Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've moved to buying last gen used Ruckus Unleashed APs (usually R720 as they are cheap and very reliable). Way higher quality but steep learning curve for many functions, although if someone is willing to put in some effort it's not that bad.
Usually, I use Mikrotik wAP ACs for this kind of thing. They're cheap-enough to buy brand new, and they're designed to be able to work outdoors in the weather. But I might pick up an R720 just to play with -- that's a different echelon of gear. Thanks for the tip.
UniFi 5G
281–290 of 316 posts
Re: UniFi 5G
#282Earlier quoted context omitted.
Usually, I use Mikrotik wAP ACs for this kind of thing. They're cheap-enough to buy brand new, and they're designed to be able to work outdoors in the weather. But I might pick up an R720 just to play with -- that's a different echelon of gear. Thanks for the tip.
Not that everyone needs it, but it doesn't seem like Mikrotik has any 6E or 7 WAPs? If they do, I'd love to try one
802.11ax ("wifi 6") is as good as it gets, with [eg] their wAP AX.
They get a lot of stuff right, though. They run RouterOS, which is a custom userland for Linux that is intensely flexible. Approximately any routing-esque function a person can dream up that can work with a Linux kernel can be made to work within RouterOS.
The form factor of the wAP AC/AX boxes is really very nice -- they can blend well in on a wall (inside or outside), attached to a pipe, or whatever. I've got a wAP AC on the wall of my living room, for instance. I use another one when "camping" off-grid, zip-tied to the leg of an easy-up awning.
It's ostensibly just an access point, but it doesn't have to be. I mean, like: There's two ethernet ports, but they exist without a preconceived function. Want to use it as a router, with hardware WAN and LAN ports? How about with VLANs and a managed switch instead, so it works with just one cable? Eleventy-five different SSIDs? Bridging networks with wifi? Using station mode to leech bandwidth from the cafe across the street, and perform firewalling and NAT and VPN, so you can use it in your apartment -- with only one box? Sure, no problem. Whatever it is, it works.
Power is flexible. All of the bits to use passive POE are included; or it can just plug in with the included DC connector; or it can use proper 802.3af PoE.
I don't know how it compares to something from Ruckus, but I'm much more pleased with it than the Ubiquity gear that I am presently taking a break from fighting with.
Re: UniFi 5G
#283Earlier quoted context omitted.
Usually, I use Mikrotik wAP ACs for this kind of thing. They're cheap-enough to buy brand new, and they're designed to be able to work outdoors in the weather. But I might pick up an R720 just to play with -- that's a different echelon of gear. Thanks for the tip.
Not that everyone needs it, but it doesn't seem like Mikrotik has any 6E or 7 WAPs? If they do, I'd love to try one
Re: UniFi 5G
#284Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unifi is the Apple of networking gear. When something new is released the HN crowd is excited even when the same functionality existed already with another company.
This seems like a stretch. If your position is that the REAL experts are using Cisco gear instead, I guess fine. But the "HN Crowd" loves using Ubiquiti at home because it is light years better than any consumer brand, (1) in terms of giving people who know what they're doing sufficient control to do so, (2) in terms of performance, and (3) in terms of not being a buggy piece of crap. Contrast with: (1) eero has no w…
True, however before I was running a UniFi household I did quite enjoy Apple's Airport equipment. Back in the day it felt like they were the first time I had consumer networking equipment that I wasn't forced to reboot regularly to resolve issues.
Re: UniFi 5G
#285Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Not everyone wants to fix old hardware and configure linux on their weekends I thought this was Hacker News.
UniFi customers =/= Hacker News.
I would challenge you to try supporting your family using your home network doing esoteric things, the juice is not worth the squeeze. I can give my wife the UniFi login and she can figure things out well enough on her own, and it lets us easily integrated networked devices that don't serve network connectivity (e.g. IP cameras) into our day-to-day as well.
Do I think UniFi is bar none the best gear? Absolutely not. Do I think it's a "good deal"? Maybe. Do I think it's better than the alternative uses of my time, that I'd rather spend doing other stuff? Abso-fucking-lutely, which is why I have been buying it for years.
Re: UniFi 5G
#286Do you know if we can use the T-Mobile home Internet? I think they require their own modem, but I’m not sure.
You can if it supports IMEI spoofing (which I doubt). You definitely can use GL inet 5G routers if you want an alternative
Re: UniFi 5G
#287Earlier quoted context omitted.
This seems like a stretch. If your position is that the REAL experts are using Cisco gear instead, I guess fine. But the "HN Crowd" loves using Ubiquiti at home because it is light years better than any consumer brand, (1) in terms of giving people who know what they're doing sufficient control to do so, (2) in terms of performance, and (3) in terms of not being a buggy piece of crap. Contrast with: (1) eero has no w…
> Apple is actually the opposite of Ubiquiti -- they don't want you to be able to configure anything or have any visibility into anything. True, however before I was running a UniFi household I did quite enjoy Apple's Airport equipment. Back in the day it felt like they were the first time I had consumer networking equipment that I wasn't forced to reboot regularly to resolve issues.
Re: UniFi 5G
#288Earlier quoted context omitted.
Starlink has a specific backup plan too don't they?
Indeed. It's very cheap ($5?) and is fast enough to do 1080p YouTube with unlimited data. It's speed capped so if you really need it it's best to upgrade the plan that month.
Re: UniFi 5G
#289Earlier quoted context omitted.
Netgear 5 port managed switch: $30 https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/switches/easy-smart/g... Ubiquiti 5 port managed switch: $30 https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-switching/products/u... Netgear 24 port managed switch: $260 (with a 1 year subscription included!) https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/switches/smart-cloud/... Ubiquiti 24 port managed switch: $225 https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-swi…
The Ubiquiti 5 port switch is actually better than the Netgear one because it's POE powered whereas I don't think the Netgear one is.
Re: UniFi 5G
#290Earlier quoted context omitted.
I tried out Netgear Orbi and I don't know who it's actually for. It tried deploying it at my dad's place, but had to return it because it just doesn't work. Dropped in Ubiquiti gear to replace it and I had the entire network up and running within 15 minutes of applying power. And it's had zero of the issues that I had with Netgear's system.
Just wanted to drop another data point that Linksys is also trash now. So for consumer-targeted gear it seems the options are: 1. Eero - great performance, no web config (only mobile app), cloud dependent, half the features paywalled for monthly subscription (eyeroll) 2. Linksys - confirmed piles of crap, a 6E mesh kit I tried last year performed worse than my 2018 Eeros so why bother. Config is even more limiting th…