• To SSH into the Meraki, use “meraki” as the username and the Meraki’s serial number as the password (can be found on the bottom of the Meraki or in the Dashboard)
• /storage is a persistent (so far Meraki has not had to overwrite this partition for firmware upgrades) partition
• /storage/late-init.sh runs last in the boot sequence, useful for adding iptables rules, etc.
• /storage/config stores the current Meraki configuration.
• When connected to a Meraki mesh network (wired or wireless) you can access http://my.meraki.net to view the status of the node you are currently connected to and http://gateway.meraki.net to view the status of the gateway you are connecting to the Internet through.

Though the the Meraki Mini Outdoor comes with a Power over Ethernet (PoE) adapter, other models do not. To lower cost, Power over Ethernet injectors have been built using a dual RJ-45 surface mount jack and either the power supply included with the Meraki Mini (7.5V), or a higher voltage 12V power supply for longer (50+ft) Ethernet runs.

The antennas we have tested so far have come from Hyperlinktech, which include a 9dBi and 5.5dBi with RP-SMA connector. The 9dBi omni-directional has been used mostly for outdoor nodes, they’re cheap and provide decent gain. The Bud NEMA Cable Gland .39”-.55” (Mouser part #563-NG-9515) fits the 9dBi omni-directional antenna nicely. We’ve found the 2dBi antenna included with the Meraki Mini works well indoors, especially in multi-floor buildings. The majority of users won’t be connecting with anything higher gain anyway, so it’s a good match.

Meraki has provided some estimated ranges for the Meraki Mini with the stock 2dBi antenna:

Equipment from Meraki Networks was selected for its low cost, zero end user configuration, back-end management system and most importantly, its wireless mesh capabilities. This allows for several advantages.

First, bandwidth usage is controlled, so one user doesn’t saturate any one Internet connection. Second, remote monitoring and management allows us to get an idea of network health/usage and modify configuration remotely. Third, as opposed to traditional wireless networks, which require an Internet connection at every access point, Meraki Mini repeaters can relay data as many times needed until it reaches an Internet connected access point (gateway), significantly reducing the cost of building the network.