--- layout: default title: FAQ description: Frequently asked questions about the Meraki Dashboard Home Assistant integration including setup, configuration, and MT sensor support --- # Frequently Asked Questions Common questions and answers about the Meraki Dashboard integration's **MT sensor + hub architecture**. ## General Questions ### What devices are supported? As of **v1.0.0**, this integration supports **only Meraki MT environmental sensors**: **Currently Supported:** - **MT Series Environmental Sensors**: MT10, MT12, MT14, MT15, MT20, MT30, MT40 **No longer supported (removed in v1.0.0):** MR wireless access points, MS switches, and MV cameras. If you rely on those, do not upgrade to v1.0.0 - see [Migration & Updates](#migration-updates) below. ### How does the hub architecture work? The integration creates hubs automatically: - **Organization Hub**: `{Organization Name} - Organisation` manages the overall connection and a small set of minimal-health diagnostic sensors (API call status, device counts) - **Network Hubs**: `{Network Name} - MT` per network with MT sensors - **Individual Devices**: Your MT sensors, nested under their respective network hubs ### Do I need a special Meraki license? No special license is required. You just need: - A Meraki organization with API access enabled - At least one MT environmental sensor - A valid Meraki Dashboard API key ### How much does this cost? The integration itself is **completely free and open source**. You only need existing Meraki MT devices and Dashboard access. ### Can I use this with Meraki Go? No, this integration requires **Meraki Dashboard** (enterprise/business Meraki), not Meraki Go (consumer product). ## Installation & Setup ### Why can't I find the integration in Home Assistant? The integration ships in the **default HACS repository**: 1. Install and configure HACS if you haven't already 2. Open HACS → Integrations 3. Click "+ Explore & Download Repositories" 4. Search for "Meraki Dashboard" (no custom repo needed) 5. Download the integration and restart Home Assistant 6. Add the integration through Settings → Devices & Services ### I get "Invalid API Key" errors Check these common issues: - **Copy/paste errors**: Ensure no extra spaces or characters - **Wrong key**: Make sure you're using the Dashboard API key, not device serial - **Permissions**: Verify the key has organization read access - **Expiration**: Check if the key has expired ### No hubs are created during setup This usually means: - **No MT devices**: Only MT environmental sensors are supported - **Devices offline**: Check device status in Meraki Dashboard - **Network access**: Verify devices are in networks accessible by your API key - **Recent data**: Ensure devices have reported data recently ### The integration setup gets stuck Try these steps: 1. Check your internet connection 2. Verify API key permissions in Meraki Dashboard 3. Look for errors in Home Assistant logs 4. Try removing and re-adding the integration ## Configuration & Intervals ### What are the default intervals? - **MT Environmental Sensors**: - With MT15/MT40 devices: 30 seconds (fast refresh mode) - Without MT15/MT40 devices: 10 minutes recommended - **Discovery**: 1 hour (how often to scan for new devices) ### Can I configure different intervals for each hub? Yes! You can set **individual hub intervals**: 1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Meraki Dashboard → Configure 2. Set **per-hub scan intervals** (in minutes) 3. Set **per-hub discovery intervals** (in minutes) Example configuration: ```text Main Office - MT: 0.5 minutes (30 seconds with MT15/MT40) Branch Office - MT: 10 minutes (standard monitoring) ``` ### How often do sensors actually update? **MT Sensors:** - MT15/MT40 devices: Every 30 seconds with fast refresh mode - Other MT models: Every 2-20 minutes (configurable in Meraki Dashboard) - Integration defaults: - With MT15/MT40: 30 seconds (automatically sends refresh commands) - Without MT15/MT40: 10 minutes recommended - You can adjust both the sensor reporting interval and integration polling ### What is MT Fast Refresh Mode? For MT15 and MT40 devices only, the integration provides ultra-fast sensor updates: - **Automatic Detection**: Enabled automatically when MT15/MT40 devices are present - **Refresh Commands**: Sends API commands every 30 seconds to trigger sensor updates - **Data Polling**: Fetches updated data every 30 seconds - **Smart Error Handling**: Tracks errors per device to prevent log flooding - **No Manual Configuration**: Works out of the box with supported devices ### Why does MT20/MT30 sometimes miss a quick press or door event? MT20 (door) and MT30 (button) events are surfaced by **polling** the Meraki API on your configured interval, not by a push/webhook mechanism. A brief press or state change between polls can be missed or reported late. Lowering your scan interval (or enabling MT15/MT40 fast refresh where applicable) narrows this window but cannot fully eliminate it - Meraki webhooks would be more reliable for these event-driven devices, but wiring up a webhook receiver is out of scope for this integration today. ### Can I change update intervals after setup? Yes! Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Meraki Dashboard → Configure to adjust: - **Per-hub scan intervals**: How often each hub fetches data - **Per-hub discovery intervals**: How often each hub scans for new devices - **Organization-wide settings**: Fallback intervals for new hubs ## Hub Management ### How do I see my hubs in Home Assistant? After setup, you'll see your hubs in **Settings → Devices & Services**: - **Organization Device**: Shows overall connection status and minimal-health diagnostics - **Network Hub Devices**: One per network with MT sensors - **Individual Devices**: Your actual MT sensors, nested under hubs ### Can I control individual hubs? Yes! Each hub provides: - **Update Hub Data**: Force immediate refresh for that hub - **Discover Devices**: Scan for new MT devices in that hub - **Organization Controls**: Update all hubs or discover across all networks ### What if I add new devices or networks? **Auto-Discovery (Enabled by Default):** - Automatically discovers new MT devices at the configured interval - Creates new hubs when MT devices appear in a new network - Adds devices to appropriate existing hubs **Manual Discovery:** - Use the "Discover Devices" buttons on individual hubs - Use organization-wide discovery for comprehensive scans ### Can I disable specific hubs? Currently, you can't disable individual hubs, but you can: - Use device selection to monitor only specific devices - Increase intervals for less important hubs ## Device Types & Features ### Why are some sensors missing from my MT device? Not all MT models support all sensor types: - **MT10**: Temperature, humidity, and battery - **MT11**: Temperature probe (external) and battery - **MT12**: Water leak detection and battery - **MT14**: Indoor air quality (temperature, humidity, PM2.5, TVOC, noise, battery) - **MT15**: Indoor air quality with CO2 (temperature, humidity, CO2, PM2.5, TVOC, noise, battery) - **MT20**: Door/open-close sensor and battery - **MT30**: Smart automation button and battery - **MT40**: Smart power controller (electrical measurements: voltage, current, power, frequency, power factor) Check your device model specifications in the Meraki Dashboard. ### Can I monitor specific devices only? Yes! You can choose to: - **Monitor all MT devices**: Leave device selection empty (recommended) - **Select specific devices**: Choose only the ones you want to monitor ## Troubleshooting ### Hubs show "Unavailable" Common causes: - **API connectivity**: Check internet connection and API key - **Device offline**: Check device status in Meraki Dashboard - **Rate limiting**: Check if you're exceeding API limits - **Network issues**: Ensure HA can reach Meraki API endpoints ### Some hubs update but others don't Check individual hub configurations: - **Hub intervals**: Verify each hub has appropriate intervals - **Device status**: Check that devices in non-updating hubs are online - **API limits**: Ensure you're not hitting rate limits - **Enable debug logging**: See specific errors for each hub ### "Rate limit exceeded" errors You're making too many API calls. Solutions: - **Increase hub intervals**: Longer intervals reduce API usage - **Reduce monitored devices**: Select only necessary devices - **Disable auto-discovery**: If not needed, disable per-hub or organization-wide - **Check other API usage**: Other applications may be using your API quota ### Integration shows "Failed to load" Try these steps: 1. Restart Home Assistant 2. Check Home Assistant logs for specific errors 3. Verify your API key is still valid 4. Remove and re-add the integration if needed ## Performance & Optimization ### How many API calls does the integration make? The architecture is designed for efficiency: - **Initial setup**: A handful of calls to discover devices and create hubs - **Regular updates**: One org-wide sensor-readings call plus one org-wide gateway-connections call per refresh cycle, shared across all network hubs (not one call per hub) - **Auto-discovery**: 1 additional call per hub per discovery interval (if enabled) ### How do I optimize for a large organization? **Best Practices:** - **Use longer intervals** for less critical locations - **Selective monitoring**: Don't monitor every device if not needed - **Stagger discovery**: Different discovery intervals for different hubs - **Monitor API usage**: Track usage in Meraki Dashboard ### Can I use multiple API keys? Each integration instance uses one API key. For multiple organizations: - Set up separate integration instances - Use different API keys if needed - Configure different hub intervals per organization ### Will this affect my Meraki Dashboard performance? No, the integration uses read-only API calls that don't affect Dashboard performance or device operation. ## Advanced Usage ### Can I export data from multiple hubs? Yes! You can: - **InfluxDB**: Export data from all hubs for long-term storage - **History**: Use Home Assistant's built-in history for all entities - **Automation**: Create automations that span multiple hubs - **API**: Access data from all hubs through Home Assistant's REST API ### Can I create automations across hubs? Absolutely! Create automations that: - Monitor conditions across multiple locations/hubs - Provide organization-wide alerting and reporting Example: Temperature monitoring across all MT hubs in your organization. ### Can I set up alerts for hub issues? Yes! Create automations for: - Hub connectivity issues - Device count changes (devices going offline) - API error rates - Discovery failures ### Can I use this with Node-RED? Yes! Node-RED can subscribe to entities from all hubs and create complex automation flows that span multiple networks. ## Migration & Updates ### I'm upgrading to v1.0.0 - what changes? **v1.0.0 is a breaking major release.** This integration now supports only MT environmental sensors: **Automatic Migration:** - Your config entry is rewritten to enable only MT devices - Any MR/MS/MV devices and their entities are removed from the device/entity registries - Your MT sensors, their entity IDs, and history are preserved - A repair notice ("Meraki Dashboard is now MT-only") appears in Settings → Repairs explaining what happened **Removed:** - MR wireless access point support - MS switch support (including the `cycle_switch_port_poe` service) - MV camera support (including the `set_camera_rtsp` service) If you rely on MR/MS/MV monitoring today, **do not upgrade** until you have an alternative in place. ### Do I need to reconfigure after updating? **Required:** - Nothing - migration is automatic. Review the repair notice in Settings → Repairs for a summary of what was removed. **Recommended:** - Review and optimize per-hub intervals for your MT sensors - Dismiss the repair notice once you've reviewed it --- **Still need help?** Check the troubleshooting sections above or [open an issue](https://github.com/rknightion/meraki-dashboard-ha/issues) on GitHub.