Cisco Meraki Systems Manager MDM - HowTo Videos

YouTube Video - Meraki Systems Manager - Apple Push CSR Configuration

Over the next few weeks I will be creating a series of videos for our YouTube channel that focus on the setup and management of devices on the Meraki Systems Manager MDM.  We just uploaded our first video which covers how to create a signed push certificate from Apple.  This is a requirement for all iOS devices in the MDM and is really easy to complete.  I was able to create, sign and test a new .pem certificate in under 2 minutes!  Meraki helped a bunch by giving us our CSR to upload to Apple.  Our next few videos will cover adding devices and what tools the MDM gives us to manage.

As we think about creating an Enterprise network, the ability to manage mobile devices should be a serious discussion.  How can sensitive information be remotely erased if a phone or tablet has been lost or stolen?  There are a number of reasons to utilize an MDM in your organization.  Each reason needs to match what the MDM can do for you, and more importantly how you manage the MDM.  We like the Meraki solution because of the cross platform integration and visibility.  I hope you enjoy and find these videos useful.

Meraki Systems Manager gets a Functional Boost in "Sentry"

A mobile culture isn't just alive and well these days, it's a thriving dependency. From cell phones, to laptops, to tablets, internet access on the go has grown from a trendy luxury to an essential utility. The phenomenon comes new challenges at the enterprise level when it comes to device management, tracking, and security.

For every time you've needed to ask a friend or spouse to call your lost phone in the hopes of learning its whereabouts, an IT administrator has stressed over protecting the sensitive material a suddenly lost device has access to. It's not just missing equipment network admins need to worry about, though. Most of the population carries a smart phone and looks for a free WiFi network to join when visiting businesses. In today's mobile world, administrators need to not only provide seamless internet access for everyone from the CEO to customers, but also secure corporate network access based on who someone is and their role in the company. Never mind figuring out how to remotely wipe the laptop a sales guy left in a rental car and GPS tracking for the hand-scanner a 3rd shift worker never remembers to hang up.

The time for mobile device management solutions has never been more needed, whether an employee needs an iPhone provisioned for corporate network access or guests a simple WiFi connection to browse cat memes.

Photo credit: complex.com

Meraki is working to alleviate these headaches in their MDM solution, Systems Manager, and for small to medium sized networks with less than 100 devices, they're even doing it for free. What's more, a slew of new functionality has been extended to Systems Manager this summer in Meraki's latest feature set, called Sentry. Where Systems Manager handles general tracking and monitoring functions, Sentry automates device adoption, authentication, and access control. Oh, and it's still free up to 100 devices. 

Systems Manager drilled in client view

System Manager and Sentry features include:

• Unified multi-platform device management
• Robust security policy enforcement (NEW with Sentry)
• Scalable endpoint configuration
• On-device content management
• Secure support for BYOD initiatives
• Automatic device classification
• Automatically apply network policies by device type (NEW with Sentry)
• Analyze network activity with automatic reporting

Getting started is pretty simple. Just follow these steps or check out the video below: 

1. Login to your Meraki dashboard account via http://dashboard.meraki.com. If you already have a dashboard account, go to the Network drop-down menu at the top of the Meraki dashboard page, select "Create a network," and create a Systems Manager network.
2. If you are a brand new user, sign up for a dashboard account and follow the on-screen instructions at: http://www.meraki.com/form/systems-manager-signup?ref=13jJgp9. Select "Create a network" from the Network drop-down menu.
3. If you are planning to manage iOS devices, you will need to set up an Apple push notification certificate. Instructions for obtaining this certificate can be found on the Organization > MDM page. To complete this process, you must have a valid Apple ID.
4. The various methods for enrolling iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS X clients can be found on the MDM > Add devices page.
5. You're good to go - happy enrolling!

How a 2005 WiFi Network will Destroy you by 2020

Growing up in the 90's and early 2000's, my electronic experiences were dominated by wires. The desktop computer I bought in 2000 (with a year's worth of paper route earnings) had a cabled mouse and keyboard, not to mention a fat, CRT monitor that weight 20 pounds. The controllers I held for the video games I played were mostly tethered by cables. Sure, cordless versions of mice, keyboards, and even game controllers were available, but required frequent battery changes or charges, and left much to be desired in terms of performance. While WiFi existed as an option for connecting to networks and the internet, it was generally slow (54 Mbps at best) as compared to ethernet connections that could handle 100 Mbps without the headache of connectivity issues. Tablets were non-existent, and laptops that weighed 8 or more pounds were a pain to use in any real mobile sense. As an older Millennial born in the 80's, it comes with little surprise that I tend to associates cables and wires with reliability and speed.

Image source: www.confused.com

This is not the experience of younger Millennials, and the latest generation of "Boomlets" born after 2001. As a high school freshman in 2000, a personal computer in your bedroom was a luxury. Now, it is the odd one out who doesn't have a smart phone by middle school. Just as general computer proficiency wanes the higher you climb the generational ladder past gen X-ers, so too does an appreciation for electronic mobility diminish beyond most Millennials. However, it's not Baby Boomers who will be entering the workforce in droves and representing more and more consumers hanging out in lobbies over the next five years. It turns out a wireless network from 2005 isn't going to earn their favor or their business, and those who think otherwise are in for some hard times.

The sit-at-your-desk-all-day work environments considered normal through 2010 are fading fast. Millenials don't remember a world without computers, and untethered internet access from their pockets is 2nd nature. While one can accomplish basic browsing from a fairly robust cellular network, limited data plans and spotty coverage drive smart phone users toward (often free) WiFi connections. This expectation carries into the workplace, and Millennials demand corporate network access to perform their jobs seamlessly away from their office desks, from home, or traveling abroad. Businesses unable to facilitate a mobile-friendly engagement will struggle to capture the talent of the next generation's workforce. Conversely, organizations that embrace and promote a mobile spirit now will enjoy a competitive edge in their talent pools for years to come.

Image Source: redfin.com

But there is more for businesses to be concerned with than just attracting mobile-ready employees. The same expectation for a mobile engagement also lies with the next generation of consumers. On site guests and customers expect WiFi access, especially if they will be spending any significant amount of time on site to obtain your services. Hospitals, hotels, resorts, coffee shops, sports arenas, automotive service centers, salons, grocery stores, corporate conference rooms, schools, even office lobbies and reception areas are feeling the pressure of providing WiFi access for their guests. The newest cars are even WiFi ready! As more and more everyday services and tools are made available via the internet, the everyday consumer's reliance on a steady connection to access those tools while making decisions about the services they purchase will only increase. The future of consumers will quickly write off organizations that cannot facilitate an acceptable guest WiFi experience in favor of their competitors that do.

How future generations engage with the world around them in an increasingly mobile capacity means a great deal to how they will do business. The businesses that are most successful will be the forward thinking ones that facilitate the trend.

How to be safe with Windows 10 WiFi Sense

The latest operating system from Microsoft, Windows 10, is here. The new platform includes a number of updates from previous versions, including WiFi Sense - a feature first introduced in Windows phones that allows users to share access to WiFi networks with their friends. The idea here is to remove the hassle of always needing to hunt down a password when connecting to trusted WiFi networks. While certainly convenient, as Microsoft seeks to adopt as many end-users as possible to Windows 10 (qualified Windows 7 and Windows 8 users can update for free), there are a few things everyone should know about WiFi Sense to stay safe and secure.

How it works
WiFi Sense is on by default if you choose express settings during Windows 10 installation - which most users will select. However, it doesn't actually do anything until you've signed in with your Microsoft account, and then joined a new WiFi network. Upon joining a new network, WiFi sense will ask you if you want to share access to it with others. This typically includes all of your Outlook and Skype contacts, as well as your Facebook friends. That is as far as the sharing goes, though. A friend you've shared access with via WiFi Sense can not then share that access with their own friends and contacts.

WiFi Sense then stores the network passkey on a Microsoft server, and it is pulled down in an encrypted form when a shared contact wanders within range of the shared wireless network. The actual passkey is never displayed in this process, which is a good thing, however, it needs to be de-crypted on your device at some point, so there remains the possibility that the password could be found deep in your PC's registry settings.

Should I be worried!?
On the surface, this does reflect a security concern. After all, someone with the right know-how could potentially access your registry and discover the password. However, let's consider how WiFi network passwords are currently shared with friends. Generally, as a host, you provide your password for them to punch into their device directly. At this point, that friend knows the actual password, and is free to share it with whoever they like. At least with WiFi Sense, obtaining your actual password is significantly more complicated.

The good news is that WiFi Sense will not over-ride networks that rely on additional authentication protocols like 802.1x EAP, however, for offices that rely on a simple WPA/WPA2 passkey, there is greater concern. With how easy it is to share WiFi access with all of your friends on Facebook, businesses with with secure corporate WiFi networks will do well to educate their employees around the importance of NOT sharing corporate network access via WiFi Sense, and IT departments rolling out Windows 10 are advised to take time to configure WiFi Sense (disabling it altogether is probably best) on devices before putting them in the hands of employees.

At the end of the day, the consumer's ability to easily share WiFi with friends is probably going to win over the potential security compromises. For those who are especially concerned, turning WiFi Sense off will be your best recourse.

How to turn WiFi Sense off
To Turn off WiFi Sense in Windows 10, click the Start button, type "WiFi," and select "change WiFi settings." Once the next window pops up, click "Manage WiFi settings." From here, you can turn WiFi Sense off, as well as adjust a number of other settings, which allow you change which networks you share passwords on, as well as opt specific networks in or out of password sharing.

Meru's latest update to System Director introduces "non-enforcement license" model

Among the challenges of sifting through the array of enterprise WiFi solutions available today is keeping the licensing options straight. Everyone has their own model, and while in general, you can expect to pay a licensing fee for each device from a given vendor (there are some exceptions, Ubiquiti Networks among them), exactly how that licensing is tracked varies. 

Historically, Meru's licensing structure was somewhat limiting, as a given AP's license was permanently married to it's controller. While certainly a limitation, most enterprise WiFi deployments don't require IT administrators to move their access points around. Once they are plugged in, they pretty much live there and enjoy a happy connection to their controller for the rest of their lives. But over time, this led to a serious lack of flexibility when it came time to upgrade a given controller on a Meru Network -- such a thing meant new licenses for your APs as well. 

Those days are now over with Meru's recent release of System Director 7.0 and their switch to a non-enforcement license model. An access point can now be moved from one controller to another by importing the license file in the controller. The licenses are also reusable on replaced controllers. When upgrading to System Director 7.0, this feature is automatically updated for the current APs on the network. 

With competitors like Aruba ever beating the drum of flexible deployment options, this is an important improvement to Meru's structure. While touting some of the highest capacity access points in the market with their patented single channel architecture, Cisco-Meraki and Aruba continue to capture the attention of IT decision makers. As Meru has recently been acquired by Fortinet, this development to their licensing scheme only continues to intrigue the future of enterprise WiFi offerings and competition. 

Juniper and Ruckus sittin in a tree...

The season of networking vendor partnerships continues with Juniper and Ruckus announcing their collaboration last Tuesday. The move represents a likely pairing, as Juniper looks to bolster its wireless offerings in a reputable Ruckus, known for it innovation when it comes to all things WiFi.

Originally paired with Aruba last year to integrate wireless functionality with their switches and routers, Juniper's new partnership with Ruckus confirms the Aruba arrangement isn't headed anywhere. With Hewlet Packard acquiring Aruba for $3 billion this spring, it comes with little surprise that Juniper would seek a new player to fill the wireless hole in their portfolio.

Ruckus has earned a reputation as an innovation leader in the industry. Earlier this year, the company was the first to announce a line of 802.11ac wave 2 access points. Since then, Aruba is the only competitor to announce their own line of wave 2 gear, slated to hit the market in July. Cisco is likely next to make a similar proclamation.

In addition to Tuesday's news of Juniper and Ruckus joining forces, and HP's recent acquisition of Aruba, Fortinet also recently announced their plans to purchase Meru Networks for $44 million. That deal is slated for July as well. All told, 2015 is shaping up to be an interesting year for laying the foundation of future wireless offerings, as vendors jockey for their own competitive edge in a competitive industry.

Announcing the NEW CopperWiFi.com!

We've been working hard on some major changes to CopperWiFi.com and we're finally ready!

First, we have updated our branding.  We have a new logo and color scheme that we feel brings us up to date.  It feels cleaner and more inline with our goals and direction here at CopperWiFi.com.

We've updated our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages as well as other social media with the new look.  If you haven't already, follow the links and like, follow, etc to stay up to date with what we are doing.  Everything from new blog posts to product releases and updates will be announced there first.

Second, we have completely redesigned the site.  Again, we focused on a clean, updated appearance and ease of use.  Our goal is to give visitors the best information about our products and the best prices possible.  Let's be honest, CopperWiFi.com has a lot of competition.  We want to make buying wireless networking equipment as easy to understand as possible.  We want our customers to be as well in formed as possible.  That is the reason for everything we do, from writing this blog to organizing our products into customizable bundles so you know what you need to order, what's available, and what will be in the box when your shipment arrives.

We have also added a new "Add to Quote" button on every product.  This enables users to quickly and easily submit a request for quote to get CopperWiFi.com's best pricing for larger orders and quantities of product.

We've made many more small tweaks to the site, all with the aim of streamlining and simplifying your experience.  Come by, take a look, and let us know what you think!