Best Wifi Access point/router

[Shadow_Storm56]

Looking to upgrade my main Wifi access point on the farm, I guess it's a router but that part of it's disabled it's just used to broadcast the wifi network. Although I like speed In this case it's more about lots of devices all getting a decent speed vs one getting a really high speed. Also range is important too and ability to deal with obstacles. Some do better at this than others. 

 

Speed is still nice but give many devices a goodd speed vs a few a really fast speed is the goal. 

 

I don't care about it being the cheapest either although I don't want the most expensive one just for the sake of being expensive. I do like Asus though...

 

 

[TylerD321]

2 minutes ago, Shadow_Storm56 said:

I do like Asus though...

Blasphemy.

 

Are you looking to replace your entire wifi set up? Like with a mesh system? Do you intend on having these connected via ethernet or just wirelessly?

[Shadow_Storm56]

I have other segments with repeaters and PTP things. This is my main access point in my yard that handles alll the devices of all my staff, us, POS systems....sensors..ect. I'm looking to replace that part. 

[Alex Atkin UK]

44 minutes ago, Shadow_Storm56 said:

I have other segments with repeaters and PTP things. This is my main access point in my yard that handles alll the devices of all my staff, us, POS systems....sensors..ect. I'm looking to replace that part. 

I'd personally be looking at proper enterprise Access Points that can be ceiling mounted, that tends to help the range and they handle more devices better than home routers.

[BINBASH]

4 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

I'd personally be looking at proper enterprise Access Points that can be ceiling mounted, that tends to help the range and they handle more devices better than home routers.

Agreed, sounds like you need them to work consistently and reliably for your POS, PTP, and sensors. I would go with Ubiquiti. I recommend either the U6-Mesh or the AC-Mesh Pro.

 

Access Point WiFi 6 Mesh - Ubiquiti Store United States

Access Point AC Mesh Pro - Ubiquiti Store United States

[Shadow_Storm56]

Your advice normally would make sense but alot of the area is outdoor open space and the current main device is a big asus router which has worked fine but is getting older and needs an upgrade. I need that one large coverage device for this area, as far as mesh for the extension zones that is actually a good idea.

[BINBASH]

13 hours ago, Shadow_Storm56 said:

Your advice normally would make sense but alot of the area is outdoor open space and the current main device is a big asus router which has worked fine but is getting older and needs an upgrade. I need that one large coverage device for this area, as far as mesh for the extension zones that is actually a good idea.

So part of why I selected those is because they're weatherproof, I'm not sure if that matters for you but you can put them just about anywhere. Let me take a look at some other Ubuiquiti stuff, their products mesh so well together that if you do choose to pull the trigger on those U-6/AC-Mesh's for the extension zones you'll want a solid central unit like you said.

[BINBASH]

1 minute ago, BINBASH said:

So part of why I selected those is because they're weatherproof, I'm not sure if that matters for you but you can put them just about anywhere. Let me take a look at some other Ubuiquiti stuff, their products mesh so well together that if you do choose to pull the trigger on those U-6/AC-Mesh's for the extension zones you'll want a solid central unit like you said.

Actually, why complicate it, I'd just go with their flagship offering the UniFi U6 (Long Range)

UniFi U6 Long-Range - Tech Specs (ui.com)

[LIGISTX]

23 hours ago, Shadow_Storm56 said:

big asus router which has worked fine but is getting older and needs an upgrade

If it’s still working as intended… I wouldn’t bother “upgrading”. To do this correctly, it will be expensive. To do it “crapily”, it won’t be all that expensive but probably wouldn’t gain you much. If it works, just keep letting it work. If it isn’t working for you… why is that? What is the reason you think it needs to be upgraded? 

[Shadow_Storm56]

On 5/16/2024 at 7:39 PM, LIGISTX said:

If it’s still working as intended… I wouldn’t bother “upgrading”. To do this correctly, it will be expensive. To do it “crapily”, it won’t be all that expensive but probably wouldn’t gain you much. If it works, just keep letting it work. If it isn’t working for you… why is that? What is the reason you think it needs to be upgraded? 

Literally just as time goes on the output from this access point is getting slower and more glitchy..... I just was looking to replace the access point/router with a new version. Current one is one of thoes Asus  ones with like 6 antennas. Was very expensive but is quite a few years old now. 

 

Just looking to replace it and may as well go with somthing with more range and more speed. I fight alot with metal siding and such that reduce signal so more signal is always better. Plus theres newer protocols out there now and such that work better. It's the weak spot in my network...

 

Phones hate my network but that's less important. Modern phones (atleast samsung) will always hang on to a network until it's completely no signal before switching to the now closer one with full bars. Happens with mesh too, when I was in university sometimes I'd stop in an area and my phone wanted to hang on to the weak connection rather than jump to the next mesh node. 

 

Anyways that's unrelated I am not really too concerned about phones most of my WIFI connected devices don't move much.

[Falcon1986]

On 5/17/2024 at 9:14 PM, Shadow_Storm56 said:

Just looking to replace it and may as well go with somthing with more range and more speed. I fight alot with metal siding and such that reduce signal so more signal is always better.

The solution to increasing WiFi’s range and speed is generally to increase the number of access points to which clients can connect. This prevents a single AP from getting overloaded with managing multiple simultaneously-active clients. You’ll have to space the APs out appropriately so they interfere with each other minimally.

 

Also, the more antennae an AP has, the more clients it can keep connected simultaneously. That’s why you’ll find some APs like UniFi’s BaseStation XG are designed for “high-density” applications (e.g. stadiums, arenas, etc.).

 

Relying on a single AP to reach everywhere and keep all clients connected is for home applications. If you need to support multiple clients (whether it’s a warehouse-like setup like a supermarket, or a farm where you have lots of workers and IoT sensors, etc.), you’ll have to scale accordingly.

 

That being said, scaling WiFi to large applications gets expensive pretty fast. Ubiquiti’s APs are probably the best bang-for-the-buck options you’re going to get compared to other options where licenses are required. Don’t be put off by the different form factors; there’s always an outdoor-rated version of a ceiling-mounted “saucer” or you can put what you like into a weatherproof enclosure. Alternatively, you can look at what Alta has to offer. They’re another manufacturer whose products work just as well as Ubiquiti and might actually have better features. If you’re willing to shell out for higher quality, consider Ruckus’ outdoor APs. IIRC (correct me if I’m wrong), getting their products as “Unleashed” frees you from having to pay license fees but also doesn’t provide you with technical support.