Skip to main content

 

Cisco Meraki Documentation

Meraki Go Onboarding

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF

Meraki Go Onboarding Steps

Welcome to the Meraki Go family! Meraki Go is a fast, secure and reliable networking solution designed with small businesses in mind. With your first Meraki Go hardware in hand, this onboarding process will help you install your hardware and configure your network quickly. 

This guide is for Meraki Go products only. Meraki enterprise product information can be found at documentation.meraki.com

This setup process should take around 30-60 minutes to complete and consists of three main steps:

  1. Setting up your account and logging in
  2. Adding hardware to your account and connecting it correctly
  3. Configuring your network

Additionally, this guide covers important settings on the Meraki Go app. 

You can create an account either on meraki-go.com or through the app on iOS or Android (preferred). 

This QR code can be used find the Meraki Go app in your app store. Meraki Go app QR code

If you have an existing account with dashboard.meraki.com, you will need to use a new email address for Meraki Go.

Once your account is registered, you will need to verify your email address before logging in for the first time. 

If you do not already have the app installed, please download the software from your mobile app store and open the Meraki Go app once it is successfully installed.

If you've already created an account on meraki-go.com, you'll use the same credentials to log into the app.

Account creation is typically quite fast. However, this process may take a few minutes. If you find an invalid email/password combination error immediately after creating your account, please wait up to 5 minutes and try again before contacting support.

After logging into the Meraki Go app you will be prompted to begin adding hardware to your account.

Every Meraki Go device has a QR code near the serial number. Scanning this QR code is the fastest way to add hardware to your account. Meraki-Go-QR-code-example.png

If you still have the metal mounting plate attached to your hardware, you will need to slide that off first to see the QR code.

Tap the add hardware button to get started and use your phone/tablet's camera to scan the QR code on the back of your hardware.

The flashlight button Meraki-Go-flashlight.pngcan be used to enable your device's flash in low light environments.

Meraki-Go-hardware-scanning.jpg

You may need to give the Meraki Go app permissions to use your camera. This can generally be done under Settings > Applications > Meraki Go on your device.

If you are unable to scan the QR code, you may need to select Enter serial number instead, to manually add the serial number on your Meraki Go hardware. The serial number can be found on the back of the hardware or on the side of the box it came in.Meraki-Go-enter-serial-number.gif

Once your hardware has been scanned and added to your account, you will be prompted to connect the hardware to the internet. Proceed to follow the Meraki Go device section that relates most to the hardware you just added to your account. If you have multiple Meraki Go products, connect them in the order specified below:

  • Connect the Meraki Go (GX) router firewall to the internet and power it on.

  • Connect any Meraki Go (GS) switches to the GX and power them on.

  • Connect any Meraki Go WiFi access points (GR) to the GS, the GX or directly to a port on your internet device.

Meraki-Go-connection-diagram.png

The Meraki Go security appliance must be powered by the power supply within the box.

A connection from your internet provider should plug via ethernet cable into Port 1. The router firewall should be the gateway of the network towards the Internet.

The Meraki Go Switch hardware must be powered by the power supply included within the box. 

An internet connection must be provided via an ethernet cable plugged into any one of the ports. This may be a connection from the Meraki Go GX router firewall or optionally directly to another device that provides internet service.

Depending on the model of the Meraki Go switch, it may be PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) capable, meaning it can supply power to Meraki Go WiFi access points and other PoE power based devices.

Your Meraki Go WiFi access point hardware has two ways it can be powered:

  • AC Adapter: Your hardware comes with an AC adapter in the box. This can simply be plugged in to power your device. 

  • PoE (Power over Ethernet): If you have a PoE switch, a GX20 router firewall, or an ethernet power injector, you can connect a PoE ethernet cable to the hardware directly without using the AC adapter.

Your WiFi access point will need to have its ethernet cable connected to something that can provide internet service. This is generally an internet modem, a Meraki Go GX Series router firewall or possibly a Meraki Go GS Series switch.

A modem is often provided by your internet service provider (BT, Sky, Virgin, Comcast, AT&T, etc.)

Once your hardware is connected, make sure the ethernet port has lights on it, to make sure it's connected. There should be a green light to the left of the ethernet cable.Meraki-Go-network-connection.png

After your hardware has connected, it will attempt to find a path to the internet. Your hardware will perform any required software updates, and will come online once this task is completed. This may take as much as 30 minutes.

After the internet connection is connected to the Meraki Go equipment, the device’s LED will cycle through a rainbow pattern. This means that it is establishing connectivity to Meraki Go servers.

After the rainbow pattern, the LED may alternate between an amber and white flashing LED. This is normal. If the LED is flashing a white light this indicates that it is currently installing software updates.

Once the LED stops flashing and is a solid white light (GX, GS Series) or solid green (GR Series) this means that the Meraki Go device is fully operational. 

If your hardware does not successfully find an internet connection and display a solid white light (GX, GS Series) or solid green (GR Series) after 30 minutes, refer to our Meraki Go Troubleshooting Guide.

Once you are in the app and your devices are connected, Create a WiFi network for your account. You can do this by clicking on the Networks icon in the app. Once on the networks screen, tap the Create a WiFi network button.

Give your network a name, and then a password (or leave it blank if you'd like it left open). The network name is what guests and users see as an option when connecting to wireless networks.

If you want the network to be for guests, select Check this if this is a guest network to enable client isolation, which prevents clients from communicating with each other, or with devices on your local network.

Once the WiFi network is created, explore the app and additional Meraki Go documentation for more detail on available features.

Your network is all set and ready to use. Try it out by connecting with a client device such as a laptop or phone. 

Note that once you've created a WiFi network and configured your settings, the Meraki Cloud will automatically apply these settings to any other devices you add to your Meraki Go account.

 

Meraki Go - App Settings

Overview 

Edit section

The settings tab allows users to configure various options within the Meraki Go app.

Security 

Edit section

This security setting is only visible with an active security subscription.

Security Measures 

Edit section

  • Security Protection - One-touch configuration for enabling the DNS-based security subscription powered by Umbrella.
  • Security Policy - Pre-made policies used to configure additional content filtering.
  • Excluded URLs - Website URLs can be added here to bypass security protection filtering.

Access 

Edit section

WiFi Network 

Edit section

Allows SSIDs to be created and configured; this page mirrors what is seen on the Networks tab.

Guest Insights 

Edit section

Allows the user to toggle on and off Guest Analytics which are shown on the Home tab and SSIDs within the Networks tab.

Blocked Clients 

Edit section

Allows users to view devices that have been blocked from accessing the network by name, MAC, IP or OS.

Usage and Speed 

Edit section

Web Blocking 

Edit section

Allows users to configure specific URLs to be blocked network-wide or on a per-SSID basis.

Usage Limits 

Edit section

Allows users to limit speeds for a specific application category or per-device.

Account 

Edit section

Shows the user account information and allows fingerprint authentication to be enabled if the device support it. This page also allows users to log out of the app.

Notification settings  

Edit section

Allowed individual alerts to be toggled on and off.

Admins  

Edit section

Provides a list of admins provisioned to access the current Meraki Go organization and allows for the creation of more admins.

Change organization  

Edit section

Allows multi-admin users to switch between multiple Meraki Go accounts.  

Help 

Edit section

Contact support  

Edit section

Allows users to submit a Meraki Go Support case.

Visit the community  

Edit section

Redirects users to the Meraki Go community website.

View documentation  

Edit section

Redirects users to the Meraki Go Documentation website.

Give feedback  

Edit section

Allows users to send feedback directly to the Meraki Go product team for future features or ideas.

General 

Edit section

About  

Edit section

Allows users to view the Version, Build and Revision number of the Meraki Go Mobile Application. This page also displays legal information about open source licensing.

Advanced settings 

Edit section

Wireless address translation mode  

Edit section

Redirects the user to the page where they can select one of the Meraki Go networks available to select either Bridge mode or NAT mode for an SSID.

Allows users to select a Meraki Go SSID for configuring one of the following two addressing modes:

  • NAT - Typically used for guest networks.
  • Device to device communication - computers, printers, and speakers will all be able to communicate with each other.

Stealth mode  

Edit section

Allows users to toggle LEDs of access points on or off within the network.

Local network addressing  

Edit section

Visible only if a GX Security Appliance is claimed in the Meraki Go network.

Allows for basic DHCP configurations, including the ability to reserve IP addresses within the chosen addressing space.

Upon selecting Edit on the top right corner of this page, additional configuration options are provided:

  • Change local address space
  • Enable/disable DHCP server
  • Change DNS server

Port forwarding  

Edit section

Visible only if a GX Security Appliance is claimed in the Meraki Go network.

Allows port forwarding rules to be configured to direct traffic received on a public TCP/UDP port from the Internet to a specific client on the local network via its local TCP/UDP port.

 

  1. Back to top
  • Was this article helpful?

Recommended articles

  1. Article type
    Guide
    Stage
    Final
  2. Tags
    1. go
    2. meraki go
    3. onboarding