The issue Cisco are facing with MR orders and other Meraki devices with wireless components turns out to be pan-European and is due to 1st Aug implementation of the RED Directive:
The Radio Equipment Directive (RED) covers all devices that transmit and receive radio signals including WiFi and Bluetooth devices. Cellular devices, radio communicators and equipment with wireless communication functionality are all covered by RED.
For some poorly-explained reason (“The current inventory located in EU and the UK distribution centres can no longer be sold in the EU after August 1”) Cisco has pulled all the stock of wireless/Bluetooth/cellular devices and there is an uncertain lead time on it, currently posted at 60 days but could be longer.
For the above reason Wi-Fi6 MRs cannot be shipped until the stock starts to be released.
You have three options:
- Send the order to Cisco accept the lead time – and just wait; when stock is available orders will be processed on a first-come-first-serve basis, so we are advising customers to order ASAP.
- Send the order but split into hardware and license(s), accept the lead time for the MR ordered, but we ship you (a) free loan e.g. MR33(s) to bridge the gap. The MR33 will need to come back to us when the desired MR is installed – the license ships and covers the MR33 and later the desired MR;
- Please note this option is only available to UK customers
- Consider a Wi-Fi7 AP instead, which are already RED compliant. They are generally more expensive than the Wi-Fi6 devices, but use the same licenses. There is a list of them here: https://cloudcontrolled.uk/merakistore/product-category/wireless-lan/wi-fi-7/
On to the loans!
We have a large number of MR33s (some with mounting brackets, some without) available to loan to help bridge the gap.
Please contact us if you would like to know more about the loans we have available.
