New network installation

[TheBeitemBeast]

Hello guys,

 

I'm quite new here but I would like some networking advice. 

Currently I'm still using my router/ap provided by my ISP. I'm looking to install a new network since its not good enough (not enough coverage and speed).

My network plan is 150down, 15up. My house is already wired with ethernet in each room. 

 

The unifi solution is looking pretty good: a USG, switch and 1 or 2 acces points. Or perhaps the UDM and an extra acces point. 

Should I be looking at other network solutions? Other brands? 

What are your recommendations here? 

 

Thanks!

[Electronics Wizardy]

Id get a udp, the udm is basically replaceing the usg it seems.

 

Unifi is pretty good, pretty easy to use, pretty good perfomrnace.

[TheBeitemBeast]

2 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Id get a udp, the udm is basically replaceing the usg it seems.

 

Unifi is pretty good, pretty easy to use, pretty good perfomrnace.

What exactly is the udp you are talking about? I can't seem to find it on the unifi products page.

[Falcon1986]

4 minutes ago, TreeOfTerror said:

Hello guys,

 

I'm quite new here but I would like some networking advice. 

Currently I'm still using my router/ap provided by my ISP. I'm looking to install a new network since its not good enough (not enough coverage and speed).

My network plan is 150down, 15up. My house is already wired with ethernet in each room. 

 

The unifi solution is looking pretty good: a USG, switch and 1 or 2 acces points. Or perhaps the UDM and an extra acces point. 

Should I be looking at other network solutions? Other brands? 

What are your recommendations here? 

 

Thanks!

It’s good that you have all of the rooms already wired up to ethernet. Do you know which category of ethernet you have? Do you have easy access to where the cables all meet? Is this location the same as your ISP’s modem?

 

A Ubiquiti-based network will provide you with a lot of features and control for what you’re paying. What is your budget for your setup?

 

When compared to purchasing the equivalent components separately that make up the UDM, the cost of the UDM will be more affordable. But it’s still 1 device that, if it fails, the entire network is brought to its knees. On the other hand, separate components avoids this problem and distributes specific functions to different devices.

 

What is your building layout like? How many floors? How much area do you need covered. A rough sketch of the floor plan would be helpful.

[TheBeitemBeast]

10 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

26 minutes ago, TreeOfTerror said:

Hello guys,

 

I'm quite new here but I would like some networking advice. 

Currently I'm still using my router/ap provided by my ISP. I'm looking to install a new network since its not good enough (not enough coverage and speed).

My network plan is 150down, 15up. My house is already wired with ethernet in each room. 

 

The unifi solution is looking pretty good: a USG, switch and 1 or 2 acces points. Or perhaps the UDM and an extra acces point. 

Should I be looking at other network solutions? Other brands? 

What are your recommendations here? 

 

Thanks!

It’s good that you have all of the rooms already wired up to ethernet. Do you know which category of ethernet you have? Do you have easy access to where the cables all meet? Is this location the same as your ISP’s modem?

 

A Ubiquiti-based network will provide you with a lot of features and control for what you’re paying. What is your budget for your setup?

 

When compared to purchasing the equivalent components separately that make up the UDM, the cost of the UDM will be more affordable. But it’s still 1 device that, if it fails, the entire network is brought to its knees. On the other hand, separate components avoids this problem and distributes specific functions to different devices.

 

What is your building layout like? How many floors? How much area do you need covered. A rough sketch of the floor plan would be helpful.

I have CAT5E installed. Alle the cables come together in the closet where the modem is. I already have a litle 8 port switch installed there. 

Budget would be around 400 euros (I live in Belgium  )

 

Attached is the layout of my house (build 2 years ago) and completly in brick. The modem is installed where the blue cross is. 

Total surface would be around 160 m².

[Electronics Wizardy]

16 minutes ago, TreeOfTerror said:

What exactly is the udp you are talking about? I can't seem to find it on the unifi products page.

udm, oops.

 

1 minute ago, TreeOfTerror said:

and completly in brick.

That might be fun, you might need anouther ap, but id try with 2.

[TheBeitemBeast]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

3 minutes ago, TreeOfTerror said:

and completly in brick.

That might be fun, you might need anouther ap, but id try with 2.

That's what I thought. The udm for downstairs and 1 ap for the 1st floor?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, TreeOfTerror said:

That's what I thought. The udm for downstairs and 1 ap for the 1st floor?

Yea, thats probably best, probably offset them a bit, so there not directly over each other.

[TheBeitemBeast]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

1 minute ago, TreeOfTerror said:

That's what I thought. The udm for downstairs and 1 ap for the 1st floor?

Yea, thats probably best, probably offset them a bit, so there not directly over each other.

I can do that. Each room has ethernet so no problem. 

WIll unifi be the best solution considering the price? Around 420 euro for the UDM and a AP lite

Or should I consider other brands? I know that unifi is quite good performance wise and especially managebility. It is pro-sumer product. 

But the features are quite apealling to me. 

[Dutch_Master]

I'd suggest moving the ground-floor AP to the living room (actually just across the wall in that corner) and the 1st floor AP to be setup in the hallway at the junction of the bedrooms and bathroom-ish.

 

As for other brands, AVM (Fritzbox) and Asus make suitable home-use devices. The all-in-one solution may look like a good deal, financially, but it does introduce a single-point-of-failure, as alluded to earlier. Is it worth it? That's your call only. Will it break down? Yes, eventually. How long before replacement? Dunno, depends on your needs, the levels of abuse you throw at it and how well you maintain it. But it is wise to have at least something in reserve for when the unit fails, so you can switch over PDQ.

[Falcon1986]

@TreeOfTerror

 

Finding a similar grade of equipment at this price is not easy, so you’re making a good choice.

 

Out of curiosity, where are your ethernet outlets based on your floor plan? Where will you place the UDM?

 

3 minutes ago, Dutch_Master said:

I'd suggest moving the ground-floor AP to the living room (actually just across the wall in that corner) and the 1st floor AP to be setup in the hallway at the junction of the bedrooms and bathroom-ish.

The UniFi APs, especially the dish-shaped ones, are meant to be ceiling mounted for best signal distribution over a large area. Mounting in the corner of a building next to a wall is a waste of that signal distribution.

[Dutch_Master]

1 minute ago, Falcon1986 said:

The UniFi APs, especially the dish-shaped ones, are meant to be ceiling mounted for best signal distribution over a large area. Mounting in the corner of a building next to a wall is a waste of that signal distribution.

Fair point, but given the current projected location (X marks the spot on his floor plan) it's a better choice, whichever which way you look at it.

[Electronics Wizardy]

28 minutes ago, TreeOfTerror said:

I can do that. Each room has ethernet so no problem. 

WIll unifi be the best solution considering the price? Around 420 euro for the UDM and a AP lite

Or should I consider other brands? I know that unifi is quite good performance wise and especially managebility. It is pro-sumer product. 

But the features are quite apealling to me. 

the nano hd is the go to access point these days.

 

I got a few lite's and they just aren't that fast for modern standars.

[TheBeitemBeast]

28 minutes ago, Dutch_Master said:

I'd suggest moving the ground-floor AP to the living room (actually just across the wall in that corner) and the 1st floor AP to be setup in the hallway at the junction of the bedrooms and bathroom-ish.

I can do that. There is a ethernet port in that corner downstairs (my oled is connected there but that should be no problem, wifi wil work fine on that tv). There are no ethernet ports in the hallway upstairs, only in each bedroom. 

 

20 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

Out of curiosity, where are your ethernet outlets based on your floor plan? Where will you place the UDM?

I will update the ground plans tomorrow with the ethernet ports located. Right no I'm on my phone ( nearly bedtime here, 11.30 pm) UDM probably where the X is marked because all the ethernet cables come together right there.

[TheBeitemBeast]

10 hours ago, TreeOfTerror said:

  10 hours ago, Falcon1986 said:

Out of curiosity, where are your ethernet outlets based on your floor plan? Where will you place the UDM?

Here are the updated plans with the ethernet outlets. 

[TheBeitemBeast]

Would the edgerouter x sfp be a good solution? Enough POE ports for 2 AP's and plenty of possibilities. 

I doesn't run the unifi conroller but that shoudn't be a problem. EdgeOs is probably a bit less plug and play. 

 

Setup would be Edgerouter x sfp - 1 AP AC lite for downstairs and 1 AP AC lite for upstairs.

Would another edgerouter be better?

[Falcon1986]

6 hours ago, TreeOfTerror said:

Would the edgerouter x sfp be a good solution? Enough POE ports for 2 AP's and plenty of possibilities. 

I doesn't run the unifi conroller but that shoudn't be a problem. EdgeOs is probably a bit less plug and play. 

 

Setup would be Edgerouter x sfp - 1 AP AC lite for downstairs and 1 AP AC lite for upstairs.

Would another edgerouter be better?

This is my preferred setup because your APs will be where they’re needed. If you kept the UDM in the closet, half of your WiFi signal would be wasted being broadcast in the garage and front yard.

 

I use an ER-X-SFP but I’ve connected my UAPs to a dedicated UniFi PoE switch; just awaiting transition to a USG and repurpose the ER-X-SFP. EdgeOS on the ER-X-SFP is not as easy-to-navigate as the UniFi controller, but it gives you access to a lot of controls. The built-in wizard will take you through the simple setup process. You’ll still need the UniFi controller to set up the UAPs, but that can be placed on a dedicated PC on the network or from your phone if you chose not to invest in a CloudKey or RPi controller.

 

The ER-X-SFP provides passive PoE at 24V which the UAP-AC-Lite/LR support so you should be good. The regular ER-X only supports 1 PoE pass through port out, so it can’t power your 2 UAP-AC-Lites. You could still use the power injectors for each device if you wanted to use the ER-X though. The cost of the other ERs jump up in price significantly after these two which is really putting you in UniFi Switch territory, so unless you really need a more costly ER for a particular reason, there’s no need to get any of those.

 

If you need additional ports on the ER-X-SFP to link the ethernet supply to the other rooms, you can always use a simple unmanaged gigabit switch (Amazon has some good TP-Link and Netgear 5/8 port switches for <$20).

[TheBeitemBeast]

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

he ER-X-SFP provides passive PoE at 24V which the UAP-AC-Lite/LR support so you should be good.

That is indeed the reason why I am looking at the ER-X SFP over the ER-X. 

 

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

If you need additional ports on the ER-X-SFP to link the ethernet supply to the other rooms, you can always use a simple unmanaged gigabit switch (Amazon has some good TP-Link and Netgear 5/8 port switches for <$20).

I already have a litle TP link 8 port unmanaged switch. 

 

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

I use an ER-X-SFP but I’ve connected my UAPs to a dedicated UniFi PoE switch; just awaiting transition to a USG and repurpose the ER-X-SFP. EdgeOS on the ER-X-SFP is not as easy-to-navigate as the UniFi controller, but it gives you access to a lot of controls. The built-in wizard will take you through the simple setup process. You’ll still need the UniFi controller to set up the UAPs, but that can be placed on a dedicated PC on the network or from your phone if you chose not to invest in a CloudKey or RPi controller

I won't be purchasing the Cloudkey, as I think it doesn't provide anything aditonal for me, as the router is EdgeOs. I suspect it will show all the stats etc in EdgeOs? 

[Falcon1986]

3 hours ago, TreeOfTerror said:

I won't be purchasing the Cloudkey, as I think it doesn't provide anything aditonal for me, as the router is EdgeOs. I suspect it will show all the stats etc in EdgeOs? 

UniFi is completely different than EdgeOS. They do not integrate with each other.

[TheBeitemBeast]

39 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

UniFi is completely different than EdgeOS. They do not integrate with each other.

You can see I'm quite a newbie I can manage the Edgerouter via EdgeOs and the AP's via unifi controller on a pc? Or is it possible to manage the AP's via EdgeOs?

[Falcon1986]

32 minutes ago, TreeOfTerror said:

You can see I'm quite a newbie I can manage the Edgerouter via EdgeOs and the AP's via unifi controller on a pc? Or is it possible to manage the AP's via EdgeOs?

Sorry, I assumed you had some understanding since you started the discussion choosing Ubiquiti.

 

No. EdgeOS is just the software that resides on the ER. You access it the same way as any other consumer router; i.e. the webUI at the local IP.

 

UniFi equipment management has to be done via the UniFi Controller separately. It cannot be done through EdgeOS, despite the devices being hooked up to the ER. The UniFi controller can be run locally within Windows, the phone app (although the controls might be a little limited) or installed on a RaspberryPi (which you hook up to the network). The simplest is the Windows installation, but make sure to back up your settings should you happen to lose the install.

[TheBeitemBeast]

4 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

Sorry, I assumed you had some understanding since you started the discussion choosing Ubiquiti

I know a little bit from networking but far far from an expert. I'm quite eager to learn more about networking, hence the choosing for u ubiquiti. 

 

I'm a bit stugling to estimate the range of the different ap's. I know it's not as easy since a lot is playing here: walls (solid brick here) and neighbours wifi shouting etc. Will 2 UAC AP lite be enough for about 160 m2, 2 floors? 

[Falcon1986]

1 hour ago, TreeOfTerror said:

I know a little bit from networking but far far from an expert. I'm quite eager to learn more about networking, hence the choosing for u ubiquiti. 

 

I'm a bit stugling to estimate the range of the different ap's. I know it's not as easy since a lot is playing here: walls (solid brick here) and neighbours wifi shouting etc. Will 2 UAC AP lite be enough for about 160 m2, 2 floors? 

You can start with 2 and add more as necessary.

 

One can be mounted between the kitchen and dining area on the ground floor, and the other can be mounted in the hallway between the bedrooms.

[TheBeitemBeast]

16 hours ago, Falcon1986 said:

You can start with 2 and add more as necessary.

 

One can be mounted between the kitchen and dining area on the ground floor, and the other can be mounted in the hallway between the bedrooms.

That was what I was planning to do. 

 

I think the UDM would be a better choice. 

The UDM would be in the living room and if necessary add an acces point for upstairs. 

This way I get the controller, firewall router, managed switch, though not Poe, and a great 4x4.MU-MiMO wave 2 radio in a single compact package.

[Falcon1986]

12 hours ago, TheBeitemBeast said:

That was what I was planning to do. 

 

I think the UDM would be a better choice. 

The UDM would be in the living room and if necessary add an acces point for upstairs. 

This way I get the controller, firewall router, managed switch, though not Poe, and a great 4x4.MU-MiMO wave 2 radio in a single compact package.

OK.

 

How will you connect the UDM to the additional AP upstairs?