Cisco Meraki MR74
Dual-band 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wave 2 access point with separate radios dedicated to security, RF Management, and Bluetooth

Overview:

General purpose industrial / outdoor 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless

The Cisco Meraki MR74 is a four-radio, cloud-managed 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wave 2 access point. Designed for general purpose, next-generation deployments in harsh outdoor locations and industrial indoor conditions, the MR74 offers performance, enterprise-grade security, and intuitive management.

The MR74 delivers a maximum 1.3 Gbps* aggregate frame rate with concurrent 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios. A dedicated third radio provides real-time WIDS/WIPS with automated RF optimization. A fourth radio delivers seamless Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) scanning and Beaconing.

The combination of cloud management, 802.11ac, full-time RF environment scanning, and an integrated Bluetooth Low Energy radio delivers the high throughput, reliability, and flexibility required by the most demanding business applications like voice and high-definition streaming video, even in the most harsh outdoor environments.

MR74 and Meraki Cloud Management: A Powerful Combination

The MR74 is managed through the Meraki cloud, an intuitive browser-based interface that enables rapid deployment across multiple sites without the need for time-consuming training or costly certifications. Since the MR74 is self-configuring and managed over the web, it can be deployed at a remote location in a matter of minutes, even without on-site IT staff.

24x7 monitoring via the Meraki cloud delivers real-time alerts if the network encounters problems. Remote diagnostics tools enable immediate troubleshooting so that distributed networks can be managed with a minimum of hassle.

The MR74’s firmware is always kept up to date from the cloud. New features, bug fixes, and enhancements are delivered seamlessly over the web, meaning no manual software updates to download or missing security patches to worry about.

Product Highlights

• Ideal for outdoor and industrial indoor environments
• 2x2:2 802.11ac, 1.3 Gbps aggregate dual-band data rate
• 24x7 real-time WIPS/WIDS and spectrum analytics via dedicated third radio
• Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Beaconing and scanning radio
• Forms point-to-point links with optional sector antennas
• Self-healing, zero-configuration mesh
• Integrated enterprise security and guest access
• Application-aware traffic shaping
• Self-configuring, plug-and-play deployment

Recommended Use Cases

Outdoor coverage for corporate campuses, educational institutions, metro Wi-Fi, and parks

• Weather-resistant Wi-Fi delivery in open spaces
• Monetizeable hotspots with built-in splash pages

Indoor coverage for industrial areas (e.g., warehouses, manufacturing facilities)

• Reliable coverage for scanner guns,security cameras, and POS devices
• High speed-access for iPads, tablets and laptops

Zero-touch point-to-point links

• Build a long-distance bridge between two networks
• Two MR74s can establish a long range link using high-gain antennas

*Refers to maximum over-the-air data frame rate capability of the radio chipset, and may exceed data rates allowed by IEEE Std 802.11ac-compliant operation.

Features:

Dual-radio aggregate data rate of up to 1.3 Gbps*

An 867 Gbps 5 GHz 2x2:2 802.11ac radio and a 400 Mbps 2.4 GHz radio offer a combined aggregate dual-band throughput of 1.3 Gbps. Technologies like transmit beamforming and enhanced receive sensitivity allow the MR74 to support a higher client density than typical enterprise-class outdoor access points, resulting in fewer required APs for a given deployment. Band steering further enhances overall throughput, moving 5 GHz-capable clients to the 5 GHz radio and maximizing capacity in the 2.4 GHz range for older 802.11b/g clients.

Rugged industrial design

The MR74 is designed and tested for salt spray, vibration, extreme thermal conditions, shock and dust and is IP67-rated, making it ideal for extreme environments. Despite its rugged design, MR74 has a low profile and is easy to deploy.

Multi User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO)

The MR74 offers MU-MIMO (an 802.11ac Wave 2 standard) for efficient transmission to multiple clients. Especially suited for environments with numerous mobile devices, MU-MIMO enables multiple clients to receive data simultaneously. This increases the total network performance and improves the end user experience.

Bluetooth Low Energy Beaconing and scanning

An integrated fourth radio for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) provides seamless deployment of BLE Beaconing functionality and effortless visibility of BLE client devices within range of the network. The MR74 enables the next generation of location-aware applications while future-proofing your deployment for new user engagement strategies.

24x7 wireless security and RF analytics

The MR74’s dedicated dual-band scanning and security radio continually assesses the environment, characterizing RF interference and automatically containing wireless threats like rogue access points. There’s no need to choose between wireless security, advanced RF analysis, and serving client data: a dedicated third radio means that all three occur in real-time, without any impact to client traffic or AP throughput.

Integrated enterprise security and guest access

The MR74 features integrated, easy-to-use security technologies to provide secure connectivity for employees and guests alike. Advanced security features such as AES hardware-based encryption and WPA2-Enterprise authentication with 802.1X and Active Directory integration provide wire-like security while still being easy to configure. One-click guest isolation provides secure, Internet-only access for visitors.

Application-aware traffic shaping

The MR74 includes an integrated layer 7 packet inspection, classification, and control engine, enabling you to set QoS policies based on traffic type. Prioritize your mission critical applications, while setting limits on recreational traffic, e.g., peer-to-peer and video streaming. Importantly, controls can be implemented per network, per SSID, per user group, or per individual user

Advanced Analytics

Drill down into the details of your network usage with highly granular traffic analytics. Extend your visibility into the physical world: View visitor numbers, dwell times, repeat visit rates, and compare trends. Fully customize your analysis with simple APIs.

High performance mesh

The MR74’s advanced mesh technologies, like multi-channel routing protocols and multiple gateway support, make it possible to cover hard-to-wire areas and improve network resilience. In the event of a switch or cable failure, the MR74 will automatically revert to mesh mode.

Self-configuring, self-optimizing, self-healing

When plugged in, the MR74 automatically connects to the Meraki cloud, downloads its configuration, and joins the appropriate network. If new rmware is required, it is retreived by the AP and updated automatically. This ensures the network is maintained with bug fixes, security updates, and new features managed for you.

*Refers to maximum over-the-air data frame rate capability of the radio chipset, and may exceed data rates allowed by IEEE Std 802.11ac-compliant operation.

Technical Specifications:

Compare Access Points:

	MR70	MR74	MR84
Usage	Basic outdoor/rugged WLAN, very low density deployments	Rugged/outdoor general purpose WLAN, outdoor campuses, industrial, point-to-point links, outdoor location services	Highest performance 802.11ac Wave 2 with Multigigabit for tough RF and high-density environments
Radio specification	1 × 802.11b/g/n 1 × 802.11a/n/ac 1.3 Gbit/sec max rate 2×2:2 MU-MIMO with beamforming	1 × 802.11b/g/n 1 × 802.11a/n/ac 1 × WIDS/WIPS 1 × Bluetooth 1.3 Gbit/sec max rate 2×2:2 MU-MIMO with beamforming	1 × 802.11b/g/n/ac 1 × 802.11a/n/ac 1 × WIDS/WIPS 1 × Bluetooth 2.5 Gbit/sec max rate 4×4:4 MU-MIMO with beamforming
Interface	1 × Gigabit Ethernet port Integrated omni-directional antennas	1 × Gigabit Ethernet port Integrated omni-directional antennas	1 × 2.5 Gbps Multigigabit Ethernet port 1 × Gigabit Ethernet port Four external N-type connectors (antennas sold separately)
Power	802.3af Power over Ethernet DC power adapter	802.3af Power over Ethernet	802.3at Power over Ethernet
Performance features	2×2:2 MU-MIMO Priority Voice, Power Save (802.11e/WMM) Hardware-accelerated encryption Band steering	2×2:2 MU-MIMO Priority Voice (802.11e/WMM) Enterprise-grade CPU Hardware-accelerated encryption Higher-density support Band steering	4×4:4 MU-MIMO 160 MHz channels Highest-density support Priority Voice (802.11e/WMM) Enterprise-grade CPU Hardware-accelerated encryption Band steering
Mesh Networking	Multi-radio mesh	Multi-radio mesh	Multi-radio mesh

Documentation:

Download the Cisco Meraki MR74 Datasheet (PDF).