Which Meraki Access Point Should You Buy? A Practical Breakdown

Your Wi-Fi decides how work feels inside your organisation. When it performs well, meetings run smoothly, support tickets stay low, and teams move faster. When it struggles, the entire day slows. The real challenge is choosing the right access point for your density, device mix, and growth plans. 

This polished version keeps the guidance practical and straightforward. It focuses on how organisations actually use Wi-Fi, not how spec sheets describe it. 

The Factors That Matter Most 

Access points look similar on paper, but three differences influence real performance. 

1. Capacity: How many active users can an AP support without lag? 
2. Spectrum handling: How well does it deal with crowding, interference, and mixed devices? 
3. Load performance: How reliably does it hold up during peak hours? 

Short answer: MR28 and MR36 suit smaller teams, MR44 and MR46 suit dense floors, MR56 suits heavy workloads, and MR76/MR86 handle outdoor spaces. 

SMBs, The Models That Fit Your Needs 

Most Indian SMB offices have 20 to 60 active users, many video calls, and a mix of laptops and mobile devices. 

Recommended Models 

1. MR28 A reliable choice for compact offices with predictable usage. 
2. MR36 Strong performance for cloud-heavy work environments. 
3. MR44 Best when your office sees 50 to 80 active users or heavier collaboration traffic. 

In short: Choose MR36 for most SMB setups. Choose MR44 if your office has more people or more devices. 

Mid-Market Firms, You Need More Headroom 

Mid-market teams often operate across multiple floors, denser seating, and heavy collaboration tools. 

Recommended Models 

1. MR46: Handles busy floors, frequent meetings, and consistent high usage. 
2. MR56: Suited for engineering, design, and workloads involving large files or sustained bandwidth demands. 
3. MR44: Fits medium-density floors that still need consistent performance. 

CXO insight: The difference between MR44 and MR46 is not peak speed. It is how well the AP holds up when 100 people join calls at the same time. 

Multi-Site Organisations, Where Meraki Excels 

If your business runs branches across Mumbai, Pune, Noida, Gurugram, or Bengaluru, consistency becomes more important than raw speed. 

Recommended Models 

1. MR36, MR44: Ideal for retail, branch offices, and distributed teams. 
2. MR46, MR56: Best for headquarters and high-density offices. 
3. MR76/MR86: Designed for outdoor spaces, logistics yards, and industrial areas. 

In short: Standardise on MR36/MR44 for branches and MR46/MR56 for headquarters. 

A Quick India Scenario 

A Bengaluru consumer-tech firm moved from MR28 to MR46 after daily team stand-ups overloaded their older APs. After the upgrade, call stability improved, and random slowdowns disappeared. The takeaway: meeting culture and device mix influence AP choice more than advertised speeds. 

The Cost Of Choosing Incorrectly 

1. Meeting calls drop at predictable times. 
2. One busy room slows the entire floor. 
3. Each branch behaves differently. 
4. IT spends hours chasing symptoms, not causes. 

A single AP decision defines your user experience for years. 

Licensing, Simplified 

Meraki licenses include cloud management, updates, and support. 

1. Plan around: 
2. Density per floor 
3. Number of branches 
4. Guest Wi-Fi needs 
5. Expected growth over two to three years 

Predictable licensing makes Meraki appealing for fast-growing firms. 

Where Proactive Fits In 

Proactive understands how Indian offices, warehouses, and branches actually function. A team in Gurgaon works differently from a store in Kolkata or a warehouse in Bhiwandi. 

We analyse density, floor layouts, device behaviour, and peak usage before recommending models. Our NOC oversees ongoing performance so your Wi-Fi stays stable as your business grows. Our goal is simple: Wi-Fi that stays reliable when your office is busiest. 

What You Should Do Next 

If your Wi-Fi slows during meetings or behaves differently across branches, it is time for a structured assessment. Proactive can map your environment and recommend the right access point for your stage of growth.