Reddit reviews Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AP Enterprise WiFi System UAP-3 (Pack of 3)

It's not stupid - what you're proposing would work, but give Ubiquiti a look before you commit to buying WRT54GLs.

You can get a 3-pack of Ubiquiti Unifi APs for just a little more than what the old Linksys units are going to cost, but the extra cost is very well worth it.

Edit:
Expanding on the above:

That little Linksys box was phenomenal for its time, and the independent/community firmwares do give you a lot of performance and stability that wasn't present in the stock firmware, but the design is old and using the internet in general requires a lot more bandwidth now than was available back when the WRT54G series came out.

The Ubiquiti hardware is superior and better featured. The radios are 802.11n, so you'll get better throughput than 802.11g with similar coverage, and with the controller you get things like different VLANs for different SSIDs and smart client roaming between APs, both features missing from the Linksys. ( While you could give the Linksys APs the same SSID, most clients aren't smart enough to roam to a stronger AP when it's available until the old connection is dropped. iOS devices will roam, for example, but Android doesn't without 3rd-party apps, and whether Windows clients do or not depends on the drivers. )

The price of a UniFi setup is comparable to your consumer Linksys stuff. Amazon sells single WRT54GLs for $50/each. Those aren't ready for use out of the box - you need to reflash with your preferred OS and load your config on each unit individually. A 3-pack of Ubiquiti Unifis can be had for $180, or $60/each. Your controller will update firmwares and configs for you. (If your preferred consumer unit is more expensive than the WRT54GL, you'll probably save money upfront.)

Installation is super easy. Pick a box you can install Java on where port 8080 isn't already used (Linux or Windows). Install the Unifi Controller software (~40MB java stuff). Create a DNS A record and point it at the IP of the box you just installed your controller on. Log on to controllerbox:8080 and manage your APs. Even if you have no other monitoring in place, the controller will email you alerts when APs go offline/come online. (If you have no other monitoring in place, fix that!) The lack of centralized management on the WRT based firmwares becomes a liability once you're dealing with larger installations. You're only talking about 6 APs now, but you may find a need to change that in the future.

I've been down the WRT54GL route before, back in 2009, and it worked okay. Some of those APs are still in place now, and they work as well as they ever did, even if they are showing their age. If you do go down that route, I can share the settings that have worked well in that environment:

OS: DD-WRT build 14929

Setup > Basic setup:

• Set the WAN connection type to disabled.
  
• Check assign the WAN port to the switch.
  
• Enable NTP client and use pool.ntp.org or time.nist.gov.
  
• Make sure the Router IP section is correct for your environment. (Easy way to tell: power cycle it and check whether the Time shown in the top corner is correct.)
  
  Wireless > Security:
  
  
• RADIUS if you've got it, otherwise use WPA2 with AES.
  
  Wireless > Advanced Settings:
  
  
• Max associated clients to 32. (This solved a lot of lock-ups for me, but I didn't need to support a lot of simultaneous users.)
  
• Transmit power to 120. (This gives a little better coverage than the default and worked fine for my laptops - if your intended devices are mobiles or other things with tiny antennas, leave this at the default.)
  
  Services:
  
  
• Disable everything except SSHd if you plan to use it for monitoring.
  
  Security:
  
  
• Disable everything. (This is just an AP, not a router, right?)
  
  Administration > Keep Alive:
  
  
• Schedule reboot for 00:00 Sunday. (This is why you set up NTP earlier. Reboot takes less than a minute and keeps you from having to troubleshoot mystery issues.)
  
  
  Whichever route you choose, once you have your devices in place, walk around and check your coverage, and make adjustments if necessary. The easiest way I've found to do this is use inSSIDer on Android - it lets you visualize where you've got signal and where you don't. Or, better, HowtoGeek has some good reading on this here: http://www.howtogeek.com/165614/how-to-create-a-wi-fi-heatmap-for-network-analysis-better-coverage-and-geek-cred-galore/
  
  There's some conflicting information in other comments about which channels to use. I suggest using 1, 6, and 11 to control your overlaps and minimize your interference - again, HowtoGeek has some useful reading here: http://www.howtogeek.com/129231/do-limited-wi-fi-channels-restrict-network-availability/

Mikrotik RB2011 and a 3 pack of unifi standard AP's.

http://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-RB2011L-IN-10-Ethernet-Ports/dp/B008GZ7NEC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1394008968&sr=8-4&keywords=rb2011

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1394009024&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=unifi

You'll need a controller box for the AP's, it could run on the PoS system in the shop if that would be acceptable, or it can be run off of amazon AWS.

Unifi is great for this sort of role, you can quickly sort through all historical users for a period to find big data consumers, I'll typically MAC address ban devices using more than 10GB or so a month since that is far more than typical browsing should ever require, usually it's someone on an adjacent property or an employee.

The guest mode you can set by a single checkbox for an SSID is awesome, gives users just enough access to the lan to get to the internet. Eliminates the need to implement vlans to protect your POS system and other equipment.

On the cheap end, get a 3 pack of UniFi WAPs: http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

Set them up with zero-handoff roaming: http://blog.gowifi.co.nz/2013/11/configuring-unifi-zero-handoff-roaming.html

On the expensive side, Meraki's a good choice.

> http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

Those UniFis are great, however the units you linked only have fast ethernet. The UniFi Pro and the 802.11ac one both have gigabit, however those units are around $250-300 a pop.

I know I sound like a broken record but check out the Ubiquity UniFi stuff. For $200 you can get a 3-pack of their UAPs. You could even toss in an outdoor unit to cover your yard. Obviously this assumes you have Ethernet runs to various places in your house to position them. Also have to still need a router (pfsense maybe if you have an old PC laying around) as these are APs only.

I can almost guarantee you that you could get 3 UniFi's , configure, and install them in the time it would take you to add another residential point to the mix. Not to mention the headaches you'll prevent for you and those on the floor using the wireless. As far as cost, 3 UniFi points will cost a very affordable $180 and take about 5 minutes to set up.

If you add a second, non commercial access point, you're going to have overlap, it's going to disconnect clients when they transition between networks (if they even do transition) and you have to manage each point individually. It will introduce issues you'll never see in your current setup.

We had a customer who went the residential route for their network. We were out there every damn week for wireless issues. It got so bad we fucking GAVE them a UniFi setup and installed it all for free. We've had not one call about it and it's been over two years.

Edit: Just realized you said you have SIX AirPort Extremes....your MSP sold you $1200 worth of home networking stuff, plus labor to set them up. Consider firing them.

Apple wireless gear is great for homes, terrible for business. Put them on Amazon used or eBay and sell them, and buy a 3-pack of UniFi access points instead (you might even come out ahead on this trade): http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417536036&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi

Install the UniFi controller app on your own PC to get started (you can always move it to a server later if needed, and the controller doesn't need to run 24/7 for the APs to function): http://www.ubnt.com/download/

Ubiquiti support is limited to their forums, which are great, and lots of people here and /r/networking use them, so you can find help if needed.

After further searching this subreddit...would this setup work:

Modem --> Router --> PoE Switch --> 3 AP's spread throughout the shop, all broadcasting the same SSID and Password for seamless/smart transitioning.

Have you checked out the Ubiquiti Unifi AP's?

http://amzn.com/B005EORRBW

Get a 3 pack of Unifi APs, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005EORRBW/)

You've got three to work with, so put one near your television, one near your desk, and one near your other television or bed.

As for the network, configure your SSIDs to use a single 20 MHz wide band, sometimes referred to as HT20, instead of two 20 MHz wide bands, referred to as HT40 (20 + 20).

Keeping the bandwidth (literally the width of the RF spectral band!) smaller means that in the 11-channel range it can utilize, it's looking for a smaller contiguous space to operate in than would a 40 MHz set up, and that's going to be more likely to happen. That is worth a shot for any access point you use.

Can't spend $200? Well... I've seen them on eBay for $50 a piece. No matter what though, you should go with multiple APs instead of a more powerful one anyway. Attacking your problem with an AP that just "shouts louder" will probably do more to exacerbate the issue than it does to address it.

Still? Sigh... It's possible that you're suffering from shitty router syndrome. It's a very common ailment that can be contracted from retail stores across the country, and the symptoms are often attributed to environmental issues or blamed, often incorrectly, on the ISP. Given the number of devices you have connecting, it's a remote possibility. To address this problem, the best bang for your buck that I've found is in this product, flashed to DD-WRT, which is supported out of the box and done by doing nothing more than a firmware upgrade with the dd-wrt bin file: (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0088CJT4U/)

Good luck. Reply or PM if you've got any questions.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375732817&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi

Replace your access points with these. They allow for a primary + guest network. This is the cheapest way to do it if you need 3 WAP coverage. The guest network won't have access to your church LAN.

neither option is optimal. go with a good router straight off the modem with a 8 port SWITCH right next to it. then either use a couple waps or routers configured in wap mode to fulfill your wireless needs. most applications only call for one router in the network and unless configured correctly you can get some pretty big headaches from having more than one device issuing dhcp on the same network (not good) do you already have the components and if so what are they? if not we can definitely give you parts recommendations to really streamline things!

edit: if your in a position to start from scratch:
Ubiquiti Edgerouter and
Netgear switch and
Unify AP's

http://www.amazon.com/EdgeRouter-ERLite-3-512MB-Ethernet-Router/dp/B00CPRVF5K/

and http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B004XXMUCQ/

or perhaps

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Access-UAP-LR-US-Version/dp/B005H4CDF4/

or go hog wild (and out of budget) and buy http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

This seems promising:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493407344&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+ap+kit

Noise is a small factor. the ubiquiti switch seems to run a little pricey for me.
I can get 1 of http://a.co/4ZLsAlE for less then two of http://a.co/1KLWwv3

Current i pay for 100Mbps but I need to start fighting Comcast to make sure I am getting that or close to it. I want Gig wired in the house though was also debating about setting up a wifi network for older devices and IP cameras, want to keep the primary one under utilized.

However, the regular AP is $199 for a 3-pack:

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

The PRO is $629 for 3:

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-PRO-3/dp/B00DJERLFG/

The original network was 3 AP's and an Edge router, built for 30 people. We hired ~60 people over a few months so we just keep tacking on AP's per 20 employees and it works awesome. The entire network could be done with PRO/AC but there's no reason to as it works flawlessly and we don't need any of the features that they offer (with just a regular AP we get roughly 1/4 mile of strength.... I'm having a tough time imagining just how far the 'LR' range goes).

Here's a question - do you have absolutely no requirement for wired connectivity to any devices other than the APs? In another comment I suggested just getting the ERLite model - it's around $100 and will serve the purpose you need.

From there you can break out with either their PoE switch, or another vendor's switch (if you go this route - be warned - the non-pro APs are not standards-compliant with their PoE implementation and probably will not work), PoE or otherwise. Since the APs come with power injectors you don't NEED to have PoE, but it eliminates a point of failure when doing troubleshooting.

For the APs, 2 will definitely not be enough. I would suggest either...

• Buy a 3 pack for the AP Pros, you'll save some money - http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-PRO-Enterprise-System/dp/B00DJERLFG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1393768952&sr=1-1&keywords=ap+pro+3+pack
  
  
• Since budget appears it could be a factor, buy multiple 3 packs of the standard APs, as they're about $200 a pop. Better average signal strength + offloading users to more APs will result in better performance than just 2 or 3 Pro APs. - http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=pd_sim_pc_11?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TCR66J9YV6TWD4DQ6TW - these still support 802.11n up to 300 Mbps in 2.4 Ghz, which is probably what you will want if this is an older house. You will need to be cognizant of channel distribution however, and will likely need to stagger the design.
  
  For example, an ideal layout in the 2.4 GHz spectrum might be...
  
  Floor 4: AP - Channel 1 - AP - Channel 6 - AP - Channel 11
  Floor 3: AP - Channel 11 - AP Channel 1 - AP Channel 6
  Floor 2: AP - Channel 6 - AP Channel 11 - AP Channel 1
  Floor 1: AP - Channel 1 - AP Channel 6 - AP Channel 11
  
  If you cut it down to two APs per floor, obviously you can be a little more creative...
  
  Floor 4: - AP Channel 1 - AP Channel 6
  Floor 3: - AP Channel 11 - AP Channel 1
  Floor 2: - AP Channel 6 - AP Channel 11
  Floor 1: - AP Channel 1 - AP Channel 6
  
  You can leave them all to auto and it might work okay, but control over the selection would be best practice.

Absolutely run Ethernet while you have the chance. It'll make your life easier.

That said, I have a wifi network to supplement, so that things like phones work well in my house. They run off the ethernet anyway, so you still need decent wired coverage to get them to work, but you can stuff them in the attic as well if you're able.

Check these out. They're reliable and fairly easy to set up. Set them up once, and they work as long as your wifi settings don't change.
http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW

you need zero-handoff
this is what you need
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005EORRBW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005EORRBW&linkCode=as2&tag=eddiein-20&linkId=HAN2P23XWNV5NDV7

Would you mind helping me put together a parts list for the build? I want to make sure I don't miss anything. Honestly, I almost bought all the UAPs without even knowing I needed a switch that did PoE, I thought that they somehow just did it with any ethernet cord/router with magic ;). That was another thing I had a hard time finding a straight answer on, was whether I needed specific ethernet cords or not, what did you use?

For example, here are the existing modem and router they currently have.

I want to make sure all I would need is this Toughswitch and these 3 UAPs along with whatever ethernet cable will power them.

I assume I'll still need the router in order to go from wall -> cable modem -> router -> tough switch -> UAPs correct?

In my humble opinion with a space that big and with many rooms(read: walls and interference) would do better with multiple access points.


You would need to make a couple of ethernet runs to the different levels. Not sure how feasible this is in your new home.


I would purchase these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005EORRBW/ref=pd_aw_sbs_pc_2


Connect one to each level and set them to different non-overlapping channels(1, 6 and 11). This would be the simplest most reliable way of getting this request accomplished.


If you want more information I suggest heading over to r/wireless and inquiring there or you can PM me. I did the same thing in my old Victorian.

I wish i had seen this deal before i bought 3 routers and set them up as repeaters. Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AP Enterprise WiFi System UAP-3

On Amazon the non-pro 3 pack is $187 (http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=pd_sim_pc_2). Is the pro model really that much more worth it?

Also, how many UniFi APs do you use in the office for those 70+ people?

Thanks a ton for the advice.

> Ubiquiti UAP Pro

It looks like Ubiquiti needs a separate controller?

https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/

If so, then it looks like this is exactly what I need for well within the budget?

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451930883&sr=1-2&keywords=Ubiquiti (the Frequently Bought Together bundle?)

You could use these. You'd probably need about 4 (1 per container), but it should do the job nicely. They work like cell phone towers so it hands off the signal as you move through the house and shows up as a single network.


They look like a fancy smoke detector and a pack of 3 is only $183.76.

Yeah you can get em through amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450461160&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi+ap

Or if you want the AC versions:
http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1450461367&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+ac+lite

and like I said, they have the EDU ones that have intercoms on them (and wireless AC) which I cannot find anywhere.

I'm sorry to hear about a brand new router doing that. If you can, put DD-WRT on it before you return it. In addition to flaky routers, connectivity loss can be caused by buggy factory firmwares. If that doesn't fix the problem, then for sure return it.

I recommend enterprise equipment for just about everything, so I think you'd be making a good choice. Ubiquiti is one of my favorites for routing equipment as well. Assuming you take this route, my recommendation is a five port EdgeRouter with a UniFi AP three pack.

Remember it isn't always the router causing the issue, but the receiving wireless device.

Ubiquity has great equipment for home setups.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_8?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1496254934&sr=1-8&keywords=ubiquiti

Did you take a look at Ubiquiti UniFi access points? The 2.4 GHz 3 pack is $200 and has some great enterprise level features, not to mention they look pretty awesome once ceiling mounted.

They also have amazing range and the nicest part is that you could set up an off-site "central controller" which you could manage from wherever you are.

You need this

This one? Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AP Enterprise WiFi System UAP-3 (Pack of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_rvVwzbCZ3G0E8

In my experience in cases with bad or unreliable signal, more APs will give you better signal levels at shorter ranges, so you'll likely have both better throughput and less chance for interference due to the closer proximity. This is especially true for the 5GHz band, which is more sensitive to obstructions like walls, floors and ceilings.

Many people aren't afforded the option of hard-wiring 2+ APs together, but if you have that available to you, that's the way to go. You're correct in that it would be beneficial to keep your 'beefiest' router (in terms of processor, memory and features) as your WAN connection, and designate the 'cheaper' routers as APs. Let the workhorse handle all of the services and routing.

You may want to consider making sure the link between them isn't a bottleneck. For example, you could potentially bottleneck the throughput if the line you run is less than the wireless speed, ie a 1,300 Mbps AC1750 running over a 1Gbps line or 300Mbps 802.11n running over a 100Mbps line. It's just something to keep in mind if you're bent on achieving full-speed throughput between devices on either end.

The main downside I see to the R6300v2 is lack of upgradable external antennas, which can be a huge benefit for signal direction, strength and stability in certain cases, especially when dealing with long distances, walls or other obstructions. You'll likely be better off with something like an ASUS RT-AC66U, which is comparatively priced.

Lastly, depending on the stock firmware's capabilities of the device, you may want to flash DD-WRT to set it into AP mode if it's not already supported. This disables routing and will stop you from having more than one network segment, which keeps all of your devices on the same network so they can see each other without additional configuration. It's generally advisable to keep a small network "flat" unless you have a reason not to. And remember to disable unnecessarily redundant services, particularly DHCP.

Edit: You might want to consider something like this or these as they allow for a nice, clean install and power over ethernet, so you won't have to plug them in to a wall outlet. I'm not sure what most floats your boat, but it's an option that a lot of homeowners don't seem to know about but is quite well-received.

Alright.. hear me out on this.. maybe you need something a little more extreme... Here's Linus explaining this a little better than i can.

this is a three pack of Ubiquiti UniFi commercial wireless AC access points for $182.00 They are newer models, but essentially the same ones Linus reviewed.

These aren't Wireless routers, they are just access points. They don't provide the addresses to your devices or any kind of management beyond actual WiFi stuff. These are designed to allow seamless transitioning however, so for example if you have a phone that allows WiFi calling, you should be able to walk from your basement to your 2nd floor without the call dropping.

The actual management like firewall and DHCP could be done through your existing Airport Extreme, just disable the WiFi radio. You could also get a PoE capable switch, which will remove the need for power injectors.

These are powered remotely with something called PoE or 'power over ethernet' meaning that you can use the included power injectors to feed them power from where the Airport extreme is, or you could get a new switch like this one that supplies PoE. PoE can also be used with some other devices like IP phones and security cameras.

Ether way, your going to have to configure the Access Points to be the same and enable seamless mode.

This setup should be more than enough to supply your devices with bandwidth and provide more than enough signal to help prevent battery drain on battery powered devices.

Now, I live in a single story 2 bed 1 bath apartment. So as much as I want the setup above, it's overkill. I have this one, It has pretty great range and might do the job. The only things to remember, is that with a single router your device has to transmit with more power to respond to the router. This means that your phone may hear the AP just fine, but it has to "scream" at your router for it to respond. This means that your battery operated devices like your cell phone will deplete faster the further you are from the AP.

My only complaints are: sometimes it "forgets" to turn the guest WiFi on, there aren't many smart apps, the Android app is really slow and might as well just connect to the much faster web page, The speed seems to drop to G speeds at times requiring a reboot, reboot time is very slow up to two minutes, the installation of Twonky media server is incompatible with the Twonky media app for Roku.

You must have a bigger house than I do. If so, you're probably rich. Just pony up for a set of these babies. I've heard very good things about them.

To a certain extent, there's not a whole lot you can do since these routers are cranked as high as the FCC allows, generally. I do have one bedroom where I use a 5ghz repeater since my smartTV wifi sucks. Also with a powerful router, you have a 'loud mouth', so to speak but your receiving device will need one also to transmit to the router or else you will still have communication issues. Those are often the weakest links because if it's a phone or tablet, it's low-power and typically geared for saving battery. Here's a good source.

Unfortunately, you are correct. Only 2.4Ghz :/ link to models purchased