--- title: "Cisco Access Manager: Simple Network Access Control | IPTel" description: Cisco Access Manager explained — simpler, cloud-managed network access control for businesses that find Cisco ISE too complex. image: https://blog.iptel.com.au/hubfs/Blogs/Cisco%20Access%20Manager/Cisco%20Access%20Manager%20(Instagram%20Post).gif --- [![IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500 (1)](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500%20(1).png?width=200&height=59&name=IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500%20(1).png "IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500 (1)")](https://iptel.com.au) - [Home](https://iptel.com.au/) - [Solutions](https://iptel.com.au/solutions) Technologies - [Cisco Access Manager](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-access-manager) - [Cisco Catalyst Center](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-catalyst-center) - [Cisco Meraki](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-meraki) - [Cisco SDA Fabric](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-sda-fabric) - 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[Request a Quote](https://iptel.com.au/request-a-quote) - [Managed Services](https://iptel.com.au/managed-services-enquiry) Case Studies - [DP World Video](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hubfs/Case%20Studies/DP%20World_Case_Study.mp4) - [DP World](https://blog.iptel.com.au/dp-world-case-study) - [Backup Assure](https://blog.iptel.com.au/backup-assure-a-disaster-recovery-case-study) [Contact Us](https://iptel.com.au/contact-us) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ## Cisco Access Manager Jan 12, 2026 Every network needs to secure the devices that connect to it - but for some users Cisco ISE is a little too complex. Cisco has the answer in a tool for the SME market: Cisco Access Manager. Ensure you have the right security in your network, at the right price for your business. ![Cisco Access Manager](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/Cisco%20Access%20Manager/Cisco%20Access%20Manager-1-still.jpg?width=737&height=395&name=Cisco%20Access%20Manager-1-still.jpg) Cisco Access Manager is a great option for the large number of Meraki customers out there: it's natively integrated into the Meraki cloud and is easy to access and configure. Setting up Cisco ISE can be quite detailed and involved, so this new product is aimed at reducing complexity - while increasing the security on your network. Related reading - [Cisco Access Manager](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-access-manager) - [Meraki Cloud Wi-Fi](https://blog.iptel.com.au/meraki-cloud-wifi) - [Meraki Managed Service: Inside the MSP Dashboard](https://blog.iptel.com.au/meraki-managed-service) - [Cisco ISE: Top 5 Unique Features](https://blog.iptel.com.au/why-cisco-ise) --- ## Network Security Securing your network, particularly Wi-Fi networks, is critical in this day and age and Cisco Access Manager supports the latest security protocols. The gold standard in network security uses certificates rather than passwords to verify whether users or machines should be allowed to connect to the network. Access Manager integrates with Microsoft Entra to validate certificates when devices connect to wired and wireless networks that are managed through the Meraki cloud dashboard.   For devices that don’t support certificates, such as printers and display-boards, Cisco Access Manager can use the devices’ hard-wired MAC address to check against a list of authorised devices. For Wi-Fi connected devices, this is paired with a static password, ensuring that the traffic over the air is encrypted. Different passwords can be assigned to different groups of devices, reducing the risk of the password being used for unauthorised devices.  ![Access Manager Topology](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jan-09-2026-03-06-46-3146-AM.png?width=900&height=783&name=undefined-Jan-09-2026-03-06-46-3146-AM.png) Diagram Source: Cisco Related reading - [Network Security Basics](https://blog.iptel.com.au/networking-security-basics) - [Managed Meraki Security: Firewall and Threat Protection](https://blog.iptel.com.au/managed-services-meraki-security) - [Managed Security Service Edge: Umbrella and Secure Access](https://blog.iptel.com.au/managed-services-security-service-edge) --- ## Network Management To make life easy, Cisco Access Manager is integrated into the Meraki Cloud Dashboard, with updates managed by Cisco ensuring that you are always using the latest stable version. It uses the same access controls as the rest of Meraki’s products, so only authorised users can update settings, and all changes are logged for auditing purposes.  Technical support is available 24/7 through Meraki TAC, ensuring a timely response to any problems or queries, and is included as part of the standard licence.   Related reading - [Managed Cisco Campus Access: Catalyst Networks Run for You](https://blog.iptel.com.au/managed-services-cisco-campus-access) - [ThousandEyes Managed Services: Networks You Don't Own](https://blog.iptel.com.au/thousandeyes-managed-services) --- ## Granular Security Controls Many network administrators want to control not just access to the network, but access on a deeper level. One of the major features of Access Manager is the ability to not just permit or deny a user onto your network, but to determine what rights a user should be allowed and apply network settings to ensure that they can only access services that they are permitted. This can reduce the number of wireless networks and VLANs in use on the network, whilst ensuring users don’t have unrestricted access to all services.   Related reading - [Meraki Site-Site VPN](https://blog.iptel.com.au/meraki-site-to-site-vpn) - [Security Assessment Tool](https://score.iptel.com.au/security-assessment) --- ## Cisco Access Manager: FAQs ### What Is Cisco Access Manager? A cloud-managed network access control service from Cisco, for organisations that need user and device access control without the complexity of Cisco ISE. ### How Is It Different from Cisco ISE? ISE is a full-featured policy platform for large enterprises. Access Manager is simpler and managed from the cloud. ### Where Is Access Manager Managed? In the Meraki dashboard, alongside the rest of your Meraki network. ### Can Access Manager Apply Granular Policy? Yes. It supports rules based on user and device identity to control what each can access. --- ## Cisco Access Manager: Summary In this blog we’ve discussed the benefits of using Cisco Access Manager to secure your Meraki cloud-managed network. Cisco Access Manager is convenient (accessed straight from the Meraki cloud), as well as simpler to administer than Cisco ISE, and a cost-effective way to bring certificate-based network access control to smaller Meraki networks. We can help you to understand whether Cisco Access Manager is suitable for your needs and design the right solution to meet your requirements. We have extensive experience in securing our customers’ networks and are a Cisco partner, ensuring that we are trained in their solutions.   Related reading - [Managed Services Q&A: Is It Right for Your Business?](https://blog.iptel.com.au/managed-services-qa) - [Managed Meraki Access: Switching, Wi-Fi and WAN](https://blog.iptel.com.au/managed-services-meraki-access) ### Need Help With Network Security? IPTel's [Cisco security](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/security-and-cisco-ise) engineers can review your environment, or start with our [free Security Assessment](https://score.iptel.com.au/security-assessment). If that would be useful, [get in touch with the IPTel team](https://iptel.com.au/contact-us) or email [sales@iptel.com.au](mailto:sales@iptel.com.au). #### Related Articles ###### [Managed Cisco Campus Access: Catalyst Networks Run for You](https://blog.iptel.com.au/managed-services-cisco-campus-access) May 9, 2025 ###### [Cisco Meraki Access Points](https://blog.iptel.com.au/cisco-meraki-access-points) May 12, 2026 ###### [Cisco Meraki Wireless Overview](https://blog.iptel.com.au/cisco-meraki-wireless-overview) July 3, 2025 ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Mark McSherry", "url" : "https://blog.iptel.com.au/author/mark-mcsherry" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-03T07:47:11.400Z", "datePublished" : "2026-01-12T05:23:25.000Z", "headline" : "Cisco Access Manager: Simple Network Access Control | IPTel", "image" : [ "https://blog.iptel.com.au/hubfs/Blogs/Cisco%20Access%20Manager/Cisco%20Access%20Manager%20(Instagram%20Post).gif" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.iptel.com.au/cisco-access-manager", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.iptel.com.au/hubfs/IPTel_Solutions_February2020%20-%20Header%20SiteMap/Images/IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2.png" }, "name" : "IPTel Solutions Pty Ltd" } } ```