Same SSID Separate Networks

[Son]

Hi All,

Our business is built on acquisition and we have multiple businesses to support within our Group. I have created a Group level network within the Dashboard which contains sites from both UK and Ireland. Only now since I have checked in the Irish devices into this Group network (which is registered to UK) have I seen that there is a problem with this because of the regulatory domains settings.  The issue I have is that most of our head office users will work in UK and IE from time to time so i'd like to have the same sets of SSIDs on each side and under the same network.

I can see Meraki advise you to create a separate network for these devices in IE so they perform as they should. Can I create an SSID with the exact same names as the ones in the current Group network and the clients would treat them as the same?

What would be the best solution for this? It would be simple enough to create a new network just a bit of a pain having to adjust both at the same time for changes and not sure what the user experience difference would be i.e. logging into the guest network which is using Meraki authentication (create an account which automatically authorises). Would they have x2 separate accounts with potentially different details?

Thanks

Son

[BrechtSchamp · Accepted solution]

You could create the new network by basing it on the existing one. You won't have to reconfigure the ssid that way. Or base them both on a template of you think you'll have to change things often.

Regarding the guest network, I believe their accounts will be global to the organization. See this link:

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Encryption_and_Authentication/Cloud_Hosted_Meraki_Authentication

[kYutobi]

I mean you can use the same SSID and create a "group policy" that will put them into a different VLAN. This is if you're trying to keep them on the same Meraki network. @BrechtSchamp think this will be an easier route?

[nealgs]

we've done something similar with our networks.  11 sites/networks across europe, each network/site has 3 SSIDs

Corp - internal access, psk based (currently)

BYOD

Guest - psk changed weekly - provided by reception at each site.

PSK for corp has been set the same for each site (looking at getting Enterprise license for System manager to allow access by certificates)

This allows any staff member to travel to any other site and connect automatically to the Corp network.

Works pretty well 🙂

[Son]

Thanks for confirming this, it's exactly what we need, the same SSID name in different networks, we are using Radius authentication for our authentication matching the SSID name in the policy so hoping we get the same results 🙂

[BrechtSchamp]

@kYutobi 

I don't think the question was that. OP is trying to have his networks adhere to local radio regulation so he needs several networks. But he wants to have the same ssids in them. Templates or copy paste would be the answer to that. As @Aaron_Wilson mentioned I would discourage having everything in the same network.

[Aaron_Wilson]

Correct @BrechtSchamp - it just seemed like the OP wanted one network, which is not the correct method.

[Aaron_Wilson]

Hold on, if I understand you correctly you have a single network (not org) handling multiple physical sites in geographicly different regions? If so, you shouldn't be using Meraki in this fashion.

[Bossnine]

I have the same situation (although on a much smaller geographical scale).

40 separate buildings with people sometimes traversing between them.  One organization, 40 'networks' beneath them, an SSID configured identically between all 40 buildings to allow those folks to roam.