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Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

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Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#81

Post by reitanqild »

shmerl wrote: post #52
awgneo wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried DD-WRT and OpenWRT on this particular Linksys router and it was no better, but this is besides the point. It made me step back and realize that I shouldn't ever have to install a third party OS just to have a router that doesn't drop out multiple times per day.

I think the opposite. I prefer to have an open OS installed. It's a question of trust. And did you try the recent version of DD-WRT there by the way?

At the point where you realise the sw + fw + hw package you bought doesn't do what it is supposed to I'd say you should strongly consider returning it; if for nothing else then to teach them a lesson :-/

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#82

Post by tjohns »

colanderman wrote: post #54

For the rest of us with budgets of less than a month's rent, I'd recommend Mikrotik. Just as reliable as an Ubiquiti (as in, never needs a reboot), yet is still a single box you can set in the corner and forget about if you wish. Or set up a mesh of their $20 units to blanket your three-story house if you're so lucky. (Nothing against Ubiquiti which I'm sure is great, but I've been a very happy Mikrotik user for year…

The two also play very well together, since they're all single-purpose devices.

I use a Mikrotik RB2011 (non-WiFi) router for Internet connectivity, and Unifi APs spread throughout the house for wireless. I've had nothing but good things to say about the setup.

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#83

Post by shmerl »

reitanqild wrote: post #81
shmerl wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the opposite. I prefer to have an open OS installed. It's a question of trust. And did you try the recent version of DD-WRT there by the way?

At the point where you realise the sw + fw + hw package you bought doesn't do what it is supposed to I'd say you should strongly consider returning it; if for nothing else then to teach them a lesson :-/

> you should strongly consider returning it

I specifically bought hardware with open WiFi driver and well compatible with open OSes, to be able to replace the stock installation. Why should I return it now?

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#84

Post by uean »

ComputerGuru wrote: post #65
uean wrote: post #48

I've taken over deployments of UniFi gear and do not have nice things to say about them. We typically deal in the Aerohive and Meraki world and I find the Ubiquiti zero-handoff to be terrible (I see real-world handoff times of up to 8 seconds in some cases) auto channel selection inneffective, band-steering implementation completely broken, and then just some basic lack of features of things that, to be fair, I would…

What would you recommend for a similar configuration as the OP's? I've ended up using pfSense combined with enterprise switches and ultra-dumb access points with 802.11Q support to simply - as transparently as possible - bring the wireless devices into the network administration fold. I've taken to using the higher end TP-Link AC routers as my APs, but have played with Ubiquiti instead as well.

Totally and entirely depends on price point. If I get to be in charge of your wallet and you promise not to look at your VISA until after I leave, you'll end up with Meraki all over the place. It does have its flaws, but they are minor in the grand scheme of things compared to everything it does right.

As for the OP, its a tough call. My complaints with Ubiquiti are in a heavy use congested RF environment. Not really much to say when comparing to a 5000 sqft house. We generally work around a budget but if I dont have to care about cost I'll deploy Meraki, then Aerohive, then get forced into Sonicpoint, and then there's a few other options I'd just feel bad and they don't deserve the HN referral traffic.

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#85

Post by tbrock »

dlgeek wrote: post #6
tbrock wrote: post #2

Ubiquiti is the best. Their stuff rivals and even beats lots of the more expensive stuff at a fraction of the price. It's all very high quality but so cheap that you think they are joking when you see the price. Edge router: amazing Edge switch: amazing AC access points: amazing I've never tried any of the unifi stuff though.

The AC access points are UniFi unless you have some now-discontinued product.

I meant the unifi switches and routers

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#86

Post by noja »

duopixel wrote: post #71
nine_k wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having a somehow famous name does not make a deplorable action magically virtuous.

OP made no moral claim, just stated unreferenced facts.

Nothing is so black and white. If you point out that others are engaging in bad behaviour, then it makes that bad behaviour look less bad.

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#87

Post by uean »

mrb wrote: post #63
uean wrote: post #48

I've taken over deployments of UniFi gear and do not have nice things to say about them. We typically deal in the Aerohive and Meraki world and I find the Ubiquiti zero-handoff to be terrible (I see real-world handoff times of up to 8 seconds in some cases) auto channel selection inneffective, band-steering implementation completely broken, and then just some basic lack of features of things that, to be fair, I would…

Sounds like you have been dealing with older gear. Zero handoff is a deprecated feature which is no longer supported in current products. Nowadays Ubiquiti simply recommends roaming: https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205144590-UniFi-What...

Yes - probably, though our most recent takeover was in August and I didn't see that link. Just knew it was broken and sounds like they're admitting their implementation of an 802.11 standard is broken to me :) The particular link is another gripe I have with Ubiquiti - most of their articles are left up with referral links to new documentation. Here's an example - up until Dec 3rd (from at least October) Ubiquiti marked their only documentation on setting up the UniFi Controller to run as a Windows service (1) as 'Outdated' (2). Dec 3rd they updated it with new instructions

(1) - https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205144550--Outdated-... (2) - https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi-Wireless/Run-UniFi-as-a-...

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#88

Post by noja »

mitchty wrote: post #37

So I just got the ac pro access point last week. Its fine, about my only complaint is my laptop will continually drop from ac to n constantly and I'm not more that 15 feet from the AP. My phone stays on ac all the time. Not sure how to fix it. That and the stupid java application needed to configure were not my most favorite on boarding experiences. Seems an ok system but not super great for getting set up. Its defin…

Did you try enabling band steering?

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#89

Post by eplanit »

csmajorfive wrote: post #59
newman314 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe their mesh product line would be of help?

I've had bad experiences with other mesh products (Eero, namely) but perhaps.

Oh -- I'm curious. I just bought a set of Eeros. So far they've made a big improvement (old house, thick walls, etc.). What problems did you have with them?

Re: Ubiquiti all the things: How I fixed my dodgy Wi-Fi

#90

Post by newman314 »

uean wrote: post #84
ComputerGuru wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would you recommend for a similar configuration as the OP's? I've ended up using pfSense combined with enterprise switches and ultra-dumb access points with 802.11Q support to simply - as transparently as possible - bring the wireless devices into the network administration fold. I've taken to using the higher end TP-Link AC routers as my APs, but have played with Ubiquiti instead as well.

Totally and entirely depends on price point. If I get to be in charge of your wallet and you promise not to look at your VISA until after I leave, you'll end up with Meraki all over the place. It does have its flaws, but they are minor in the grand scheme of things compared to everything it does right. As for the OP, its a tough call. My complaints with Ubiquiti are in a heavy use congested RF environment. Not really…

Meraki is nice but I don't like the cloud based bit as well as the licensing.
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