Cisco Meraki Introduces New Three-Radio APs

Cisco Meraki stays at the forefront of innovation with the release of it’s newest access points. The MR18 and MR26 are two new, 802.11n access points. What makes these new APs so exciting? After the success of last year’s all new 802.11ac access point, the MR34, Meraki brings some of the MR34’s advancements to it’s new 802.11n APs especially a third radio dedicated to security. The third radio is dual band, providing real-time monitoring across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies.

The MR34 was the first AP from Cisco Meraki to offer a third radio dedicated to RF optimization and enhanced security. These enhancements are so popular with Meraki users that Meraki has made them available in the all new MR18 and MR26.

The MR18 and MR26 are similar to the MR16 and MR24 and are designed for the same use in your network but the entire device has been redesigned from the ground up. Every detail, from antenna and component placement within the device’s housing to faster processors and higher power radios has been optimized.

Of course Meraki continues to offer the same ease of use and unique features we expect. In addition to the traffic shaping, mesh routing and enterprise controls that have become standard, they have introduced support for enhanced roaming capabilities like 802.11r and 802.11k as well as enhanced layer 3 roaming.

What does that new third radio do? 
The new third radio in the MR18 and MR26 allows the other two to spend all of their time serving clients. They are just for serving client devices, making sure that data is transferred smoothly. The new third radio improves the security of the wireless network. It allows network administrators to easily track cases of interference and other threats and helps to keep the RF configuration optimal.

The dedicated security radio means you never have to choose between performance and security again. New and improved features include:

• Auto RF - Allows the access point to automatically adapt to it’s environment, finding optimal channels and power settings based on a real-time assessment of interference sources. 
• Spectrum Analysis - A real-time view of what is happening in the RF environment. 
• Air Marshal - Full time wireless intrusion prevention enabling round the clock protection without suspending service to clients. Contain or whitelist rogue access points. 

And of course, the new MR18 and MR26 are completely compatible with your existing Meraki network. If you are already using Meraki APs in your wireless network, you only need to add the MR18 or MR26 where you need them. They will automatically join your network and begin serving client devices. Additionally, the MR18 and MR26 are fully compatible with and fully functional using your existing 802.11af power sources and do not require an upgrade to 802.11at.

Cisco Meraki’s continued commitment to wireless network security is impressive. The addition of a dual band, dedicated security radio to their 802.11n line of AP’s along with the existing 802.11ac MR34 makes Meraki a valuable part of any wireless network.

You can find the new APs here:
Cisco Meraki MR18
Cisco Meraki MR26