NOOB Try and be gentle **MS225-24P Reset**

[JeffA]

Just got my hands on an MS225-24P from a decommissioned business and after resetting it I still seem to be locked out of the web gui. Is there anything I can do on my end to reset the switch to factory settings and gain access to the gui? I don't care about the cloud based stuff if that matters. 

[ww]

the local gui should be available.  If you reset the switch 'standalone'. Dont connect it with any link that has internet  available. 

[MerakiDave]

Hi @JeffA and welcome to the Meraki Community.  No worries about us being gentle with noobs, this is one of the friendliest forums I've ever experienced (of the maybe dozen or so I've used over the years).

Anyway, paperclip the reset button for 15 seconds and let go after the power LED goes out.  If the switch is powered up and running, you should be able to connect a wired device into a switch port and open a browser and go to switch.meraki.com or my.meraki.com and see the local status page. 

If not, it's likely because the switch was previously in another Dashboard network where they explicitly disabled local status pages.  But you still may be able to access it via the local IP, so look at your interface config on the wired device/laptop you connected, and put your default gateway address into the browser and try that.  It's typically 1.1.1.100 so if you're not getting an address on the wired device, set it to 1.1.1.1 or 1.1.1.99 and then go to 1.1.1.100 in the browser.

Here are the two relevant support docs:

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

and

https://documentation.meraki.com/zGeneral_Administration/Tools_and_Troubleshooting/Using_the_Cisco_M...

Now... there's a whole other conversation we might need to have.  If the switch was just left over from a business that shut down, you still may not be able to "take ownership" or use the switch unless you first get added to their Dashboard Organization as an administrator with full access.  You also won't have a license for the switch in your own Dashboard Organization, the license is required with a Meraki solution, HW and License are 1:1 and the license is required to manage the switch from Dashboard.  If the switch is still "claimed" into the Dashboard Org of the business that shut down, you won't be able to claim it into your own Org unless it is first unclaimed from the old Org.

If you are (or can become) a full admin in both their old Dashboard Org (which they will have to do for you) and your own new Dashboard Org that you set up, and if they were using the per-device-licensing model, then you should have the flexibility to move licenses between Orgs.  If not, you can call into Meraki Support to examine the two Orgs and inform you what may (or may not) be possible.  Or PM me for more details.

[PhilipDAth]

>I don't care about the cloud based stuff if that matters. 

The switch has no local config to speak of.  Everything is done via the cloud.  You wont be able to use it via the cloud without buying a licence, and even then you wont be able to use it if it is still in the dashboard of the decomissioned company (if you have a contact their you can ask them to remove it from their dashboard).

[JeffA]

The switch does work on my local network after a reset. I was also able to get access to the gui @ 1.1.1.99 but there's nothing really available in there for me to do. 

If I understand correctly then, once the licence expires on this switch it somehow gets shut down then? Is there no way to just use it as a non managed switch without a license? I guess I need to figure out if it's worth buying the 10gbe sfp+ modules before I buy them... I don't need the switch to do anything other than connect to one computer... Can this not be achieved locally?

[CptnCrnch]

No sir, Meraki hardware is built to be managed from the Cloud exclusively. You won't have any joy (or use) trying to use it teared apart.

[MerakiDave]

@JeffA That's correct.  With Meraki (and some other vendors) the license is a required part of the solution and the hardware is not meant to run as an "unmanaged" device.  The local status page is a basic config tool, often used to prime the device with static IP info or certain port settings.  Dashboard is required to fully configure the device, and the license is all-inclusive and covers your firmware updates/patches, full access to the support team, hardware replacement, etc.  Sorry but even doing a full factory reset won't allow the switch to operate without a license and being connected into Dashboard.