MS225 fans noise

[StormTrooper]

I've a number of MS225's and the fans seem to be extermely loud on them.  I thought they might have got quieter after a few minutes/firmware upgrades etc but no joy.

Has anyone else experienced this on these models and been able to quiet them down ?  

[Navjot]

Yes, I had 4 of these switches with loud fans, and after a firmware upgrade, the fans started oscillating between high and low.

Are yours oscillating from high to low as well? If they are oscillating you can get them RMA'd. There is no way to quiet them down at all, unless you want to remove the fans 

[StormTrooper]

No they are just constantly running high.  I'll try my luck with Merkai support and see what they come back with.  I'm hoping they can provide a firmware fix....

[Welles]

Also, there is something going on with running 9.x code, when you downgrade back to 8.x code, something is keeping the fan at a high RPM—as the switch doesn’t actually go through an entire power cycle. I’ve had to pull the power on the switch for it to settle back down after it does the POST fan tests on bootup. 

[PacketHauler]

There is a known issue with a large batch of the MS225-48LP/FP switches, that end up having a failure of the fan. I've deployed 60 of these models in the last 6 months, and I've had a good number of them fail. Meraki has been good about replacing them. In the 9.30 verison of firmware that was released, they increased the minimum fan speed on the switch, so you will notice it run at a higher RPM all the time, however it shouldn't change speeds that much, so you might have a fan that is indeed going bad. I would go for a replacement as soon as you can before the fan completely fails. Take it from someone who has done about 15 RMAs so far on this particular issue.

[BrianH]

I posted this on another thread but this is similar in nature:

We are having similar issues. Some of our 225-48LP's sound like a jet engine with or without POE load on them. Some sound like a normal switch. All are on the 9.30 code. Support has no idea at this point. I have a case open and right now they are at a loss. I really think there is a sub issue with these switches besides the thermal problem. I can't imagine their engineering team allowing the fans to be rev'ed on high constantly as a solution to this. 

I get the 9.30 increased the speed on the fans to prevent the temp issues however we have two identical switches both confirmed showing the same fan speed by Support. One sounds like a normal fan, one you can hear 50 ft away and is still loud. I am hoping they figure this out and have a bulletin to replace these as well. 

[PacketHauler]

If your switches are throwing critical temperature alerts, Meraki sends out a custom email alert, as well as put a banner at the top of the dashboard screens stating which networks have a device with potential fan failures and that you need to RMA them right away. That's how I found out I had 3 more failures this week. I'm not sure why there isn't an email alert from the devices themselves stating there is a temperature alarm. Something they need to add in the future for sure.

[BrianH]

Im well aware of the thermal issues. This is another issue that Meraki, I would imagine, hasn't seen yet and therefore hasn't started the replacement process or firmware patch. 

[Welles]

Yeah, looks like something in the 9.x code has increased a fan RPM, for an unknown reason as I’m not feeling additional air movement. I just had a switch replaced because of this issue, and still working on why this started after more than a year of the switch being virtually quiet. 

[Bovie2K]

I had the same problem with an MS225-48LP. All other MS225's non P are fine. The switch has been replaced three times due to fan problems (Loud, spinning up and down, ext...) and under the 9.27 firmware the fan speed increased from loud to super loud. I called support and they said that was indeed in the firmware and I wasn't hearing things and an announcement would come out Monday 10/9 with more details and thats all the rep could say. My guess is a replacement program is coming.

[Bovie2K]

What models of MS225's does everyone have? LP, FP, non PE, 24, 48?

[Welles]

I have an MS320-48LP, that has the fan issue, has been replaced, but on 9.xx code the fan blade pass frequency has increased.  And, not noticing any additional air movement either.

A “replacement” program? Yeah, I doubt that, maybe an upgrade program, give us more money for a switch that doesn’t have this issue(but oh hey we discovered a problem a year or more down the road, but pay us to fix it). 

[Bovie2K]

They are replacing the models with the bad intel chip. I don't see why they wouldn't replace the ms225's if there is in fact a hardware issue.

[redsector]

I had to replace about 20 of MS-225 switches. Meraki sent me new ones, but I´m not happy about this.

[RonW]

I'm having a problem with my MS225-48FP switches on 9.32 now. It does sound like a jet taking off. I called Meraki support a few times and each time I get different answers. One time I got those switches are always loud and this last time I contacted support he asked if I can move the switch where users might not hear the sound. This is getting crazy the answer can't be set the fans to 100% as the answer to the thermal issue.

[Bovie2K]

Ya they dropped the ball on this one. These switches need to be replaced with a new design. Fans at 100% is not a fix.

[SDCCGHolder]

We had to replace a single MS225-LP 48 port with  2 x 24 ports ms225's to get around this...luckily our Meraki account manager and Meraki supplier CAE (UK) was very supportive in trying to get this resolved.

It's only the 48 ports that sounds like a Boeing 747, and ours was in an office-based cabinet!

[MerakiDave]

Hey Team, yes this is a known issue and there is a detailed field notice here with all the info:

https://documentation.meraki.com/zGeneral_Administration/Support/MS225_Fan_Update

If you are impacted, you may have already received Dashboard banners, and/or can go to Help > Hardware Replacements.

Hope that helps!

[Bovie2K]

@MerakiDave The problem is Meraki is only replacing switches that have the overheat issue. Their "Fix" to the switches they aren't replacing is to ramp the fans to maximum speed instead of doing a real fix of replacing all the switches with models where the fans don't need to ramp to maximum speed. Even though it took awhile to get the switches I think a lot of people are happy about the way Cisco and Meraki handled the clock component issue but we think the way this is handled is avoiding doing the right thing and taking care of customer to save some money.

[BlakeRichardson]

It worries me that I am now managing devices which have fans that are spinning faster for longer periods than they are probably designed for... if the issue is hardware related the units should be replaced rather than just increasing the fan speed as a fix.

Server rooms are noisy enough as it is without adding in extra noise.

[Bovie2K]

I need to post a correction. I said maximum speed a few times. I've been corrected its actually quite a bit lower than maximum speed. Still I'd love this model of switch to be the same as my other switches which are all pretty quiet.

[aws_architect]

How long will it take to get the replacement . Start to be long ...

[redsector]

That is strange, I got replaced a lot of this switches:

I opened a case, they told me to do this and that. And then I got the replacements. I took a few days.

[aws_architect]

Where are you located ? US or EU ?

 

 

[redsector]

EU, Germany

[MikeHuey]

Hey Dave,  Do you know if the new 225-48FP's  fan noise has been addressed?  looking to replace a few and I am trying to find some updates.

Thank you.  

[redsector]

All my MS225-48LP were replaced. Now it´s cools and quiet.

[aws_architect]

You are lucky . We have complaints every day due to the alpha jets close to classrooms 

[aws_architect]

Still nothing on your side mate ?

[aws_architect]

Hi @MerakiDave 

3 years have past and switch still not replaced .

very noisy , temperature alerts .... and the support doesn’t want to RMA

what do do ?!?!

[aws_architect]

2 + y.o. car and still the same .

hoping to get this defective switch replaced in 2020 ! It’s insane . We have jets close to classroom 

[MerakiDave]

@aws_architect @MikeHuey Sorry to hear you're still dealing with these switches that were perhaps "remediated" via firmware, such that they would not be susceptible to the fan control system failure, but in the process made them much noisier.  Read through the details and FAQ at the replacement link here https://documentation.meraki.com/zGeneral_Administration/Support/MS225%2F%2FMS210-48LP%2F%2FFP_Proac... and re-open that support case and work with your local Cisco Meraki team to interface with Meraki Support on this.  I cannot speak for Support but an exception should be able to be made if these switches are for some reason not eligible for RMA, but are in or near classrooms, cannot be relocated or "muffled" in some way, and it's an obvious disruption to normal classroom activity (especially quiet test taking times with jet engines in the background).  If there are other switches in other locations or closets that do not have the fan noise issue, it would hopefully be an hour or less to swap them, the physical swap would be the bulk of it, Dashboard config just a few minutes.

[redsector]

That will be not a good publicity ehen Meraki doesn´t replace the affected devices. Im Germany they did.

[aws_architect]

Good news , I received today the replacement . :-)))

Hope that they are not defective, I will install when I can. We close the premises due to COVID-19.

I had to fight hard and after 30 emails to the support they finally push the right button.