers on that end are that advanced, but I can walk them through it.

 

Mloraditch
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Kind of a big deal

They can access the local status page already? How would this help?

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RWelch
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Just thinking of other ways for the MX to connect to an uplink that is STATIC set - since the device is looking for the ISPs data for connectivity.  

Not obviously the most ideal situation/circumstance.

Too bad one couldn't configure an OFFLINE connection to allow the device to connect to gain access to the device.  Might have to remove the MX from the dashboard, do a factory reset, add the MX back to the dashboard and reconfigure from scratch.  I'm sure it's not the 1st time this has happened - and I'd bet support would have a workaround of some sort.

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Mloraditch
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So I would suggest going into the dashboard and setting at least one of the wans to DHCP. The MX static settings saved in the cloud usually retain no  matter what you do, until you affirmatively change them. Then if you can get the unit DHCP from something somewhere it will come online and you can modify the other uplink to work at the new site and once it's onsite and working if there is a second ISP you can program it once online.

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senior_zezty
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I set WAN 2 to DHCP on the Meraki Cloud Dashboard and WAN 1 with the ISP's IP addressing, then did a factory reset, but no dice.

We get a link light on WAN 1, but not on WAN 2.

 

PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

I have had the web browser auto-fill in the password field before while making another change, and change the password involuntarily for me.

senior_zezty
Here to help

ooof....not a fun day.

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