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Cisco Meraki Documentation

Z4C Installation Guide

The document provides a comprehensive installation guide for the Meraki Z4C teleworker gateway, covering step-by-step instructions for physical setup, connection to the network, and initial configuration through the Meraki Dashboard, ensuring a smooth deployment process for efficient remote work infrastructure.

About this Guide

This guide provides instructions on how to install and configure your Z4C series device. This guide also provides mounting instructions and limited troubleshooting procedures. For more Z-series device installation guides, refer to the Z-series installation guides section on our documentation website.

Product Overview Edit section

The Cisco Meraki Z-Series teleworker gateway is an enterprise class firewall, VPN gateway and router. Each model offers wireless connectivity, five gigabit ethernet ports, including a built-in PoE-enabled port for VoIP phones and other powered devices. Each model is designed to securely extend the power of Meraki cloud managed networking to almost any location. With a built-in LTE modem, the Z4C simplifies any deployment that requires a backup cellular uplink, or is positioned in a remote location.

Topdown photo of Z4C hardware.

Features   Edit section

  • Managed via Cisco Meraki Dashboard

  • Automatic Firmware upgrades

  • Automatic WAN Failover to Cellular Uplink

  • L3/L7 Stateful Firewall

  • 1:1 and 1:Many NAT

  • Configurable VLANs / DHCP support

  • Static Routing

  • Client VPN endpoint

  • Meraki AutoVPN and L2TP/IPSec VPN endpoint

  • Custom Traffic Shaping

  • Historical Client Usage statistics

  • Netflow support

  • Syslog integration

  • Remote Packet Capture tools

Context and Comparisons  Edit section

 

Z4C

Max Stateful Firewall Throughput in NAT mode

500 Mbps

Max VPN Throughput

250 Mbps

Backup Cellular Uplink

Built-in CAT12 LTE Modem

PoE Capabilities 

Yes, 1x GbE RJ45 LAN Ports (802.3at)

WiFi

Dual-band 2x2 WiFi 6

Recommended LAN Clients

Up to 15


Physical Specifications Edit section

 

Z4C

RJ45 WAN Interfaces

1x Dedicated GbE RJ45 

Cellular WAN Interfaces

Built-in Cellular Uplink

LAN Interfaces - Dedicated

4x Dedicated GbE RJ45

Wireless Radio Information

WiFi 6 2x2 MU-MIMO

Antennas

2 x 2 MU-MIMO with two spatial streams

2x External LTE Antenna

Maximum Wireless Data Rate

1.5 Gbps*

Mount Type

Desktop / Wall Mount

Dimensions

(h x d x w)

7.9 x 4.41 x 1.04 in /

200 x 112 x 26 mm 

Weight

1.1 lbs / 0.487 kg

Power Supply

50W (54 V / 0.92 A) 

Power Load (max)

46W

Operating Temperature

32°F - 113 °F

0°C - 45°C

Storage and Transportation Temperature

-4°F - 158°F

-20°C - 70° C

Humidity

5% to 95%

* Refers to maximum over-the-air data frame rate capability of the radio chipset, and may exceed data rates allowed by IEEE 802.11ax operation.

Cellular Interface Edit section

 

Cellular Bands

LTE

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48 (CBRS), 66, 71

Certified Certifications

PTCRB (US), GCF (EU), FCC (US)

Certification

AT&T (US), T-Mobile (US), Verizon (US)

Tested Carriers

AT&T (US), T-Mobile (US), Verizon (US), Optus (Australia), O2 (Germany), Vodafone (EU), Telstra (Australia), Bell (Canda), EE (UK), Swisscom, Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Telia (SE), Movistar (ES), Orange (EU)

Carrier compatibility is generally based on having compatible bands on the modem. In the open market, carriers may only require regulatory domain certifications and open market certifications, like the PTCRB and GCF, to be compatible for their network. Sometimes carriers will require additional testing before a device can be used on their network. The section Tested Carriers is based on Meraki device certifications being approved by those specific carriers. A carrier being listed above means that they have officially certified the Meraki product for their cellular network. There maybe many unlisted carriers could be functionally compatible with Meraki devices. The list of tested certified carriers is based on the carrier validating Meraki per their network parameter requirements. If a carrier you are looking to use is not listed above, it could be that they do not require additional compliance testing for their network.  

Accessories 

Accessory

Description

MA-PWR-50WAC

1x 50W Power Adapter (Z4/Z4C)

MA-PWR-CORD-US

1x AC Power Cable, US plug

MA-PWR-CORD-EU

1x AC Power Cable, EU plug

MA-PWR-CORD-UK

1x AC Power Cable, UK plug

MA-PWR-CORD-AU

1x AC Power Cable, AU plug

Product View and Physical Features Edit section

Package Contents

In addition to the Z4C device, the following are provided:

Accessories included with the Z4C. One RJ45 ethernet cable and one wall power connector.

Z4C

Power Adapter (No Power Cable)

1x CAT5e Ethernet Cables

SIM ejector tool

Front Panel 

Picture of the front panel on the Z4C showing the status light.

Status Indicator Edit section

The Z4C uses a single LED to inform the user of the device's status.

LED Status

Meaning

Solid orange

Power is applied but the appliance is not connected to the Meraki Dashboard

Rainbow Colors

The appliance is attempting to connect to Meraki Dashboard

Flashing White

Firmware upgrade in progress

Solid White

Fully operational/connected, uplink actively using wired WAN

Solid Purple (Z4C only)

Fully operational/connected, uplink actively using cellular failover

Back Panel Edit sectionEdit section

 Picture of the back panel of the Z4c with the antenna connector, SIM slot, reset button, RJ45 ports, and power connector.

Additional functions on the back panel are described below, from left to right.

SIM Card Slot

Active, supported SIM cards can be inserted into this slot to enable cellular capabilities.

Reset button

Insert a paper clip if a reset is required.

  • Press for 1 second to delete a downloaded configuration and reboot.

  • Press and hold for more than 10 seconds to force a full factory reset.

WAN / Internet port

This port provides connectivity to the WAN.

LAN ports

These 4 ports provide connectivity to computers, printers, access points, or Ethernet switches.

A steady green LED indicates bidirectional connectivity, and flashing green indicates traffic.

PoE+ Port

One of the LAN port provides PoE+ for connectivity to computers, printers, access points, or Ethernet switches, up to 30W of PoE power.

A steady green LED indicates bidirectional connectivity, and flashing green indicates traffic.

Power input

Designed for use only with the unit’s power supply.

Bottom Panel Edit section

 

Drawing of the Z4C bottom plate with mounting points outlined.

Please note that the serial number is located on the product label on the bottom panel of the Z4C

Pre-install Preparation Edit section

You should complete the following steps before going on-site to perform an installation.

Configure your Dashboard Network Edit section

The following is a brief overview only of the steps required to add an Z4C to your network. For detailed instructions about creating, configuring and managing Meraki networks, refer to our Managing Dashboard Networks document. Additional resources can also be found via: documentation.meraki.com.

  1. Login to http://dashboard.meraki.com. If this is your first time, create a new account.

  2. Find the network to which you plan to add your Z4C or create a new network.

  3. Add your Z4C to your network. You will need your Meraki order number (found on your invoice) or the serial number of each Z4C, which looks like Qxxx-xxxx-xxxx, and is found on the bottom of the unit. You will also need your Enterprise license key, which you should have received via email.

  4. Go to the map / floor plan view and place each Z4C on the map by clicking and dragging it to the location where you plan to mount it.

Check and Set Firmware Edit section

To ensure your Z4C performs optimally immediately following installation, it is recommended that you facilitate a firmware upgrade prior to mounting your Z4C.

  1. Attach your Z4C to power and a wired Internet connection.

  2. The Z4C will turn on and the power LED will glow solid orange. 

  3. If the unit requires an upgrade, the power LED will begin blinking white until the upgrade is complete, at which point the LED will turn solid white. You should allow at least a few minutes for the firmware upgrade to complete, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

Check and Configure Upstream Firewall Settings Edit section

If an upstream firewall is already in place, it must allow outgoing connections on particular ports to particular IP addresses. The most current list of outbound ports and IP addresses for your particular organization can be found on the firewall configuration page in your dashboard

Installation Instructions Edit section

Mounting HardwareEdit section

Wall screws and anchors will allow you to mount the gateway on a drywall surface, either vertically or horizontally. The distance between the holes you drill should be 5-1/8 inches (13 cm).

Safety and Warnings

These operations are to be taken with respect to all local laws. Please take the following into consideration for safe operation:

  • Power off the unit before you begin. Read the installation instructions before connecting the system to the power source. 

  • Before you work on any equipment, be aware of the hazards involved with electrical circuitry and be familiar with standard practices for preventing accidents.

  • Read the mounting instructions carefully before beginning installation. Failure to use the correct hardware or to follow the correct procedures could result in a hazardous situation to people and damage to the system.

  • This product relies on the building’s installation for short-circuit (overcurrent) protection. Ensure that the protective device is rated not greater than: 15 A, 125 Vac, or 10A, 240 Vac.

  • Please only power the device with the provided power cables to ensure regulatory compliance.

Connecting to WAN Edit section

All Meraki Z4C devices must have an IP address. This section describes how to configure your local area network before you deploy it. A local management web service, running on the appliance, is accessed through a browser running on a client PC. This web service is used for configuring and monitoring basic ISP/WAN connectivity.

Setting up a Static IP Address Edit section

Do the following to configure basic connectivity and other networking parameters:

  1. Using a client machine such as a laptop, connect to one of the LAN ports of the Z4C.

  2. Using a browser on the client machine, access the appliance's built-in web service by browsing to http://setup.meraki.com. (You do not have to be connected to the Internet to reach this address)

  3. Click Uplink configuration under the Local status tab. The default credentials use the device serial number as the username, with a blank password field.

  4. Choose Static for the IP Assignment option.

  5. Enter the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway IP and DNS server information.

Setting up a DHCP IP Address Edit section

By default all Z4C devices are configured to DHCP from upstream WAN / ISP servers. Simply plug the Z4C's WAN / Internet port to your upstream circuit and wait a few minutes for the unit to negotiate a DHCP address.

When the WAN connection is fully enabled, Internet LED 1 will turn green.

Setting up Cellular Failover  Edit section

The Z4C has an embedded LTE module for cellular failover connections. The following section will walk through first-time set-up of an Z4C with an internet connection as a primary connection and cellular as failover.

To set up the cellular failover connection, follow the steps below:

 

  1. Power off the Z4C. Swapping/installing SIM cards while the Z4C is powered on may cause unexpected behavior or error.

  2. Open the SIM tray using the SIM card removal tool included in the box

  3. Insert a nano SIM card (4FF size) and close the SIM tray

  4. Connect the uplink for the Z4C device via a wired connection to connect to the Meraki cloud

  5. Power on the Z4C and wait for the Z4C to show as online in the Meraki dashboard

  6. Check with the carrier of choice if an APN needs to be configured. If so, do that from the Meraki Dashboard under Teleworker Gateway > Monitor > Appliance Status > Uplink tab

  7. When the cellular uplink is successfully connected, you will be able to see the status on the left hand side of the Appliance Status page and in the Uplink tab. The connection will say Ready when it is successfully connected

  8. Test the cellular failover connection by unplugging the wired connection or by using the traceroute tool under Teleworker Gateway > Monitor > Appliance Status in the Tools tab

  9. If, after following the steps above, the SIM card is not detected, please confirm with your carrier that the SIM card is active and has data. You will need the ICCID of the SIM card and IMEI of the device to get troubleshooting help from the carrier

  10. Please contact the Meraki Support team if the cellular connection is still not being recognized after following the steps above

Additional Settings

Please note that all these settings below are accessible only via the local management console.

Setting VLANs Edit section

If your WAN uplink is on a trunk port, choose VLAN tagging > Use VLAN tagging and enter the appropriate value for VLAN ID for your network.

Setting PPPoE Edit section

PPPoE authentication may be required if you are connecting a Z4C device to a DSL circuit. You need to know your authentication option and credentials (supplied by your ISP) in order to complete these steps.

  • Choose Connection Type > PPPoE.

  • Select your Authentication option.

  • If you select Use authentication, enter appropriate values for Username and Password.

Web Proxy Settings Edit section

These settings take effect if the Z4C device has to fall back to using HTTP to contact the Cloud Controller. By default, web proxy is disabled. To enable web proxy, do the following:

  • Choose Web proxy > Yes.

  • Enter values as appropriate for Hostname or IP and Port.

  • If you require authentication, choose Authentication > Use authentication, and enter appropriate values for Username and Password.

To apply all configuration settings to the appliance, be sure to click Save Settings at the bottom of the page.

Configuring Physical Link Settings

To configure physical link settings on the Ethernet ports, click Local status > Ethernet configuration. You can enable half duplex, full duplex, and autonegotiation, as well as set 10- or 100-Mbps data rates.

Basic Troubleshooting Edit section

The following steps can be used for troubleshooting basic connectivity issues with your Z4C.

  • Reset the Z4C

  • Factory reset the Z4C by holding the factory reset button for 5 seconds

  • Try switching cables, or testing your cable on another device

 

Reference https://documentation.meraki.com/ for additional information and troubleshooting tips.

If you are still experiencing hardware issues, please contact Cisco Meraki support by logging in to dashboard and using the Help option near the top of the page, then opening and email case or calling using the contact information on that page.

Warranty Edit section

Z-Series Warranty coverage periods are as follows:

Product

Warranty Period

Warranty Information

Z4C

Lifetime

 

Z4C Accessories

1 Year

The following are considered accessories:

SFP Modules, all mounting kits and stands, interface modules, additional power cords

Additional warranty information can be found on the Return Policy and Requesting a RMA page of the Cisco Meraki website. 

If your Cisco Meraki device fails and the problem cannot be resolved by troubleshooting, contact support to address the issue. Once support determines that the device is in a failed state, they can process an RMA and send out a replacement device free of charge. In most circumstances, the RMA will include a pre-paid shipping label so the faulty equipment can be returned.

In order to initiate a hardware replacement for non-functioning hardware that is under warranty, you must have access to the original packaging the hardware was shipped in. The original hardware packaging includes device serial number and order information, and may be required for return shipping.

Meraki Z4C devices have been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. 

Support and Additional Information Edit section

If issues are encountered with device installation or additional help is required, contact Meraki Support by logging in to dashboard.meraki.com and opening a case by visiting the Get Help section.

  • The equipment is intended for industrial or other commercial activities.

  • The equipment is used in areas without exposure to harmful and dangerous production factors, unless otherwise specified in the operational documentation and/or on the equipment labeling.

  • The equipment is not for domestic use. The equipment is intended for operation without the constant presence of maintenance personnel.

  • The equipment is subject to installation and maintenance by specialists with the appropriate qualifications, sufficient specialized knowledge, and skills.

  • Rules and conditions for the sale of equipment are determined by the terms of contracts concluded by Cisco or authorized Cisco partners with equipment buyers.

  • Disposal of a technical device at the end of its service life should be carried out in accordance with the requirements of all state regulations and laws.

  • Do not throw in the device with household waste. The technical equipment is subject to storage and disposal in accordance with the organization's disposal procedure.

  • The equipment should be stored in its original packaging in a room protected from atmospheric precipitation. The permissible temperature and humidity ranges during storage are specified in the Operation (Installation) Manual.

  • Transportation of equipment should be carried out in the original packaging in covered vehicles by any means of transport. The temperature and humidity during transportation must comply with the permissible established ranges of temperature and humidity during storage (in the off state) specified in the Operation Manual (Installation).

For additional information on Meraki hardware and for other installation guides, please refer to documentation.meraki.com.

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