[UK] Problems with wiring up home network. Advice?

[Technique]

Well the cisco from docs has more features.. But it doesn't have controller, its just a standalone device. While the unifi doesn't need the controller it does give some great info to what your clients are doing for bandwidth, etc.. Are you planning on running the controller? Or do you just want more of stand on its own AP?

 

 

All i plan on doing is using it to provide a better WiFi signal upstairs compared to if i didn't have an AP upstairs at all. That's it really, nothing more, nothing less. I don't know what a controller is though (remote control? Curious). But my guess is since i don't know what one is, i'd likely not need it or use it.

All i want to do it put it on the wall (that's another point, it's going to be wall mounted, not ceiling, but much the same thing i guess), set it up so that it works & then forget it's even there :)

 

Price would only be an issue for me if one was like double the price of the other to be honest.

 

It's sounding to me like the UAP-PRO is perhaps the better option then for my requirements.

[+BudMan MVC]

Well you can put them on a wall if you want, but design is really more for ceiling.. Keep in mind if mount on wall anything behind them (actual top of the AP) is prob not going to get great coverage.

What the controller gets you, and will be needed to initially setup the unifi, though you can turn it off after. Is info like this

Is stuff like this

This can be very helpful in finding connection problems and or just what client is using up all the bandwidth, etc.

If your not interested in this stuff, nor wanting to setup the device using the software - it has to be setup to do a initial config or changes you have to run the controller software be it on windows box, linux, etc. You can host it in the cloud if you want even. But it is required to setup and change settings on the AP even if you don't leave it running for stats or captive portal if you use that for guests, etc.

If you don't want that, then maybe the cisco wold be better choice for you since all you need is the device, and then either cli access to it or web interface for setup.

Oh and big thing is cisco is AC, while the unifi pro is just N. So at the same 200 mark in cost - that would be big advantage to the cisco vs the unifi AC model being 300.

[Technique]

Just googled http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/802-11ac-vs-802-11n-what-s-the-difference which made interesting reading.

 

I'm not too fussy over the speeds since n will likely offer plenty.

 

The range was interesting though, especially 5Ghz remarks as well as channelling it in the direction of the device rather than spreading it around.

 

Perhaps the Cisco one would therefore be better after all.

[+BudMan MVC]

The AC not going to do you any good unless you have AC clients ;) But even if you don't have them now - what about next year, or year after that.. When your dropping couple hundred on AP it should last you more than six months ;)

Seems like a great price point for the feature set to be sure.. I know cisco has a Virtual controller, if you could use that with them I would be picking up to play with for sure.. Either something is wrong with that model, or its a great freaking price.. The AC line in unifi costs you 300..

[Technique]

Damn them things are a lot cheaper in the US.

 

Found one for $263. Got one in the UK for ?219 which converted to USD is $342 :o

 

I wish i'd routed enough wiring for the ceiling now but that's going to mean the new carpet coming up so it can stay on the wall. I only really need it to supply the room that connects on to it as well as the room next to that one which will all be within a 2mtr radius of where the AP is to be mounted so if it can't supply decent WiFi signal in a 2mtr radius then something's wrong.

[+BudMan MVC]

Yeah I never understand the cost of electronics when you do the currency conversion.. If it cost me $200 USD - it should only cost you like 128? not 200?

Makes no sense..

[Technique]

BudMan - is there any way i will benefit from a wireless AP upstairs if i'm getting a good wireless signal from the router downstairs?

 

My guess is not & it'll mean i've routed a cat6 for absolutely no reason (didn't know that at the time i suppose). I'll have to snip the ends & tuck under the carpet as i'm not lifting carpet again that's for sure.

 

My phone line got installed this week & i just got the chance to go & plug the router in tonight...

 

WIRED connection from the PC room:

 

WiFi connection stood right next to the router: (this one surprised me since it's slightly higher download. Though i only ran each test once at each position)

 

WiFi connection in the PC room upstairs:

 

WiFi connection in the master bedroom upstairs with door closed (this is the main reason I was looking in to wireless APs upstairs):

 

For the 2nd & 3rd photo the WiFi connection on the laptop showed 5 bars out of 5 & my iPhone showed 3 bars out of 3.

 

For the final one in the master bedroom the signal was often 5 bars out of 5 on the laptop but would occasionally drop down to 4 bars out of 5. The iPhone equally would often be 3 out of 3 but would drop to 2 out of 3 from time to time.

 

 

I know a wireless AP would (should) guarantee 5/5 & 3/3 upstairs but really for all that outlay, with the speeds i've just found i'm going to get, is it even worth it?

 

Before i snip the wires i will wait on your reply but i will also wait until we get the full lot of furniture we're still yet to buy in case it makes any difference (highly doubt it but it's best to not snip the wire until i'm 100% sure).

[+BudMan MVC]

If your seeing full speed where you want then no there would be no reason to add another AP if you ask me.

[Technique]

That's great then, thanks for the help you've given throughout. I didn't know if there'd be something i was unaware of that i could benefit from.

 

I'll get all the furniture in & the rooms as they're supposed to be & see how the signal is then & then if it's still all good, i'll snip the wires.

 

Bit annoying then that i routed the cables & drilled through the floor & joists for no reason but i guess i didn't know that at the time & best to play safe.

[+BudMan MVC]

Well, your only advantage to having more AP would be more clients with more bandwidth each. As wireless bandwidth is shared, having more AP would allow you to have more wireless clients with more bandwidth. Lets just keep in simple with 1 AP your 1 client gets the full pipe.. If you had 2 AP and only 2 clients you could let each client have their own AP. Now seems your internet speed is not higher than your wifi speeds so it confuses it a bit for simple discussion.

And might not be an issue for you.. How many clients do you have using the internet at the same time? But lets say we had google fiber and were working with gig internet connection. And for simple discussion we got 100mbps wifi real world speeds to work with just to keep the numbers simple. And a client was capable of using the full bandwidth of the AP..

So while you want to maximize your wifi clients speeds.. If clients can do 100mbps each, and that is the full pipe of the AP.. If you have 1 client your screaming he gets his full 100mbps pipe, but if you have 2 clients only 50mbps each, if 4 clients only 25mbps each, etc.. So depending on the clients we had -- we could have say 3 AP for total wifi of 300mbps, so if 6 clients 2 on each AP they would get 50mbps.. You could do up to your full gig pipe before was diminishing returns.

So in theory if your space allowed for it without crazy amounts of overlap you could have 10 AP supporting 10 clients all getting their full 100mbps.. But if you had 10 clients on 1 AP they would be sharing that and only get 10mbps each.

The current APs depending can support more than 1 client since clients are quite often 1 maybe 2 spatial streams, and AP are normally 2x2 if not 3x3 and some even 4x4, etc.. Don't misread that AP can handle quite a bit more than 4 clients, Im just talking having full pipe sort of access. You have a dual band AP 2x2 2.4 and 3x3 5ghz and your clients are all 1x1 in theory you could have 5 clients all maxing out "their" wifi pipe and AP would not be the bottle neck.. If you clients with more streams or just more clients you at a point exceed the bandwidth the AP has and now clients get limited access compared to what they could do in theory, etc.

This would normally come into play when designing wifi for large user groups say a school campus, work place, public access wifi. Where you want to maximize the most bandwidth to the most users, etc.. But can come into play in a home setup as well just on a much smaller scale, depending number of clients, what type of clients, what wifi your working with, internet speeds and what your trying to do over the wireless - just internet, streaming video locally, etc. etc..

So while there could be advantages of adding more AP to your house even when you see full speed in the whole area with 1 client, depending on your type of use, location of the clients, number of your clients you may never notice anything even if you added more AP, etc.

I think your good for now, and you gained some experience in running a wire to a different room, etc. Maybe you will want to wire something up there vs wifi.. If the device doesn't move then it should be on a wire to be honest..

[Technique]

Thanks Very helpful

 

To be honest the only things connecting to this will be my PC which is wired. The laptop will now likely be wireless but it wont be on as the same time as the PC - it'll be PC or laptop.

2x iPhones via WiFi.

1 iPad via WiFi

 

& that's basically it.

 

We will likely get a SMART TV when our living room gets complete & i guess these connect via WiFi so that too.

 

In reality though, via WiFi at one time, the phones will be connected but not in frequent use. The iPad will be connected but if the TV is being used the iPad wont be.

 

So there's not a great deal

[+BudMan MVC]

"i guess these connect via WiFi so that too."

So see that is example of really something that should be wired -- TVs, especially larger screen ones don't normally move about the place If at all possible get one with ethernet and hard wire it..

[Technique]

It was pure guesswork & like you say, if there's a port i would be using it.

 

We have some major issues going on with the living room. There is 5 inch of water underneath the boards & the walls are very damp so we've taken them back to brick for now. It's going to require 9 ton of aggregate hand bucketing in there at some point next year. The joists & boards will be replaced, so quite a major job. Since so much is going to be done, once finished it'll be no problem to route cable all the way around the perimeter of the hall & then living room. I may even run it direct under the living room floor, under all the joists & then up where the TV is going to be so that it's not even below carpet. That's all one to think about well in to next year.

[dragon2611]

The AC not going to do you any good unless you have AC clients But even if you don't have them now - what about next year, or year after that.. When your dropping couple hundred on AP it should last you more than six months

Seems like a great price point for the feature set to be sure.. I know cisco has a Virtual controller, if you could use that with them I would be picking up to play with for sure.. Either something is wrong with that model, or its a great freaking price.. The AC line in unifi costs you 300..

 

 

I don't think those cisco AP's can be managed by a controller, the Cisco SMB stuff is closer to what was the Linksys was before they sold it to Belkin I think it was.  They do cluster to allow you to configure them from a single unit but beyond that I'm not sure how well they work as I've not tried them. 

 

Also sadly a 4x4 AP can't talk to 4x 1x1 clients at the same time, it will actually drop to 1x1 data rates whilst talking to those clients.  MU-Mimo (multi-user MIMO) is supposed to be comming to 802.11AC kit at some point and then an AP will actually be able to talk to several clients at once, but I don't know of anything out at the moment that implements it. Then again I've not been looking recently so it's possible something has now shipped and I just haven't seen it yet.