Using MX100 SFP port as Internet Port

[latintrpt]

Hello,

I've been presented with a challenge.  We have been provided a fiber handoff from our ISP to plug into our Meraki MX100. The only issue is that the MX100's internet port is a ethernet.  Is there anyway to use an SFP port on the MX100 to make this work?  If so, how would I need to configure this?

Thanks.

[Ryan_Miles · Accepted solution]

You cannot turn a SFP LAN port into a WAN port. Sounds like you need provider to change their handoff or get a media converter. 

Or, swap to a MX with SFP based WAN ports.

[Ryan_Miles]

@latintrpt While janky this also works. Basically use the MX itself as the media converter.

And keep in mind this is totally unofficial, not supported. So, if you do this you're on your own.

[latintrpt]

I've done the above and put it on VLAN 999 but it does not work.  Any other configuration that is needed?

[latintrpt]

I took an available IP on the /30 of my ISP's WAN subnet.  Do I also need to create a default route pointing to the WAN IP on the ATT side?

[cmr]

@latintrpt vlan 999 should not have an interface and be layer 2 only. It should include only the one SFP and one RJ45 port at the right hand end of the MX100. The IP then goes on the WAN interface that the green cable above goes to. 

[latintrpt]

When creating a VLAN on the MX, it's requiring an IP address:

[cmr]

Apologies, just pick something junk like 192.168.150.1 /24

[latintrpt]

Thank you for the information?  Any other configuration required to get this to work?

Another silly question, if the MX has never connected to the cloud, how will it know to pick up the VLAN config of the switch ports?

[cmr]

Initially both the LAN and WAN will be linked across all ports so the WAN should find the internet via the LAN.  Make sure nothing important is connected to the MX before the config has applied! 

[PhilipDAth]

If your licence is getting close to renewal, you could also consider upgrading to the new MX105.  It has 2 x 10Gbe SFP+ WAN ports, which should be able to take a Gbe SFP.

https://meraki.cisco.com/product/security-sd-wan/medium-branch/mx105/