Cisco 500-220 Exam Dumps & Practice Test Questions

Question 1:

Which two conditions could cause a Cisco Meraki organization to be designated as "Out of License"? (Choose two.)

A. Licenses assigned to incorrect network segments
B. More devices present than licensed device count
C. Expired device licenses
D. License mismatch with device serial numbers
E. MR licenses not matching MR model types

Correct Answers: B and C

Explanation:

In a Cisco Meraki environment, the licensing system is fundamental for maintaining device operability and administrative access. An organization marked as "Out of License" means that the platform has identified a discrepancy between the number or type of devices deployed and the licenses applied. Two primary reasons are responsible for this designation: exceeding the licensed device count and allowing licenses to expire.

The first correct scenario involves having more devices registered than the organization holds licenses for. Meraki's model requires one license per device—be it an access point, switch, or security appliance. If a network administrator adds new hardware to the organization without purchasing and applying corresponding licenses, the Meraki dashboard identifies this excess and flags the organization as "Out of License." This helps enforce fair use policies and ensures organizations cannot run unsupported hardware beyond their entitlement.

The second valid condition is the expiration of one or more active licenses. Every Meraki device license comes with a defined time period. Once a license expires, the device associated with it is considered unlicensed. If these expired licenses are not renewed in time, the overall license pool becomes insufficient to cover active devices. This situation also results in an "Out of License" warning. While Meraki typically offers a grace period to allow for administrative correction, failing to resolve the licensing issue can lead to service limitations or even suspension of dashboard access.

Now, let’s address the incorrect choices:

• Option A, which mentions licenses in the wrong network, is misleading. Licenses in Meraki are not tied to individual networks but are managed at the organizational level. It doesn’t matter how the licenses are distributed among networks as long as the total number of devices matches the total number of licenses.

• Option D is also incorrect because Meraki licenses are not linked to device serial numbers. Licenses are generic per device type and count. The platform doesn't cross-reference serial numbers when applying or validating licenses.

• Option E refers to a mismatch in MR license types and models. However, Meraki uses a co-termination licensing model, where license duration is averaged and device type mismatches are generally not cause for a licensing error unless the number of devices exceeds the license pool.

In summary, the most likely triggers for an "Out of License" condition are having more hardware than licenses and letting licenses expire without renewal. These situations directly impact the platform’s licensing compliance mechanisms.

Question 2:

Within a Cisco Meraki organization using Co-Termination licensing, which two actions can successfully apply or extend licensing coverage? (Choose two.)

A. Renew the organization's license through the Dashboard
B. License a specific Meraki network
C. Add and license additional devices
D. Contact Meraki Support for license activation
E. Allow the system to automatically renew licenses

Correct Answers: A and C

Explanation:

Cisco Meraki’s Co-Termination licensing model simplifies license tracking by calculating a unified expiration date for all devices in an organization. Rather than having to manage separate end dates for each device’s license, the model averages the durations and presents one co-termination date for all hardware. To maintain compliance and full platform functionality, licenses must be actively applied or renewed through specific actions.

One correct approach is renewing the Dashboard license—option A. This step involves purchasing a renewal through an authorized Meraki partner and applying the license key through the Dashboard. This action extends the unified expiration date for all devices in the organization. It ensures continuity of access to the Dashboard and the uninterrupted functioning of all Meraki-managed components. Failure to renew in time may lead to the organization becoming non-compliant, potentially resulting in limited access to management features or full suspension after a grace period.

The second valid method is licensing additional devices, which corresponds to option C. When new devices are added to the organization—such as switches, firewalls, or access points—they must be paired with a corresponding license. Once the license is applied, the Co-Termination model recalculates the overall expiration date by factoring in both the duration and quantity of the new licenses. This seamless integration ensures the organization remains compliant even as the infrastructure scales.

Other options, while plausible in concept, are incorrect under Meraki’s licensing model:

• Option B, which refers to licensing individual networks, misunderstands Meraki’s centralized model. Licenses are applied at the organizational level, not to individual networks or segments. This unified structure is key to the Co-Termination model’s efficiency.

• Option D, calling Meraki Support, is not a valid mechanism for applying licenses. While support can assist with technical issues, transferring licenses, or merging organizations, the act of license application must be performed through the Dashboard or sales channels.

• Option E, expecting licenses to auto-renew, is also incorrect. Meraki licenses are not configured for automatic renewal. Organizations must manually purchase and apply new licenses when existing ones approach expiration.

In conclusion, applying licenses in a Meraki Co-Termination setup requires proactive management. Renewing the organization's Dashboard license and licensing any additional devices are the two primary actions that ensure uninterrupted operations and licensing compliance across the entire deployment.

Question 3:

What happens to a Meraki device when it loses its connection to the cloud temporarily?

A. The device continues operating with the most recent configuration until cloud access is restored.
B. The device reboots every five minutes in an attempt to reconnect to the cloud.
C. The device stops all traffic forwarding operations.
D. The device attempts to connect to a locally configured backup server.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

Cisco Meraki devices are designed with a key architectural advantage: they retain and operate using the last known good configuration even when they lose connectivity to the Meraki cloud. This ability is crucial for maintaining uninterrupted local network operations during temporary internet outages.

When cloud connectivity is lost—whether due to ISP issues, firewall misconfigurations, or upstream routing failures—the Meraki device does not halt or reboot. Instead, it continues to forward traffic, enforce existing policies, and manage local services based on the last synced configuration from the Meraki cloud. This behavior ensures critical network functions such as DHCP, VLAN segmentation, NAT, and firewall rules remain intact and operational.

Option A is accurate because the local configuration is cached within the device’s memory. This allows the network to function as expected, without relying on constant interaction with the cloud for basic routing and switching tasks. Once cloud connectivity is restored, the device automatically resumes syncing statistics, logs, alerts, and pending configuration updates with the Meraki Dashboard.

Option B is incorrect because Meraki devices do not reboot automatically as part of their fault tolerance design. Continuous rebooting would introduce network instability, which contradicts the high availability goals of Meraki-managed networks.

Option C is misleading. The device does not stop processing traffic when it goes offline. Core operations such as LAN switching, Wi-Fi access, and inter-VLAN routing continue normally. However, some cloud-dependent features such as real-time analytics, centralized monitoring, and alerting become temporarily unavailable.

Option D is incorrect as well. Meraki devices are built to interact solely with the Meraki cloud infrastructure. They do not support fallback to on-premise backup servers natively. While administrators can deploy auxiliary solutions for redundancy or logging, such setups are external to the Meraki system and not part of its standard behavior.

In conclusion, Cisco Meraki devices are built with resilience in mind. During cloud outages, they continue operating with cached settings until connectivity is reestablished. This architecture ensures minimal operational disruption while still benefiting from centralized, cloud-based management when available.

Question 4:

Which two permission levels can be assigned to users at the organization level in Cisco Meraki to manage access across all networks? (Choose two.)

A. Full
B. Read-only
C. Monitor-only
D. Write
E. Write-only

Correct Answers: A and B

Explanation:

The Cisco Meraki Dashboard provides centralized management for all Meraki networking devices under an organization. To support secure and role-specific access, it includes user permissions that govern what actions a user can perform. These permissions are assigned at either the organization level or the network level. Understanding the distinction between these levels is essential for proper access control.

At the organization level, there are only two valid permission types: Full and Read-only, corresponding to options A and B.

Full access (Option A) provides users with comprehensive administrative control over the entire Meraki organization. This includes permissions to manage networks, add or remove devices, change settings, administer licenses, and control user roles. This level of access is generally reserved for senior IT administrators or network engineers responsible for overall infrastructure management.

Read-only access (Option B) is a more restrictive role. Users with this level of access can view all configurations, reports, logs, and device statuses but cannot make any changes. This is ideal for stakeholders such as compliance auditors, support teams, or executives who require network visibility without needing administrative control.

Option C, Monitor-only, is often confused with Read-only but is actually a network-level permission, not an organization-level one. Monitor-only users are restricted to viewing a specific network’s configurations and traffic data. They cannot navigate across multiple networks or view organization-wide settings, which makes this role more suitable for branch-level personnel.

Option D, Write, does not exist as a standalone organization-level role. The ability to modify configurations is already included under Full access. Cisco Meraki has deliberately kept permission structures simple and secure by consolidating administrative roles.

Option E, Write-only, is not a valid permission type in the Meraki system. Granting a user permission to make changes without being able to see existing settings would be impractical and risky, potentially leading to configuration errors and security issues.

In summary, for organization-level access in the Meraki dashboard, Full and Read-only are the only legitimate permission levels. These roles support operational clarity and security by defining who can make changes and who can only observe the environment across all networks in an organization.

Question 5

In a SAML-based single sign-on (SSO) setup with Cisco Meraki, what is the specific function of the Meraki Dashboard acting as a service provider (SP)?

A. It creates the SAML authentication request
B. It provides the user’s login credentials
C. It interprets the SAML response and grants access
D. It generates the SAML authentication response

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is a standard protocol used to facilitate secure single sign-on (SSO) between two entities: an Identity Provider (IdP) and a Service Provider (SP). In this setup, Cisco Meraki’s Dashboard functions as the Service Provider, while a third-party authentication service like Okta, Azure AD, or ADFS serves as the Identity Provider.

When a user initiates a login to the Meraki Dashboard, the process begins with the Dashboard redirecting the authentication request to the Identity Provider. The user is then authenticated through the IdP using credentials maintained within that system. Upon successful verification, the IdP creates and returns a SAML response containing security assertions, such as user identity and roles, back to the Meraki Dashboard.

The primary role of the Meraki Dashboard (as the Service Provider) is to receive and parse the SAML response, then make access decisions based on the attributes within that response. It does not generate the SAML response or handle user credentials directly. Instead, it validates the digital signature of the SAML message and checks the identity assertions before granting access to the Dashboard environment.

Let’s review the options:

• A. Although the authentication process begins from the Meraki Dashboard’s side, it does not create the SAML request in the way an IdP does. The redirection to the IdP is initiated, but the structure of the SAML authentication exchange is handled by the browser and IdP.

• B. Meraki does not provide or manage credentials. Authentication is offloaded entirely to the Identity Provider. So this is incorrect.

• C. This is correct. The Meraki Dashboard’s job is to analyze the incoming SAML response, verify its integrity, and decide whether to grant access based on user roles or group attributes.

• D. The SAML response is generated exclusively by the Identity Provider, not the Dashboard.

In essence, when acting as the Service Provider, the Meraki Dashboard's main responsibility is to validate and interpret the SAML response it receives after authentication has been completed by the IdP. This ensures that only verified and authorized users gain access to the Meraki platform, all without the Dashboard directly handling credentials—making the process both secure and scalable.

Question 6:

A company is moving its application infrastructure to Microsoft Azure. What is the main advantage of deploying a Meraki vMX appliance instead of using a traditional VPN connection?

A. It provides anti-malware capabilities
B. It enables SD-WAN integration
C. It includes next-generation firewall features
D. It offers built-in intrusion detection

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Organizations that migrate their application workloads to Microsoft Azure often require secure and efficient connectivity between their on-premises infrastructure and the cloud. While traditional IPsec VPNs can establish secure tunnels for encrypted communication, they typically lack the intelligent network control features necessary for modern enterprise deployments. This is where Cisco Meraki’s vMX appliance becomes a powerful asset.

The vMX is a virtual appliance designed specifically for deployment in public cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP. When a company deploys a vMX in Azure, it effectively extends their existing Meraki SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) architecture into the cloud. This extension provides intelligent routing, centralized management, and automated failover, all of which are not available with a simple VPN connection.

Here’s what makes SD-WAN the standout benefit:

• Centralized Control: The Meraki Dashboard allows centralized configuration and monitoring of all SD-WAN appliances, including the vMX, from a single pane of glass.

• Dynamic Path Selection: SD-WAN can automatically route traffic over the most optimal WAN path based on real-time conditions such as latency, jitter, or packet loss.

• Auto VPN: This Meraki-specific feature simplifies the creation of site-to-site VPNs between all Meraki devices, including the vMX in the cloud.

• Seamless Cloud Access: Branches and remote offices can securely and intelligently access applications hosted in Azure without complex configurations.

Now, let’s address the incorrect choices:

• A. While Meraki’s physical MX devices include Threat Protection with Cisco AMP for malware detection, the vMX appliance does not support anti-malware scanning. Its primary role is SD-WAN routing.

• C. The vMX does not offer full next-generation firewall (NGFW) capabilities such as deep packet inspection or application-level filtering. Those are features of Meraki’s physical MX series, not vMX.

• D. Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), like those based on Snort, are also features of specific physical models in the Meraki MX lineup. The vMX is focused more on connectivity and routing, not security enforcement.

To summarize, the most compelling benefit of using a Meraki vMX in Azure is its seamless SD-WAN integration. It not only secures communication but also optimizes performance, simplifies network management, and scales efficiently with cloud deployments. Traditional VPNs cannot match this level of automation or intelligence.

Question 7:

What is the primary role of the Meraki Dashboard in a Cisco Meraki solution deployment?

A. It acts as a local configuration tool for each network device.
B. It is used to manage network licensing and subscriptions only.
C. It provides centralized, cloud-based network management and monitoring.
D. It allows SSH access to all Meraki devices for troubleshooting.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

The Cisco Meraki Dashboard plays a critical role in the Meraki solution architecture by serving as a centralized, cloud-hosted platform that allows network administrators to manage, monitor, and configure all Meraki devices across multiple sites. The dashboard provides an intuitive graphical interface that simplifies traditional IT management tasks and is one of the key differentiators of the Meraki ecosystem.

Unlike traditional networking solutions that often require on-premises management platforms, the Meraki Dashboard operates entirely through the cloud, which allows for scalable, multi-site administration without physical proximity to the devices. This becomes especially powerful in distributed environments such as retail stores, school districts, or global enterprises.

Administrators can use the dashboard to perform a wide array of tasks, including:

• Provisioning and configuring devices like MX security appliances, MS switches, and MR wireless access points.

• Viewing real-time and historical network performance metrics, application usage, and client activity.

• Deploying firmware updates and pushing new configuration templates to large groups of devices.

• Setting policies such as VLAN tagging, Layer 7 firewall rules, and content filtering.

Option A is incorrect because Meraki devices do not rely on local configuration tools. In fact, local management is intentionally limited to promote centralized control.
Option B is partially true—license management is part of the dashboard—but this is only one small aspect of its function.
Option D is incorrect because Meraki does not support SSH access to most of its devices by design. This is a deliberate decision to enforce secure and centralized management through the dashboard.

In summary, the Meraki Dashboard is the core control center of the entire Meraki network and is essential for efficient, secure, and scalable network operations.

Question 8:

Which feature in Cisco Meraki MX Security Appliances enables automatic failover between multiple uplinks?

A. Site-to-site VPN
B. SD-WAN
C. Traffic shaping rules
D. DHCP reservations

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Cisco Meraki MX Security Appliances support SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Networking) to provide resilient, efficient, and intelligent network traffic routing, especially in environments with multiple WAN uplinks (e.g., two or more ISPs). One of the major benefits of Meraki’s SD-WAN capabilities is its ability to perform automatic failover and intelligent load balancing between these uplinks.

SD-WAN in the Meraki context allows administrators to define performance-based policies using parameters like latency, jitter, and packet loss. For example, voice traffic can be routed through the uplink with the lowest latency, while bulk data transfers can use the most cost-effective path. If one uplink experiences degradation or goes offline, SD-WAN policies automatically route traffic through the secondary uplink without interrupting service—a key requirement for businesses relying on continuous connectivity.

Option A refers to Meraki’s Auto VPN feature, which enables fast and secure site-to-site VPN creation across MX appliances. While useful for inter-site communication, it does not handle uplink failover.
Option C, traffic shaping rules, are used for prioritizing types of traffic (e.g., giving VoIP higher priority than social media), but they do not provide the automated path selection and failover offered by SD-WAN.
Option D, DHCP reservations, are used to assign static IP addresses to devices within a local network and are unrelated to WAN redundancy.

In real-world deployments, Meraki SD-WAN is especially beneficial for branch offices or retail locations, where multiple broadband connections (such as fiber and LTE) may be used to ensure always-on connectivity. SD-WAN enables cost-effective use of multiple links, improves application performance, and provides greater operational flexibility without requiring manual intervention.

Thus, SD-WAN is the correct answer because it specifically enables automatic WAN failover, dynamic path selection, and performance optimization, all of which are central to Meraki’s value proposition for modern cloud-managed networks.

Question 9:

Which of the following Cisco Meraki dashboard features allows an administrator to schedule firmware updates for devices in a specific network?

A. Network-wide > Clients
B. Organization > Firmware Upgrades
C. Organization > Inventory
D. Network-wide > General Settings

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

In the Cisco Meraki ecosystem, the Meraki Dashboard is the central web interface that allows administrators to monitor, configure, and manage their Meraki devices. One of the critical administrative responsibilities is keeping devices up to date with the latest firmware to ensure security, stability, and access to new features.

The correct location for scheduling firmware updates is found under Organization > Firmware Upgrades. From this section, administrators can:

• View available firmware versions

• Schedule firmware upgrades for specific networks or device types

• Monitor the status of ongoing upgrades

• Set up automatic firmware schedules for future updates

This centralized control is especially helpful in large-scale deployments, allowing staged rollouts to minimize downtime.

Let’s examine why the other options are incorrect:

• A (Network-wide > Clients): This section displays information about connected clients, such as IP addresses, bandwidth usage, and device names. It does not include firmware management.

• C (Organization > Inventory): The Inventory section lists all Meraki devices associated with the organization and their statuses (claimed/unclaimed), but does not allow firmware scheduling.

• D (Network-wide > General Settings): This section controls basic settings like network name, time zone, and notification settings but not firmware updates.

Proper firmware management is critical in any production environment. The dashboard makes this easy by providing automated alerts and the ability to schedule upgrades during maintenance windows. This ensures minimal disruption while maintaining device performance and compliance.

Question 10:

In the Cisco Meraki dashboard, which feature enables administrators to automatically apply group policies based on a user’s Active Directory group membership?

A. Traffic shaping rules
B. Network tags
C. Identity-based policies
D. VLAN tagging

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

One of the powerful integration features of Cisco Meraki is its ability to dynamically apply policies based on user identity. This is accomplished through identity-based policies, which can be configured within the dashboard to enforce access controls based on user group membership, particularly when integrated with Active Directory (AD).

Identity-based policies allow administrators to:

• Apply group policies automatically when users authenticate via AD

• Assign bandwidth limits, firewall rules, or VLAN settings based on user role (e.g., staff vs. guest)

• Maintain visibility into who is accessing what, with detailed logs and client tracking

The process involves setting up RADIUS authentication with group policy mapping, enabling the system to associate an authenticated user with their group in Active Directory and apply the corresponding policy. This enables granular control without requiring manual assignment.

Now, why are the other options incorrect?

• A (Traffic shaping rules): These rules control bandwidth allocation and application prioritization but are not user-specific unless applied through a group policy.

• B (Network tags): Tags help organize and identify networks, but they don’t dynamically apply policies based on identity.

• D (VLAN tagging): VLANs help segregate traffic on the network but require manual configuration or policies to apply per user. They don’t offer dynamic identity mapping by default.

Using identity-based policies, organizations can ensure that policies follow the user, not just the device. This is crucial in environments where users may bring their own devices (BYOD) or move between locations but require consistent access and restrictions.

Thus, for dynamic, user-specific policy enforcement based on AD group membership, the correct feature is: