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Cisco Meraki Documentation

Creating and Deleting Dashboard Networks

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Dashboard networks (also known as sites) provide a way to logically group and configure Cisco Meraki access points, security appliances, switches, and Systems Manager within an organization. Devices in the same network can be configured and monitored in the same way. Dashboard networks are also a useful way to separate physically distinct sites within an organization. This Knowledge Base article describes how to create and delete networks. 

Note: Creating and deleting networks requires full organization permissions.

Creating a Network

Network Scope General Recommendation

A network holds devices and information related to those devices. Generally, networks will represent physical locations or actual LANs at different sites. A network can contain any number of access points or switches, but only a single security appliance, VM concentrator, or instance of Systems Manager.

  1. As an organization administrator, hover over the Organization tab, then select Create network.
    Organization > Configure > Create network location as found in Dashboard menus.
     

  2. Enter a Name for the network. Make sure this clearly identifies the purpose of this network. Such as 'HQ - Appliance'.
    Set up network: Networks provide a way to logically group, configure, and monitor devices. This is a useful way to separate physically distinct sites within an Organization.
     

  3. Select the Network type.
    • Combined hardware  - Can contain a combination of different device types. Useful for locations with each type of device.
      Note: A combined network consists of multiple network types combined into one. If only one type of device is added to a combined network at the time of creation, the network will be of that device type. Please refer to our documentation for more information about combined networks.
    • Security appliance - Contains a single security appliance or teleworker gateway (ex. MX series or Z1). Can also contain an HA pair of MX appliances.
    • Switch - Contains only switches (ex. MS series).
    • Wireless - Can only contain wireless Access points. Dashboard managed MR and CW ( in Monitor mode) CANNOT be added to the same Network and Cloud Monitored Catalyst Access Points must be claimed to separate Networks.
    • Camera - Contains only cameras (ex. MV series).
    • EMM - Systems Manager enterprise mobility management network.
    • Cellular gateway - Contains only cellular gateway (ex. MG series)
    • Wireless LAN Controller - Can only contain Monitored Catalyst 9800 wireless controllers.

Network type options: Combined hardware, security appliance, switch, wireless, camera, EMM (systems manager), cellular gateway).

  1. Select the Configuration . 
    • Use default - Creates the network with all default settings.
    • Clone from network - If another network of this Type is available, most network and configuration settings can be copied with the exception of local device configurations (ie. static IP assignments of the devices), and NetFlow configurations. If the source network type is different, it will override the selection above.
    • Bind to template - This network will have minimal local settings, with most configuration determined by the selected template. Learn more in the article on templates.

Network configuration: default Meraki configuration, bind to template, clone from existing network.

Note: To enhance the security of customer networks, the encryption settings for the default SSID (enabled by default) have been updated starting Jun 10, 2025. When a Meraki administrator creates a new combined or wireless-only network, the default SSID's encryption setting will now use Password (WPA2 only) instead of Open (no encryption).  

After creating a combined or wireless-only network using the Default Meraki configuration, the first SSID defaults to the settings below, with all other SSIDs disabled:

  • SSID (name):

    • Combined network: “{network_name} - wireless WiFi”

    • Wireless-only network: “{network_name} WiFi”

  • SSID status: enabled

  • Security: Password (randomly generated 30-character PSK). WPA Encryption: WPA2 only. 802.11w: Disabled (never use).

  • Splash: None

  • Client IP and VLAN: Meraki AP assigned (NAT mode)

These settings should be altered before adding and deploying access points if network access requires further restriction. We recommend changing the default random alphanumeric password to a user-friendly one. Additional information on per-SSID Access Control settings can be found in our Access Control documentation.

  1. (Optional) In the Devices section, check the box for any devices that should be added to the network. If no devices exist in the inventory, click Claim devices  and enter the serial or order numbers to add them.
    Note: Unless the Type of "Combined" was selected, only devices matching the network Type selected above will be added.
    Select devices from inventory. Choose the devices in your inventory you’d like to add to this network.

  2.  Click on create network if the devices will be added later.

    Click_network.png

  3. Select appropriate security appliance type and click on create network

    select_security_appliance_type.png

 

We highly recommend having the total switch count in any dashboard network to be less than or equal to 400 switches. If switch count exceeds 400 switches, it is likely to slow down the loading of the network topology/ switch ports page or result in display of inconsistent output.

Deleting a Network

Networks can be deleted when they are no longer needed. The devices from the network will remain in the organization's inventory and can later be added to new networks. Follow the steps below to delete a network.

Notes:

  1. If billing has been enabled on a network, the network cannot be deleted.
  2. If the AutoVPN feature is enabled, the network cannot be deleted until it's disabled.

Navigate to Organization > Overview.

  1. Along the right side, click on the arrow button to view the full list of networks within the organization.
    Location to expand full network list for Organization. Collapsed network list does not show checkboxes.

  2. Click the checkbox next to any networks that should be deleted.
    Click the checkbox next to any networks that should be deleted.

  3. Click the Delete button along the top of the list.
    Click the delete button at the top of the list one networks to be deleted have been selected.

  4. On the following page, click the checkbox to confirm that these networks should be permanently deleted. Then click the Delete networks button.
    Note: Deleting networks is permanent and irreversible. It cannot be undone by organization administrators or Cisco Meraki support.
    Warning: Deleting networks is irreversible; all configuration and client data associated with those networks will be lost! I acknowledge that deleting these networks is irreversible and wish to continue:

Additional information

Using the bulk network creation tool

Typically, new Dashboard networks are created so different deployments can have different configurations. However, there may be circumstances where it is ideal to deploy multiple networks with an identical or similar configuration. For example, an MSP may have a retail customer with a similar MX at each site. For these cases, the bulk network creation tool exists for quick and easy deployment of multiple networks at once, based on an existing network or template.

The bulk network creation tool is designed for use by administrators who oversee/deploy multiple networks, and is enabled by having at least one configuration template in Dashboard. Once enabled, the tool can be found in Dashboard under Organization > Configure > Bulk network creation, where the following options are available:

  • Source configuration: Determines which network or template will be used as the base configuration.
    • Default: New networks will use the default, initial Dashboard configuration.
    • Copy settings from <network name>: New networks will use the same configuration as the selected network.
    • Bind to template <template name>: New networks will be bound to an existing template.
  • CSV import: Upload a .csv file containing information about the new networks, including (at minimum) device serial numbers and their associated network name. Additional information can be included to pre-configure the new networks.
    For an example, click Sample import file to download a .csv file providing the appropriate information and format.

bulk network creator widget

Supported fields in a CSV file

The following fields are supported within the .csv file:

Network name - Assigns a name to the dashboard network to be created.

Serial - The Serial Number of the device to be claimed.

Network tags - Adds the specified tags to the dashboard network. Multiple tags can be separated by spaces.

Name - Assigns a name to the device.

Tags - Assigns tags to the device.

Address - Specifies the location of the device in the dashboard.

Notes - Adds any notes to the device in the dashboard.

Static IP - Configures a static IP for the device.

Netmask - Configures the subnet mask for the static IP.

Gateway - Configures the corresponding gateway for the static IP.

DNS1 - Configures the primary DNS server for the device.

DNS2 - Configures the secondary DNS server for the device.

VLAN - Configures a VLAN tag for the static IP.

If the "Static IP" field in the .csv file is left blank, the devices will use their DHCP IP. These fields are not supported on MX and Z-series devices.

Creating MX HA pairs in bulk

The bulk network creation tool can be used to create networks with two MXes in a High-Availability (HA) pair, using a .CSV file as outlined above.

If the CSV contains multiple MX serial numbers associated with the same network name, the bulk creation tool will add both MXes to that network. The first MX appliance in the list will become the primary MX in that network, and the second appliance will become the spare. Please note that MX pairs added this way will always default to using their uplink IPs; a virtual IP for the pair must be configured on the network itself.

Creating multiple networks

 The bulk network creation tool can create one type of network (MX, MR, etc.) per use, combined networks cannot be created using this tool. Once multiple network types have been created, they can then be combined.

The following instructions outline how to use the bulk network creator to create multiple networks at once:

  1. In Dashboard, navigate to Organization > Configure > Bulk network creation.
  2. If desired, select the source network or template on which these new networks will be based.
  3. Import a .csv file containing the appropriate information, as outlined above.
    bulk network creator widget will display information of the csv import
     
  4. Select Create networks to finish the creation process.

Additional resources

For additional information, please refer to articles on organization inventory, adding & removing devices from networks, and licensing guidelines.

For information on creating, deleting, and managing configuration templates, refer to the article on Managing Identical Networks with Configuration Templates.