Most Cisco Meraki hardware — MX firewalls, MS switches, MR/CW wireless and MV cameras — needs an active subscription license to operate. Cisco Catalyst 1200/1300 switches do not: their right-to-use is built into the hardware. Cygnik attaches the correct license to every device automatically.
Meraki is cloud-managed, and the cloud management is licensed. If the license lapses, the device stops passing traffic after a grace period. The rule of thumb: anything managed in the Meraki dashboard needs a license; the on-premise Cisco Catalyst 1200/1300 switches do not.
Meraki organizations run on one of two licensing models. Co-termination aligns every license to a single shared expiry date for the whole org — simple to reason about, and you can license more devices than you currently own. Per-device licensing tracks each device's own term independently — more granular for large or staggered fleets. New organizations default to per-device; co-term is common on established orgs.
Licenses are sold in 1, 3 and 5-year terms. Longer terms lower the annualized cost, which is why 3-year is the most common business choice. All Cygnik pricing is in Canadian dollars; the license is delivered as a claim key within 2–3 business days and activated in your Meraki dashboard.
Three errors account for most license problems, and all three are eliminated by attaching the right license at the point of sale:
All cloud-managed Meraki hardware (MX, MS, MR/CW, MV) needs an active license to operate. Cisco Catalyst 1200 and 1300 switches do not — their right-to-use is perpetual and built into the hardware.
After an expiry grace period the device stops passing traffic and management is suspended until the license is renewed. License renewals should be ordered before the co-termination date.
Co-termination is simpler — one shared expiry for the whole organization, and you can license more devices than you own. Per-device suits large or staggered fleets that want each device tracked independently.
No. Catalyst 1200 and 1300 switches include a perpetual right-to-use in the hardware, so there is no recurring Meraki subscription.
Licenses are generally non-cancellable once activated, per Cisco policy. Order the correct class and term up front — which is exactly what the automatic attach is for.
Last reviewed 2026-06-05 · Cygnik Tech — authorized Cisco & Meraki reseller, Canada.