Edit (8/14/18): Updated device list. Thank you for input and tests on other models! Edit (10/4/17): Poll the nodes directly via Solarwinds. You must define the SNMP details on the Meraki dashboard (see how-to steps below). Meraki Document for the curious: Monitoring the Wireless Network - Cisco Meraki Background: Thousands of Meraki devices needed to be added to Solarwinds for my situation, and so the hunt began. First stop was Meraki for some help, which led me to this document: https://docs.meraki.com/download/attachments/13500458/ConfigurationGuide-Meraki-SolarwindsSNMP%20(2).pdf?version=1&modif… (Deprecated.)The document's instructions weren't for the implementation that I was looking for, and that document was all I could find in online. What I needed was to poll the devices directly instead of through the dashboard. When I followed Meraki's document for alerting, it wasn't what I was looking for. Passing relevant information to the alerts wasn't available, based on Meraki's instructions. Eventually, I accidentally stumbled upon the answer, and now looking back it seems so simple . How-To Steps: On the SolarWinds Network Discovery page, create a new discovery Use the SNMP string that was input on each Meraki network under Network-wide>General or Configure>Alerts & administration (located on Meraki's dashboard) and click ‘next’ SNMP settings include the version (V1/V2c), and a SNMP string. They are located under 'Reporting' Uncheck ‘poll for VMware’ and click next Uncheck ‘add to NCM’ and click next Click ‘next’ on the windows credentials page Paste in your Meraki IPs and click on ‘next’ Set the Discovery name and click on ‘next’ Set your discovery schedule and click on ‘discover’ Select the Meraki device interfaces you’d like to import and click ‘next’ Selecting the advanced options section can help for picking out specific interfaces. Click ‘next’ on the volume type page. Click ‘import’ on the import preview page. Wait for the import to finish before clicking on ‘finish’ Results: Here's a Meraki MX80 that's been added. Here's an MR16 that's been added: After the nodes have been added, I setup alerts and they'll be able to pull helpful information (Hostname, IP, Custom Properties, etc.) when an event happens. Misc. Info: Version info: NPM 11.0.1 Devices I've tested unless otherwise noted: Firewalls MX80 MX65 shannon.raymond MX100 michael.kent MX400 Wireless Access Points MR16 MR18 MR24 michael.kent MR32 kwameb87 MR42 Switches MS22P MS42P michael.kent - MS220 kwameb87 MS250 mlinsemier_tdc MS320 kwameb87 MS350 kwameb87 MS350-24x mlinsemier_tdc MS420 kwameb87 MS425 mlinsemier_tdc Remote/Teleworker Z3 mlinsemier_tdc Z3C mlinsemier_tdc Current issues: From the screenshots you can see that the Last Boot date isn't correct, however that isn't a pressing issue for me. I hope this will help some of you, and feel free to ask questions. I'll be adding updates as more info comes in, so feel free to post what you have run into. Message was edited by: Naters

This discussion has been locked. The information referenced herein may be inaccurate due to age, software updates, or external references.

You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a similar question you can start a new discussion in this forum.

SNMP Polling Meraki Devices (NPM +12.0/11.0.1) - How To

naters over 9 years ago

Edit (8/14/18):

Updated device list. Thank you for input and tests on other models!

Edit (10/4/17):

Poll the nodes directly via Solarwinds. You must define the SNMP details on the Meraki dashboard (see how-to steps below).

Meraki Document for the curious: Monitoring the Wireless Network - Cisco Meraki

Background:

Thousands of Meraki devices needed to be added to Solarwinds for my situation, and so the hunt began. First stop was Meraki for some help, which led me to this document: https://docs.meraki.com/download/attachments/13500458/ConfigurationGuide-Meraki-SolarwindsSNMP%20(2).pdf?version=1&modif… (Deprecated.)The document's instructions weren't for the implementation that I was looking for, and that document was all I could find in online. What I needed was to poll the devices directly instead of through the dashboard. When I followed Meraki's document for alerting, it wasn't what I was looking for. Passing relevant information to the alerts wasn't available, based on Meraki's instructions. Eventually, I accidentally stumbled upon the answer, and now looking back it seems so simple .

How-To Steps:

On the SolarWinds Network Discovery page, create a new discovery
Use the SNMP string that was input on each Meraki network under Network-wide>General or Configure>Alerts & administration (located on Meraki's dashboard) and click ‘next’
- SNMP settings include the version (V1/V2c), and a SNMP string. They are located under 'Reporting'
Uncheck ‘poll for VMware’ and click next
Uncheck ‘add to NCM’ and click next
Click ‘next’ on the windows credentials page
Paste in your Meraki IPs and click on ‘next’
Set the Discovery name and click on ‘next’
Set your discovery schedule and click on ‘discover’
Select the Meraki device interfaces you’d like to import and click ‘next’
- Selecting the advanced options section can help for picking out specific interfaces.
Click ‘next’ on the volume type page.
Click ‘import’ on the import preview page.
- Wait for the import to finish before clicking on ‘finish’

Results:

Here's a Meraki MX80 that's been added.

MX80 SW Node.png

Here's an MR16 that's been added:

MR16 SW Node.png

After the nodes have been added, I setup alerts and they'll be able to pull helpful information (Hostname, IP, Custom Properties, etc.) when an event happens.

Misc. Info:

Version info: NPM 11.0.1

Devices I've tested unless otherwise noted:

Firewalls

MX80

MX65 shannon.raymond

MX100 michael.kent

MX400

Wireless Access Points

MR16

MR18

MR24 michael.kent

MR32 kwameb87

MR42

Switches

MS22P

MS42P michael.kent

MS220 kwameb87

MS250 mlinsemier_tdc

MS320 kwameb87

MS350 kwameb87

MS350-24x mlinsemier_tdc

MS420 kwameb87

MS425 mlinsemier_tdc

Remote/Teleworker

Z3 mlinsemier_tdc

Z3C mlinsemier_tdc

Current issues:

From the screenshots you can see that the Last Boot date isn't correct, however that isn't a pressing issue for me.

I hope this will help some of you, and feel free to ask questions.

I'll be adding updates as more info comes in, so feel free to post what you have run into.

Message was edited by: Naters

Top Replies

Parents

0 michael.kent over 8 years ago

I've also tested this and works. Thanks very much.
Misc. Info:
Version info: NPM 11.5
Devices I've tested:
Firewalls
MX80
MX100
Wireless Access Points
MR16
MR24
Switches
MS42P
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel
0 alaskan over 8 years ago in reply to michael.kent

What information are you getting from te MR16 and MR24s?
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel
0 michael.kent over 8 years ago in reply to alaskan

SSIDs, response times, interface speeds. All we really need.
The client info etc is all the in the meraki dashboard. As we look after the core, the clients connected doesn't really matter to us.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel
0 alaskan over 8 years ago in reply to michael.kent

Ah okay.. thanks for the update. For us we want to track it all in one place.
Yes I can go to a separate website, login to meraki and get my info there but honestly that wasn't one of the reasons we purchased solarwinds.
We wanted a 'single' area to view our network. (Something Solarwinds sales claims time and time again. Single pain of glass bs marketing crap that sales people normally spew forth like politicians promises.)
Seriously though, I would rather have a central place I can view all of my network info and not have to login to my storage vendors cloud site, my wireless ap vendors cloud site, my email vendors cloud site, etc, etc..
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel
0 naters over 8 years ago in reply to alaskan

You may be able to pull some extra info with OIDs and MIBs. If you have a development team, maybe they can hack something together.
We also like the single pane of glass idea, and solarwinds does an amazing job compared to other products. As a managed services company, we [have to] get used to all the different systems (documented processes will save you). For solarwinds we mostly needed up/down tracking with IPs and hostnames for alerts. Other than that, we don't care too much. We'll check the dashboard if we really need other info (that's extremely rare though). Sometimes, we have to reboot a meraki device in the meraki dashboard for them to show as 'up' in solarwinds. This is due to Meraki's firmware upgrades. Until then, we'll have to wait for a network I.V. or 'Matrix connection'
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel

Reply

0 naters over 8 years ago in reply to alaskan

You may be able to pull some extra info with OIDs and MIBs. If you have a development team, maybe they can hack something together.
We also like the single pane of glass idea, and solarwinds does an amazing job compared to other products. As a managed services company, we [have to] get used to all the different systems (documented processes will save you). For solarwinds we mostly needed up/down tracking with IPs and hostnames for alerts. Other than that, we don't care too much. We'll check the dashboard if we really need other info (that's extremely rare though). Sometimes, we have to reboot a meraki device in the meraki dashboard for them to show as 'up' in solarwinds. This is due to Meraki's firmware upgrades. Until then, we'll have to wait for a network I.V. or 'Matrix connection'
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel

Children

0 alaskan over 8 years ago in reply to naters

Okay, so as promised I am providing an update on the Meraki wireless access points.
After going round a few times I was finally able to work with someone at Solarwinds who was able to actually help me go through and pull out specifically what the meraki's are providing information wise through snmp. We could find not client information at all listed coming from either the wireless aps or the cloud controller. No counts, names or transmitted data from clients or anything client related. Everything was at the AP level and higher.
So with this new proof I called Meraki support and gave the tech a copy of the walks and after some time he came back on the line and said yes that is correct. We do not provide (and can't provide) anything more than basically up/down status info. For more info you 'HAVE' to use their cloud site. (Lame I know)
So Meraki, you have lost a customer. We will be dumping our meraki aps and going to someone that actually lets you monitor your purchased and paid for devices "WHERE YOU WANT!!!"
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel