Purchase MR36 or MR33?

[Lock007]

I have currently deployed and am using MR33 access points together with my cloud managed meraki. I have been asked to purchased additional MR33 access points but i noticed has announced end of sale for the MR33. Should i be looking towards purchasing the MR36 instead?

[Inderdeep · Accepted solution]

@Lock007 : Go with MR36 

https://meraki.cisco.com/lib/pdf/eol/meraki_eos_mr.pdf 

[DarrenOC]

As previously indicated the MR36 is the like for like replacement. However, they’re like gold dust at the moment with current shipping times over 120+ days. I wouldn’t be planning this project in any time soon.

[cmr]

@Lock007 you'll get better availability on the MR44 which is similar to the MR36, but has a better 5GHz radio that can do beamforming to improve reliability (and throughput).

[DarrenOC]

@cmr , the MR44’s have slipped to a 56 day lead time in EMEA

[cmr]

Oops, I must have got the last one ☺️

[KarstenI]

a customer got the MR44 instead of the ordered MR36. We decided not to complain about that! 🙂

@Lock007 When you get the new APs, I would try to install them in a way that there is the least amount of overlap with the old APs. If the new APs are for a new site, great! If you want to extend the amount of APs in a given site, I would completely replace a site that has MR33s with the new MRs. If that is not possible, install new new APs at the edge of your actual environment. It's all to have the least amount of "choice" for your clients for different AP-types.

[DarrenOC]

Yeah, Meraki have been price matching the MR44’s to the 36’s for a good few months. 

This summer one customer got a full upgrade from the MR36’s to the 44’s and also Full PoE switches from the LP’s.  That was one happy customer.