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Cisco Meraki Documentation

Troubleshooting and Replacing a Faulty MR Access Point

There are some circumstances where a Cisco Meraki AP will fail to function. In some circumstances, the device has undergone hardware failure and will need to be replaced. However, many symptoms that appear to reflect a failure can be explained and resolved by troubleshooting. This article outlines common symptoms and troubleshooting steps that can be followed to determine if the AP is failed and requires replacement.

Troubleshooting

When determining if a Cisco Meraki AP is faulty, the following checks must be made. As per the device's replacement warranty, Cisco Meraki can replace a faulty device. However, in order to satisfy all stakeholders and minimize both downtime and cost, troubleshooting must be done to determine if an RMA is the correct path to follow.
​The following symptoms and steps will help determine if an AP has failed:

Note: For some additional recommended steps not covered in this article, please refer to our general troubleshooting documentation.


All MR Models

If no lights are lit on the unit

  • How is the AP powered?

    • If using an AC adapter, try another known working AC adapter and try another known working power outlet.

    • If using a PoE injector, replace cabling between the AP and “out” jack on the PoE injector, and the cable from the “in” jack on the PoE injector to the LAN. Ensure all Ethernet cabling is less than 100 meters in length.

    • If using a PoE switch, ensure the switch is IEEE 802.3af (or IEEE 802.3at) certified, ensure that the switchport that the AP is plugged into is enabled and has PoE enabled. Replace cabling and ensure it is less than 100 meters in length. Try another known working switchport that powers another Cisco Meraki AP. Try another ASIC on the switch to rule out a bad ASIC. Try another PoE switch that is known to be working.

    • If the AP is powered by both PoE and an AC adapter, remove one of those two power sources.

If no LEDs light up on the AP, this unit is faulty and needs a replacement.

If there is one solid orange power LED and no other LEDs are lit

  • Wait 2 minutes, as the AP might just be booting up.

  • Check layer 1 connectivity.

    • ​Replace the network cable.

    • If using a PoE switch, try connecting the AP to a different switchport.

    • If using a PoE injector, use another known-good AP to test the PoE injector.

  • Check the upstream network configuration.

  • If possible, connect to the AP's local status page for more specific connection info.

  • Perform a factory reset on the AP

If all else fails, collect the SDB Bundle (OOB Logs) from the Local Status Page of the device and provide it to the Meraki Support Team.

We do not replace devices that have gone faulty due to factors other than factory-fault hardware defects. Please refer to the Cisco Meraki End Customer Agreement Section 5.2


​MR12, MR16, MR24, MR58, MR66, and OD2

If there is one solid orange power LED and the signal LEDs are flashing green simultaneously

If all LEDs are lit green except for the Ethernet LED (second from the bottom)

  • The AP is operating in mesh repeater mode because it has no LAN connection or bad cabling.

  • Perform a factory reset on the AP

  • Verify that the AP is connected to the LAN. Replace the cabling. Ensure all Ethernet cabling is less than 100 meters in length.

If there is one solid orange power LED and the signal LEDs are blinking up and down one at a time

  • The AP is looking for a wired or mesh gateway.

  • Ensure the AP is plugged into the correct switchport on the correct VLAN, and if DHCP is not running on that VLAN, assign a static IP to the AP.


​MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR72

If the LED is cycling through the rainbow colors

  • The AP is initializing and trying to find a gateway.

  • Ensure the AP is plugged into the correct switchport on the correct VLAN, and if DHCP is not running on that VLAN, assign a static IP to the AP.

If the LED is blinking orange

  • The AP is unable to find a gateway.

  • Ensure the AP is plugged into the correct switchport on the correct VLAN, and if DHCP is not running on that VLAN, assign a static IP to the AP.


Replacing Faulty APs (RMA)

If the steps outlined above have been followed and indicate that the unit requires an RMA, please contact Support to begin the RMA process. Please be prepared to outline the troubleshooting steps that have been taken so far, as well as provide a shipping address to help expedite the process.

Note: Support may recommend additional troubleshooting steps not outlined in this article, depending on the nature of the specific issue.

Please also reference our RMA documentation article for additional information about device replacement.