please school me on Ubiquiti

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mrphil

424 posts

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#175112 17-Jun-2015 18:46

hey guys

i'm waiting to upgrade my network with ubiquiti stuff but its a bit confusing on what i need.

i'm with telecom on a fibre connection using the supplied modem connected to a linksys router/wifi unit but the last few days the wifi has been dropping out and i want to replace it with some ubiquiti stuff as i was told its very good.

what would you recommend? its a two storey house with a heaps of devices needing wifi

thanks

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#1326757 17-Jun-2015 18:55

budget? what sort of network do you need? 2.4ghz, 2.4 and 5ghz? do you need 802.11AC or just 802.11N? what do you do on your network?

more details are needed before recommendations can be given

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#1326764 17-Jun-2015 19:18

Do your homework before buying Ubiquiti.

Ubiquiti gear is very good, but is not intended for non-technical consumers - it does not have a "user-friendly" user interface, and is hard work to set up.

I use a Ubiquiti Lite router, and found it very difficult to set up - lots of reading required, with a very steep learning curve.

There is plenty of good consumer grade gear out there, much better than the entry-level "free" stuff that ISPs provide.

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networkn

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#1326788 17-Jun-2015 20:08

Engenius is very good gear and considerably more accessible from an end users perspective.

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#1326796 17-Jun-2015 20:29

If youre looking for just a wifi solution, I can recommend the Ubiquiti UniFi range, easy to setup and does a good job.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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mrphil

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#1326821 17-Jun-2015 21:39

Jase2985: budget? what sort of network do you need? 2.4ghz, 2.4 and 5ghz? do you need 802.11AC or just 802.11N? what do you do on your network?

more details are needed before recommendations can be given

say $500

using both 2.4ghz and 5ghz at the moment with 802.11N, we do have a couple of 802.11AC devices so it would be nice to upgrade.

network is mostly wifi we have a lot of connections, with smart tv's ipads, iphones, airplay speaker, wemo switches, nas, laptops, htpc.....so we use alot of internet for streaming video

Sideface: Do your homework before buying Ubiquiti.

Ubiquiti gear is very good, but is not intended for non-technical consumers - it does not have a "user-friendly" user interface, and is hard work to set up.

I use a Ubiquiti Lite router, and found it very difficult to set up - lots of reading required, with a very steep learning curve.

There is plenty of good consumer grade gear out there, much better than the entry-level "free" stuff that ISPs provide.

this is what concerns me, just looking at their website i cant figure out what need to buy to get going on a home network

networkn: Engenius is very good gear and considerably more accessible from an end users perspective.

thanks i will give them a google

xpd: If youre looking for just a wifi solution, I can recommend the Ubiquiti UniFi range, easy to setup and does a good job.

thanks will look into their UniFi range, is there a router you would recommend to work with the UniFi AP?

AustinKish

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1326910 18-Jun-2015 05:18

Hi mrphil,

I would go with a UniFi AP. The APs are scalable, so if there's a corner of your house that isn't getting covered, or if you want to extend coverage outside, you can add on additional APs and your devices will roam seamlessly. These are enterprise APs, they're exceptionally rated, but they're very easy to use. You need to install the controller on a computer (or in the cloud) for initial configuration, it's a GUI and easy to set up SSID, encryption, etc. The controller doesn't have to be running for the APs to work once they're provisioned.

If you have an exiting wireless router, you can just turn off the wireless portion and add the AP, and then you don't need to buy another router. If you you want to use the EdgeRouter Lite, the ERL compliments the UniFi system, and there is a wizard for SOHO setup that works well for homes.

The Ubiquiti Community is a great resource if you run into any snags.

ETA: The only thing you need to purchase is a UniFi AP, whichever model you prefer (Pro is dual-band, AC offers 802.11ac, but the standard UAP is also good). The PoE injector is included. If you are returning the modem/router to your ISP, you'll need a router like the EdgeRouter Lite, otherwise you don't need to buy anything else :)

mrphil

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#1326966 18-Jun-2015 07:43

AustinKish: Hi mrphil,

I would go with a UniFi AP. The APs are scalable, so if there's a corner of your house that isn't getting covered, or if you want to extend coverage outside, you can add on additional APs and your devices will roam seamlessly. These are enterprise APs, they're exceptionally rated, but they're very easy to use. You need to install the controller on a computer (or in the cloud) for initial configuration, it's a GUI and easy to set up SSID, encryption, etc. The controller doesn't have to be running for the APs to work once they're provisioned.

If you have an exiting wireless router, you can just turn off the wireless portion and add the AP, and then you don't need to buy another router. If you you want to use the EdgeRouter Lite, the ERL compliments the UniFi system, and there is a wizard for SOHO setup that works well for homes.

The Ubiquiti Community is a great resource if you run into any snags.

ETA: The only thing you need to purchase is a UniFi AP, whichever model you prefer (Pro is dual-band, AC offers 802.11ac, but the standard UAP is also good). The PoE injector is included. If you are returning the modem/router to your ISP, you'll need a router like the EdgeRouter Lite, otherwise you don't need to buy anything else :)

Thank you austinkish and welcome to geekzone

pretty much I can just get a uniFi AP and plug it into my isp modem/router.....that sounds pretty simple, fingers crossed

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raytaylor

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#1326969 18-Jun-2015 07:54

Ubiquiti equipment is designed to be sold, installed and maintained by a solutions provider, not the end user.
Hence why their website isnt designed for consumers.

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#1326975 18-Jun-2015 08:06

mrphil: ... pretty much I can just get a uniFi AP and plug it into my isp modem/router.....that sounds pretty simple, fingers crossed

The UniFi AP is an excellent device, but is designed for ceiling installation, with Power over Ethernet (PoE) via Ethernet wiring.
It is supplied with a 24V PoE power injector.

Not as "simple" as you think.

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#1326980 18-Jun-2015 08:11

raytaylor: Ubiquiti equipment is designed to be sold, installed and maintained by a solutions provider, not the end user.

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AustinKish

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#1326988 18-Jun-2015 08:23

mrphil:
AustinKish: Hi mrphil,

I would go with a UniFi AP. The APs are scalable, so if there's a corner of your house that isn't getting covered, or if you want to extend coverage outside, you can add on additional APs and your devices will roam seamlessly. These are enterprise APs, they're exceptionally rated, but they're very easy to use. You need to install the controller on a computer (or in the cloud) for initial configuration, it's a GUI and easy to set up SSID, encryption, etc. The controller doesn't have to be running for the APs to work once they're provisioned.

If you have an exiting wireless router, you can just turn off the wireless portion and add the AP, and then you don't need to buy another router. If you you want to use the EdgeRouter Lite, the ERL compliments the UniFi system, and there is a wizard for SOHO setup that works well for homes.

The Ubiquiti Community is a great resource if you run into any snags.

ETA: The only thing you need to purchase is a UniFi AP, whichever model you prefer (Pro is dual-band, AC offers 802.11ac, but the standard UAP is also good). The PoE injector is included. If you are returning the modem/router to your ISP, you'll need a router like the EdgeRouter Lite, otherwise you don't need to buy anything else :)

Thank you austinkish and welcome to geekzone

pretty much I can just get a uniFi AP and plug it into my isp modem/router.....that sounds pretty simple, fingers crossed

To be clear, UniFi is not 100% plug and play, but it's not hard for an end user to configure. Depending on your tech savvy it might take ~30minutes. I have a UAP that isn't ceiling mounted that covers my small house and backyard, but yes, ceiling mount does provide the best signal angle. You'll want to disable the wireless on your router when you install.

Here's a basic quick start guide: http://dl.ubnt.com/guides/UniFi/UniFi_AP_QSG.pdf

Feel free to reach out if you decide to jump in and need some help. You probably won't have an issue with installation ;)

Cheers,
Austin(austin@ubnt.com)

xpd

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#1327009 18-Jun-2015 08:45

The Unifi software makes it easy to setup - I dont know why everyone is saying its (Unifi AP) so hard, was easier to setup than a ADSL router. Plug in, run software, configure SSID etc and way you go.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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mrphil

424 posts

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#1327042 18-Jun-2015 09:20

thanks everyone

i think i will nut it out this weekend, at least i know which type of gear i need and know there is a good amount of support if i do run into trouble

thanks again

SumnerBoy

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#1327086 18-Jun-2015 10:06

FYI - if you do run the Unifi software and have an interest in automation/monitoring etc, there is a handy little python script here which allows you to monitor and even configure some parts of your network via scripts. I have just started playing around with this to see if I can use it for presence detection in different areas of the house (I have 2xUAPs at either end of my place).

DonGould

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#1327108 18-Jun-2015 10:34

xpd: The Unifi software makes it easy to setup - I dont know why everyone is saying its (Unifi AP) so hard, was easier to setup than a ADSL router. Plug in, run software, configure SSID etc and way you go.

+1

If you want really good wifi in your home that's easy to set up then these things are the go.

You just need to decide if you want 5Ghz as well as 2.4Ghz.

You'd have to be in a very crowded space to be worrying about 5Ghz in your home in my view.

I have about 4 or 5 of these networks set up in my buildings and homes on my network now. They're fantastic.

One site, the guy decided he wanted to put cat 5 and cat 6 cable to all the different locations in his building. The only place he didn't put it was in the roof space because he 'had it to all the areas he needed it'. Took me a while to convince him that we need to just break into the wiring and drop two APs in the ceiling space, one at each end of the house. Well after 12 months none of the CAT cable is terminated. He has two 2.4Ghz APs which just run everything (including 3 TV's streaming netflix, 5 laptops, up to half a dozen phones at once).

http://www.gowifi.co.nz/ubiquiti-networks/ubiquiti-networks-radios/ubiquiti-unifi-802.11n-access-point-3-pack.html

Don't mess about, just order a pack. You won't regret it, you really won't.

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