In short
Cisco Meraki is Cisco's cloud managed networking range: switches, Wi-Fi access points, MX firewalls and SD-WAN, cameras and cellular gateways that stay on your premises but are configured and monitored from one web dashboard, with no local controllers or management servers. Forever Systems, a Cisco Partner, supplies Cisco Meraki in the UK by exact order code and designs and supports Meraki networks, from one office to many sites.
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Add products and licences to your basket, then check out when you are ready.
Cisco Meraki: cloud managed networking in one dashboard
A traditional business network is managed box by box, or through controllers and management servers that you install, patch and back up yourself. In a cloud-managed network the hardware is still in your building, but its configuration, monitoring, alerts and firmware updates are handled from a web dashboard hosted by the vendor. That is the idea behind Cisco Meraki, and our short guide to what Cisco Meraki is covers the background.
With Cisco Meraki that dashboard is the Meraki dashboard. Meraki describes its design as an "out of band" control plane: management data (configuration, statistics and monitoring) travels to the Meraki cloud through an encrypted tunnel, while your users' traffic goes straight to its destination on your LAN or across your WAN. If the link to the cloud drops, Meraki says devices carry on running with their last known configuration until the connection returns.
What that gives you in practice:
- one place to see every site, device and client
- the same settings pushed to many sites through templates
- firmware updates you schedule from the browser rather than device by device
- no on-site controller or management server to maintain
Our guide to cloud networking explains the terms, and cloud vs on-premise networking sets out the trade-offs.
Shop the Cisco Meraki range
Every product in the Meraki shop is listed by its exact Cisco order code, with the licences and accessories that go with it. Add hardware and licences to your basket together and send it to us for a quote; we check compatibility and licence terms before we reply.
| Family | What it does | Shop or read more |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless access points (MR and Cisco Wireless Wi-Fi 7) | Indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi with RF optimisation, guest access and location features; Cisco's Wi-Fi 7 access points can run in the Meraki cloud or on a Catalyst wireless controller | Shop access points, Meraki MR series, Meraki Wi-Fi 7 |
| Switches (MS, cloud-managed Catalyst and Cisco Smart Switches) | Access, distribution, compact and rugged switches with PoE and stacking, plus Catalyst switching onboarded into the Meraki dashboard | Shop switches, Meraki MS switches, Catalyst in the Meraki dashboard |
| Security and SD-WAN appliances (MX, vMX) and teleworker gateways | Firewall, Auto VPN between sites, WAN failover and optional threat protection; the corporate network at home workers' desks | Shop security appliances, MX licence editions, Meraki teleworker gateway |
| Smart cameras (MV) | Security cameras with storage on the camera, viewed in the dashboard or the Meraki Vision portal | Shop cameras, Meraki MV licence |
| Cellular gateways (MG) and sensors (MT) | 4G or 5G as a primary or backup internet connection; environmental and door sensors, with end of sale announced for the whole MT line (last order date 10 November 2026) | Shop cellular and IoT, Meraki MG cellular gateways, Meraki MT sensors |
| Licences | Every current Meraki device needs one; each product page lists the licence codes that fit it, by tier and term | Meraki licence SKU list |
| Accessories | Transceivers, power, mounts and stacking cables | Shop accessories |
| Cisco Access Manager | Cloud network access control for wired and wireless users and devices | Cisco Access Manager |
Replacing older Meraki kit? Our end-of-sale and end-of-life lists show Meraki's stated replacement for each product. Two families are winding down: Cisco has announced end of sale for the whole MT sensor line, with support until 30 November 2031, and Meraki's Systems Manager device management reached end of sale on 3 June 2026, with support until 3 June 2029 (see our Systems Manager agent guide). We help existing users with renewals and with planning what comes next; see Meraki end of life for the dates that matter.
Compare, then add to your basket
Every product in our shop lists its order codes and licences, ready to add.
Cisco Meraki solutions for offices, schools and multi-site organisations
Meraki solutions are built from the same few product families, put together differently for each kind of site. The dashboard is the same whether you run one office or many branches, so you can start small and add sites, devices and licences as you grow.
| If you need... | Start with |
|---|---|
| Reliable Wi-Fi across an office or a new or moving office | Cloud managed Wi-Fi and office network setup |
| Wi-Fi and safe segmentation for a school or trust | School Wi-Fi |
| Guest and staff Wi-Fi for hotels, shops or warehouses | Hotel Wi-Fi, retail Wi-Fi and warehouse Wi-Fi |
| New switching with PoE for phones, access points and cameras | Cloud managed switches |
| Many branches connected and managed centrally | Multi-site networks |
| Backup internet when the main line fails | Meraki MG cellular gateways |
| A licence about to expire, or a messy licence position | Meraki licensing models |
| Older Meraki kit reaching end of support | Meraki end of life |
| Small-business Meraki Go devices to replace | Meraki Go alternative |
Not sure which fits? Our Meraki setup page shows how a network goes from survey and design to go-live, and we can help you size the hardware and licences for each site.
Licensing, in plain English
Every current Meraki device needs a valid licence to operate, and the licence is what keeps it managed in the dashboard. Meraki offers three licensing models, and you cannot mix them in one organisation:
- Subscription (Cisco Networking Subscription): licences bound to networks, with terms you choose and Essentials or Advantage feature tiers. Available to new and renewing customers.
- Co-termination: every licence in the organisation shares one expiry date. New organisations still start on co-term until a subscription key is claimed.
- Per-device: each device has its own expiry date. No longer available to new customers.
Our Meraki licensing models guide compares them, and there are separate pages on co-term, subscription, renewal and what happens when a licence expires. Prices depend on the devices, tiers and term, so ask us for a quote.
Not sure what you need?
Tell us about your sites and we will recommend the right kit and licences.
Meraki and Catalyst are coming together
Cisco is steadily joining its two networking lines. Select Catalyst switches can now be onboarded and fully managed in the Meraki dashboard. Cisco's Wi-Fi 7 access points and Smart Switches are built as one hardware family that can run in the Meraki cloud, in a mixed mode, or on premises with Catalyst Center, depending on the licence. And Cisco Cloud Control, announced in June 2026 and generally available since 25 August 2026 for customers managing US-based infrastructure, adds a single operations platform across Cisco networking, security and more, linking to your Meraki organisations rather than replacing the Meraki dashboard.
These changes mean the choice is less "Meraki or Catalyst" and more "which management model suits each part of the network". Our pages on Cisco Meraki vs Catalyst, Meraki Wi-Fi 7 and Cisco Cloud Control explain where things stand today.
Security built into the network
A cloud-managed network is also a security platform, and the dashboard puts its controls in the same place as everything else.
- At the edge: MX security and SD-WAN appliances provide a stateful firewall, site-to-site Auto VPN and client VPN as standard. The Advanced Security edition adds intrusion detection and prevention, Talos content filtering and Cisco Advanced Malware Protection. See Meraki Advanced Security.
- On the LAN and Wi-Fi: VLANs, group policies and separate SSIDs keep staff, guests, payment systems and IoT devices apart.
- For users and devices: Cisco Access Manager adds cloud network access control in the dashboard, with certificate-based authentication, Microsoft Entra ID sign-in, MAC-based authentication for IoT devices and identity PSK for Wi-Fi.
- For home workers: Z-series teleworker gateways bring the corporate network and its policies to home desks.
- With the wider Cisco portfolio: Meraki MX can work with Cisco Umbrella DNS security (a separately licensed service), and Cisco's secure access services extend protection to users wherever they are. Our sister sites cover Cisco Umbrella with Meraki and Cisco SASE.
We can help you decide how much of this you need, and set it up so it matches how your organisation actually works.
How Forever Systems helps
Forever Systems is a Cisco Partner and part of Forever Group. Meraki sits within our wider Cisco networking work, and our main Cisco Meraki service pages cover supply and installation in more detail. Our page on buying Cisco Meraki in the UK explains how ordering and licensing work with us.
We can quote hardware and licences together, design and stage the network, help you take over or tidy up an existing Meraki organisation, and plan renewals and refreshes. Forever Group also supplies leased lines, so connectivity and the network that runs over it can be planned together. Contact us to talk through your network.
More Cisco Meraki guides
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Working with us on Cisco Meraki
Forever Systems helps organisations plan, buy and run cloud-managed networks built on Cisco Meraki wireless, switching, security and SD-WAN.
- Plan the network: we look at your sites, users and existing kit, and can arrange a wireless site survey before anything is ordered
- Choose the right products: access points, switches, security appliances, cellular gateways, sensors and cameras sized to what each site needs, rather than a one-size bundle
- Licensing made clear: we explain co-termination, per-device and subscription licensing, check renewal dates and quote the licences you need
- Deployment help: we can set up the Meraki dashboard, organisations, networks, templates and policies, and help move you from older or on-premise kit
- Ongoing help: changes, licence renewals and reviews as your sites grow, with the scope agreed at quote
Ask us for a quote and we will confirm what is included for your organisation.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Cisco Meraki range include?
Cisco Meraki is Cisco's cloud-managed networking range: Wi-Fi access points, switches, MX security and SD-WAN appliances, cameras and cellular gateways, all managed from the web-based Meraki dashboard. Our guide to what Cisco Meraki is explains it in more depth.
Where can I buy Cisco Meraki in the UK?
You can build a basket in our Meraki shop, where every product is listed by its exact order code with its licences and accessories, and send it to us for a quote. Forever Systems is a Cisco Partner; our page on Cisco Meraki in the UK explains how buying from us works.
What is cloud managed networking?
Cloud managed networking is a way of running a business network where the switches, access points and firewalls are on your premises but are configured and monitored from a web dashboard hosted by the vendor. With Cisco Meraki, only management data goes to the cloud; your users' traffic stays on your own network and internet connection.
What happens to a Meraki network if the internet goes down?
Meraki says its devices keep running with their last known configuration if they lose their connection to the Meraki cloud, and pick up any changes once the connection returns. Local traffic between users and devices on site carries on. While the link is down you cannot make or push configuration changes from the dashboard.
Do Meraki devices need a licence?
Yes. Meraki states that all current Meraki products need valid licensing to operate. Licences are sold on subscription, co-termination or (for existing customers only) per-device models. We can quote hardware and licences together; ask us for a quote.
Can you take over an existing Meraki network?
Yes. We can review your current dashboard organisation, licensing and firmware, and agree how we help from there. You can add us as an administrator with the access level you choose, and remove that access at any time.
Ready to order?
Build your basket in our Meraki shop and send it to us for a quote.