Can a Z1 work as an Access Point only?

[TheUnF]

Have any1 being able to use a Z1 to work as an additional Access Point in your networks ?

Like you've purchased a Z3 and made the border router and want to leave Z1 just to enhance coverage in other room.

[MerakiDave]

You could sort of make it work like that, but not well.  It would be 2 separate Dashboard networks, so therefore 2 separate wireless networks, and there would not be seamless roaming, even if you configured the same SSID and PSK for example.  So basically, no, you cannot leverage the Z1 as a range extender in that sense.  But yes, you can certainly have the Z1 operate without any wired LAN connections.  But You cannot leverage it as a wireless mesh repeater like a Meraki AP.

[TheUnF]

Sorry if didnt let myself clear about the Lan part, the Z1 will be connected to my Lan using an existing utp connection to the other room that's far from my internet connection and separated by walls with water pipes, a salt water reef and some other high interference materials 😉

So use wireless to expand my network to that room is useless.

[BrechtSchamp]

It's still not completely clear to me.

So you have a "main" room where your internet connection comes in. That cable is connected to the Z3's WAN port. Then you have another room far away from that Z3. In that room you want to use the Z1 to provide extra access (wired or wireless)?

[TheUnF]

Yes. That's a common setup where a common AP will fit well to extend wifi coverage using the same SSID and provide Wifi roaming as Z3 and Z1 would exchange info about the roaming client and transition it from one equipment to the other.

[BrechtSchamp]

The z-series are not like regular APs. Technically they're completely isolated networks. Just like you can only have one MX (pair) in a network.

So roaming between the two will not be seamless.

[TheUnF · Accepted solution]

So, with the Z1 acting as a wan/wifi router and other non-meraki APs on the same vlans I could do wifi roaming easly. To make Z1 act as a regular AP, besides setting dhcp off and change firewall mode to avoid NAT, I have to file a wish/rfe to make it work as regular one? Still odd. After the 100mbps limitation thats more than enough for me to send mine with 4-years enabled support to ebay 😕

[BrechtSchamp]

I'm sorry. The products are what they are, and the Z series is just not meant to be used like that. It's important to think about a design before buying the hardware.

In your case the valid design would probably have been:

-An MX or a Z (after taking a good look at the differences between the two) in the first room

-Connected to that an AP for the room it's in

-And then a cable running to the second room

-There another access point would be connected to the cable with optionally - depending on the need for a wired connection - a switch in between.

Powering the APs either over PoE if the MX/Z and optional switch were chosen with PoE support or PoE injectors (which in smaller deployments like this may be more economical).

[TheUnF]

Don't worry, I'm a CCNA Wifi.

Network design is not the issue here.

I tested with Cisco light and wlc managed APs of my lab and this thread is just to avoid loosing the Z.

I would keep it only as a Nat device but due to the bandwidth issue and this Non standard AP posture, I'm dropping it definitely.