Cisco Meraki products are 100% cloud managed. From the Meraki dashboard, you can configure, optimize and monitor your networks, security appliances and more. In addition, all software updates happen automatically, providing the utmost security for your equipment.
However, some of these features are limited if Meraki products are not purchased from a certified distributor and are improperly set up. Before purchasing or accepting used Meraki gear, you must consider the ramifications to support, warranties, licenses and usability.
Here are the three things you need to know about used Meraki equipment.
What You Need to Know about Used Meraki Products
1) Cisco Meraki Licenses are non-transferable
Because of Meraki’s cloud-managed platform, license renewals are mandatory and sold separately. Licenses can be purchased or renewed in increments of either 1, 3, 5, 7 or 10 years. The license acquisition comes with round the clock quality customer service and technical support, hardware replacement, as well as OS updates and firmware updates. Let’s not forget basic functionality. Your dashboard will notify you when licenses are 30 days away from expiration. Another notice will be sent three days from expiration. After that, a 30 day grace period kicks in. Should you neglect to renew your license after that, your devices will become inoperable.
The longer the increment you pay for, the less expensive the overall cost will be. Meraki license renewals work with a co-termination formula. This simply means that all users renew their individual licenses at the same time. If you acquire a new access point license with a different license duration, it is distributed between your existing licenses to standardize their renewal date. This is referred to as co-termination.
These are all things you must keep in mind when you purchase equipment from a third-party entity, because licenses are non-transferable. It does not matter if the previous owner had close to 10 years left on the license. You will have to purchase a new one in order for you to use the equipment.
2) Used Meraki equipment does not qualify for support or warranty
Just like licenses, any valid warranties cannot be transferred in third-party purchases. If a product fails that was not purchased from a certified re-seller, the piece will not qualify for an RMA.
3) Products must be unclaimed by the previous owner
Claiming a Device
Devices work in their assigned networks. This means that the product will need to be claimed. Within the dashboard, products can be claimed by entering the serial number of the device. If this is not working, the following section will probably solve your problem.
Unclaiming a Device
Is your dashboard saying something like “The following device is already in use”? This means the previous owner has not unclaimed the device from their network. Meraki is not able to unclaim devices from networks. The previous owner needs only unclaim the device from their network.
Once your device is set up in your network, you can easily search for it in your dashboard inventory. The device search could be based on MAC address, network name, order number, serial number, or model number.
Is it worth it?
While Meraki equipment purchased from a third party will function, it is advisable that you purchase gear from a certified Cisco and Meraki reseller like Hummingbird Networks. You are missing out on their support and warranty features otherwise, and without these features you may pay more money in the long run should the equipment fail.
