Meraki Licensing FAQs
General Licensing FAQs
How does Meraki licensing work?
Meraki devices use the Meraki cloud for centralized management and control. The Meraki cloud is licensed on a per-device, per-year basis. Each device is licensed for a set duration with an expiration date.
What is the difference between co-termination and per-device licensing models?
Meraki supports two main types of licensing models, per-device licensing (PDL) and co-termination licensing (co-term). Details regarding the similarities and differences between the two models can be found in the Meraki Licensing document.
Can I combine co-termination and per-device licensing models in the same organization?
No. Licensing is handled on a per-organization level and each organization can only have one licensing model. Organizations will use the co-termination model by default, but administrators can opt into the per-device model if they choose.
What permission level do I need to add or modify licenses?
Only administrators with full organization permissions can add to, modify, or request modification of, licenses within a dashboard organization.
How much does an Enterprise Cloud license cost?
License prices vary for each product line. For example, a one-year wireless license list price is $150 and a three-year switch license list price is $400. Licenses are available for different time durations (1 day, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years).
How do I buy an Enterprise Cloud license?
You can buy a license through an authorized Meraki partner or reseller.
Do I need to have a license for every piece of Meraki hardware?
Yes, every Meraki hardware component requires a cloud license to be managed. Meraki hardware that isn’t licensed won’t pass traffic.
Do I have to buy more licenses every time I buy new hardware?
Not necessarily. While each device requires a license to function, it is possible that a previously purchased license (that hasn't expired) could apply to a new device. For example: since wireless access point (AP) devices do not have model-specific licenses, you could purchase a new MR model to replace an older MR model (as part of an upgrade) without also buying a new license.
Please note that licenses and hardware are sold separately.
NOTE: Some Meraki MX security appliances are eligible for license conversion as per Meraki Co-Termination Licensing Overview. For additional information and assistance, Contacting Meraki Support would be recommended.
Are there different license tiers or editions?
The cellular gateway (MG), camera (MV), and systems manager product lines have one tier: Enterprise.
The switch product line (MS) has two tiers: Enterprise and Advanced licensing (only for select models)
The wireless product line (MR) has two tiers: Enterprise and Advanced/Upgrade (which are described in the Automatically Integrating Cisco Umbrella with Meraki Networks document).
The security/SD-WAN appliance product line (MX) has three tiers: Enterprise, Advanced Security, and Secure SD-WAN Plus, which are described in the Meraki MX Security and SD-WAN Licensing document. The virtual appliance (vMX) has three tiers: Small, Medium, and Large.
Meraki Insight (MI) has five tiers: X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large. Details can be found in the Meraki Insight Introduction.
How does licensing vary between different Meraki product lines, for example, wireless, switches, and security appliances?
For all wireless access points (MR series) and camera lines (MV series), the license is the same for all hardware models with the respective product line. In contrast, for the switches (MS series) and security appliance line (MX series), each hardware model has a different license.
Example:
- The LIC-ENT-1YR (1-year Enterprise MR license) applies to any of the MR access points.
- The LIC-MS220-24-1YR (1-year Enterprise MS220-24 license) applies to the MS220-24 model.
- The LIC-ENT-MX64-1YR (1-year Enterprise MX64 license) applies to the MX64.
MI has a sizing model depending on how much throughput is needed to be monitored and also dependent on the MX; the details can be found in the MI Web App Health document.
The licensing for vMX is also based on a sizing model depending on throughput monitoring needs.
SM is licensed based on the number of devices that are enrolled in your SM networks.
Is Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus licensing available for Z-Series devices? vMX?
Starting with MX19.1, Advanced Security licensing is now available both on the MX and the vMX series of devices and is not available on Z-Series. Prior to MX19.1, only MX devices supported Advanced Security.
Advanced Security is still not available on Z-Series or any other Meraki series of devices.
Can I have an MX with Advanced Security and an MX with Enterprise in a single organization?
No. An organization must consist of only one type of license: Secure SD-WAN Plus, Advanced Security, or Enterprise (MX).
How does support relate to licensing?
A Meraki license includes enterprise-class support.
How does the hardware warranty relate to licensing?
The hardware warranty is tied to the hardware unit, not the license. Hardware that has a lifetime warranty (for example, the MR24) is warranted for the life of the hardware. Hardware with a fixed-term warranty (for example, 1 year) has a 1-year warranty, regardless of the license. For more, see Returns (RMAs), Warranties and End-of-Life Information.
Can I upgrade my organization from Enterprise to Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus (MX only)?
Yes, this can be done one of two ways:
- You can opt for Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus licensing when you Extend Device Expiration Dates or renew your organization as per Meraki Licensing - License More Devices vs Renewal article.
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You can also contact the Cisco Meraki Licensing Support team via phone (see Contacting Support) or open a case from the Support home page, requesting that they assess if your organization can be upgraded to Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus without purchasing additional licensing.
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- Any MX security appliance keys will be adjusted to account for cost weight between Enterprise and Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus.
- Please note that if going through Cisco Meraki Support, the process is irreversible.
Note: If the incorrect license key edition was purchased within the past 30 days, the Cisco Meraki team will not upgrade/downgrade the key. The key must be returned and the correct key reordered.
Note: MX licenses under the per-device licensing model cannot be upgraded to SD-WAN+ by Meraki Support at this time.
Can my organization be downgraded from Secure SD-WAN Plus or Advanced Security to Enterprise (MX only)?
Yes, you can purchase and apply an Enterprise renewal key that covers all devices in your organization, which will revert your organization to an Enterprise state. You can also contact Cisco Meraki Licensing Support via phone or email and have your organization downgraded. Please note that if the organization is downgraded, you will not receive any additional time from the downgraded license keys. This process is irreversible.
Can I purchase a new license for a used piece of hardware purchased on the secondary market?
Yes, however, please reference our policies on second-hand devices: Cisco Meraki Devices purchased Second Hand.
Do I need duplicate licenses to cover my security appliance in a warm spare configuration?
No, security appliances (MX) in a warm spare/HA configuration require only one license for the two devices. The only additional cost of a warm spare configuration is the redundant hardware. For more information, please navigate to MX Warm Spare - High-Availability Pair.
Do I need duplicate licenses to cover my switches in a warm spare configuration?
Yes, switches (MS) in warm spare/high availability (HA) will require two individual licenses. For more information, please navigate to MS Warm Spare (VRRP) Overview.
Co-Termination Licensing FAQs
Can I move licenses between organizations?
Yes.
With the co-termination licensing model, licenses that have been applied to an organization within the last seven (7) days can be reapplied to another organization. Please read Removing and Undoing License Claims article for more details.
Organization administrators may also either request Meraki Support transfer a license (How to Request a License Transfer) or perform a license transfer themselves (How to do a License Transfer in Cotermination).
What happens if I add devices in the middle of my license term?
Meraki sells 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10-year licenses, but does not sell prorated licenses. When you add a license to an existing account, we calculate the amount of extra time in your account and extend the co-terminating renewal date for all your devices accordingly.
Example scenario:
- Original purchase: 1-year licenses for 10 APs.
- Additional purchase: 4 months into original license term, you purchase 1-year licenses for 6 more APs.
- Credit: 1.5 months additional credit toward co-term renewal date:
- 4 months x 6 APs = 24 AP-months.
- Those 24 AP-months are applied to your new 16 AP network
- 24 AP-months ÷ 16 AP devices = 1.5 months credit
In this way, an account only has a single co-terminating renewal date, avoiding the confusion associated with multiple renewal dates. To anticipate how new licenses will affect your co-termination date, please reference our dashboard License Calculator.
Show me an example of a co-termination organization’s license state.
The screenshot below shows a customer with different Meraki products. They have applied multiple different licenses on different dates for different products. Still there is only one expiration date.
[Organization > Configure > License Info]
What happens when I reach my co-termination date?
Immediately after reaching your co-termination date, you will receive a 30-day grace period as per Meraki Co-Termination Licensing Overview. You can purchase a renewal through an authorized Meraki partner (see Meraki Licensing - License More Devices vs Renewal). If you chose not to renew before the end of the 30-day grace period, the organization will be "shut down"(License Problem - Out of Compliance). You will no longer be able to manage your devices via the Meraki cloud and your Meraki network devices will cease to function. This means that you will no longer be able to configure or make changes to your Meraki network equipment, and your Meraki network products will no longer allow traffic to pass to the Internet. With Systems Manager networks, you will no longer be able to enroll devices or change settings for currently enrolled devices.
How do I know which licenses to renew?
For organizations utilizing the co-termination licensing model, licenses are averaged together based on device type and licensing limits. In other words, your individual licenses don't expire because they are averaged into one expiration date. When an organization co-terminates, all active devices will need their licenses renewed at the same time.
How do I renew my licensing?
The recommended practice for applying a renewal (see Meraki Licensing - License More Devices vs Renewal) is to purchase a single license key that covers every device currently in the organization for some number of years. Applying that license key as a renewal will then extend the organization’s licensing by that many years.
When a license key is applied as a renewal, the organization’s licensing state updates to match the device count of that license key. For example, if an organization with licensing for five access points were to have a license key for 2 AP licenses applied as a renewal, that organization would only be licensed for two access points. In this instance, three access points are over their license limit (see Co-Term Out-of-Licensing Compliance Warnings and Solutions) and therefore out of compliance (License Problem - Out of Compliance).
When does a license start to burn (start ticking)?
Licenses in the Co-Termination model start consuming time from the date it was processed, not the date they are added to an organization. Waiting to activate a license in a Co-Term dashboard does not delay its activation date. There is no time benefit gained from delaying an activation.
Will I be notified before my license expires?
Yes, administrators listed on the account will be sent Alerts and notifications outlining the steps for license extension. Additionally, email alerts will be sent out periodically to Dashboard Administrators.
- If the Organization is out of compliance (e.g., more devices in use than licensed), email alerts will be sent at the following intervals: 30 days, 21 days, 14 days, 7 days, and 1 day.
- If the Organization is in compliance, email alerts will be sent at the following intervals: 90 days, 30 days, 2 days, and 1 day
Will I be notified before my account is shut off if I am in excess of my device limits?
Yes, administrators listed on accounts that have more devices than cloud licenses will be sent Alerts and notifications 30 days prior to account expiration outlining the steps for license purchase.
What does it mean to be "out of license"?
"Out of license" is a term that refers to an organization that is in one of the following two states:
- Cloud license has expired
- The number of hardware devices exceeds the number of cloud licenses
Refer to Co-Term Out-of-Licensing Compliance Warnings and Solutions regarding these states.
If an organization is "out of license" it means it is out of compliance, and either license renewals or additional licenses are required for the Meraki products to function and for these products to be manageable using the Meraki cloud. To learn more, please look into License Problem - Out of Compliance document.
How long do I have to reactivate my account after it expires?
A: You can reactivate your account at any point in the future after it expires by adding the necessary number of valid licenses. Please note that once your account expires, your products will stop functioning after a 30-day grace period (see License Problem - Out of Compliance: What Happens When an Organization Is Shut Down?)
Per-Device Licensing FAQs
Conversions to PDL will no longer be accepted. Customers should reach out to their Meraki Sales Representative to explore alternative options such as co-term or subscription licensing.
For more information on the new licensing model, refer to the Meraki Per-Device Licensing Overview document.
Can I move licenses between organizations?
Yes. When devices are moved between organizations (refer to Meraki Per-Device Licensing Overview), the licenses attached to those devices move with them.
Are there any limitations to who can convert to per-device licensing?
Organizations that have Systems Manager Licesning are unable to convert to per-device licensing. If an organization has active Meraki Free Trials, it can be converted, but the free trial will no longer be active after conversion.
What happens when my license runs out?
You can purchase a renewal through an authorized Meraki partner. If you choose not to renew, you will no longer be able to manage your device via the Meraki cloud, and your Meraki network device will cease to function. This means that you will no longer be able to configure or make changes to your Meraki network device, and your Meraki network product will no longer pass traffic.
With the Per-Device Licensing model, this only applies to the individual device that has expired. With Systems Manager networks, you will no longer be able to enroll devices or change settings for currently enrolled devices.
How do I know which licenses to renew?
With the Per-Device Licensing model, each device will expire individually instead of the entire organization having a single co-termination date. The expiration dates for all devices are listed on the Organization > Configure > Inventory list. The expiration is also available on the device details page. You can also view a list of upcoming expiration dates and the associated devices.
How do I renew my licensing?
To renew your licensing, you can purchase licenses and assign them to the device you want to renew. License renewals come in 1-day as well as 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10-year increments, depending on the product line.
Will I be notified before my license expires?
License warning emails will be sent at regular intervals. These emails will list all devices that are set to expire within the next 60 days, as well as any devices that are expired right now and in a dashboard network.
How long will an expired license remain in my organization?
Expired licenses are removed from PDL organizations within 90 days of the expiration date.
When does a license start to burn (start ticking)?
A license will start to burn in one of two cases:
- The customer associates the license to a device.
- It has been 90 days since the license was purchased and the license is unclaimed.
Will a device in inventory require a license?
No. Only active devices in networks require a license.
Can a Return Material Authorization (RMA) be submitted for a faulty device after the license has been moved to a spare device?
Yes. Hardware warranty is separate from licensing.
Can you assign the license from one device to another?
Yes, if they are the same model and the device does not have any other license tied to it. You cannot stack a previously burning license on top of another burning license.