Imagine you’re the manager of a small but successful café. People love your coffee, but your most popular offering is your public WiFi. After all, it’s free, and it encourages people to stick around and buy drinks.
Unfortunately, you haven’t had the chance to upgrade your network from a basic system. One day, a hacker sneaks in and infects your system with ransomware. Not only is your precious public WiFi down, but all your essential online systems are too.
It’s every small business owner’s worst nightmare. The good news is that Cisco Meraki installation gives your business WiFi network the modern tools and unparalleled ease of access needed to keep everything running smoothly. It helps block threats, resolve issues quickly, and more.
Keep reading to learn some of the top Cisco Meraki benefits for small businesses like yours.
Scale Your Network With Ease
Cisco Meraki lets businesses mix and match features that suit them. You can start with the most basic elements and expand as your WiFi needs grow. This makes Cisco Meraki WiFi an ideal solution for small businesses in particular.
Unlike other systems, Cisco Meraki doesn’t make you start with a bunch of features you don’t use, or add features you don’t need when you decide to expand.
You don’t have to settle for a bare-bones network to stay within your company’s means. Starting with a system that isn’t easy to scale is expensive and can slow your company down. Growth is easier to attain when starting with the tools Cisco Meraki offers.
Up Your Web Analytics
Layer 7 visibility is a clear view of your network’s traffic so you know all the details of what’s going on. It gives you information about aspects such as the exact request destination, the client, how long they use the network, and more. This helps administrators dissect network user behavior, learn more about who they are, and prioritize their biggest needs.
You can also use the power of layer 7 visibility to keep an eye on network health and troubleshoot. Lesser systems only let you see the most basic elements of traffic on your network. They give you minimal insight into what makes your WiFi tick and the factors affecting it.
The information revealed by layer 7 visibility on Cisco Meraki helps pinpoint problems and analyze usage. You don’t need to worry about privacy issues: All of the traffic going to and from the management interface is fully encrypted.
Stop Threats Before They Cause Disaster
Layer 7 visibility is convenient for network analysis, troubleshooting, and more, but it’s only one of many in-depth security features included with Cisco Meraki WiFi and commercial wifi installation services.
All Cisco Meraki access points integrate Air Marshal, a threat detector and neutralizer software. It securely scans data and activity and can email administrators about rogue access points and threats.
Air Marshal runs on a dedicated security radio so the activity doesn’t disrupt network users. As with the layer 7 visibility feature, it uses encryption protocols to keep user data secure.
Two-factor authentication is another modern security feature Cisco Meraki features in their WiFi service. As an administrator, you can give your network an extra layer of protection with your smartphone. This is another way Cisco Meraki keeps bad actors out.
Use Controls From Anywhere
Air Marshal alerts and two-factor authentication are a couple of ways Cisco Meraki keeps you in the know, but you don’t need to wait for an alert to get a remote update on your network’s health. Cisco Meraki’s cloud-based interface makes it easy for you to check in on your business WiFi network. You can check in whether you’re away from the office at a client’s job site or on the other side of the world.
Administrators can monitor sources of network traffic and quickly solve speed issues from remote locations. Possible actions include blocking and stopping problematic applications and websites that you select.
You can even shut out particular users if you find they’re browsing malicious websites or doing something else ill-advised. This is hard to do with basic systems unless you pay an arm and a leg for extra software packages. Cisco Meraki’s layer 7 visibility and cloud-based features make it simple.
Access Compromised Networks
If someone compromises your network, one of the biggest immediate concerns is whether they might be able to shut you out. If you can’t regain control of your network, there’s virtually no way to resolve the security problem, at least not without a massive amount of effort and, more than likely, money.
Cisco Meraki boasts next-level security, so your network is generally safe from threats. However, no security system is perfect and there is a small chance of disruption. If something does happen, the Cisco Meraki WiFi interface has your back.
Through the dashboard, you can get into your network from any internet-connected computer. A bad actor infiltrating your workplace network will have a hard time keeping you and your IT specialists away from the problem.
Never Worry About Missed Updates
Running a small business is hectic and resources can run thin. You may have a one- or two-person IT department or handle your own IT. It’s easy for network updates to get lost in the shuffle with so much on your plate, but you can’t afford for a hacker to exploit a missed security patch and take your system down.
Automatic updates are a convenient feature of Cisco Meraki WiFi so you don’t have to worry about that issue. You don’t need to dedicate employee hours to the mundane task of updating anymore. Attend to all your other pressing duties worry-free.
Hire the Cabling Contractor Austin Chooses for Cisco Meraki Installation
It’s time to get started with these top Cisco Meraki installation features. If you’re in the Austin or San Antonio, Texas area, CMC Communications is the cabling contractor to set you up with Cisco Meraki benefits today.
Contact us today for a free quote and more information about what our communications cabling services can do for you. We look forward to improving your network experience!
