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Cisco Meraki Documentation

Troubleshooting and Replacing a Faulty MS Switch

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Overview  

This article outlines common symptoms and troubleshooting steps for Cisco Meraki MS switches, as well as information about how to request a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA). 

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Common issues and solutions

Cisco Meraki can replace a faulty device under the device's replacement warranty. Before initiating an RMA, complete the following troubleshooting checks to confirm hardware failure and minimize both downtime and cost.

  • No lights when powered on — Switch shows no LED activity after being powered on

  • Solid amber power LED — Switch cannot communicate with the network or reach the cloud
  • No link lights on Ethernet port — No link lights appear when a device is connected to a switch port
  • SFP module not recognized — Connected SFP module is not reported in the Meraki dashboard
  • No PoE delivery — Switch is not delivering power to a connected PoE device
  • Faulty fan — Fan is not operating correctly or triggering alerts

Troubleshooting no power issue  

The switch shows no LED activity when powered on. 

Troubleshooting steps  

  1. Connect the switch to a different power source. 

  1. Try using a different power cable. 

  1. When the switch is powered on, check whether the fans start. 

  2. The non-PoE MS220 switches do not have audible fans; however, leaving the switch powered on for a few minutes is still recommended.

  3. If the switch audibly turns on but no lights are on, allow the switch to run for a few minutes and check if the lights turn on. 

  4. If available, try using a different power supply for the switch.

Escalation  

If there is still no light activity when connecting to a working power source, the unit is faulty and needs an RMA. Contact Support to begin the RMA process. 

Troubleshooting solid amber power LED issue 

A solid amber power LED indicates that the switch is unable to communicate with the network or reach the cloud. This condition rarely indicates hardware failure. 

Troubleshooting steps 

  1. Connect to the switch's Local Status Page and verify the management IP configuration. 

  • If the switch is configured to obtain an IP address dynamically via DHCP, verify whether the switch has received an IP address. If not, troubleshoot the connection between the switch and the DHCP server, as well as the DHCP server itself.  

  • If the switch requires a static IP configuration, ensure that the IP address is configured correctly.  

  • Ensure that the switch management VLAN is configured correctly or leave the field blank if the VLAN should remain untagged. 

  1. Ensure that no firewalls are blocking the switch's management traffic.  

  1. Connect the switch uplink cable to another device, such as a laptop, to verify Internet connectivity.  

  1. Perform a factory reset on the switch and reconfigure the management IP settings as needed.

Escalation 

  • If the issue persists, collect the SDB Bundle (OOB Logs) from the device's Local Status Page and provide it to the Meraki Support team. 

Troubleshooting ethernet port link issue 

No link lights appear on the switch when a device is connected to an Ethernet switch port. 

Troubleshooting steps 

  1. Ensure that the switch port is enabled. Enable a switch port in the dashboard under Switches > Configure > Switch ports by selecting the relevant port and changing the setting from Disabled to Enabled.  

  1. Ensure that the connected device is powered on and functioning properly.  

  • Try connecting the device to another port on the same switch.  

  • Try connecting the device to another switch.  

  1. Replace the Ethernet cable with a known working cable.  

  1. Perform a factory reset on the switch.

Escalation 

If the link lights on the switch port don't come on when a working device is connected with a working Ethernet cable, the unit is faulty and needs an RMA. Contact Support to begin the RMA process.  

Troubleshooting SFP module recognition issue 

When an SFP module is connected to an online switch, the status of that module can be seen in dashboard under Switches > Monitor > Switch ports by selecting the port in question. If a connected SFP module is not reported in the dashboard, follow the troubleshooting steps below. 

Troubleshooting steps 

  1. Ensure that the SFP module is supported.  

  • A complete list of supported SFP modules and compatible switches is available in the SFP Datasheet. 

  • Non-Meraki SFP modules may function properly, but are not officially supported. 

  1. If available, try replacing the SFP module with another supported module.  

  • If only one module is failing, only the module itself requires an RMA.  

  1. Connect the SFP module into another port to determine whether the issue is isolated to the original port.  

  1. Perform a factory reset on the switch.

Escalation 

If a supported SFP module is not recognized by the switch, and the problem isn't specific to the one module, the unit is likely faulty and should be processed for an RMA. Contact Support to begin the RMA process. 

Troubleshooting Power over Ethernet (PoE) device issue

 The switch is not delivering power to a connected Power over Ethernet (PoE) device. 

Troubleshooting steps 

  1. Ensure that the switch supports PoE.  

  • PoE-capable Meraki switches have a “P” at the end of the model number, for example, MS220-24P.  

  1. Ensure that PoE is enabled on the switch port connected to the PoE device. 

  • PoE can be enabled in the dashboard under Switches > Configure > Switch ports by selecting the relevant port and setting PoE to Enabled.  

  • Additionally, select the Details option to view the current PoE status. Provide this status information when requesting an RMA. 

  1. Verify that the switch is receiving sufficient power to support PoE.  

  • If the switch is currently connected to a UPS, try connecting the switch directly to a wall outlet instead.  

  1. Connect the PoE device to another switch port, a PoE injector, or another PoE-capable switch to verify that the device is functioning properly. 

  1. Perform a factory reset on the switch. 

Escalation 

If the above checks have been done and the switch is still not providing power to a PoE-capable device, the unit is like faulty and should be processed for an RMA. 

Troubleshooting faulty fan issue 

The switch fan is not operating correctly or is generating alerts. MS250 and below models typically operate without a fan. However, if the switch supports PoE, it may have an internal, non-replaceable fan. MS350 and above models have hot swappable fans. 

Troubleshooting steps 

  • Ensure that the fan ventilation is not obstructed.  

  • For models that support hot-swappable fans: 

  • Check whether the Fan LED on the switch is showing an orange light. An orange light indicates a problem with fan operation.  

  • Try reseating the fan to ensure proper connection.  

  • If reseating does not resolve the issue, insert the fan into a different slot on the same switch. This helps determine whether the issue is with the fan itself or the original slot.  

  • Reboot or factory reset the switch.

Escalation   

  • If the issue persists after completing the above steps, contact Meraki Support for further assistance. 

Note: an alert will be triggered if a switch detects that it is operating at a Critical Temperature and Event Log will be generated

Initiate RMA Process

If the steps outlined above indicate that the unit requires an RMA, contact Support to begin the RMA process. Be prepared to outline the troubleshooting steps taken so far and 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.

Refer to the RMA documentation article for additional information about device replacement.

Switch Cloning After the RMA

Once you receive a replacement MS switch, clone the configuration from the old standalone switch to the new switch by following the instructions in 'Switch Cloning'. 

If the switch to be replaced is a stack member, however, consult the instructions in the switch stacking documentation, under the section Replacing and Cloning Stack Members.

For Catalyst switches (including MS390) on CS firmware, power down the entire switch stack before adding or replacing a new member to avoid packet forwarding or configuration sync issues. This requirement applies only to stacks on CS firmware and is not needed for stacks running IOS-XE firmware.

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