Basic Setup Question

[GAQS808]

Hi,

Total noob here, but we purchased a MS120-24P PoE switch and 11 MR36 APs to replace our old WiFi system. Our current APs plug into our floor switches with VLAN tagging, etc. Did we not need this switch if we can use our existing PoE switches with the MR36s? I have 7 days to RMA back to our reseller. 

EDIT: Thank you all for the replies, very helpful! I 'inherited' this infrastructure and it's in sore need of an upgrade. I'd like to keep our topology consistent so it's good to know that we don't need the MS-120 switch but I can find another purpose for it. I'm budgeting for new floor stack switches next year so perhaps we'll go 100% Meraki and this is a good opportunity to learn the platform. I really like it so far. 

[HeritageEagle]

I would stay with the MS120-24P. Meraki devices work well with each other. We have a total Meraki devices network. Once you get everything setup in dashboard you will thank me.

[GAQS808]

Thanks for your feedback. I should have clarified that we have three floors and one new Meraki switch. Only on one of the floors do our current Extreme APs actually terminate to the one Extreme management switch. The other two floors APs just connect to the regular floor stack (no Extreme switch). If the Meraki APs are 'cloud managed', I'm not sure why we need just one switch after all. If we only had one floor, then all APs could connect to the single Meraki switch directly. Or perhaps I should have purchased 3, 8 port Meraki switches? It seems I'm missing something here.

[cmr · Accepted solution]

@GAQS808 the Meraki wireless APs absolutely do not need the Meraki switch.  

We initially replaced all of our controlled managed APs with Meraki cloud managed ones while retaining traditional Cisco PoE switches.  We then replaced a load of Cisco ASAs and routers with Meraki MXs, most recently we have replaced a number of traditional Cisco switches with Meraki ones, starting at the network edges and working towards the core.

As long as you understand the difference in the way spanning tree can be managed and make sure you use compatible options on trunk links between switches then you can mix and match all you like.

Personally I'd keep the Meraki switch if you can use it as it will give you more visibility into your network traffic.

[DarrenOC]

We have numerous sites running mixed vendor solutions with no issues. The MRs play nicely with the major switching vendors.

However, for ease of management and visibility I would go for a full Meraki stack. But, if you have other issues to address and need the money back then so be it.

[Inderdeep]

@GAQS808 @I see various organizations with multiple vendor stuff and that’s fine. I even see companies uses Meraki Access points with Mist APs on different floors not sure why they did that.. May be sales pressure from different vendor 😀but the overall infra is working very fine. So you are good to design whatever your requirements are and if you already have Poe switch with you then you don’t need that MS-120.