Router/AP Recommendations

[Misinthe]

Good morning everyone, I am looking for some recommendations on a router/ap combo, I need to connect 6 ethernet devices plus 1 access point, (2 if the router doesn't have WiFi). I just don't know which AP would work with any Router. Thank you!

[manikyath]

you can mix/match any access point with any router, as long as you dont need both to be the same ssid. (for that you need devices that support that)

[SpookyCitrus]

Access Points are pretty much universal to an extent, you can use them with pretty much any modern router. Hell even a router that already has WiFi itself. I don't have a whole lot of router recommends the one I use is an Edge Router X from Ubiquiti. As for access points I just switched to one of the TP Link WiFi 6 APs and it's freaking awesome. Highly recommend getting a WiFi 6 AP. The specific one I have is linked below.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PW34WPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

[Misinthe]

24 minutes ago, manikyath said:

you can mix/match any access point with any router, as long as you dont need both to be the same ssid. (for that you need devices that support that)

Sadly, yes, I need it to be the same SSID so it can be a smooth transition. Not having to use two different networks.

[Misinthe]

1 minute ago, SpookyCitrus said:

Access Points are pretty much universal to an extent, you can use them with pretty much any modern router. Hell even a router that already has WiFi itself. I don't have a whole lot of router recommends the one I use is an Edge Router X from Ubiquiti. As for access points I just switched to one of the TP Link WiFi 6 APs and it's freaking awesome. Highly recommend getting a WiFi 6 AP. The specific one I have is linked below.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PW34WPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

If you already had the Edge Router, why didn't you go with one of their APs?

[SpookyCitrus]

6 minutes ago, Miguel552 said:

If you already had the Edge Router, why didn't you go with one of their APs?

I originally had both the Ubiquiti AP Lite and an Ubiquiti AP LR(long range beefy boi) and both just had weird issues. They worked fine for a bit, used the Lite for about a year then upgraded to the LR because the range of the Lite started constantly having issues. The LR itself worked mostly fine for a year then just died, I say mostly because I was constantly having to update it's firmware and do software resets on it because it would stop working every other month. At the time the AP LR died Ubiquiti didn't have Wifi 6 stuff and they've been having distribution and stock issues since the beginning of the pandemic. So I got the TP Link and haven't regretted it, no issues whatsoever. I'm not a Ubiquiti hater by any means I still use their Mesh setups in multiple of my locations without issue, it's just their non mesh commercial APs I've had issues with.

[Misinthe]

8 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

I originally had both the Ubiquiti AP Lite and an Ubiquiti AP LR(long range beefy boi) and both just had weird issues. They worked fine for a bit, used the Lite for about a year then upgraded to the LR because the range of the Lite started constantly having issues. The LR itself worked mostly fine for a year then just died, I say mostly because I was constantly having to update it's firmware and do software resets on it because it would stop working every other month. At the time the AP LR died Ubiquiti didn't have Wifi 6 stuff and they've been having distribution and stock issues since the beginning of the pandemic. So I got the TP Link and haven't regretted it, no issues whatsoever. I'm not a Ubiquiti hater by any means I still use their Mesh setups in multiple of my locations without issue, it's just their non mesh commercial APs I've had issues with.

Thank you for the info, how do you manage the AP? Does the Edge Router recognizes and manages them or do you have to manage them separately? If I get an Edge Router X (the only one in stock) I would have to get an extra switch and 2 APs.

[SpookyCitrus]

36 minutes ago, Miguel552 said:

Thank you for the info, how do you manage the AP? Does the Edge Router recognizes and manages them or do you have to manage them separately? If I get an Edge Router X (the only one in stock) I would have to get an extra switch and 2 APs.

The APs are managed independently from the router regardless of if you get the same manufacturer or not. Usually the only time the AP will be managed in the router settings is if you buy a wireless router where the AP is built in.

The TP link APs use an app called Omada and the Ubiquiti ones use the Ubiquiti Unifi App whilst the router is controlled by a separate app or the standard router login through the browser. The APs are easy to setup, it's the router that takes a bit of doing to get the settings dialed in. 

[Misinthe]

16 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

The APs are managed independently from the router regardless of if you get the same manufacturer or not. The only time the AP will be managed in the router settings is if you buy a wireless router where the AP is built in.

The TP link APs use an app called Omada and the Ubiquiti ones use the Ubiquiti Unifi App whilst the router is controlled by a separate app or the standard router login through the browser. The APs are easy to setup, it's the router that takes a bit of doing to get the settings dialed in. 

I use a UDM-Pro with 3 Switches and 2 In-Wall APs at home, and I controll the APs through the UDM-Pro, that's why I was asking how this ones worked, I've never used an Edge Router though. But it looks good in price, Router is $60, AP is $180 and just add one Switch Flex Mini for $30 to get all the ports needed.