Shed Some Light with Meraki Network Monitoring! Don't Be in the Dark

In today's fast-paced business environment, maintaining a reliable and high-performing network is essential. One technology that can help achieve this goal is Meraki SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network), a cloud-based solution that enables organizations to easily manage and optimize their network performance.

However, simply deploying SD-WAN is not enough. To ensure that your network is functioning at its best, it's important to implement a comprehensive network monitoring strategy that can detect issues before they become problems.

In this article, we'll explore the benefits of network monitoring for Meraki SD-WAN and discuss how it can help keep your network running smoothly.

As we discussed earlier, maintaining a high-performing network is crucial for any business, and deploying Meraki SD-WAN can go a long way toward achieving that goal. However, even with SD-WAN in place, it's important to have a monitoring strategy to ensure that everything is running smoothly.

Without monitoring, you could miss critical issues that could impact your network's performance and cause costly downtime.

In this section, we'll explore some of the reasons why Meraki SD-WAN network monitoring is essential for your business, and how it can help you maintain a reliable and high-performing network.

Here are some reasons why you should consider implementing a tool for Meraki network monitoring:

Real-time visibility: With Meraki network monitoring, you can get real-time visibility into your network, allowing you to identify and troubleshoot issues as they arise.

Proactive issue detection: A network monitoring tool can proactively detect potential issues before they become major problems, minimizing downtime and ensuring that your network stays up and running.

Increased network performance: Meraki network monitoring can help you identify bottlenecks and other performance issues, allowing you to optimize your network for maximum performance.

Improved network security: A network monitoring tool can help you detect security threats and vulnerabilities, allowing you to take action before they can cause damage.

Enhanced network management: With a network monitoring tool, you can easily manage your Meraki network, monitor device health and status, and get detailed analytics and reporting.

Cost savings: By proactively detecting and addressing network issues, you can minimize downtime and save money on costly repairs and replacements.

Scalability: Meraki SD-WAN network monitoring tools are designed to scale with your network, so you can easily monitor and manage even large, complex networks.

Compliance: A network monitoring tool can help you ensure that your network is compliant with industry regulations and standards, avoiding costly fines and penalties.

Overall, implementing a tool for Meraki network monitoring can provide numerous benefits for your business, from improved performance and security to cost savings and compliance.

Meraki offers a simple cloud-based network monitoring tool called Meraki Dashboard, which provides a centralized interface for managing and monitoring Meraki networks. With Meraki Dashboard, you can monitor network performance, view device health and status, and configure network settings.

Cisco offers several network management tools, including Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Network Assurance Engine, and Cisco DNA Center. These tools are designed to support a wide range of network technologies, including SD-WAN.

In addition, Cisco offers the ThousandEyes platform, which provides end-to-end visibility into cloud applications, internet connectivity, and network performance. With ThousandEyes, you can monitor network performance, detect issues, and troubleshoot problems from a single platform.

In addition to these tools, both Meraki and Cisco offer a variety of network security solutions that can help you protect your network from cyber threats. These solutions include firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and endpoint protection.

Overall, Meraki and Cisco offer a wide range of network monitoring and security tools that can help you optimize your network performance, detect issues, and ensure reliable and secure connectivity, including the ThousandEyes platform for end-to-end visibility into cloud applications and network performance.

Meraki SD-Wan Networks are known for their reliability and high performance, making them a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.

However, even the best networks can experience issues from time to time, which is why it's important to have a solid network monitoring strategy in place. There are many network monitoring tools available that are designed specifically for Meraki SD-Wan Networks, each with their own unique features and capabilities.

In this section, we'll explore the top 5 network monitoring software options for Meraki Networks, and highlight the benefits of each one.

Whether you're a small business owner or a network administrator for a large enterprise, these tools can help you maintain a reliable and high-performing network.

Obkio: Obkio is a cloud-based network monitoring solution that provides end-to-end visibility into SD-WAN networks. With Obkio, you can monitor network performance, detect issues, and optimize network performance.

SolarWinds: SolarWinds is a comprehensive network monitoring solution that supports a wide range of network devices and technologies, including SD-WAN. With SolarWinds, you can monitor network performance, detect issues, and manage network devices.

Cisco ThousandEyes: ThousandEyes is a cloud-based network monitoring solution that provides end-to-end visibility into network performance, including SD-WAN. With ThousandEyes, you can monitor network performance, detect issues, and troubleshoot problems.

PRTG: PRTG is a network monitoring solution that supports a wide range of network devices and technologies, including SD-WAN. With PRTG, you can monitor network performance, detect issues, and manage network devices.

Auvik: Auvik is a network monitoring solution that provides visibility into network performance and security, including SD-WAN. With Auvik, you can monitor network performance, detect issues, and manage network devices.

These are just a few examples of SD-WAN network monitoring software that can help you optimize your network performance and ensure reliable and secure connectivity.

While Cisco ThousandEyes is a powerful network monitoring tool designed for Meraki environments, it may not provide the same level of functionality and customization as a dedicated network monitoring tool specifically designed for SD-WAN environments. Here are some reasons why you should consider using a dedicated network monitoring tool for your Meraki Network Monitoring needs:

End to End vs. Edge to Edge : Opting for an external solution to monitor SD-WAN network performance instead of relying on the vendor's built-in monitoring is crucial. This is because built-in monitoring only provides edge-to-edge monitoring rather than end-to-end, which focuses on monitoring from the perspective of the edge routers placed between the WAN and LAN. Consequently, the LAN's perspective is lost, leading to restricted network visibility.

Vendor Neutrality : Using the same network monitoring tool as your SD-WAN vendor can result in a lack of vendor neutrality, which can limit your ability to monitor other network devices and services that are not part of your SD-WAN solution. This can lead to an incomplete view of your network performance, making it difficult to identify potential issues and proactively address them.

Comprehensive Visibility: A dedicated network monitoring tool designed for SD-WAN environments can provide comprehensive visibility into network traffic, security, and performance across virtual, physical, and cloud environments, as well as across multiple carriers and service providers.

Customization: Dedicated network monitoring tools often offer greater customization options than general-purpose network monitoring tools like vRealize Network Insight, allowing you to tailor the monitoring tool to your specific SD-WAN environment and business needs.

Proactive Monitoring: A dedicated network monitoring tool can provide proactive monitoring and alerting for potential network issues, allowing you to identify and resolve issues before they become major problems.

Integration: A dedicated network monitoring tool can often integrate with other SD-WAN management tools, providing a comprehensive solution for managing your SD-WAN environment.

Scalability: A dedicated network monitoring tool can scale to meet the needs of large and complex SD-WAN environments, providing the ability to monitor thousands of devices and millions of flows.

In summary, while Cisco ThousandEyes is a powerful network monitoring tool for VMware environments, using a dedicated network monitoring tool specifically designed for SD-WAN environments can provide greater customization, comprehensive visibility, proactive monitoring, integration, and scalability for your Meraki Network Monitoring needs.

Looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to monitor your Meraki SD-WAN network performance? Obkio might be just what you need!

With Obkio, you get a solution that's easy to set up and use, providing end-to-end visibility into your network performance. One unique feature of Obkio is its vendor neutrality, which means that it can be used to monitor any network devices and services, not just those that are part of the Meraki SD-WAN solution. This provides greater flexibility and allows you to put together a complete view of your network.

Obkio includes automated network tests and alerts that help IT professionals identify and resolve issues quickly and efficiently, ensuring that your network performance is running smoothly. Plus, Obkio's extensive and accessible documentation makes it easy for IT professionals to get up and running with the tool quickly and find answers to any questions they may have along the way.

Furthermore, Obkio offers flexible and affordable pricing plans, making it a valuable addition to any Meraki SD-WAN monitoring strategy.

Overall, Obkio is a comprehensive, user-friendly, and vendor-neutral solution that can help you optimize your network monitoring strategy. With end-to-end visibility, automated testing and alerts, and accessible documentation, Obkio has everything you need to monitor your Meraki SD-WAN network performance with confidence.

Ready to take your Meraki SD-WAN network performance to the next level?. Don't let any issues dim the light on your network performance - try Obkio's SD-WAN monitoring solution today and see the full picture of your network's potential. Sign up for a free trial now and shine a light on your network's performance!

1. 14-day free trial of all premium features
2. Deploy in just 10 minutes
3. Monitor performance in all key network locations
4. Measure real-time network metrics
5. Identify and troubleshoot live network problems

There are many situations in which using network monitoring software can be beneficial for businesses. Here are a few scenarios where network monitoring software can be particularly useful:

Troubleshooting: Network monitoring software can be a valuable tool for troubleshooting network issues. By proactively monitoring network performance, you can identify and address potential issues before they become major problems, minimizing downtime and ensuring optimal network performance.

SD-WAN Troubleshooting: How to Troubleshoot SD-WAN Networks

Learn how to troubleshoot SD-WAN issues using Obkio Network Monitoring software and key SD-WAN troubleshooting steps.

Learn more

Network Migration: When migrating to a new network environment, it is crucial to have network monitoring software in place to ensure a smooth transition. Network monitoring software can provide real-time visibility into network performance, allowing you to quickly identify and troubleshoot issues as they arise during the migration process.

How to Monitor SD-WAN Migrations

Learn how to monitor SD-WAN migrations with Network Monitoring for complete visibility over your SD-WAN service, before, after & during migrations.

Learn more

Capacity Planning: Network monitoring software can help businesses optimize network performance by providing insights into network traffic, bandwidth usage, and application performance. This can help businesses make informed decisions about network usage and capacity, improving efficiency and productivity.

Security: Network monitoring software can provide comprehensive visibility into network security, allowing businesses to identify and respond to security threats in real-time. This is particularly important for businesses that handle sensitive data, as it can help prevent data breaches and protect against cyberattacks.

How to Monitor SD-WAN Networks

Learn how to monitor SD-WAN networks with Network Monitoring to get complete visibility over your SD-WAN service and identify SD-WAN issues.

Learn more

Compliance: Network monitoring software can help businesses meet regulatory compliance requirements by monitoring network activity and keeping detailed logs. This can be particularly useful for businesses in regulated industries such as healthcare and finance.

By using network monitoring software, businesses can optimize network performance, enhance security, improve efficiency and productivity, meet regulatory requirements, and reduce costs. Whether you're troubleshooting network issues, planning for capacity, or ensuring regulatory compliance, network monitoring software can help you stay on top of your network performance and maximize your business potential.

Follow our complete guide about SD-WAN Troubleshooting using Obkio

Here is a quick summary:

SD-WAN networks are designed to provide better network performance and reliability, but issues can still occur. In this section, we will cover the steps to troubleshoot SD-WAN network issues. Before we dive into the steps, it's important to understand where SD-WAN issues can occur and what problems may arise.

SD-WAN issues can happen in the underlay, overlay, or LAN. Some common SD-WAN issues include defective cables or connectors, bandwidth congestion, device misconfigurations, device software issues, high CPU usage, physical or hardware issues, human errors, and DNS issues.

To monitor SD-WAN performance, it's important to have end-to-end visibility of the ISP network and the internet, which SD-WAN networks depend on to ensure good performance.

To achieve this, you need to monitor your network to identify performance issues. Obkio's Network Performance Monitoring software can be a valuable tool for monitoring your SD-WAN network's end-to-end performance and identifying issues with automatic alerts and the Chord Diagram feature.

The SD-WAN troubleshooting steps include pinpointing the issues, identifying when and where the problem occurred, analyzing the data to find the root cause, and implementing a solution. Obkio's Dashboard and Visual Traceroute tools can help you to analyze the data and identify the root cause of the issue.

Obkio Vision Quality Matrix Obkio Vision Network Map Obkio Vision Traceroutes Once you've identified the problem and who is responsible for solving it, you can take action to implement a solution. If the problem is on your ISP's side, contact them to get technical support. If the problem is on your end, consider managing priorities in your firewall, upgrading your internet connection bandwidth, or upgrading your device to a bigger one.

By following these steps and using the right tools, you can proactively solve SD-WAN issues before they affect user experience. With Obkio's Network Performance Monitoring software, you can ensure optimal SD-WAN performance and identify and resolve issues quickly and efficiently. Getting Started with Obkio to Monitor Meraki SD-Wan Network

Congratulations! You're now a pro at understanding the benefits and challenges of managing an SD-WAN network. With the rising popularity of SD-WAN networks, it's more important than ever to have the right tools in place to ensure optimal performance.

Obkio Network Performance Monitoring software is the key to unlocking the full potential of your SD-WAN network. Whether you're troubleshooting issues with defective cables, battling bandwidth congestion, or dealing with pesky human errors, Obkio's visual tools and network monitoring agents make it easy to identify and resolve issues quickly.

So, what are you waiting for? Give Obkio's Network Performance Monitoring software a spin with a free trial and see the difference for yourself. With Obkio, you can sit back, relax, and watch as your SD-WAN network runs like a dream.

Here are a few jokes about network monitoring:

1. Why did the network administrator install a security camera in the server room? To monitor his servers and make sure they didn't catch a virus!
2. What's a network administrator's favorite kind of candy? Peppermint LAN-es!
3. Why did the network engineer refuse to go to the movies? Because he didn't want to be stuck in a firewall!
4. Why did the network administrator break up with his girlfriend? She kept ping-ing him all the time!
5. Why did the network monitoring software go to the therapist? To get over its packet-loss issues!

I hope those gave you a good laugh!