Different SSIDs for different networks

[MarkSauer]

My company is just getting started deploying Meraki at our multiple sites.  Currently I have a handful of switches and WAPs at two locations, but their SSID's are not centralized, and each site can have different SSID's.  I would prefer to have a single set of SSID's (Corporate Internal, Guest, and Bridge (for our wireless bridges)).  I don't have MX firewalls in our present configuration because the company installed SonicWall about a year ago.  Is there a way to configure a single set of SSIDs across the company network, and not have to go to each network and name the SSID's the with the same name and configuration?

[rhbirkelund]

You could move all the APs to a single Meraki Network, configure the SSIDs there, and use tags to control which APs get which SSIDs.

[ntuccillo]

As what rhbirkelund said, you can think of the Meraki Portal as more of a "management" thing than it is functionality. (At least for APs). If you move all of the APs to a single network, (for example, Access Point network), you can update all of the APs at the same time including firmware, SSIDs, firewall rules etc... That's what we do on our network. 

You can find SSIDs and tagging under Wireless -> SSID Availability. You can tag APs by going to Wireless -> Access Points -> Click a square next to AP -> Tag

**BE CAREFUL**. If you have different models of APs, that network may automatically rollback those model of APs to a version that they can work with. This has the possibility of affecting sensors, cameras etc... You'd need to reach out to support and ask them to "Lock" firmware versions.

To add, when you move the APs over to the network, expect downtime if the networks are configured for different firmwares. It may be easiest if you upgrade all the networks your APs are on to a firmware you want to stick with. (Go for firmware version 30.6). Then when you move the APs over, there will be 0 downtime, for they don't need to be upgraded/rolled back to the network configuration.

Nick

[Ryan_Miles]

I typically advise against making one network that spans multiple sites.

Some reasons being:

- Firmware is managed at the network level. So, an upgrade (or downgrade) will impact all APs/all sites instead of having per site granularity/control for firmware versions and upgrade job scheduling.

- If you need to use site specific configs like say schedules, or site specific AP firewall rules you lose that site level control. Btw, templates can also prevents you from doing some of these tasks at a site level.

[PhilipDAth]

I don't understand the problem.

You would normally create a Meraki network for each site.  Inside of those networks you configure the SSID settings.  It is up to you if you make the settings the same or different between the sites.

Meraki WiFi has a built-in firewall.  Perhaps that would help with the issue?

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Firewall_and_Traffic_Shaping/MR_Firewall_Rules

You can also use a NAT-based guest network if you can't use VLANs.

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Client_Addressing_and_Bridging/NAT_Mode_with_Meraki_DHCP

There is also a really simple "control" you can use to prevent an SSID from being able to access internal networks (such as a guest network).

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Firewall_and_Traffic_Shaping/'Deny_Local_LAN'_settings_in_Cisco_... 

[cmr]

Are you looking just to make consistent managing easier?  If so then templates can help.

[K2_Josh]

This is a great example of a business problem that could benefit from an automation solution. But it might be more economical just to hire someone to manually change SSID settings across the networks in your Org.