Managing your Meraki EOL hardware

What are your options when dealing with Cisco Meraki EOL hardware? And what does it all mean for your networking equipment? Discover how to confirm your Cisco Meraki EOL dates and how they affect your business IT systems with Evernex’s guide.

Evernex helps you plan for the future of your IT infrastructure with important information, tips and TPM services.

What is Meraki EOL hardware?

Meraki EOL hardware refers to IT devices manufactured and sold by Cisco Meraki that have reached their official End-of-Life date. This has considerable impacts on the device’s OEM support and configurability. When not managed carefully, it can also influence security, performance and industrial compliance.

What is EOL hardware?

EOL is a key stage in the lifecycle of data center hardware. But what does it mean, and how does it impact your IT support?

What does EOL mean?

The term EOL stands for End-of-Life. The End-of-Life of an IT hardware model is a date decided by the Original Equipment Manufacturer. When hardware assets reach their EOL date, the OEM no longer produces or sells those models. It also phases out support and updates until the product’s EOSL, when support ends completely.

This is the End-of-Life timeline that Cisco Meraki has officially established:

1. Announcement of End-of-Sale (EOS) date. Support still available.
2. EOS date implemented, support available until the End-of-Support (EOST) date.
3. Following the End-of-Support date, no further Cisco Meraki technical support is available.

 

Why do OEMs set End-of-Life dates?

A product’s End-of-Life (EOL) does not mean that it has stopped being useful to its IT system. In fact, hardware EOL dates can arrive even when the asset is still fully functional. So, why do manufacturers set them?

OEMs establish EOL dates and end support for a particular device to encourage consumers to purchase newer models. This is largely a result of manufacturers’ sales timelines, rather than an actual need to replace the hardware.

The difference between EOL, EOS and EOSL

While EOL stands for End-of-Life, EOS, stands for a product’s End-of-Sale. Meraki EOS and EOL are different terms for the same hardware lifecycle stage. That is, the manufacturer stops producing and selling the model, but still provides some technical support. EOSL means End-of-Service-Life.

EOSL stands for End-of-Service-Life and is the final stage of the IT lifecycle. During a product’s EOL phase, it may still have limited access to manufacturer support and updates. Following the EOSL date, all support is cut off. This means that a business will need to rely completely on alternative maintenance options for repairs, replacements and updates.

EOSL is also known as EOST (End-of-Support).

Key takeaway:

EOS (End-of-Sale) = EOL (End-of-Life)

EOSL (End-of-Service-Life) = EOST (End-of-Support)

What is Meraki hardware?

Cisco Meraki is a multinational provider of IT hardware. Meraki forms part of Cisco since Cisco purchased the brand in 2012.

Cisco Meraki develops various IT products, specializing in network equipment. Examples of Cisco Meraki hardware assets include:

• Switches
• Smart cameras
• Sensors
• Access Points
• Firewalls

Meraki EOL dates

Each Meraki hardware model has a pre-defined End-of-Life date. Here’s what you need to know:

How to find out your Meraki hardware EOL and EOSL dates

You can determine the EOS/EOL date of your Meraki assets in several ways, on or offline.

1. The hardware: the device itself may have a sticker showing its End-of-Life and/or End-of-Service-Life dates.
2. Documentation: User manuals or other documents might contain information regarding its EOL and how it will affect the device.
3. The Cisco Meraki website: The manufacturer’s offical website contains a list of its EOL equipment models. Details include their End-of-Sale and End-of-Support dates.
4. Evernex EOSL database: Evernex’s extensive database provides hardware EOSL dates and support options.
5. Meraki customer support: If you contact Cisco Meraki directly, customer support should provide you with the information you need.
6. Meraki dashboard: The dashboard where you can monitor, configure and troubleshoot your assets offers EOL and EOS visibility on its Inventory page.

 

What does EOL mean for your Meraki assets?

When your Meraki data center hardware reaches its End-of-Support (EOST) phase, this affects your IT infrastructure and its lifecycle management strategy in several ways. Here are the most important consequences for your business IT:

What happens?	Consequence
The manufacturer no longer sells the product.	This makes it more difficult to replace an asset with the same model or find replacement parts.
The OEM withdraws product support five years after its EOL date.	Your hardware may not receive the diagnostics or repairs it needs following a failure, or it may have to wait for assistance. This extends disruptive and costly downtime.
Your hardware will eventually stop receiving updates.	This can leave your equipment open to security vulnerabilities or incompatibilities.
Your Meraki license runs out.	Meraki does not permit new licenses for EOL hardware models. Once your license runs out, you cannot modify the asset through its official dashboard.

The end of support and the inability to change configurations through the dashboard can leave the asset open to security vulnerabilities, compliance issues and operational risks.

How to deal with your Meraki EOL hardware

Maintenance

While your Meraki hardware license is still valid, you can continue to access the manufacturer’s dashboard. This allows your to reconfigure and modify your networking equipment. However, Cisco Meraki does not guarantee this access indefinitely, and some new features may be incompatible with legacy hardware.

You can also use third-party maintenance (TPM) services to support your EOL networking hardware. This support includes:

• Inspections
• Diagnostics
• Repairs
• Part-replacements
• IT Asset Disposal

Sell your old hardware

You can sell your Meraki EOL hardware back to Cisco through its official Takeback and Reuse Program. Alternatively, you can sell it to a third-party provider of refurbished hardware, such as Evernex.
Selling your hardware allows your business to recuperate some of its initial hardware investment. This lowers the product’s Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). It also gives providers the opportunity to refurbish the device and introduce it into the circular IT economy. This has the following environmental benefits:

• Avoiding the production of e-waste.
• Reducing carbon emissions and resource extraction caused by new hardware manufacture.

How Evernex can support your Meraki EOL assets

Evernex is a top provider of Third-Party Maintenance services, specializing in supporting data center hardware. Holding four ISO certifications, we have developed an international reputation for professional excellence and environmentally responsible IT practices.

Once Cisco Meraki ends technical support for your hardware, your business will need to find an alternative maintenance solution.

Evernex offers comprehensive, expert support for data center infrastructures in every phase of its lifecycles.

Here are some of the main benefits of partnering with Evernex to support your Meraki EOL hardware:

Benefits	Reason
24/7 availability	Our dedicated technicians are on hand all day every day, in case you need emergency assistance.
Multi-model expertise	We have extensive experience with a range of hardware brands and models, offering a single point of contact for your hardware maintenance needs.
Global presence	We are present in over 165 countries and have over 340 storage facilities across the world, providing speedy assistance wherever you are.
Refurbished spare parts	Evernex’s SPaaSTM program provides certified refurbished spare part replacements. This extends your data center equipment’s lifecycle, reducing costs and environmental impact.
Skilled engineers	We provide ongoing training for Evernex engineers. This gives them the cutting-edge knowledge and experience to effectively address any issues you may experience.

Frequently Asked Questions