Ubiquiti WiFi

[TheCaptain53]

So my WiFi is poo. I live up in the attic of our house, with our BT wireless router sitting two flights of stairs down in the living room. I was running my PC off WiFi, worked surprisingly well, but I'm now using powerline.

I've been thinking of upgrading the WiFi in my house. LTT did a video on a Ubiquiti AP a while back, but it looked like an enterprise one. Does anyone have experience with their consumer grade stuff? I've been looking at this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008M8GZQU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=A1CSD37BFGDG5P

[Oshino Shinobu]

I have two similar ones arriving on Monday (just the normal UAP, not UAP-3). They're the best in terms of features for the price as far as I can tell, and seem to be easy to set up. 

 

If you remind me sometime on Monday, I can give you my impressions of them. 

[Speed bump]

I have had the same problem as you have, my solution? I ended up drilling trough walls and floors to route my own UTP cable. Just because these AP didn't work for me and the power line was just 20% percent of my internet speed my modem was receiving.

This is maybe the best solution you will have for your computer, although you can still buy that AP and split up your connection for the AP so your wireless devices will work fine.

[TheCaptain53]

I have two similar ones arriving on Monday (just the normal UAP, not UAP-3). They're the best in terms of features for the price as far as I can tell, and seem to be easy to set up. 

 

If you remind me sometime on Monday, I can give you my impressions of them. 

Sounds good, mate. I'll give you a shout on Monday.

[Footy]

I installed some of these at my parents house a few weeks ago, they live in a converted old stone church, I got 6x of the LR ones.

I did the following;

Disabled BT Router Wifi

Connected 1 AP directly to the BT Router

Connected 2 APs via PowerLine adapters

Connected 2 APs (upstairs) wireless to the APs downstairs.

1 AP as a hot spare.

 

I also connected a Raspberry Pi with wireless at the worst place in the house and have run network monitoring tools. (stats below)

They are now able to get full strength wireless all over the house and in the garden. It is true I may have gone slightly for overkill here however I wanted just to solve the problem and not have to keep supporting a solution for the next 5 years.

 

http://imgur.com/0p2B48X

[braneopbru]

I set one of these up for a friend the other day.

 

Setup was ridiculously easy. I'm not sure I can even convey how absurdly simple it is. Plug it in, run the controller software, enter your desired security settings and your device is accepting clients.

 

I set it up with the same security settings as her existing router; by the time the pop up window with the security options closed, I could see some of her devices connected to it already.

 

Be aware that this model only has a 100mb ethernet port, so you will be limited as to what kind of speeds you can get between your wired and wireless networks. Much better to go for the AC version with the gigabit port.

[Guest]

What'd you need to know? I've sold hundreds of these and am about to do my AirMax certification. Great AP's if you're aware of their shortfalls.

[TheCaptain53]

I set one of these up for a friend the other day.

 

Setup was ridiculously easy. I'm not sure I can even convey how absurdly simple it is. Plug it in, run the controller software, enter your desired security settings and your device is accepting clients.

 

I set it up with the same security settings as her existing router; by the time the pop up window with the security options closed, I could see some of her devices connected to it already.

 

Be aware that this model only has a 100mb ethernet port, so you will be limited as to what kind of speeds you can get between your wired and wireless networks. Much better to go for the AC version with the gigabit port.

100 Mbps would probably suffice for the wireless clients, I've got very poor broadband speed, it's mainly to just improve reliability.

[braneopbru]

.....Great AP's if you're aware of their shortfalls.

Details on this?

[TheCaptain53]

Great AP's if you're aware of their shortfalls.

 

Details on this?

Agreed, what are the shortfalls?

[MrStraightface]

I just got one.  

 

the range is INSANE compared to the shitty AP I was using.

 

only issue I thought was odd is you can't access it via IP address only.  you have to go through a java applet on your desktop.  that icon is broken from the start and you have to right click properties and add:

 

-jar "C:\Users\Chris\Ubiquiti UniFi\lib\ace.jar" ui

 

other than  that you're gold.

[MariusJS]

I just got one.  

 

the range is INSANE compared to the shitty AP I was using.

 

only issue I thought was odd is you can't access it via IP address only.  you have to go through a java applet on your desktop.  that icon is broken from the start and you have to right click properties and add:

 

-jar "C:\Users\Chris\Ubiquiti UniFi\lib\ace.jar" ui

 

other than  that you're gold.

If you update the controller you can use the new web interface

 

Also they have new AC units out that are cheap

[Guest]

Details on this?

These correspond to the UAP and UAP LR.

- 24v PoE - no 48v support means no standard PoE switch

- Single SSID support

- Just because your ap does 600ft coverage, the client needs to be able to reply. Phones and tablets will struggle.

- Initial AP adoption can be buggy without DHCP enabled

Note: UAP-AC does not support auto handoff due to a hardware bug. This is fixed in the new models just released.

If you've got more questions on their products, let me know

[TheCaptain53]

These correspond to the UAP and UAP LR.

- 24v PoE - no 48v support means no standard PoE switch

- Single SSID support

- Just because your ap does 600ft coverage, the client needs to be able to reply. Phones and tablets will struggle.

- Initial AP adoption can be buggy without DHCP enabled

Note: UAP-AC does not support auto handoff due to a hardware bug. This is fixed in the new models just released.

If you've got more questions on their products, let me know

Fortunately, most of those points don't apply to a home use scenario, so that's a positive! Having multiple SSID's would have been nice, and to be able to have PoE Switch support would have been great. However, I think I could live without those features.

By auto handoff, I assume you mean some kind of AP switching on the client side for better signal?

[braneopbru]

These correspond to the UAP and UAP LR.

- 24v PoE - no 48v support means no standard PoE switch

- Single SSID support

- Just because your ap does 600ft coverage, the client needs to be able to reply. Phones and tablets will struggle.

- Initial AP adoption can be buggy without DHCP enabled

Note: UAP-AC does not support auto handoff due to a hardware bug. This is fixed in the new models just released.

If you've got more questions on their products, let me know

Thanks for that.

 

I was aware that the passive PoE in these is not compatible with PoE switches. I know that Ubiquiti does make an adapter to be able to do that, but it is a shame that they chose that route instead of supporting 802.3af right out box, but I'm sure it must have had to do with cost savings.

 

Personally I think the biggest drawback is the 100mb ethernet port, especially considering the availability of 100mb+ home internet connections and the number of people streaming movies from NAS servers in the home. 

[braneopbru]

By auto handoff, I assume you mean some kind of AP switching on the client side for better signal?

That would be the Zero Handoff roaming. It's supposed to allow you to automatically switch between the strongest AP in a multi AP setup while in the middle of something without interrupting the transfer. Normally if you switched APs while streaming a video, the video would pause and you would have to restart it or you might get a dropped call on voip. The Zere Handoff is supposed to eliminate that.

 

As far as the Single SSID, I know that the UAP that I set up for my friend gave me the option of setting up a seperate guest network on the same AP. That is usually more than sufficient for the vast majority of home users.

[TheCaptain53]

That would be the Zero Handoff roaming. It's supposed to allow you to automatically switch between the strongest AP in a multi AP setup while in the middle of something without interrupting the transfer. Normally if you switched APs while streaming a video, the video would pause and you would have to restart it or you might get a dropped call on voip. The Zere Handoff is supposed to eliminate that.

 

As far as the Single SSID, I know that the UAP that I set up for my friend gave me the option of setting up a seperate guest network on the same AP. That is usually more than sufficient for the vast majority of home users.

Sounds good, I'll have to look into getting some of these APs at some point to try them out.

On a more exciting note, I bought an 8-port Gigabit switch and a Steam Link. It'll be connected to the TV in the living room two flights of stairs down, which will be connected to my PC via powerline, so it should be interesting to see the latency and quality of stream.

[Guest]

Fortunately, most of those points don't apply to a home use scenario, so that's a positive! Having multiple SSID's would have been nice, and to be able to have PoE Switch support would have been great. However, I think I could live without those features.

By auto handoff, I assume you mean some kind of AP switching on the client side for better signal?

it means that the lack of roaming zero hand off support meant that if you were on a VoIP call or similar, the call would drop when you switch AP's. Only the UAP AC is affected by this though.

[MariusJS]

These correspond to the UAP and UAP LR.

- 24v PoE - no 48v support means no standard PoE switch

- Single SSID support

- Just because your ap does 600ft coverage, the client needs to be able to reply. Phones and tablets will struggle.

- Initial AP adoption can be buggy without DHCP enabled

Note: UAP-AC does not support auto handoff due to a hardware bug. This is fixed in the new models just released.

If you've got more questions on their products, let me know

I can do more than one SSID on UAP-LR

 

 

Thanks for that.

 

I was aware that the passive PoE in these is not compatible with PoE switches. I know that Ubiquiti does make an adapter to be able to do that, but it is a shame that they chose that route instead of supporting 802.3af right out box, but I'm sure it must have had to do with cost savings.

 

Personally I think the biggest drawback is the 100mb ethernet port, especially considering the availability of 100mb+ home internet connections and the number of people streaming movies from NAS servers in the home. 

Uhm, they are compatible with switches, you just need the right switch

 

And OFC the port's on the AC ones are 1Gbit

[Scheer]

These correspond to the UAP and UAP LR.

- 24v PoE - no 48v support means no standard PoE switch

- Single SSID support

- Initial AP adoption can be buggy without DHCP enabled

 

I'm sure you know, but in case others are wondering they do sell a $20 converter to run off PoE, and they have some new models out that support PoE and PoE+.

 

I have the UAP and have multiple SSIDs.

 

Adoption is a complete PITA... I had mine for a week before I finally figured out how to add it, it was a problem with my network though, so I can't entirely blame Ubiqiuti for it.   Had to add a cname for the controller in my DNS.

[Guest]

I'm sure you know, but in case others are wondering they do sell a $20 converter to run off PoE, and they have some new models out that support PoE and PoE+.

 

I have the UAP and have multiple SSIDs.

 

Adoption is a complete PITA... I had mine for a week before I finally figured out how to add it, it was a problem with my network though, so I can't entirely blame Ubiqiuti for it.   Had to add a cname for the controller in my DNS.

I am aware of the PoE thing. As for the SSID issue, I haven't tested it myself however a senior Ubiquiti engineer was telling me that the UAP (and UAP-LR) only supports 1 SSID plus guest SSID.

[Scheer]

I am aware of the PoE thing. As for the SSID issue, I haven't tested it myself however a senior Ubiquiti engineer was telling me that the UAP (and UAP-LR) only supports 1 SSID plus guest SSID.

 

I was curious as I've never actually tried it, just remember seeing the maximum of 4 wireless networks line, so I gave it a try and it does work.

 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/wwXo9bNTIwwDPdwLhMn1ilHjyZumS_XgT-yixljsV7J136gsFHeobkIxKCCSYFqmcwuK_NuoZV6LnZ7e_R1Z-U8cECHsvMq0RrVmE9wCJCEWVqJcG-CXlwcpzxfUoCuBZWkbvvoS0Is6y7lKU3K7JiqTOX_2jcd5VoIUm7u5AEvEHwXeNe2qG4W6Ir4U0KH3m28vfq7Agb72EVrvJWpaiFwoRw7FnwLVxP-x0tvvKyO0L054a2_bWfxdSP8yv2gDiRhtcwIpwAKWTMgF7JoclKIs_rnG-Xicvo-v7LyHOV36oFcN3PlORM6JpgFRNDpGU8tyvouwY9d7qgVruH7Dz4Z-MPTeYWXSc2CcF-zfwxFPBphFeRmwMG1MMi4o-mG5jLniDNFt0YWKH13PzacfL4yC5Kru2nMFwx1htxTAcUOhmgwoLUTHdzkSvjA5wOAkKSjN0PrQ6cOSR4tp3MlZAqbsojoZ-lf5oRMPXmMej7klD4RFbgPPpLPY5rj76g55z9j_A7mc5Sn5wzspcdpn1_l5Rq6lNA=s1223

 

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/X-BVkuFy87cfMNSfaVVskuK-FC8N_j30714h93C1FeTAmpv1uJjyXu-UvX_Lg_qQ05P59_x8tWq7ePbkGtmJeDGxsoqZP-4tkk3O1c7aoud1le7JOhncbEO6u_aF2RT-4L2-uI2sZ1LlEDgIC8ehuJRJ7c5gxbVDQ9V1z9BLD0ChBJY7jej5VvGfDX7Br_q5Af_iyQ09L-_7uymD5zrYqJA0TPJM_E8u1kK1BM_O5mOJKyfLnBssibhxc5KTXjE9XuUrBn0oRccOFU3bAwcag3G7TU7T6D6S0DSgM2o9QVQwo6Al7IJ0ccG2HOjFwk3thgVnOm2QL45QqkDFHokeK-0kvpT1ND54o1K-738U3tPD999GUba1MlUBjrSctylOEmmWGvWOkh7RZbju1HxeqVoFG6OZC7LJ3Z2pm1mACaVIgPctoU2X7H2LMSG6nx5C2CChnsVUkKQ3QEAV4kiDrowNE8obAXjWK4CZUN7QCBMffTnEWn6YDOvlnj4mu53K9C3BByVXr22z2ntbEpGvmpg369TZRw=s720

[MariusJS]

I was curious as I've never actually tried it, just remember seeing the maximum of 4 wireless networks line, so I gave it a try and it does work.

 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/icJmaHyMChv7R5RfWshni2OoY0Fak24-jDClRadm8Up46Tgd1UNED_H4mwNcj2ZIy6m8ZKZEFF7iOzb7T1HRL0h6r_yoC6iWmaSL8t3AU2a6VyAheaNblGTd4JdPOhKgufqOEgRYsBFLPldCRkHkumk9W8iEMa41fMsllkyzMd-gkrMmK-mTOawefu6eSNEBOmgHOOwzfl6FX40JuMsVD8aVVHBs5WcJWUY3on9Rk020U9akklgkc6mnekifdgXFNAyRlbNt7ezils2q-E0rdj6QCWIxfq6dJyCNrNi0463NkH0TcI_Chdf1nruHMk6vtzlXppTju4YukDWs7_9GVd9_-8U_L31P52ydOUDRgOjSCdK_JP3Y6zzCIqaEgLBiZKNyClM5nfj7zU-95WVJ9gyg7_2AqcLnSu8MLnfyRRSBSjjWjp0l1LCVTwJJpAgP09l_PGkYFqZJezUvKhNFCO_koWnQ-OBr-DwbKjtF2KPDS6loe1ZjS5mFlYfuId-0OSsQFyZHvy4LH2fj-Fr5nbTWZD9SkrQ-4N4zWlhLxt4j=w1223-h687-no

 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yKJNmq65Rh1KzFKajcqo7kZjkZ9h9z8GAQo06tv76E4sWEKgWenEUTh-PH6qMbO8uFiT88vr1B56YQfw5OBavES9vOcC66j30KcOVQOzcKaK7ljnyvmOQzy1mhMl_tGkTxzLcKsDArv9IMArCfJ44_RtUgQLXHqxiP34td40YR_Yvve-MXVkebwImbTX7X7AX4bwtka3J8McWIsatN5MjU7ABO-7W4sdL8i0YKCZiPu1tiUC2z_aPRR4Z4PXS1B09QAMXNkiJPFVcv9A2W9P848ClNY0fUXrAG0gHPF4MmPqLOGOawi_GZEqGu2qKI_DzFF-LjvrNkMylyY9Ls-vEkxOP3JHNCKql3liUECBJe8YM_2T3eUUteBDdaD5_lMIC-eNtPSmsrXmEXuK3NO4fxH7H9l3fgiTZenJDB2QG8Q2jzQrNIzrty8oXIjw-5yE4mc43m03joirD0vBLdSvS3v7sfDHDWlKsLFgTWXHc-WZ3rffKiikSLsdUOEWilbfd8qqxVIgWtCNa-1XVKouhScWKtpM87DHv0LoUEewoO37=w551-h979-no

Those links does not work

[Scheer]

Those links does not work

 

Sorry, I grabbed the wrong link, should be good now.