### Meraki MX Series: Class Notes
**Overview**
The Meraki MX series is a family of cloud-managed security and SD-WAN appliances
developed by Cisco. Designed for network security, traffic management, and
optimization in branch and remote locations, Meraki MX devices integrate with
Cisco's Meraki cloud management platform, enabling centralized management,
monitoring, and control.
---
#### Key Features of Meraki MX
1. **Cloud-Based Management**:
- All configuration, monitoring, and maintenance are done via the Meraki cloud
platform.
- Real-time updates and changes can be made from any location with internet
access.
- Supports centralized logging, reporting, and network monitoring.
2. **Unified Threat Management (UTM)**:
- **Firewall**: Layer 7 application firewall with content filtering.
- **Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDS/IPS)**: Uses Cisco Snort to
detect and block threats in real-time.
- **Advanced Malware Protection (AMP)**: Threat detection using Cisco’s cloud-
based AMP to identify malware and malicious files.
- **Content Filtering**: Customizable content filtering to block malicious or
inappropriate sites.
3. **SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network)**:
- Allows for dynamic path selection to ensure optimal traffic routing.
- **Auto VPN**: Simplifies VPN configuration between Meraki MX devices; includes
traffic prioritization and failover.
- **Traffic Shaping**: Set bandwidth limits and prioritize specific applications
for better performance.
- **High Availability (HA)**: Provides redundancy with seamless failover in case
of primary MX failure.
4. **Traffic and Application Control**:
- **Layer 7 Visibility and Control**: Identify, monitor, and control
applications based on Layer 7 information.
- **Traffic Prioritization**: Set priority for critical applications to ensure
performance.
- **Quality of Service (QoS)**: Prioritize traffic, especially VoIP, to ensure
minimal latency and jitter.
5. **Network and Client Monitoring**:
- **Client Insights**: Monitor network usage and identify clients, applications,
and traffic patterns.
- **Network Health**: View real-time statistics on network health, client usage,
and bandwidth.
6. **Automatic Firmware and Security Updates**:
- Meraki MX devices automatically update firmware and apply security patches
without user intervention.
- This cloud-managed update system ensures security compliance without manual
effort.
---
#### Key Meraki MX Models and Use Cases
1. **MX67 and MX68**:
- Suitable for small branches or small office/home office (SOHO) environments.
- Compact size with essential features for small deployments.
2. **MX75 and MX85**:
- For medium-sized branch deployments with moderate performance and throughput
requirements.
3. **MX95 and MX105**:
- Designed for larger branch deployments, supporting a higher number of clients
and more intensive throughput requirements.
4. **MX250 and MX450**:
- Suitable for data center or enterprise edge deployments with high throughput
and performance needs.
---
#### Key Benefits of Meraki MX
- **Scalability**: Easily scales from small branch offices to large data centers,
with cloud-based management providing flexibility across different-sized
deployments.
- **Simplified Deployment and Management**: Zero-touch provisioning, intuitive
management interface, and centralized updates make management straightforward, even
for large networks.
- **Improved Security Posture**: Comprehensive security features, including AMP,
IPS, and content filtering, offer robust protection for network infrastructure.
- **Cost Efficiency**: Reduced need for on-site technical resources, as Meraki MX
appliances can be deployed and managed remotely, reducing operational costs.
#### Common Use Cases
1. **Branch Office Security and SD-WAN**:
- Meraki MX appliances are widely used to secure and connect remote and branch
offices to the central network.
2. **Retail and POS Security**:
- Secures payment transactions and POS data, ensuring compliance with security
standards like PCI DSS.
3. **Remote Workforce**:
- Supports remote access VPNs for remote workers, enabling secure access to
corporate resources.
---
#### Licensing and Subscription
Meraki MX devices require active licenses to operate. Licenses are subscription-
based and come in multiple tiers depending on the level of security and SD-WAN
functionality required:
- **Enterprise License**: Basic security and SD-WAN features.
- **Advanced Security License**: Includes AMP, IPS, and enhanced security
features.
- **SD-WAN Plus License**: Adds advanced SD-WAN and traffic analytics.
---
#### Summary
The Meraki MX series offers a versatile solution for network security, traffic
management, and remote connectivity, ideal for distributed organizations. With its
cloud-based management, security-centric features, and SD-WAN capabilities, the MX
series is effective for both small and large-scale network environments.