Cisco Meraki MS420-48
Cloud Managed Aggregation Switching for the Campus

Features:

Centrally Managed from the Cloud

The Cisco Meraki Cloud Networking architecture enables plug and play branch deployments and provides centralized visibility and control across any number of distributed locations.

The Cisco Meraki MS is the industry's first cloud managed switch, combining the benefits of cloud-based centralized management with a powerful, reliable access platform.

With cloud management, thousands of switch ports can be configured and monitored instantly, over the web. Provision remote sites without on-site IT, deploy network-wide configuration changes, and easily manage campus and distributed networks without training or dedicated staff.

Virtual Stacking

Cisco Meraki MS Switches feature virtual stacking - an industry first - that allows management of thousands of switch ports as one, without requiring a physical connection between switches.

Quickly find and configure switch ports across your entire network, even those in geographically-distributed locations. Easily configure ports for access devices, assign voice VLANs, control PoE, and more, with a few simple clicks and without complex CLI instructions.

Virtual stacking is built-in to all Cisco Meraki MS Switches, with no need for extension modules, proprietary cables, or extra configuration. Simply log in to the Cisco Meraki dashboard and manage the entire access switch infrastructure without concern for their interconnectivity.

Layer 7 Application and Client Visibility

Cisco Meraki MS Switches are the industry's only switches featuring integrated Layer 7 application and client fingerprinting and analysis. Hundreds of applications are automatically identified and reported, from business apps to BitTorrent and YouTube, so administrators can see where resources are spent.

Device fingerprinting with Google-like search allows administrators to easily find and identify individual users, iPads, Androids, and other devices. Search for devices across the entire network right from the Cisco Meraki dashboard, no matter which switch a device connects to.

Layer 3 Scalability & Failover

Quickly scale growing networks while ensuring redundancy for critical switch infrastructure with Meraki layer 3 switches. Intuitive, dynamic routing configurable in the dashboard simplifies management by removing complex command line interfaces. Traffic flow is optimized at line rate without sacrificing deep visibility into client devices and application use. Deploy ACLs directly on MS switches to secure boundaries between VLANs, hosts, services, and the Internet.

In addition to dynamic routing, layer 3 Meraki MS switches support VRRP for warm spare failover, ensuring immediate recovery of gateway responsibilities-avoiding downtime and client disruption.

QoS for Voice and Video

Deploy latency-sensitive applications such as voice and video by guaranteeing network performance. Voice and QoS features such as per-VLAN and protocol-based prioritization, as well as flexible QoS assignments, give inuitive, granular control.

Intelligent use of LLDP on the network makes deploying devices such as VoIP phones painless. Simply select a VLAN for voice in the dashboard, and selected ports will accept tagged traffic on the voice VLAN. The port also uses LLDP advertisements to recommend devices use that VLAN for voice traffic.

PoE / PoE+

The Cisco Meraki MS220-8P, MS22P, and MS42P Switches support PoE and PoE+, delivering up to 30W to support the most power-hungry devices. A total budget of 380W delivers the power necessary to run dozens of VoIP phones, access points, or other PoE devices.

Beyond simply delivering PoE output, Cisco Meraki Switches intelligently allocate power based on device advertisement (LLDP). Switches report consumed power vs. budgeted power in the Cisco Meraki dashboard, uncovering power savings across the switch network. Port-scheduling with built-in energy-saving templates reduces unnecessary power consumption and increases security.

Remote Live Tools and Alerts

MS Switches make powerful live tools available for remote troubleshooting at any time. From infrastructure uptime and performance testing to device troubleshooting, live tools simplify day-to-day network administration and dramatically shorten time to resolution.

Built-in Ethernet cable testing no longer requires an excursion to one or more switch closets just to verify cable integrity. Simply select a switch port, run a cable test, and see results right in the dashboard, even if there is no device connected on the other end.

Each Cisco Meraki MS is automatically monitored 24x7 via the cloud. Email and text message alerts are configurable to immediately notify administrators of configuration changes, switch downtime, and even per-port disconnection events.

Enterprise Security

Extending security down to the port level has never been easier. MS Switches integrate seamlessly with enterprise-grade security systems using 802.1X. Define access policies, segregate guest devices, and quarantine entire environments right from the dashboard.

Applying policies on many ports takes just a few clicks - even if the ports are spread across many switches. Simply search to find the ports of interest, click to apply the desired policies, and save your changes. Policies are pushed immediately to the desired ports.

Seamless firmware updates, two factor authentication, and other built-in protections make secure, PCI and HIPAA-compliant networks easy and cost effective.

Lifetime Warranty and Advanced Replacement

MS Switches feature long lifetime components and are designed for high reliability. Even though they're built to provide years of reliable service, MS Switches also include a lifetime warranty, and are eligible for advanced shipment replacement, minimizing potential downtime and securing your investment.

MS Cloud Managed 10 Gigabit Aggregation Switch Solutions:

The Cisco Meraki MS line of cloud-managed access switches bring the benefits of cloud computing, including management simplicity, reduced complexity, and lower cost, to branch and campus networks.

Meraki switches feature high-end hardware features, including:

• Compact, 1RU design for space-constrained environments
• Up to 960 Gbps of non-blocking switching capacity
• Field-replaceable, hot-swappable power supplies
• Field-replaceable, hot-swappable fans
• Front-to-back cooling
• 10/100/1000 RJ-45 management port
• Low power consumption and shallow rack depth, which enable flexible deployment

Full Enterprise Feature Set

• IEEE 802.1X
• Quality-of-Service (QoS)
• DHCP snooping to prevent users from adding unauthorised DHCP servers on the network
• Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) for high-capacity trunking, stacking, and increased availability
• IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging
• Port mirroring
• 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and 802.1w Rapid Spanning Tree

Designed for a Complete Cloud-Managed Switch Network

Campus Edge

MS switches are ideal for small and large scale campus deployments, where reliability, scalability, and managability are top priorities.

• Virtual Stacking lets administators manage up to 10,000 ports in a single interface without having to pre-define stack members.
• 10 GbE cable SFP+ ports with link aggregation provide high speed connectivity to distribution or core switches.
• Get alerts when any switch fails or goes offline, before users complain.

Converged Voice, Video and Data Environments

The Cisco Meraki switch family is designed to unify data, voice, and video onto a single IP backbone. All Cisco Meraki switches support rich quality-of-service (QoS) functionality for prioritizing data, voice, and video traffic. The switches support eight class-of-service (CoS) queues on every port, enabling them to maintain end-to-end traffic prioritization.

To ease deployment, the Cisco Meraki switches support the industry-standard Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), enabling switches to automatically discover Ethernet-enabled devices, determine their power requirements and join the correct virtual LAN (VLAN). Energy Efficient Power Supply with Low Acoustic Fans Non-Blocking Fabric Full Switching Speed High Reliability / MTBF Extended Life Components 48x 1 GbE Ports with 802.3af / 802.3at PoE Enhanced CPU / Memory Cisco Meraki Cloud Management Built-in 4x 10 GbE SFP+ Ports for Core Connectivity / Stacking Cisco Meraki, Inc.

Cisco Meraki's Unified Software Architecture

The Cisco Meraki MS22 and MS42 switches run the same Cisco Meraki operating system used by Cisco Meraki's firewalls and wireless LAN products. The use of a common operating system allows Cisco Meraki to deliver a consistent experience across all product lines.

Cisco Meraki Cloud Management Architecture

Simplified Management and Operations

Cisco Meraki's cloud managed architecture makes it simpler than ever to quickly provision and reconfigure switch ports with security, QoS, and other parameters. The Cisco Meraki Cloud Controller provides unified policies, event logs, and monitoring, which make it easy to manage and grow large network deployments.

By providing a complete, powerful set of management functions over the web, Cisco Meraki's Dashboard system eliminates the need for proprietary command line configuration interfaces which require expensive or time consuming certifications. Cisco Meraki MS switches can be fully deployed and provisioned in minutes, without requiring any local configuration or staging. Additional or replacement switches can be sent to remote offices and installed by non-technical staff, saving thousands of dollars in time and travel expense.

The Cisco Meraki MS family also includes several remote diagnostic features, from network connectivity and cable integrity tests to latency measurement tools. For deep client troubleshooting, administrators can even enable remote pcap packet capture without any additional probes or hardware on site.

Cloud Management:

Cisco Meraki's cloud based management provides centralized visibility & control over Cisco Meraki's wired & wireless networking hardware, without the cost and complexity of wireless controllers or overlay management systems. Integrated with Cisco Meraki's entire product portfolio, cloud management provides feature rich, scalable, and intuitive centralized management for networks of any size.

Highlights

• Unified visibility and control of the entire network via a single dashboard: wireless, switching, and security appliances
• Streamlines large networks with tens of thousands of endpoints
• Zero-touch provisioning for rapid deployment
• Built-in multi site network management tools
• Automated network monitoring and alerts
• Intuitive interface eliminates costly training or added staff
• Network tagging engine - search and sync settings by tag
• Role-based administration and auditable change logs
• Continuous feature updates delivered from the cloud
• Highly available and secure (PCI / HIPAA compliant)

Cloud Managed Networks

Cisco Meraki's hardware products are built from the ground up for cloud management. As a result, they come out of the box with centralized control, layer 7 device and application visibility, real time web-based diagnostics, monitoring, reporting, and much more.

Cisco Meraki networks deploy quickly and easily, without training or dedicated staff. Moreover, Cisco Meraki provides a rich feature set that provides complete control over devices, users, and applications, allowing for flexible access policies and rich security without added cost or complexity.

Cisco Meraki's cloud management provides the features, security, and scalability for networks of any size. Cisco Meraki scales from small sites to campuses, and even distributed networks with thousands of sites. Cisco Meraki devices, which self-provision via the cloud, can be deployed in branches without IT. Firmware and security signature updates are delivered seamlessly, over the web. With the cloud, branches can automatically establish secure VPN tunnels between one another with a single click.

With a secure, PCI and HIPAA compliant architecture and fault tolerant design that preserves local network functionality during WAN outages, Cisco Meraki is field proven in high security and mission critical network applications.

Cloud Management Architecture

Cisco Meraki's architecture provides feature rich network management without on-site management appliances or WiFi controllers.

Every Cisco Meraki device - including wirelesss access points, Ethernet switches, and security appliances - connects over the Internet to Cisco Meraki's datacenters, which run Cisco Meraki's cloud management platform. These connections, secured via SSL, utilize a patented protocol that provides real time visibility and control, yet uses minimal bandwidth overhead (typically 1 kbps or less.)

In place of traditional command-line based network configuration, Cisco Meraki provides a rich web based dashboard, providing visibility and control over up to tens of thousands of Cisco Meraki devices, anywhere in the world. Tools, designed to scale to large and distributed networks, make policy changes, firmware updates, deploying new branches, etc. simple and expedient, regardless of size or location. Cisco Meraki's real time protocols combine the immediacy of on-premise management applications with the simplicity and centralized control of a cloud application.

Every Cisco Meraki device is engineered for cloud management. Specifically, this means that Cisco Meraki devices are designed with memory and CPU resources to perform packet processing, QoS, layer 3-7 security, encryption, etc. at the network edge. As a result, no network traffic passes through the cloud, with the cloud providing management functionality out of the data path. This architecture enables networks to scale horizontally, adding capacity simply by adding more endpoints, without concern for centralized bottlenecks or chokepoints. Equally important, since all packet processing is performed on premise, end-user functionality is not compromised if the network's connection to the cloud is interrupted.

Cisco Meraki's cloud platform is designed to spread computation and storage across independent server clusters in geographically isolated datacenters. Any server or datacenter can fail without affecting customers or the rest of the system. Additionally, Cisco Meraki's datacenter design is field proven to support tens of thousands of endpoints.

Cloud Management Architecture

Powerful Insight and Troubleshooting Tools

Cisco Meraki's cloud architecture delivers powerful insight and includes live tools integrated directly into the dashboard, giving instant analysis of performance, connectivity, and more. Using live tools, network administrators no longer need to go on site to perform routine troubleshooting tests. Visibility into devices, users, and applications gives administrators the information needed to enforce security policies and enable the performance needed in today's demanding network environments.

Troubleshooting tools such as ping, traceroute, throughput, and even live packet captures are integrated directly into the Cisco Meraki dashboard, dramatically reducing resolution times and enabling troubleshooting at remote locations without on-site IT staff.

Layer 7 application visibility

Out-of-Band Control Plane

Cisco Meraki's out-of-band control plane separates network management data from user data. Management data (e.g., configuration, statistics, monitoring, etc.) flows from Cisco Meraki devices (wireless access points, switches, and security appliances) to Cisco Meraki's cloud over a secure Internet connection. User data (web browsing, internal applications, etc.) does not flow through the cloud, instead flowing directly to its destination on the LAN or across the WAN.

Advantages of an out of band control plane:

Scalability

• Unlimited throughput: no centralized controller bottlenecks
• Add devices or sites without MPLS tunnels
• Add switching capacity without stacking limitations

Reliability

• Redundant cloud service provides high availability
• Network functions even if management traffic is interrupted

Security

• No user traffic passes through Cisco Meraki's datacenters
• Fully HIPAA / PCI compliant

What happens if a network loses connectivity to the Cisco Meraki cloud?
Because of Cisco Meraki's out of band architecture, most end users are not affected if Cisco Meraki wireless APs, switches, or security appliances cannot communicate with Cisco Meraki's cloud services (e.g., because of a temporary WAN failure):

• Users can access the local network (printers, file shares, etc.)
• If WAN connectivity is available, users can access the Internet
• Network policies (firewall rules, QoS, etc.) continue to be enforced
• Users can authenticate via 802.1X/RADIUS and can roam wirelessly between access points
• Users can initiate and renew DHCP leases
• Established VPN tunnels continue to operate
• Local configuration tools are available (e.g., device IP configuration)

While Cisco Meraki's cloud is unreachable, management, monitoring, and hosted services are temporarily unavailable:

• Configuration and diagnostic tools are unavailable
• Usage statistics are stored locally until the connection to the cloud is re-established, at which time they are pushed to the cloud
• Splash pages and related functionality are unavailable

Cisco Meraki Datacenter Design

Cisco Meraki's cloud management service is colocated in tier-1, SAS70 type II certified datacenters. These datacenters feature state of the art physical and cyber security and highly reliable designs. All Cisco Meraki services are replicated across multiple independent datacenters, so that customer-facing services fail over rapidly in the event of a catastrophic datacenter failure.

Security Tools for Administrators

In addition to Cisco Meraki's secure out-of-band architecture and hardened datacenters, Cisco Meraki provides a number of tools for administrators to maximize the security of their network deployments. These tools provide optimal protection, visibility, and control over your Cisco Meraki network.

Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to an organization's network by requiring access to an administrator's phone, in addition to her username and password, in order to log in to Cisco Meraki's cloud services. Cisco Meraki's two factor authentication implementation uses secure, convenient, and cost effective SMS technology: after entering their username and password, an administrator is sent an a one-time passcode via SMS, which they must enter before authentication is complete. In the event that a hacker guesses or learns an administrator's password, she still will not be able to access the organization's account, as the hacker does not have the administrator's phone. Cisco Meraki includes two-factor authentication for all enterprise users at no additional cost.

Password policies
Organization-wide security policies for Cisco Meraki accounts help protect access to the Cisco Meraki dashboard. These tools allow administrators to:

• Force periodic password changes (e.g., every 90 days)
• Require minimum password length and complexity
• Lock users out after repeated failed login attempts
• Disallow password reuse
• Restrict logins by IP address

Role-based administration
Role-based administration lets supervisors appoint administrators for specific subsets of an organization, and specify whether they have read-only access to reports and troubleshooting tools, administer managed guest access, or can make configuration changes to the network. This minimizes the chance of accidental or malicious misconfiguration, and restricts errors to isolated parts of the network.

Configuration change alerts
The Cisco Meraki system can automatically send human-readable email and text message alerts when configuration changes are made, enabling the entire IT organization to stay abreast of new policies. Change alerts are particularly important with large or distributed IT organizations.

Configuration and login audits
Cisco Meraki logs the time, IP, and approximate location (city, state) of logged in administrators. A searchable configuration change log indicates what configuration changes were made, who they were made by, and which part of the organization the change occurred in.

SSL certificates
Cisco Meraki accounts can only be accessed via https, ensuring that all communication between an administrator's browser and Cisco Meraki's cloud services is encrypted.

Idle Timeout
30 seconds before being logged out, users are shown a notice that allows them to extend their session. Once time expires, users are asked to log in again.

Technical Specifications:

	MS420-24	MS420-48
Interfaces	24x 10GbE SFP+/SFP 1x 10/100/1000 RJ45 Management port	48x 10GbE SFP+/SFP 1x 10/100/1000 RJ45 Management port
Performance	Non-blocking fabric 480 Gbps switching capacity	Non-blocking fabric 960 Gbps switching capacity
Ethernet Switching Capabilities	802.1p Quality of Service prioritization 802.1Q VLAN tagging for up to 4095 VLANs 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and 802.1w Rapid Spanning Tree Broadcast storm control 802.1ab Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) 802.3ad Link aggregation with up to 8 ports per aggregate IGMP snooping for multicast filtering
Layer 3 capabilities	Dynamic routing (OSPFv2) Static routing DHCP Relay DHCP Server Warm spare redundancy (VRRP) DHCP Failover
Security	Integrated two-factor authentication Role-based administration Corporate wide password policy enforcement IEEE 802.1X port-based security
Management	Managed via the cloud using the Meraki dashboard Integrated with Meraki wireless, security appliance, and device management No-touch remote deployment (no staging needed) Detailed historical per-port and per-client usage statistics DHCP and hostname fingerprinting SNMPD allows integration with 3rd-party network management solutions Seamless over-the-web firmware upgrades
Remote Diagnostics	Email and SMS (text) alerts1 Live remote packet capture Aggregated event and configuration change logs with instant search
Scalable Stacking	Unified configuration and monitoring of all switches from the aggregation layer to access layer Virtually Stacking supports thousands of switch ports in a single logical stack for unified management, monitoring, and configuration
Power	Power input - 400W AC
Environment	Operating temperature: 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C)
Hardware & Mounting	Rack-mountable with included rack mount hardware Front-to-back airflow Field-replaceable, hot-swappable power supplies Field-replaceable, hot-swappable fans
Physical dimensions	17.3"(w) x 18.6" (l) x 1.7" (h) (44 x 47.3 x 4.3 cm)
Weight	17.6 lbs (7.96 kg)	18.7 lbs (8.46 kg)
Regulatory	CSA (US) IC (Canada) CE (Europe) C-Tick (Australia/New Zealand) RoHS
Warranty	Full lifetime hardware warranty with next-day advanced replacement included

¹ Requires carrier-supported email to SMS gateway.

Accessories:

Optics

The Cisco Meraki MS support pluggable optics for high-speed connectivity. Cisco Meraki offers several standards-based Gigabit and 10 Gigabit pluggable modules.

Model	Description	Standard	Range	Compatibility
MA-SFP-1GB-TX1	Cisco Meraki 1GbE Module for Category 5 Copper Wire, RJ-45	1000BASE-T	100m	MS220/320/420 Family
MA-SFP-1GB-SX	Cisco Meraki 1 GbE SFP SX Multi-Mode Fiber Module	1000BASE-SX	550m	MS220/320/420 Family
MA-SFP-1GB-LX10	Cisco Meraki 1 GbE SFP LX10 Single-Mode Fiber Module	1000BASE-LX10	10km	MS220/320/420 Family
MA-SFP-10GB-SR	Cisco Meraki 10 GbE SFP+ SR Multi-Mode Fiber Module	10GBASE-SR	400m	MS320/420 Family
MA-SFP-10GB-LRM	Cisco Meraki 10GbE SFP+ LRM Multi-Mode Fiber Module	10GBASE-LRM	220m	MS320/420 Family
MA-SFP-10GB-LR	Cisco Meraki 10 GbE SFP+ LR Single-Mode Fiber Module	10GBASE-LR	10km	MS320/420 Family
MA-CBL-TA-1M	Cisco Meraki 10 GbE Twinax Cable with SFP+ Connectors	10GSFP+Cu	1m	MS320/420 Family

¹ Available Jan 2014
Note: Cisco Meraki SFPs use LC connectors. Cisco Meraki does not guarantee third-party optic and support

MS Family Switches Compare:

Access and Aggregation Switches for Any Environment

MS220	MS320	MS420
Highlights Layer 2 Gigabit SFP uplinks Gigabit access Supports rack-mounted, remote power supply (except MS220-8/P) Integrated fans 8, 24, 48-port models	Highlights Layer 3 10 Gigabit SFP+ uplinks Gigabit access Hot-swappable, redundant power supply (with integrated fans) 24, 48-port models	Highlights Layer 3 10 Gigabit SFP+ interfaces Hot-swappable, redundant power supply Field-replaceable fans Management port 24, 48-port models
Ideal for Access switching at branch sites Deep visibility into clients and applications Energy savings (PoE/PoE+ models)	Ideal for Mission critical access switching Fast uplink requirements High availability environments Next-generation 802.11ac wireless (MR34) Deep visibility into clients, applications Energy savings (PoE/PoE+ models)	Ideal for Campus aggregation switching Unified management from access to aggregation layer Space-constrained locations

Layer 2 Access Switches

	MS220-8	MS220-8P	MS220-24	MS220-24P	MS220-48	MS220-48LP	MS220-48FP
Ports	8 x GbE	8 x GbE	24 x GbE	24 x GbE	48 x GbE	48 x GbE	48 x GbE
Uplink interfaces	2 x SFP for 1G	2 x SFP for 1G	4 x SFP for 1G	4 x SFP for 1G	4 x SFP for 1G	4 x SFP for 1G	4 x SFP for 1G
Total PoE/PoE+ budget	-	124 W	-	370 W	-	370 W	720 W
Switching capacity	20 Gbps	20 Gbps	48 Gbps	48 Gbps	104 Gbps	104 Gbps	104 Gbps
Loaded power consumption	10 W	159 W	18 W	467 W	51 W	505 W	903 W

Layer 3 Access Switches

	MS320-24	MS320-24P	MS320-48	MS320-48LP	MS320-48FP
Ports	24 x GbE	24 x GbE	48 x GbE	48 x GbE	48 x GbE
Uplink interfaces	4 x SFP+ for 1G/10G	4 x SFP+ for 1G/10G	4 x SFP+ for 1G/10G	4 x SFP+ for 1G/10G	4 x SFP+ for 1G/10G
Total PoE/PoE+ budget	-	370 W	-	370 W	720 W
Switching capacity	128 Gbps	56 Gbps	176 Gbps	176 Gbps	176 Gbps
Loaded power consumption	39 W	454 W	55 W	480 W	885 W

Aggregation Switches

	MS420-24	MS420-48
Ports	24 x 10 GbE	24 x 10 GbE
Uplink interfaces	SFP+/SFP	SFP+/SFP
Total PoE/PoE+ budget	-	-
Switching capacity	480 Gbps	960 Gbps
Loaded power consumption	400 W	400 W

Documentation:

Download the Cisco Meraki MS420 Series Datasheet (PDF).