Not too long ago, if you needed the internet for work, it meant you were tethered to a workstation.
As the internet and connectivity options have evolved, that is no longer the case. Now, we almost take for granted how we have internet access at the tip of our fingers almost anywhere we go.
At the business level, widespread wireless connectivity is generally provided by access points. This technology has become fairly standard. The attention is now focused on how fast that access is provided.
Like any technical improvement, however, there is an associated cost with implementing access points.
The KR Group has helped multiple organizations with Cisco Meraki wireless access point deployments. Typically, our customers’ first concern is how much they’ll need to spend on a Meraki access point.
While the base model, the MR20, starts at $299 per access point (excluding licensing), Meraki offers 16 different access point options with a variety of features.
Having the following features increases the function of the access points, but also increases the cost:
- Bluetooth and wireless capabilities
- Number of data streams
- Wi-Fi 6 capabilities
- Indoor vs outdoor equipment
- Gigabit capacity
- External antennae
- Licensing
You also can see a savings if you work with a Meraki partner. Just like a Cisco partnership, working with a certified Meraki partner gives you benefits, including access to promotional pricing.
There’s a lot of ways price can vary with Meraki access points, but we will break it down and ultimately give you enough information to estimate on how much you’ll spend.
Variable #1: Bluetooth Low Energy
Meraki’s entry-level indoor (MR20) and rugged (MR70) have the base set of features, which excludes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
Devices with BLE capability transmit Bluetooth beacons and scan for other BLE devices, including other beacons, BLE asset tags,
You’ll need this feature if you want to use one access point to transmit a beacon to provide wireless to another access point.
As the name of this technology suggests, BLE uses less power than previous Bluetooth standards. This makes it a great way to transmit small amounts of data wirelessly.
For example, a retailer can use BLE to transmit retail brand (UUID), shop location, and product category over wireless access points.
Price impact
With the exception of the MR20 and MR70, all of Meraki’s access points have BLE technology. That means they’re a bit more expensive than the base models.
For indoor use, the MR33 (an entry-level, general-purpose access point) costs $649. On the outdoor side, the mid-tier access point, the MR74, costs $1,399.
Keep in mind that these devices have features that increase their price, though, which we’ll discuss in the remainder of this article.
Variable #2: Number of data streams
An important feature in all wireless access points is their data stream capability. This is how data is sent and received by the access point.
All of Meraki’s access points have multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO) technology. Where they vary is how many data streams they can simultaneously send.
This spec is displayed as a multiplier (2×2, 3×3, 4×4), which tells you how many transmitters and receivers the access point has.
The more transmitters and receivers, the more channels for wireless devices to use, which means faster speeds
If you’re looking for a device with the most data stream capability, Meraki offers the MR56 with 8×8 streams, which is currently the top-tier in Wi-Fi 6 performance. However, the rest of Meraki’s devices fall in the 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4 data stream range.
How many streams you need depends on how many devices you plan to have connected. In general, the more devices connecting to an access point, the more streams you’ll want.
Price impact
The price increases with data stream capabilities, though, so you’ll have to weigh speed against cost in your decision. With only 2:2×2 MU MIMO, the MR20 costs $299, but the MR56 with 8:8×8 MU MIMO costs $1,849.
Variable #3: Wi-Fi 6 enabled Meraki access points
Along with the number of data streams, Meraki designs some of their devices to be compatible with Wave 2 of 802.11ax.
Most people recognize this term as Wi-Fi 6.
With traditional Wi-Fi capabilities, wireless devices (like smartphones, tablets, and laptops) are still restricted to single-user MIMO (can only send one data stream at a time). However, Wi-Fi 6 enables wireless devices to receive and send back data with MU MIMO.
Additionally, Meraki’s Wi-Fi 6 enabled devices incorporate Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology to divide the data streams into smaller segments and allow devices to use them more efficiently to coordinate better and faster.
Ultimately, this means Meraki access points with Wi-Fi 6 provide better and faster service.
Price impact
Again, this feature adds to the cost of purchasing a Meraki access point, and it is ultimately your decision if it will benefit your business.
The three devices Meraki currently offers with Wi-Fi 6 are the MR36, MR46, and MR56, which range in price from $849 to $1,849.
Variable #4: Gigabit capacity
Another way the price of an access point varies is by how many gigabits of data per second (Gbps) they provide to a connected device.
In simple terms, Gbps measures how fast users get the data they want to access.
For a long time, connections at 1 Gbps provided fast, low latency data to connected devices.
However, advancements in wireless technology have made it possible to offer multigigabit speed as fast as 10 Gbps, and newer access points can overwhelm the traditional 1 Gbps connections.
Meraki has taken advantage of these advancements and created multigigabit capable access points (MR45, MR46, MR53, MR53E, MR55, MR56, and MR84).
Price impact
As you likely guessed, this technology increases the price of an access point. The MR45 and MR46 are the least expensive multigigabit devices, starting at $1,499, and the MR84 is at the high end of the range at $2,399.
Again, it’s one of many factors you’ll have to consider when determining which access point is right for you.
Variable #5: Indoor vs. outdoor equipment
The need for wireless networks isn’t restricted to inside office buildings. At The KR Group, we’ve seen greenhouses, farms, and other industries use Meraki access points to extend their Internet access out of their office buildings.
Meraki categorizes this equipment as “rugged.” These devices are built to handle a harsher environment, including a wider range of temperatures. Whereas traditional Meraki access points are sensitive to non-climate controlled or extreme environments.
Price impact
Meraki has three options for “rugged” coverage ranging from $1,099 to $2,399:
- The entry-level, very low-density MR70, which costs $1,099
- The general purpose MR74, which costs $1,399
- The high density and performance MR84, which costs $2,399
Having this option is great for the businesses who need equipment for these situations, but it does cost more than an indoor-rated access point.
Variable #6: External antennae
If you need to extend the range of your access point but don’t want to install another access point, you can add external antennae.
Meraki has multiple options for antennae:
- Dipole antennae
- Panel omni antenna
- Patch antennae
- Sector antennae
- Stadium antennae
Which antennae you need depends on how much you need to extend coverage and where you’re using your access point. The best way to determine which antennae are the best fit for you is to go through Meraki’s online information or contact a Meraki partner.
Price impact
When it comes to price, you can expect a list price range of $39 for a set of five dipole antennae to $1,499 for the Cisco stadium antenna.
In general, the wider range the antennae cover, the more expensive they will be. You can check all antenna prices and specs on Meraki’s website.
Variable #7: Licensing options
Beyond the specs and capabilities that impact price, Meraki users also need to consider licensing.
Licenses are required for every Meraki device; without them, they’ll stop working. You have two options for licenses with access points.
1. Enterprise licensing
This includes 24/7 support, next business day hardware replacement, firmware updates, and alerting and monitoring capabilities through the Meraki dashboard.
Price impact
It costs $150 per device for a 1-year license, $300 for 3 years, and $450 for 5 years.
2. Advanced licensing
This option includes all of the features of enterprise licensing, but advanced licensing adds Cisco Umbrella to the mix.
This provides DNS security and can block websites, detect ransomware, and filter content. Cisco Umbrella also offers analytics on all of its features so you can see what prohibited requests are coming from your users.
Price impact
You’ll pay twice as much for this type of license, though. A 1-year license costs $300, a 3-year license $600, and a 5-year license $900.
More information on Meraki wireless access points
How much you’ll spend on a Meraki access point depends on what features are important to you.
You’ll have to decide the importance of BLE, data streams, Wi-Fi 6, and multigigabit capacity. Other factors you’ll have to consider include if you need external antennae and which ones, as well as if you want enterprise or advanced licensing.
While we discussed many of Meraki’s features that impact cost, there are still many more features to each of Meraki’s 16 access points. You can see a more in-depth comparison in this free downloadable datasheet.
If you’re still overwhelmed by what access point is right for your business, you can request a free trial from Meraki and see first-hand what will work for you.
