The router guide - what to look for and what is best.

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › The router guide - what to look for and what is best.

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41 posts

Geek
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#2258248 14-Jun-2019 15:17

Sideface:

chrislaing:

One follow-up question - will the ERLite3 linked above power the UAP-AC-LITE through PoE?

If so, are there any important limits on ethernet cable length to be aware of?

The ERLite does NOT power the UAP-AC-LITE itself.

The UAP-AC-LITE comes with its own 24V Power over Ethernet (PoE) adapter (power supply).

The length limit for Ethernet cable is 100m - which is way more than most people need.

EDIT

If you want an EdgeRouter with a built-in 24V PoE power supply, look at the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter ER-X-SFP

Awesome, thanks mate. Because I am stupid, let me just make sure I understand:

The PoE adaptor still allows you to connect the AP to gigabit ethernet - it just inserts itself between the unpowered ethernet connection from the router and the AP to provide power in addition to the data, correct?
Is there a good reason to choose the ERLite3 over the ER-X-SFP? (Put another way, which would you recommend?)

Chris

Sideface

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#2258346 14-Jun-2019 17:11

chrislaing:

Awesome, thanks mate. Because I am stupid, let me just make sure I understand:

The PoE adaptor still allows you to connect the AP to gigabit ethernet - it just inserts itself between the unpowered ethernet connection from the router and the AP to provide power in addition to the data, correct?

CORRECT

Is there a good reason to choose the ERLite3 over the ER-X-SFP? (Put another way, which would you recommend?)

It's all a matter of personal preference/requirements.

If you want 5 or fewer ethernet connections (including connection to the UAP-AC-LITE) then go for the ER-X-SFP:

(The EdgeRouter™ X SFP features five independent, Gigabit RJ45 ports and one Gigabit SFP port - all six are configurable for switching.)

If you don't want to use a separate power injector for your UAP-AC-LITE, again go for the ER-X-SPF.

If you want more than 5 ethernet connections (as I do), go for the ERLite PLUS a Gigabit switch with a suitable number of ports eg 8 or 16.

(The ERLite does NOT include a switch - it is purely a router)

Sideface

Tinkerisk

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#2258384 14-Jun-2019 18:24

ShinyChrome:

Noice, didn't think we were gonna see any over here for a while.

First thoughts? Any idea when they are targeting release?

Don't know for NZ. I paid the equal of 220 NZ$ (128€) for it incl. VAT, shipping etc.

Combine it with an EdgeRouter (and a 48V/24W PoE injector if not supported by the ER), (i.e.) a cheap TL-SG108E and you are ready to go - as with the GWN7610 before but more capable.

- NET: FTTH & VDSL, OPNsense, 10G backbone, GWN APs
- SRV: 12 RU HA server cluster, 0.1 PB storage on premise
- IoT: thread, zigbee, tasmota, BidCoS, LoRa, WX suite, IR
- 3D: two 3D printers, 3D scanner, CNC router, laser cutter

Shapenz

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Ultimate Geek
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#2282670 24-Jul-2019 10:30

Hey guys - just wondering if you can point me in the direction of a good (no-WiFi) router/switch with at least 5x RJ45 ports one of which is a 802.3af POE port? (Grandstream GWN7000?)

Or am I better off getting something like the Edgerouter Lite - then getting a switch with more ports and POE?

Tinkerisk

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#2282943 24-Jul-2019 16:23

Shapenz:

Or am I better off getting something like the Edgerouter Lite - then getting a switch with more ports and POE?

If you are ready to do the extra knowledge (and capabilites, depending on your future needs) for an EdgeRouter, you could go with:

1x EdgeRouter Lite

1x TP-Link SG-108PE which has 4x PoE (std 48V, up to 55W power in total) and 4x Ethernet jacks (all VLAN capable).

-> Keep in mind that Ubiquiti APs mainly use their own 24V PoE which needs adaptation to the Std with a PoE injector (if not already supplied with the AP, depending of the ordered P/N). Grandstream APs can be connected directly.

Don't expect all the bells and whistles you can find on a Catalyst switch (I have) but this combo is flexible and will do the job with quite reasonable.

Shapenz

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Ultimate Geek
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#2283094 24-Jul-2019 21:16

Tinkerisk:

If you are ready to do the extra knowledge (and capabilites, depending on your future needs) for an EdgeRouter, you could go with:

1x EdgeRouter Lite

1x TP-Link SG-108PE which has 4x PoE (std 48V, up to 55W power in total) and 4x Ethernet jacks (all VLAN capable).

-> Keep in mind that Ubiquiti APs mainly use their own 24V PoE which needs adaptation to the Std with a PoE injector (if not already supplied with the AP, depending of the ordered P/N). Grandstream APs can be connected directly.

Don't expect all the bells and whistles you can find on a Catalyst switch (I have) but this combo is flexible and will do the job with quite reasonable.

Sweet that's what I have kinda had on my mind - looks like around $300 all up which is okay and I got a couple of Xclaim XI-3's for $100 so should hopefully be a pretty solid low cost setup.

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Delphinus

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#2283130 24-Jul-2019 22:32

Tinkerisk:

1x TP-Link SG-108PE which has 4x PoE (std 48V, up to 55W power in total) and 4x Ethernet jacks (all VLAN capable).

-> Keep in mind that Ubiquiti APs mainly use their own 24V PoE which needs adaptation to the Std with a PoE injector (if not already supplied with the AP, depending of the ordered P/N). Grandstream APs can be connected directly.

Latest Unifi AP AC units (eg UAP-AC-LITE or PRO) use 802.3af/A PoE so can be powered straight from the PoE Switch.

Tinkerisk

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#2283131 24-Jul-2019 22:33

Shapenz:

Sweet that's what I have kinda had on my mind - looks like around $300 all up which is okay and I got a couple of Xclaim XI-3's for $100 so should hopefully be a pretty solid low cost setup.

To max it out, you could even supply the Edgerouter lite backwards from a PoE output of the switch with a 1G/s PoE/12VDC splitter for a few bucks. In that case, the switch wall power supply will power the whole setup and you have 4 normal eth jacks for general use. :-)

Tinkerisk

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#2283140 24-Jul-2019 23:22

Delphinus:

Latest Unifi AP AC units (eg UAP-AC-LITE or PRO) use 802.3af/A PoE so can be powered straight from the PoE Switch.

Thanks for the addition - nevertheless, with the mentioned setup you stay free to select APs at your wish.

Shapenz

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Ultimate Geek
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#2284252 26-Jul-2019 14:42

Tinkerisk:

To max it out, you could even supply the Edgerouter lite backwards from a PoE output of the switch with a 1G/s PoE/12VDC splitter for a few bucks. In that case, the switch wall power supply will power the whole setup and you have 4 normal eth jacks for general use. :-)

That's a brilliant idea I hadn't thought of... I ended up ordered the EdgeRouter from Amazon ($90US from a 3rd party seller) - so now it's a just a wait until I get my new toys setup :)

kiwio

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2311427 5-Sep-2019 19:05

Hi guys, would you recommend getting a mesh-based wifi system or a standalone router to improve coverage.

I have NetComm NF4V modem from Orcon and recently I started getting connectivity issues where I get "Internet may not be available" on my phone and tablet. This could be caused by my neighbors installing a couple of new access points, but I'm not entirely sure. I have the router in my office which is ten meters away from my master bedroom and five meters away from my garage, and I have a hard time using wifi in both of them.

In any case I was thinking about upgrading default Orcon modem to something better and as far as I can see I could get Asus RT-AC68U for $300 or TP-Link Deco M9 Plus for $500. I'm currently on 100/10 plan so I'm not after high speeds or anything, but I may bump up my plan at some point. The main thing for me at the moment is to have a good coverage and possibly use ExpressVPN for Netflix (subject to what Disney+ is going to offer this November). So I wonder if it's worth spending more money and getting a mesh system or I'd better be off with a good modem. Or maybe there's something else?

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Shapenz

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Ultimate Geek
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#2311433 5-Sep-2019 19:19

FWIW I went from a Netgear Orbi with 2 satellites to a single Xclaim XI-3 and I have better range and much better speed from the single unit

cyril7

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#2311440 5-Sep-2019 19:35

Hi, I assume the current Orcon router is in the garage, which is where the ONT is?

Best solution is to use a couple of APs placed appropriatly in the house, and the router left back in the garage with its wireless turned off. The key thing is can you cable from the router/garage to the APs?

Technically mesh means using the wireless as both a connection to hosts as well as backhaul between APs, this is not ideal, and most systems let you backhaul using wired ethernet so you get the best out of the APs, regardless of what brand, ie Orbi, AmpliFi, Google wireless etc.

I typically recommend Unifi AC units, that are technically not mesh but can be setup so, but really designed to be backhauled by cable and ideally if possible mounted on the ceiling or up high on a wall where they can see over the room clutter of furniture to maximise signal to clients.

Cyril

kiwio

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2311495 5-Sep-2019 21:01

My Orcon router is in the office (one of the bedrooms in the house) and the ONT is in the garage. I guess the idea of a couple of APs around the house would give me the best result but I'm afraid I won't be able to cable from the router to them without incurring extra cost to properly hide the cables.

I figured that mesh wouldn't be a silver bullet but it could be a good option if I want to do a complete overhaul of my setup in the future. So I guess for now I'll be looking at getting a new router with better wifi or will get a range extender. I haven't used range extenders before, so I'm not sure how convenient is to use them. I've also read that most consumer grade routers are overpriced garbage, so I don't really want to spend money for something similar to what I use now.

Handle9

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#2311534 6-Sep-2019 00:51

kiwio:
My Orcon router is in the office (one of the bedrooms in the house) and the ONT is in the garage. I guess the idea of a couple of APs around the house would give me the best result but I'm afraid I won't be able to cable from the router to them without incurring extra cost to properly hide the cables.

I figured that mesh wouldn't be a silver bullet but it could be a good option if I want to do a complete overhaul of my setup in the future. So I guess for now I'll be looking at getting a new router with better wifi or will get a range extender. I haven't used range extenders before, so I'm not sure how convenient is to use them. I've also read that most consumer grade routers are overpriced garbage, so I don't really want to spend money for something similar to what I use now.

Make sure if you need to go wireless you go mesh rather than a range extender. Range extenders basically halve the throughput of the wif as they use the same said for backhaul and local we fi. Mesh uses a seperate setup for comms between base stations so performs much better.

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