Auto NAT Mode
Certain configurations of your Meraki Go access point(s) may yield unexpected results. To help ensure that you are always getting the best performance and configuration of your Meraki Go device, the Meraki Go app has certain automatic safe guards.
Note: Meraki Go does not recommend using a Meraki Go access point as an alternative to a network router. Our recommended configuration is having your Meraki Go access point placed behind a network device that is already configured to perform NAT(ie your ISP’s router/modem combo, an existing router you have installed, etc.)
What is Auto NAT Mode?
Auto NAT Mode is an automatic configuration of NAT mode (compared to bridge mode) for your Meraki Go network, with the inability to switch your network back into Bridge mode.
Why is Bridge Mode not Available?
If your Meraki Go access point has a public IP address (an IP not listed in the ranges below), it is unlikely that the rest of the devices on your network will be able to receive an IP address from your ISP (most ISPs only provide 1 public IP address per modem). By automatically forcing your Meraki Go access point into NAT mode, we ensure that your Meraki Go access point can provide IP addresses for the rest of the devices on your network, allowing them to reach the internet.
When will Auto NAT Mode Occur?
Auto NAT mode will become enabled if your Meraki Go access point does NOT have an IP in the following ranges:
10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
You can view the IP address of your Meraki Go access point by going to the Hardware tab > select the device > scrolling down to LAN IP
Device to Device Communication in Auto NAT
What does it do?
Normally, a network configured in NAT mode will limit communication between wireless clients connected to the network, and only allow them to communicate with non-wireless clients on your network, or the internet.
Device to device communication gives you the ability to configure a Meraki Go network to allow wireless clients to communicate with each other (a good example of needing this may be a pair of wireless speakers, or a wireless printer)
Why don't I see the option to configure it?
The ability to configure Device to device communication will only occur if one or more of your Meraki Go access points are configured in Auto NAT mode. More information about Auto NAT mode, and what it is, can be found here.
When not in Auto NAT mode, you will not see this configuration option. This is because if you desire communication between wireless clients on your network in that instance, it is recommended to use Bridge mode.
Where can I configure it?
Device to device communication can be configured by selecting Networks > selecting the network you want to configure > Settings > Advanced settings > Device to device communication.