Meraki MR56 Access Point – A quick look

Well, the new WiFi 6 (802.11ax) standard is upon us.

Not surprisingly, Meraki has led the charge. As a matter of fact, they’re already on their upgraded models.

The Meraki MR56 is now replacing the MR55, which was released last year. In addition, there’s also the MR36 and MR46. But we’ll talk about those later later.

Let’s Get Started with the MR56

Merakis are well-loved for simple, drag-and-drop setup. They’re also super easy to manage. Lots of access point makers tout this; Meraki accomplishes it better than almost anyone. And the new flagship WiFi 6 AP, Meraki MR56 is no different.

Honestly, there’s not much difference between the MR56 and it’s predecessor the MR55. Basically, the MR56 has full u/d OFDMA (so does the MR46). And if you’re wondering, “what the heck does THAT mean?” Well, OFDMA is a feature that allows multiple users to be served simultaneously. Net effect is better coverage, lower interference, and improved flexibility.

Now, what’s the difference between the Meraki MR56 and it’s mates the MR36 and MR46? Primarily, price. And that is due to the number of radios. Features are pretty much the same; they are reassuringly easy to learn and use, and that’s typical of Meraki. They tend to release small upgrades in quick succession, like the MR55 to MR56. In this way, users can learn their new hardware quickly and comfortably.

NEW features

As said before, the radios are the difference here. And the MR56 deploys them in an 8×8 setup. This gives the access point a HUGE number of possible simultaneous connections.

• It burns at an impressive 5.9 Gbps aggregate frame rate.
• The MR56 carries a 5 GHz 8×8:8 radio, and 2.4 GHz 4×4:4 radio.

•There’s an extra security radio that gives you local environment scanning and intrusion detection.

• Plus, there’s a bluetooth beacon.

The verdict…

So, is the MR56 a good investment for you? Well, it’s 8×8 MU-MIMO setup definitely makes it a hot-rod.

But the point of WiFi 6 isn’t primarily increased speed, though it is faster. Actually, WiFi 6 is designed more to enable much larger numbers of users. And, it also gives better coverage

As a matter of fact, Meraki handled the 2019 U.S. Open Wi-Fi. That’s 200,000 users over a 4-mile course. 39 TB of internet traffic was transferred during the event, without missing a beat. Wow!

So, if you are operating in a high-density environment, it’s a good fit. Or, if you’re trying to absolutely maximize the speed of your network, the MR56 has you covered. Otherwise, good old WiFi 5 might be just fine for you in the foreseeable future.

But then, that’s Corporate Armor is here for! We will happily and easily help you make a decision when you need assistance based on what’s best for your unique case. You can call 877-449-0458 any time. Or, you can hit us at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!