Weapons-grade home WiFi suggestions
Discussion
BigTZ4M said:
Northernboy said:
Thanks.
My big Ethernet switch that attaches to all the cables running to each room has power over Ethernet from every port, does that mean that I don’t need another switch, just the units?
Provided it supports the 802.3af standard (likely) OR passive 24v PoE (less likely) then yes they will work with your existing switch.My big Ethernet switch that attaches to all the cables running to each room has power over Ethernet from every port, does that mean that I don’t need another switch, just the units?
xeny said:
Northernboy said:
One more question, do I set up each access point to produce a network with a different name, or all the same?
All the same, and start with medium or low power.megaphone said:
You set the SSID (wifi network) up in the controller, this then sends the info out to he APs. Yes you have one SSID on all APs. You can also set up a separate Guest SSID with a separate password.
Thanks. Looking at what the manufacturers claim for these units, they appear to be designed for hundreds of users, rather than me and the wife, but if it’s the best route to zero drop-outs then it’s worth it.I’ll order some tonight. They do a huge variety of different ones, are the ones you suggested just the cheaper end?
dmsims said:
Northernboy
why not fix what you've got ?
I’ve been trying to do that for months, and not managed, and the disruption to work can’t continue, I need a fix as soon as possible.why not fix what you've got ?
I have again tonight set up the Linksys mesh system, one node at a time, and despite getting a good report at each step on placement and signal strength, all four nodes went down after half an hour.
If I could find a way to fix it, I’d happily do that, but I’ve no way to understand what’s going wrong.
I’ve now got out my old Apple AirPort Extreme stations, and have got them putting out a new network on floors 2 and 4, and that seems to be going OK. If it’s stable I may try sticking with that.
Northernboy said:
Thanks. Looking at what the manufacturers claim for these units, they appear to be designed for hundreds of users, rather than me and the wife, but if it’s the best route to zero drop-outs then it’s worth it.
I’ll order some tonight. They do a huge variety of different ones, are the ones you suggested just the cheaper end?
The Lite is the cheap one. I've got one, it's a good bit of kit. I've also now got an LR (probably the next step up). Together they cover 3300 sq ft very nicely, though 1. it's an American house with no brick involved. 2. I've still a bloody annoying issue regarding the controller waking up, that I thought I resolved. For point 2, make sure you get the cloud key that's already been linked. That way you'll have a controller running all the time to connect to.I’ll order some tonight. They do a huge variety of different ones, are the ones you suggested just the cheaper end?
The 5 pack of Lites is good value though it doesn't come with power injectors. IIRC the unifi 24v power injector is about 7 quid on it's own - so you may get away with a smaller switch and a few additional injectors. If you're putting in five, then the Lite is probably all you need.
Northernboy said:
megaphone said:
You set the SSID (wifi network) up in the controller, this then sends the info out to he APs. Yes you have one SSID on all APs. You can also set up a separate Guest SSID with a separate password.
Thanks. Looking at what the manufacturers claim for these units, they appear to be designed for hundreds of users, rather than me and the wife, but if it’s the best route to zero drop-outs then it’s worth it.I’ll order some tonight. They do a huge variety of different ones, are the ones you suggested just the cheaper end?
As I said, the newer WiFi 6 APs are just out, but not easy to get. In you case you probably wouldn't get any real benefit from fitting them but, it is the newest tech......depends if you're willing to wait. You could always upgrade in the future.
I would suggest getting one unit to start, make sure you are happy and confident with the set-up and controller. Then expand from there. You can download the controller for free on a PC or Mac, this will allow you to set everything up. Note, these are not domestic plug and play items, you do need to have a bit of IT knowhow, a willingness to learn and do some research on setting up, look at some Youtube stuff. If you struggle you may need to get someone in to help.
Edited by megaphone on Thursday 18th February 07:09
Edited by megaphone on Thursday 18th February 07:30
BigTZ4M said:
Northernboy said:
Thanks for the detailed response.
I think that this is exactly the setup that the previous owners had, which I threw I the bin when I moved in.
Any particular model I should look to buy? It pains me to pay for something I binned, but it really is time that I did this properly.
Megaphone’s shopping list is sound, provided you can ceiling mount the APs properly. I’m personally of the opinion that if you need to move around data fast then you always wire it in, particularly if you have the physical infrastructure in place as you have. Thus the biggest strain I put on WiFi is streaming and so provided it’ll do 50Mbps consistently everywhere I’m happy. If you’re similarly minded then the AC Lites will be more than up to the job. If you have greater expectations then I’d also recommend spending the extra on the NanoHDs. They are 4x4 Mu-mimo which, without going all technical, means it won’t slow down your very capable WiFi clients when a slow WiFi device also connects. Think your shiny new MacBook Pro not downloading as fast as it can do because there’s a cheap WiFi enabled Chinese light bulb in your house - that’s what happens with lesser 2x2 access points like the AC lite.I think that this is exactly the setup that the previous owners had, which I threw I the bin when I moved in.
Any particular model I should look to buy? It pains me to pay for something I binned, but it really is time that I did this properly.
dmsims said:
northerboy
one more thought
have you tried the mesh in Bridge mode ?
If you do this you will have to change your router mode first
I’ve not. This morning all five nodes went offline again, so I’ve deleted them so that my wife can be sure she’s connecting to the main router and doesn’t keep losing her remote session on her work machine.one more thought
have you tried the mesh in Bridge mode ?
If you do this you will have to change your router mode first
My computer’s wired, so we’ve a solution that’s now OK for work, but no signal if we wander too far from the router.
It’ll do while I explore other options.
ecs0set said:
Another +1 for Megaphone's Unifi shopping list with NanoHDs if you can stretch to it. That's what I'd buy and similar to my existing Unifi network which works great and is relatively low maintenance.
What do the nano HDs bring over the cheaper ones?If it's more power / reach then I'll pay the extra, but if it's speed then given that I've only got 14Mb being piped into the house it's probably not worth it.
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Northernboy said:
dmsims said:
If you want speed and reach, don't buy Unifi!
OK, that seems to contradict what was written by others.If I should not buy Unifi, then what would you recommend instead?
I am sure Unifi will be fine for you - if grossly over complicated and over priced (for a domestic setting)
I have found that the 2.4Ghz is poor especially for range and the throughput is nothing to write home about
With 14Mbps it's not going to affect you
dmsims said:
I better qualify that before I am burnt at the stake
I am sure Unifi will be fine for you - if grossly over complicated and over priced (for a domestic setting)
I have found that the 2.4Ghz is poor especially for range and the throughput is nothing to write home about
With 14Mbps it's not going to affect you
OK, can you recommend a simpler setup that will do the job as well or better?I am sure Unifi will be fine for you - if grossly over complicated and over priced (for a domestic setting)
I have found that the 2.4Ghz is poor especially for range and the throughput is nothing to write home about
With 14Mbps it's not going to affect you
For some reason, despite being very technically midned in lots of areas, I still struggle to understand MAC addresses, why everything seems to have a 192.168.. IP address, why I have to connect an ethernet cable to my router to get to access the setup page, and so on. Something that will stop my little boy crying when his tablet won't play Lego Batman and that gives me a completely stable, 100% up-time solution is what I am after. I do not care if it puts out so much power that the backs of my legs get warm when sitting near it.
I want to be sure that it will play nicely with my service provider, that the pad won't try to hang on to a weak signal from the basement when I am on the top floor, and that I don't need to reset it and start again every day.
In theory your current Linksys system should do the job nicely. Have you checked if there's a firmware update for them? It's possible there was a software issue that's since been patched but yours don't have the update.
Is it the Velop system? Most of these kinds of companies have online chat help available these days, and they have their own forums that might be worth a try too.
Is it the Velop system? Most of these kinds of companies have online chat help available these days, and they have their own forums that might be worth a try too.
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