Low Power Mode on Cisco Switches

When connecting Cisco Meraki MR34, MR42(E), MR44, MR45, MR52, MR53(E), MR55, MR56, MR84 and Catalyst CW916x access points to several types of Cisco switches with PoE, insufficient power may be provided to the access point when using a default configuration. This is due to the fact that LLDP negotiation is generally used to negotiate power allocation of more than 15.4W. Cisco Meraki access points will use LLDP to negotiate for additional power, but some Cisco switches do not have this enabled by default. To allow negotiation up to the required power level, ensure that LLDP is enabled and available on the switch and port to which the access point is attached. 

To enable LLDP globally on a switch running IOS:

Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# lldp run
Switch(config)# end

Next, enable LLDP on the specific interfaces where the access points will be connected. Follow the example below for IOS devices, substituting "interface_id" with the actual designation for the interface in question:

Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface interface_id
Switch(config-if)# lldp transmit
Switch(config-if)# lldp receive
Switch(config-if)# end

To renegotiate power, either reboot the Access Point in Dashboard or shutdown and then re-enable the port on the switch:

Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface interface_id
Switch(config)# shutdown
Switch(config)# no shutdown
Switch(config)# end

At this point, the switch and access point should be able to negotiate up to the required power level. If this is still not occurring, make sure the switch port is allowing up to 30W of power for the connected device:

Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# interface interface_id
Switch(config-if)# power inline max 30000
Switch(config-if)# end

Note: On newer Cisco switches, substitute "power inline max 30000" for "power inline static max."

For more information, please refer to the knowledge base article on Low Power Mode.