In addition to the MX line of security appliances, Meraki offers an additional line of edge devices that provide a dedicated cellular gateway, known as the MG series. This line of devices is designed to provide a dedicated cellular uplink, or fixed wireless access (FWA), to any device capable of connecting to a wired Ethernet connection. The MG series can be deployed nearly anywhere in the world thanks to Meraki’s never-ending efforts to obtain carrier certification from many of the largest cellular carriers all across the globe.
It is important to be aware that the MG series of devices, while designed to act as an edge uplink, are not designed to provide the same level of advanced features and functionality as the MX series of security appliances. The functionality of the MG series is more limited to provide a clearer focus on connectivity. For example, MG devices are not capable of security filtering, such as content filtering or IDS, or acting as a VPN endpoint for either Auto VPN or non-Meraki VPN connections.
For customers who want both fully featured security and cellular connectivity in a single device, Meraki does offer a Cellular series of MX devices (MX-C) that includes an integrated cellular modem. This allows a single device to function as both a cellular uplink and a fully featured security appliance. A notable caveat to this deployment compared to a separate security appliance and dedicated MG is that the MX must be placed in a location that provides adequate cellular signal for the cellular uplink, which may require some notable compromises in either performance or device location. This is discussed further in the “MG Deployment Considerations” section a bit later in the chapter.
Using an MG cellular uplink appropriately and achieving the best performance from it requires a basic understanding of cellular communication in general. Because cellular is a wireless technology, modern cellular standards share some similarities with modern Wi-Fi standards, especially when considering aspects of deployment such as signal strength and potential requirements for line of sight to provide a higher-performing connection.
Meraki currently offers several devices within the MG lineup that are capable of using different cellular standards, allowing you to choose the device that best fits your needs and available resources for each location.