When planning and deploying your Auto VPN topology, there are several best practices to keep in mind to ensure optimal performance. The first and most important practice is to ensure that the model of MX deployed at each location is capable of handling the required load. As discussed in the “MX Scaling” section earlier in this chapter, different models of MX hardware have different maximum capabilities, so it’s crucial that the chosen model of device is capable of supporting the expected load not only from the number of connected tunnels and peers, but also for any additional security features that will be configured.

Properly sizing your model selection is imperative to designing a deployment that will be able to provide consistent and stable performance not only on initial deployment but also for the foreseeable future and accommodate any expected growth. For example, a deployment that currently consists of only five satellite sites with a single main hub may be able to operate the hub using a mid-tier model of hardware for the initial deployment, but if the number of satellite offices is expected to expand rapidly over the next two years, the original hub MX device may not be able to fully support the future number of required tunnels and security features without a noticeable performance impact. This, of course, depends heavily on many factors specific to the deployment, such as how many tunnels are needed, the amount of traffic passing through those tunnels, and the number and types of additional security features configured. However, proper sizing is a very important aspect to keep in mind during the initial planning phases of the deployment.

Pro Tip

Voice (VoIP) and other small packet traffic is notorious for a high performance impact compared to other types of traffic for all firewalls, not just Meraki devices. This may impact your sizing decisions depending on the type of traffic that is expected to pass over Auto VPN. Therefore, it’s important to analyze and understand the types of traffic that are passing through your networks.

To ensure proper sizing when planning your deployment, we recommend engaging the Meraki sales organization or your local VAR, who can assist in proper review of your deployment and make additional sizing recommendations based on projected future use.