Meraki Switch Operations (read-only)
MCP Server
- Server: Cisco's official Meraki MCP — developer.cisco.com
- Endpoint:
https://mcp.meraki.com/mcp (remote HTTP, no local install)
- Self-host fallback: CiscoDevNet/cisco-meraki-mcp-official (Apache-2.0)
- Requires:
MERAKI_DASHBOARD_API_KEY — use a read-only dashboard key
- Tools: exactly two —
semantic_search (discover) and execute_api (invoke)
Read-only, structurally
All 431 mutating Meraki operations (174 POST, 186 PUT, 71 DELETE) are absent from the
capability catalogue. Only non-deprecated GETs are built in, so updateNetwork,
rebootDevice, blinkDeviceLeds and friends return Capability not found.
Do not attempt writes and do not offer them. There is no ServiceNow CR path here because
there is nothing to gate — a change must be made in the Meraki dashboard directly.
How to call it
Two capability IDs may be called directly; everything else must be discovered:
execute_api → getOrganizations — find accessible org IDsexecute_api → getOrganizationNetworks — find network IDs in the chosen orgsemantic_search → describe the intent in words → returns ranked capability_idsexecute_api → the chosen capability_id + its required parameters
Discover, do not guess. An earlier version of this skill hardcoded 80 method names and
54 of them did not exist in the Meraki API at all — they failed regardless of server.
semantic_search is the guard against that: it can only return IDs that exist.
Reading results honestly
One page only. execute_api returns a single page. Request a bounded page size when
supported, and never present a page as the complete dataset.
Empty is not absent. n=0 means this network reported none, never none exist.
Live proof from a real sandbox org: getOrganizationDevices returns 0 devices while
the same org has a fully configured network with 15 SSIDs.
Three distinct errors, three different fixes:
| Error |
Meaning |
Fix |
Capability not found |
ID is mutating, deprecated, or invented |
semantic_search for a real one |
Resource not found |
valid ID, wrong org/network/serial |
re-derive the ID from step 1–2 |
Invalid parameters |
valid ID, missing a required parameter |
read the capability's parameters |
Never report any of the three as "no data" — none of them mean that.
Verified capabilities
| Capability ID |
Verified result |
getNetworkSwitchAccessControlLists |
1 ACL set on a real network |
There are 50 real switch capabilities. The ones you will reach for most:
getDeviceSwitchPorts, getDeviceSwitchPortsStatuses, getDeviceSwitchPortsStatusesPackets,
getNetworkSwitchAccessPolicies, getNetworkSwitchRoutingMulticast,
getDeviceSwitchRoutingInterfaces, getDeviceSwitchRoutingStaticRoutes,
getDeviceSwitchWarmSpare. Confirm each with semantic_search before calling.
Port capabilities are per-device and need a serial, not a network ID. Get serials from
getOrganizationDevices (org-wide) — and note that an org with 0 devices returns 0
serials, which is not the same as "the switches have no ports".
Workflow: Port configuration audit
getOrganizations → getOrganizationNetworks → getOrganizationDevices- If 0 devices: stop and say so. Do not proceed to invent port data.
- Per switch serial:
getDeviceSwitchPorts — VLAN, type, PoE, STP guard, isolation
getDeviceSwitchPortsStatuses — link state, speed, duplex, errors, discardsgetNetworkSwitchAccessControlLists and getNetworkSwitchAccessPolicies — ACL/802.1X- Report per-port configuration drift against intent
Workflow: Port error investigation
getDeviceSwitchPortsStatuses — identify ports with errors or discardsgetDeviceSwitchPortsStatusesPackets — packet-level breakdown per portsemantic_search "switch port cable test results" — physical-layer evidence- Correlate with
getDeviceLossAndLatencyHistory via meraki-monitoring
- Distinguish errors (physical/duplex) from discards (congestion/QoS) — they have
different fixes, and conflating them is the usual wrong answer here.
Important Rules
- No writes exist. Port, VLAN, ACL and QoS changes must be made in the dashboard.
- Port capabilities need a device serial, not a network ID.
- Errors ≠ discards. Say which, with counts and the window.
- Record in GAIT — log every switch audit.
Integration with Other Skills
| Skill |
How They Work Together |
meraki-network-ops |
Network and device inventory for switch discovery |
meraki-monitoring |
Loss/latency history and live tools for switch uplinks |
meraki-security-appliance |
Trace a VLAN from switch port to firewall rule |
gait-session-tracking |
Record all switch audits |
Environment Variables
MERAKI_DASHBOARD_API_KEY — Meraki Dashboard API key (read-only recommended)
1---2name: meraki-switch-ops3description: Cisco Meraki switching (read-only) — port configuration and status, VLANs, ACLs, QoS, STP, link aggregation, routing interfaces via Cisco's official Meraki MCP. Use when inspecting Meraki switch ports, auditing switch ACLs, or investigating port errors4license: Apache-2.05---6
7# Meraki Switch Operations (read-only)
8
9## MCP Server
10
11- **Server**: Cisco's **official** Meraki MCP — [developer.cisco.com](https://developer.cisco.com/meraki/api-v1/mcp-server/)
12- **Endpoint**: `https://mcp.meraki.com/mcp` (remote HTTP, no local install)
13- **Self-host fallback**: [CiscoDevNet/cisco-meraki-mcp-official](https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/cisco-meraki-mcp-official) (Apache-2.0)
14- **Requires**: `MERAKI_DASHBOARD_API_KEY` — use a **read-only** dashboard key
15- **Tools**: exactly two — `semantic_search` (discover) and `execute_api` (invoke)
16
17## Read-only, structurally
18
19All 431 mutating Meraki operations (174 POST, 186 PUT, 71 DELETE) are **absent from the
20capability catalogue**. Only non-deprecated GETs are built in, so `updateNetwork`,
21`rebootDevice`, `blinkDeviceLeds` and friends return `Capability not found`.
22
23Do not attempt writes and do not offer them. There is no ServiceNow CR path here because
24there is nothing to gate — a change must be made in the Meraki dashboard directly.
25
26## How to call it
27
28Two capability IDs may be called directly; everything else must be discovered:
29
301. `execute_api` → `getOrganizations` — find accessible org IDs
312. `execute_api` → `getOrganizationNetworks` — find network IDs in the chosen org
323. `semantic_search` → describe the intent in words → returns ranked `capability_id`s
334. `execute_api` → the chosen `capability_id` + its required parameters
34
35**Discover, do not guess.** An earlier version of this skill hardcoded 80 method names and
36**54 of them did not exist in the Meraki API at all** — they failed regardless of server.
37`semantic_search` is the guard against that: it can only return IDs that exist.
38
39## Reading results honestly
40
41- **One page only.** `execute_api` returns a single page. Request a bounded page size when
42 supported, and never present a page as the complete dataset.
43- **Empty is not absent.** `n=0` means *this network reported none*, never *none exist*.
44 Live proof from a real sandbox org: `getOrganizationDevices` returns **0 devices** while
45 the same org has a fully configured network with **15 SSIDs**.
46- **Three distinct errors, three different fixes:**
47
48 | Error | Meaning | Fix |
49 |---|---|---|
50 | `Capability not found` | ID is mutating, deprecated, or invented | `semantic_search` for a real one |
51 | `Resource not found` | valid ID, wrong org/network/serial | re-derive the ID from step 1–2 |
52 | `Invalid parameters` | valid ID, missing a required parameter | read the capability's parameters |
53
54 Never report any of the three as "no data" — none of them mean that.
55
56## Verified capabilities
57
58| Capability ID | Verified result |
59|---|---|
60| `getNetworkSwitchAccessControlLists` | 1 ACL set on a real network |
61
62There are **50** real switch capabilities. The ones you will reach for most:
63`getDeviceSwitchPorts`, `getDeviceSwitchPortsStatuses`, `getDeviceSwitchPortsStatusesPackets`,
64`getNetworkSwitchAccessPolicies`, `getNetworkSwitchRoutingMulticast`,
65`getDeviceSwitchRoutingInterfaces`, `getDeviceSwitchRoutingStaticRoutes`,
66`getDeviceSwitchWarmSpare`. Confirm each with `semantic_search` before calling.
67
68**Port capabilities are per-device and need a `serial`**, not a network ID. Get serials from
69`getOrganizationDevices` (org-wide) — and note that an org with **0 devices returns 0
70serials**, which is not the same as "the switches have no ports".
71
72## Workflow: Port configuration audit
73
741. `getOrganizations` → `getOrganizationNetworks` → `getOrganizationDevices`
752. If 0 devices: **stop and say so.** Do not proceed to invent port data.
763. Per switch serial: `getDeviceSwitchPorts` — VLAN, type, PoE, STP guard, isolation
774. `getDeviceSwitchPortsStatuses` — link state, speed, duplex, errors, discards
785. `getNetworkSwitchAccessControlLists` and `getNetworkSwitchAccessPolicies` — ACL/802.1X
796. Report per-port configuration drift against intent
80
81## Workflow: Port error investigation
82
831. `getDeviceSwitchPortsStatuses` — identify ports with errors or discards
842. `getDeviceSwitchPortsStatusesPackets` — packet-level breakdown per port
853. `semantic_search` "switch port cable test results" — physical-layer evidence
864. Correlate with `getDeviceLossAndLatencyHistory` via `meraki-monitoring`
875. Distinguish **errors** (physical/duplex) from **discards** (congestion/QoS) — they have
88 different fixes, and conflating them is the usual wrong answer here.
89
90## Important Rules
91
92- **No writes exist.** Port, VLAN, ACL and QoS changes must be made in the dashboard.
93- **Port capabilities need a device serial**, not a network ID.
94- **Errors ≠ discards.** Say which, with counts and the window.
95- **Record in GAIT** — log every switch audit.
96
97## Integration with Other Skills
98
99| Skill | How They Work Together |
100|-------|----------------------|
101| `meraki-network-ops` | Network and device inventory for switch discovery |
102| `meraki-monitoring` | Loss/latency history and live tools for switch uplinks |
103| `meraki-security-appliance` | Trace a VLAN from switch port to firewall rule |
104| `gait-session-tracking` | Record all switch audits |
105
106## Environment Variables
107
108- `MERAKI_DASHBOARD_API_KEY` — Meraki Dashboard API key (**read-only** recommended)
gabrielmoreira