Help: Access Point / Switch

[Junior Tan]

Scenario: Fiber modem-router at living room, new desktop in master bedroom, wants to have it connected via LAN but also need good WiFi signal with same SSID in the room. I have a 15m CAT cable long enough to reach master bedroom from modem.

Question: Is there any AP with multiple ports that can also work as desktop switch.

Any kind of help is appreciated, thanks!

[knightslugger]

Do you need more than two?

[Junior Tan]

Just now, knightslugger said:

Do you need more than two?

1 port for desktop and maybe another port for future proof

[knightslugger]

you'd be better off with a second switch.

 

UniFi AP Pro has two ports.

[Junior Tan]

Just now, knightslugger said:

you'd be better off with a second switch.

So what's your suggestion for my setup?

[Jarsky]

Unless you have Gigabit fiber, just put the AP with the modem and connect the desktop via wireless AC. 

 

[knightslugger]

one of two ways.

 

UniFi AP Pro or a gigabit switch in the room with a UniFi AP connected to it.

 

UniFi Pro: $150US (much cleaner)

Gigabit switch with UniFi AP: $90US-ish

[Junior Tan]

3 minutes ago, Jarsky said:

Unless you have Gigabit fiber, just put the AP with the modem and connect the desktop via wireless AC. 

 

I do have Gigabit fiber. My fiber modem is actually a modem router hybrid thingy. So there is already wireless in my house, but as usual with this kind of modem routers is that their WiFi are terrible.

[Junior Tan]

4 minutes ago, knightslugger said:

one of two ways.

 

UniFi AP Pro or a gigabit switch in the room with a UniFi AP connected to it.

 

UniFi Pro: $150US (much cleaner)

Gigabit switch with UniFi AP: $90US-ish

So you are saying that i have the switch in the master bedroom connected to the 15meter LAN, and have an AP connected to the switch?

[Jarsky]

3 minutes ago, Junior Tan said:

I do have Gigabit fiber. My fiber modem is actually a modem router hybrid thingy. So there is already wireless in my house, but as usual with this kind of modem routers is that their WiFi are terrible.

 

In that case, i'd look at something like this:

https://www.roc-noc.com/mikrotik/routerboard/260GSP.html

 

Giving you 4 Gigabit ports + 1 PoE port you could use to power a PoE capable Access Point

[Junior Tan]

Just now, Jarsky said:

 

In that case, i'd look at something like this:

https://www.roc-noc.com/mikrotik/routerboard/260GSP.html

 

Giving you 4 Gigabit ports + 1 PoE port you could use to power a PoE capable Access Point

Not sure if that is available in Singapore.
What about something like https://www.asus.com/sg/Networking/EAAC87/overview/ if i can't get my hands on that

[Jarsky]

2 minutes ago, Junior Tan said:

Not sure if that is available in Singapore.
What about something like https://www.asus.com/sg/Networking/EAAC87/overview/ if i can't get my hands on that

 

Thats a wireless bridge, its designed for joining 2 wired networks over wireless.

I don't know enough about that device, if you can repurpose one of the 5 ethernet ports to connect to your main router. Theres nothing stopping you using another all-in-one router as a switch & AP though. You just need to set a different IP address to your primary router, disable services on it like DHCP so you dont cause conflicts, and disable the firewall or put it in a DMZ (demilitirized zone) so you dont get double NAT'ing.

[Junior Tan]

10 minutes ago, Jarsky said:

 

Thats a wireless bridge, its designed for joining 2 wired networks over wireless.

I don't know enough about that device, if you can repurpose one of the 5 ethernet ports to connect to your main router. Theres nothing stopping you using another all-in-one router as a switch & AP though. You just need to set a different IP address to your primary router, disable services on it like DHCP so you dont cause conflicts, and disable the firewall or put it in a DMZ (demilitirized zone) so you dont get double NAT'ing.

Oh just realized that it was a bridge, thanks for pointing that out.
i also saw http://www.dlink.com.sg/product/dap-1665-ac1200-wireless-access-point/#nf_overview what do you think?

[knightslugger]

50 minutes ago, Junior Tan said:

So you are saying that i have the switch in the master bedroom connected to the 15meter LAN, and have an AP connected to the switch?

If you need an AP in the same room as the destop, then yes, that is it exactly.

[Jarsky]

32 minutes ago, Junior Tan said:

Oh just realized that it was a bridge, thanks for pointing that out.
i also saw http://www.dlink.com.sg/product/dap-1665-ac1200-wireless-access-point/#nf_overview what do you think?

 

That doesnt have a built in switch, it has a single port for connecting to your primary router.

 

This would work though, but you would need to do as i stated above.

http://www.dlink.com.sg/product/ac1200-wireless-dualband-gigabit-router/

 

So if we take your main internet router as Router 1, and the one in your bedroom as Router 2.

 

Router 2 - disable DHCP

Router 2 - Assign a static IP in the same class as Router 1. (i.e if Router 1 is 192.168.1.1 then Router 2 is 192.168.1.2. Another way you can do it, is get the mac address of router 2, and in router 1 you reserve 192.168.1.2 to router 2's mac address if router 1 has this feature)

Router 1 - Assign Router 2's IP address to the DMZ

Router 2 - Enable Wifi and configure the same SSID & Password that you use for Router 1 (so when you move around the house, it moves between AP's)

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Or you can get a Switch + Access Point only.

The main reason I recommended that Mikrotik RB260GSP is because it is compact, and has PoE on ports 2 & 5 which means you only have 1 cable going to a PoE compatible AP such as the Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Lite making it more tidy, and taking up less power sockets.

https://www.alagasnetwork.sg/estore/mikrotik/integrated-solutions/switches/mtik-rb260-gsp.html

http://www.lazada.sg/ubiquiti-unifi-dualband-ac1167-access-point-uap-ac-lite-4220897.html

 

[Junior Tan]

8 minutes ago, Jarsky said:

 

That doesnt have a built in switch, it has a single port for connecting to your primary router.

 

This would work though, but you would need to do as i stated above.

http://www.dlink.com.sg/product/ac1200-wireless-dualband-gigabit-router/

 

So if we take your main internet router as Router 1, and the one in your bedroom as Router 2.

 

Router 2 - disable DHCP

Router 2 - Assign a static IP in the same class as Router 1. (i.e if Router 1 is 192.168.1.1 then Router 2 is 192.168.1.2. Another way you can do it, is get the mac address of router 2, and in router 1 you reserve 192.168.1.2 to router 2's mac address if router 1 has this feature)

Router 1 - Assign Router 2's IP address to the DMZ

Router 2 - Enable Wifi and configure the same SSID & Password that you use for Router 1 (so when you move around the house, it moves between AP's)

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Or you can get a Switch + Access Point only.

The main reason I recommended that Mikrotik RB260GSP is because it is compact, and has PoE on ports 2 & 5 which means you only have 1 cable going to a PoE compatible AP such as the Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Lite making it more tidy, and taking up less power sockets.

https://www.alagasnetwork.sg/estore/mikrotik/integrated-solutions/switches/mtik-rb260-gsp.html

http://www.lazada.sg/ubiquiti-unifi-dualband-ac1167-access-point-uap-ac-lite-4220897.html

 

Thanks! So basically get a gigabit router and run it as an AP or get the switch + PoE AP. I think i will go for whichever is cheaper for me.

[Jarsky]

7 minutes ago, Junior Tan said:

Thanks! So basically get a gigabit router and run it as an AP or get the switch + PoE AP. I think i will go for whichever is cheaper for me.

 

You got it. Basically by doing those steps, you're disabling the routing features - and turning the router into a layer 2 switch with built in AP.