Hardware Replacement Due to Security Certificate Expiration 2020
Overview
Glossary of terms
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Impacted - A subset of MX/Z, MS, MR hardware devices
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Dashboard alert - dashboard alert indicating one or more of your devices need to be replaced after July 22, 2020.
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Failure - Some devices will become unmanageable due to a dashboard security certificate expiry. This means the devices will remain online, but dashboard configuration updates will fail. Only configurations through the local status page will be applied to the device
A small percentage of MX/Z, MS, MR devices need to be replaced, due to a dashboard security certificate expiry. While this issue can be remedied on most Meraki devices with a firmware upgrade, a subset of MX/Z, MS, MR devices require a hardware replacement.
You can identify affected MX/Z, MS, MR devices via the link at the top right corner of the dashboard (Help > Hardware replacements). It is important to note that not all MX/Z, MS, MR devices are affected. The only units impacted are listed on the dashboard (Help > Hardware replacements). This page will list all affected MX/Z, MS, MR devices that are online or were online within the last months.
Meraki emailed the five most recently active organization administrators informing them of this development. It is recommended that you touch base with your organization admins to avoid duplicate replacement requests that could delay the processing of your replacement unit(s).
When replacing units on your dashboard, you may see a licensing warning appear after adding the replacement device. Once the old faulty device is removed from its network, the warning will disappear. Meraki will continue to monitor all Meraki MX/Z, MS, MR devices through the dashboard and contact customers if a warranty RMA is required.
To learn more about the dashboard security certificate issue, refer to the document, Cisco Meraki Security Certificate Expiration 2020 FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
If my affected devices are covered by Meraki Now, can I make use of the premium replacement options associated with the Meraki Now services?
Meraki Now services are only applicable in the event of a hardware failure that necessitates immediate replacement. As such, Meraki devices that are eligible for this proactive replacement program are not entitled to Meraki Now premium replacement services. Impacted devices will be replaced using the normal replacement process described in this document.
How will I know if I have an affected MX/Z, MS, MR device, and how do I request a replacement device?
Customers can use the dashboard to view pending hardware replacements (Help > Hardware replacements). Meraki has also sent an email to the five most recently active organization administrators that accessed the dashboard. A walkthrough of the process is described in the Replacement Instructions section below.
Why am I just learning about this?
Meraki informed customers as soon as it was known that Meraki's software remediation would not cover a subset of the MX/Z, MS, MR devices. Meraki was able to remediate most of the impacted MX/Z, MS, MR devices via software remediation.
What is the cost of the replacement?
The replacement unit and shipping will be at no cost to the customer.
How can I keep track of the status of my replacement MX/Z, MS, MR device order?
The status of your replacement order will be reflected in the Support case that is opened to initiate the hardware replacement.
When will I receive my replacement MX/Z, MS, MR?
Your replacement unit(s) should ship out immediately after the case is opened and replacement is confirmed.
Should I be worried about an impacted MX/Z, MS, MR device?
You should replace your affected MX/Z, MS, MR device as soon as you can to avoid any issues. Affected units will fail configuration updates and alert "Configuration is out of date" as seen in the image below.
If your affected MX/Z, MS, MR gets rebooted after July 22, 2020, for any reason, it will be online on the dashboard and may continue to fetch configurations. However, the device still needs to be replaced as soon as possible. If you experience any issues after a reboot, please contact Meraki Support.
What is the difference between the affected MX/Z, MS, MR devices, and the ones Meraki will replace them with?
The replacement units have gone through additional validation to ensure they pass quality assurance standards.
What is Meraki doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again?
Meraki has added new quality control processes (e.g., independent validation of firmware features that interface with critical systems), adding a dedicated analytics team to identify operational anomalies ahead of wide-scale releases and have added additional accelerated lifetime tests.
Should I return my replaced MX/Z, MS, MR device?
Yes. Your replacement MX/Z, MS, MR device will be shipped with a prepaid return label. Please reuse the replacement device packaging for the return shipment. If you do not have a return label, please contact Support using the same case/ticket used for tracking the replacement.
Can I track replacement progress on my dashboard after receiving my replacement unit?
Yes, once you receive your replacement device and replace it on the dashboard, be sure to unclaim the faulty unit from your dashboard (Organization > Inventory). This will ensure replaced units are removed from the hardware replacements page (Help > Hardware replacements page). You can rely on the hardware replacements page to see how many devices are yet to be replaced.
Your replacement device will be shipped with a prepaid return label. Please reuse the replacement device packaging for the return shipment. If you do not have a return label, please contact Support using the same case/ticket used for tracking the replacement.
What if I still have questions?
Meraki Support is available 24x7.
Replacement Instructions
Meraki emailed the five most recently active organization administrators, informing them of this development. It is recommended that you touch base with your organization administrators to avoid duplicate replacement requests and to avoid any delays in receiving your replacement unit(s).
Follow the instructions below to determine if you have affected devices in your organization.
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Log in to the Meraki dashboard.
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Identify affected units on the Hardware replacements page. (Help > Hardware replacements) will present information on the number of affected devices. This is to simply help you identify the MX/Z, MS, MR devices that need to be replaced. If you have not received an email notification, or do not see a tile on the hardware replacement page titled “Device Replacement - Security Certificate Expiry” then none of your active MX/Z, MS, MR devices need to be replaced.
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If this issue impacts your organization, go to Help > Cases. Create a Support case with the following details. If you have multiple devices affected and need to be shipped to different locations, you will need to create a separate case per shipping address.
Case Subject: “Replacing MX/Z, MS, MR Hardware with an Expiring Certificate”
Case body: Process the replacement of affected MX/Z, MS, MR
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Serial number(s): [Provide serial number(s) of all affected unit(s) (see Help > Hardware replacements) for the same Ship-to Address]
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Ship-to Name:
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Company name:
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Ship-to Address:
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Street 1:
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Street 2:
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City:
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State:
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Postal code:
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Country:
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Contact number:
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Email:
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A Support Engineer will process the replacement(s) and confirm via the case by providing the RMA number(s) and a tracking number to track your replacement.
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No further action is required until your replacement unit is received.
Installing Your Replacement Device
Before making any changes to the existing MX device, be sure to claim the replacement MX in Organization > Inventory, then remove the faulty unit and add the replacement MX to the appropriate dashboard network.
When replacing units on your dashboard, you may see a licensing warning appear after adding the replacement MX device. Once the old MX/Z, MS, MR device is removed from its network, the warning should be dismissed. Meraki will continue to monitor all Meraki MX/Z, MS, MR devices through the dashboard for all Meraki customers.
Please refer to our documentation on