Want to Manage Catalyst in the Meraki Dashboard?

Interested in adding Catalyst switches to the Meraki Dashboard?

Good news! All C9200L, C9200, C9300L, C9300, C9350, and C9500 can now be managed in your Meraki dashboard!   

The Meraki platform as a whole is inferior to Catalyst, including performance, flexibility, scalability, and compatibility.  If you're a Meraki user, you know stacking Meraki is different than stacking Catalyst. If you want to add Multi-gig ports to your stack of MS225s, you can't!  You'd have to add a different platform like the MS355, which is 2x the cost of a data-only MS225.  StackPower isn't an option until the MS390.  The physical stack throughput maxed at 100G until the MS390, and the components used in the MS390 are the same as C9300.  There are other quirks, such as QSFP28 ports for the Meraki switches NOT supporting 40G, when every other QSFP28 port in Catalyst is 40/100G.

Speaking of Multi-Gig ports, as of 2024, there isn't a commercial access point that doesn't have at least a 2.5G network interface.  Any newly purchased access point plugged into a non multi-gig switch is a bottleneck. 2.5G, 5G, and 10G network interfaces are now the norm for access points.  Read more here: New mGig more of a “meh” gig?

Another quick aside.. if you want these APs to function without restrictions, UPoE is now the minimum standard.  Read more here: Do You Need UPoE?

Interested in marrying C9300s and Meraki management?  Lets do it!

C9200L, C9300, C9300L, C9300X, and C9350 can be migrated to Meraki. This includes stand-alone switches and stacks. IOS-XE will be replaced with a new software image provided by the Meraki cloud and local console access / CLI will no longer be available.

During the migration process, the switches flash, configuration, USB-flash, and all storage will be formatted.

 

• Full encryption IOS-XE is required for migration.
• No Payload Encryption (NPE) versions are not supported
• Catalyst switches must be in install mode, not bundle
• Attempting to convert unsupported models or models below the recommended image WILL brick the switch.

The following models can now be managed via Meraki:

The following network modules are also supported. If a switch has any other network module than the ones listed below, migration will fail.

• C3850-NM-2-40G
• C3850-NM-4-10G
• C3850-NM-8-10G
• C9300-NM-2Q
• C9300-NM-8X
• C9300-NM-2Y
• C9300X-NM-2C
• C9300X-NM-8Y
• MA-MOD-2X40G
• MA-MOD-4X10G
• MA-MOD-8X10G

Software updates will work just like Meraki cloud works today, although Cisco is officially calling them "Firmware Upgrades." We can easily see all firmware versions as well as schedule "Firmware Upgrades" on a per-network or per-device-type basis.  More about that process here:  Managing Firmware Upgrades

Beginning with CS15+, Network Based Application Recognition (NBAR and NBAR2) Netflow v10 (IPFIX) for IPv4 and IPv6 traffic, as well as Encrypted Traffic Analysis (ETA) is supported on both Meraki managed C9300 and MS390 switches. MS NetFlow and Encrypted Traffic Analytics

Again, migration WILL NOT be successful if an incompatible network module is present.

To migrate, the C9300s must be running at least IOS-XE 17.10.x in INSTALL mode. Please check the release notes for your version to convert from BUNDLE mode.  INSTALL mode is loaded via 'packages.conf' where BUNDLE mode is loaded via 'longpackagefilename.bin'. C9300X require a certain image - IOS-XE 17.09.03m2.SPA.bin.

And without further ado, please follow these steps to move your Catalyst 9300 from IOS-XE to the Meraki cloud.

1. Check compatibility with the command ‘show Meraki compatibility’
   
2. Ensure the switch can communicate with the Meraki dashboard
   

*Front facing ports only.  The management port Gig0/0 on the back of the switch will not work.

*SVIs only, no routed port support

If you can ping dashboard.meraki.com, you're good to go!

1. Begin the registration process
   
   The system will connect to the Meraki cloud and register the newly added switch, producing a Meraki MAC and a Cloud ID.  The Cloud ID is a 12-digit alphanumeric number that looks like a Meraki serial number.
   
   Switch#en
   Switch#config t
   Switch(config)#service meraki connect
   *Dec  9 22:26:34.207: %MERAKI-5-DEVICE_REGISTER_START: Starting to register Switch 1
   *Dec  9 22:26:48.001: %MERAKI-5-DNS_LOOKUP_SUCCESS: Resolved catalyst.meraki.com to 158.115.131.188
   Switch 1 has been successfully registered
   Meraki MAC: 549xxxxxxx
   Cloud ID: Q5UL-xxxx-xxxx
   *Dec  9 22:26:49.541: %MERAKI-5-CONNECT_TO_DASHBOARD_SUCCESS: Successfully connected to Meraki Dashboard
   *Dec  9 22:26:50.556: %MERAKI-5-SWITCH_REGISTER_SUCCESS: Switch 1 has been succesfully registered.
   *Dec  9 22:26:50.556: %MERAKI-5-MAC_ADDR: Meraki MAC: 549xxxxxxx
   *Dec  9 22:26:50.556: %MERAKI-5-CLOUD_ID: Cloud ID: Q5UL-xxxx-xxxx
   Device Registration Status:
   ---------------------------
   Switch                 Serial                                               Migration
   Num    PID             Number             Cloud ID        Mac Address       Status       Mode
   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1   C9200L-24P-4G      JAExxxxxxx       Q5UL-xxxx-xxxx  549f.c6ba.f600    Registered   C9K-M [Monitoring]
2. Please note down the Cloud ID as that is required for claiming it in Meraki Dashboard. 
   
   If registering a stack, each switch will be assigned a unique Meraki ID. You will need this ID to add the device to your Meraki network. CLI feedback will list the switches Cisco part IDs, serials, Meraki IDs, MAC addresses, its migration status, and its operating mode. You’re looking for a migration status of ‘Registered’ and an operating mode of ‘C9K-M'.
   Before proceeding, please remember that all local files or any attached USB storage devices will be wiped clean.
   
   This command will begin a factory reset as well as disable CLI although console feedback will continue allowing you to monitor the process. We’ve seen devices take as much as 15 minutes to reset and boot in the Meraki managed deployment.  'Sho meraki connect' will bring up the connection details.  Once you have "Config fetch succeeded" as  a Fetch State, you can claim the device in your Meraki dashboard!

Switch#sho meraki connect
Service meraki connect: enable

Meraki Tunnel Config
------------------------------------
  Fetch State:                Config fetch succeeded
  Fetch Fail:
  Last Fetch(UTC):            2025-12-09 22:27:07
  Next Fetch(UTC):            2025-12-09 23:44:39
  Config Server:              cs1-2037.meraki.com
  Primary:                    usw.nt.meraki.com
  Secondary:                  use.nt.meraki.com
  Client IPv6 Addr:           FD0A:9B09:1F7:1:569F:C6FF:FEBA:F600
  Network Name:               meraki admin network - wireless

And that’s it!

Hop into your Meraki dashboard:

3.  Organization > Inventory, then "claim"

4.  Add the switch to a network.

After the device has been added to a network, conversion to Meraki cloud operating mode will begin.  This  initiates a factory reset on the switch and restricts console to read-only.  The switch may take up to 15 minutes to reset.  DO NOT power cycle the switch(es).

• The conversion process will erase all configuration and files stored locally, or on any attached USB devices. Be sure to back up all necessary data from the local or connected storage, prior to initiating the conversion. It is recommended that USB storage devices be disconnected, as they will not be accessible in Meraki cloud operating mode.
• During conversion, the switch or switch stack may reboot one or more times to enable 802.3bt. Once the switch has rebooted console access will be restricted to read-only mode, only showing log events.
• If an RMA is done for a migrated Cisco Catalyst 9300 switch, the replacement will come in the management mode for which the unit was originally purchased.

To convert your switch back to a non-Meraki managed switch, please contact Meraki support.