Meraki Webinar - Free Wifi AP and Free Device Management from the Cloud.

[Tim Lee]

Hi,

As a number of you know, I'm a EDU Tech consultant based in Virginia and a Google Apps Certified Trainer. Apart from Google Apps, one of my main areas of focus is helping schools setup sufficient wifi for 1to1, BYOD or Chromebooks. So, I'm always in search of the best wifi provider. This is one of the main technology challenges facing the majority of schools-- deploying a wireless network that supports growing needs but also allows the school to maintain control and visibility. The other challenge is to manage the huge number of devices, whether they are PCs, Macs, or iOS.

For K12, the usual wifi suspects are Cisco, Aruba and Aerohive, but all of these have their own drawbacks whether that is price point, complicated setup/maintenance or simply the lack of a rich feature set. I recently found Meraki, and it has blown me away with both their feature set and cloud based management of wifi and devices.

Meraki was formed in 2006 by PhD candidates from MIT and is funded by Sequoia Capital and Google. I would compare the jump to Meraki for wifi/device management as being similar to moving to Google Apps for Email/Collaboration. With Meraki’s easy to use web portal you can manage your wifi, see all devices on the network, apply policies by device type, measure the impact of the different devices and manage devices right down to software installs.

I’d really like to share Meraki with the Google Apps K12 Network. I've managed to arrange the following two Webinars with the founders of the company to explain their solution and how it can help schools with their wifi, web filtering and device management.

Tuesday, May 8th at 3pm EST: Registration - http://goo.gl/3QvsD
Wednesday, May 9th at 11am EST: Registration - http://goo.gl/ypiUn

Anyone attending the Webinars will receive a FREE Meraki Wifi Access Point and cloud based management portal. Within your free portal you will be able to manage your school’s fleet of iOS devices, Macs and PCs for FREE.

This is by no means a sale pitch; I personally guarantee everyone attending will also be blown away by their service and at least one part of their services will revolutionize your school similar to what Google Apps has done for all of us. Spaces are limited but feel free to pass this onto others in our K12 community.

Thanks

Tim

Amplified IT
757 633 4954
www.amplifiedit.com

[Kyle Brumbaugh]

Meraki has a great product and went in whole hog, but we really need them to step to the plate and support Android and Chromebooks in the same way they have supported PC's and iOS devices.  

I am in the Bay Area and have mentioned this to them several times. 

Thanks,

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Kyle Brumbaugh

[Tim Lee]

Hi Kyle,

I was actually on the phone with their product manager on Friday and I've been pushing to get authentication for Meraki wireless to use Google Apps Accounts instead of using Radius or AD. This would be a great feature which would revolutionize a lot of schools. The issue is that I need a couple more schools to show support of the concept. 

I do think their systems manager is fantastic as I'm even using it at home for my own devices. I agree the Android is this missing piece which I understand is in development. With regards Chromebooks - I don't think the management APIs are out at all and I think we'll have to wait and see how Google offers this to 3rd parties. 

Cheers

Tim

Tim Lee
Amplified IT
UK 0131 208 0456

US 757 633 4954
www.amplifiedit.com

[Bradley Chambers]

We went with Aerohive, but Meraki does make a nice product as well.  I agree on the Google Apps integration.  Any product that is used in edu can use GA integration as a big selling point.  I'd love to the school management products do this as well.  Kind of like a domain controller for the web.

- Bradley

___________________________

Bradley Chambers

Director of Information Technology

Brainerd Baptist School

[Randy Damewood]

I would love to see Meraki authenticate with Google Apps.

Randy Damewood
Technology Director
Coffee County Schools
Direct Number- 931-222-1055
Central Office - 931-723-5150
Fax - 931-723-5195
Cell - 931-273-9299


>>> Bradley Chambers <bcha...@brainerdbaptist.org> 5/7/2012 10:28 AM

[Bjorn Behrendt]

I have been pushing GA authentication at the content filter side of things.   We use Lightspeed and I have been riding them to add GA integration feature.    Putting authentication at the content filter side instead of wifi means you can then use it for wired computers also.

Bjorn Behrendt ~ Never Stop Learning

   b...@askbj.net | (802) 772-0003

   Google Apps For Education Certified Trainer

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 ~ VTed.org ~ Vermont's Personal Learning Network

Google's Free Edu On-Air Conference May 2nd: My presentations

[Curts, Eric]

Tim,

If you need more schools to show support for this idea, count us in. We most certainly would use Google Apps for Ed authentication, as well as Android support in the Meraki Systems Manager.

We have been very pleased with Meraki, and have found their support and dev teams to be very open to ideas and very responsive.

Eric

* Eric Curts

* Technology Director, North Canton City Schools

* 525 - 7th St NE, North Canton, OH 44720

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* http://www.thestateoftech.org

[Tim Lee]

Hi Bjorn,

The GApps authentication with Meraki could also be on the content filter side  - i.e. when you connect to the web. This would only work on the network (wifi/wired) as a whole if a school installed one of their their security appliances. I've got one school that is looking to do just that and replace Barracuda with an MX90 (they unfortunately installed Meru/extreme wireless last year) - this MX90 simply gives them all the features (traffic shaping, network visibility and authentication) without the need to replace their new wireless system.

Bjorn you should try Meraki's systems manager - it's crazy technology they are giving away - I actually manage all of my devices through it and got a free AP for attending a webinar too.

Cheers

Tim

 

Tim Lee
Amplified IT
UK 0131 208 0456

US 757 633 4954
www.amplifiedit.com

[Bjorn Behrendt]

I have seen Meraki, and wound up going with  http://www.open-mesh.com/ , which is basically an opensource version of Meraki, and much less in cost (starting at $60 for 802.11n), I believe they even have the same or very similar hardware.  OM has one a cloud based central management and is just drop in and go configuration.  The AP's can either be gateways or repeaters, which it will auto-configure.  

But I am always open to learn more so I will take a look at the webinar.

Bjorn Behrendt ~ Never Stop Learning

   b...@askbj.net | (802) 772-0003

   Google Apps For Education Certified Trainer

   Services: Webdesign, Consulting, Training

   Follow me: Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | Android App | Chrome App | Newsletter

   If my advice has helped you please consider donating to the podcast

My Sites

 ~ Google-Weekly.net ~ Podcast ~ 27: EduOnAir Promo Hangout  (4/30/2012)

 ~ AskBj.net ~ Online Training and Ed Tech Resources

 ~ VTed.org ~ Vermont's Personal Learning Network

Google's Free Edu On-Air Conference May 2nd: My presentations

[Scott Hendrickson]

I can't speak to the other solutions, but I'm extremely happy with the Meraki Wireless Solution we implemented over Spring Break.  I've heard horror stories of botched rollouts, difficulties to install, not enough access points, and high investments.  The Meraki Solution just works for us.  We outfitted our entire HS in less than a week and I'm planning on deploying to our 5 other campuses.  We can manage them from a single interface without requiring a CCIE on staff or additional skill set to manage.  As a Director with limited staff, this was important to me.

The metrics and reporting are fantastic and it's was one of the easiest high profile projects I've ever implemented.  

Let me know if you have any questions or if your moving forward with a 1:1 or iPad project in the upcoming year..  The wireless solution you choose will be just as critical if not more than the 1:1 program..



Scott

Scott R. Hendrickson
Director, Information Technology

Fairmont Private Schools
1575 W. Mable Street | Anaheim, CA 92802
T 714.234.2755 | F 714.234.2794 | M 760.994.5221

shendr...@fairmontschools.com
www.fairmontschools.com

On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 7:22 AM, Tim Lee <tim...@amplifiedit.com> wrote:

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Scott R. Hendrickson
Director, Information Technology

Fairmont Private Schools
1575 W. Mable Street | Anaheim, CA 92802
T 714.234.2755 | F 714.234.2794 | M 760.994.5221

shendr...@fairmontschools.com
www.fairmontschools.com

[Matthew A. Peskay]

We recently starting putting in Aerohives instead of Cisco APs in new sites which save us ~$20k in not having to shell out for a Cisco WLC.  

Our Aerohives (the 330s) are priced at about $800 and then $5/month for the cloud-management after the first year.

Does anyone have a quick ballpark pricing for a similar scoped Meraki AP device?

We've been very happy with the performance of the Aerohive APs but the web UI isn't all that great.  

All my best,

Matthew

[Bradley Chambers]

Similar in pricing.

The version 5 of the aerohive web portal/hive manager is much improved. It will be pushed in July. 

Also, the hive manager is free. It's the support you are paying for. They don't make that real clear.

I like Aerohive's approach of no controller (vs even a cloud controller).

Bradley Chambers

Sent from my iPhone

[Chris Franzen]

Another product to take a peak at is Unifi Ubiquiti.  Its really undermining the competitors with a solid software based controller and prices that can't be beaten in the enterprise market.  The feature set may not be as robust as a Meraki or Cisco, but there are still plenty of things to control.

--

Chris Franzen

chrisf...@nokomis.k12.il.us  

Technology Coordinator | Nokomis School District

511 Oberle St. | Nokomis, IL  62075

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