Ceiling-mounted APs to replace Grandstream APs: Aruba IAP-315

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Ceiling-mounted APs to replace Grandstream APs: Aruba IAP-315

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#2675155 15-Mar-2021 21:25

jonathan18:

Thanks for the reply; I'm happy to use Michael's cloud controller if he's ok with that, and the help available here on GZ is ever-useful when things get confusing.

Yeah, it would make sense with going with the new models, provided it's not an enormous price premium (as it'll come at the cost of delaying a new receiver!). It's only a 140m2 house, but with the external HT/sleepout at the back it's a fairly long coverage area relative to its width. The image below shows the placement of the APs (yellow dots). Do you think 2x U6-Lites will provide adequate coverage?

One Unifi AP-LR (older N model) in my parents lounge covers their entire 360m2 house. I'm sure two would easily do 140m2.

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chevrolux

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#2675250 16-Mar-2021 08:41

ShinyChrome:

chevrolux: Even if you don't look at the WiFi 6 capability of the new U6-Lite, it's pretty dam hard to look past them considering the price! That's a lot of acess point for under $200.

That's a good point actually; I hadn't really bothered to look at prices, but there isn't much that delivers the same value at that price point. Two of those for $400 is going to perform better for range and stability than 1 beefier AP for $300+.

Of those two options, I'd probably stick with Ubiquiti as you get the potential of managing your own controller vs. being locked into whatever Aruba wants to do with their cloud management 5 mins down the track. My preference would definitely be for the most control over my devices possible over probably one-time convenience.

Unless you are a masochist like me that enjoys being beaten by my SO when the internet goes down from my ceaseless tinkering...

Yep exactly!! I hate the idea of something as important as my access points getting managed by a third party - yea I get it though, Aruba probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

My only gotcha with UBNT is buying something brand new. They don't exactly have a good track record with software when rolling out new products. However, I expect my first batch of U6-Lite's to turn up to the office today! So will find out very soon what's broken.

@jonathan18 - IMO the U6-Lite is better value than anything else on the market right now.

sbiddle

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#2675285 16-Mar-2021 09:38

K8Toledo:

jonathan18:

Thanks for the reply; I'm happy to use Michael's cloud controller if he's ok with that, and the help available here on GZ is ever-useful when things get confusing.

Yeah, it would make sense with going with the new models, provided it's not an enormous price premium (as it'll come at the cost of delaying a new receiver!). It's only a 140m2 house, but with the external HT/sleepout at the back it's a fairly long coverage area relative to its width. The image below shows the placement of the APs (yellow dots). Do you think 2x U6-Lites will provide adequate coverage?

One Unifi AP-LR (older N model) in my parents lounge covers their entire 360m2 house. I'm sure two would easily do 140m2.

Depends if you want 2.4GHz or 5GHz coverage. Considering how useless 2.4GHz is these days in most urban environments coverage should always be based around 5GHz.

Tinkerisk

1989 posts

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#2675524 16-Mar-2021 14:50

Most cheap WiFi IoT is 2.4 GHz only.

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

dolsen

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#2676055 17-Mar-2021 12:53

ShinyChrome:

I will also +1 the Aruba APs. I just went through the motions of swapping out a nanoHD AP for an Aruba Instant AP over the weekend and I am pretty happy with the results. I wasn't ACTUALLY intending to, but I got a steal of a deal on 2x Aruba IAP-315s that had very clearly been ripped out of a New World somewhere and dumped on TradeMe. They are 4 years old, but since I'm not that fussed about WiFi 6 yet, it is same-or-better specs as the nanoHD and, as sbiddle said above, definitely more configurable/features. The setup was really straight-forward with InstantOS, and I was easily able to setup my VLAN'ed SSIDs while juggling the NB.

Thanks for that. I've brought a few of those and encouraged others to buy as well. IAP-315 for $30 each is hard to go pass. Seems to be a nice step up from the Cambium E400, also brought on a recommendation from here.

The guy had 150 of them, but, I can see he is having a lot of interest at that price and they are going fast. Would suggest that people don't wait around if you want them.

openmedia

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#2676093 17-Mar-2021 13:50

dolsen:

ShinyChrome:

I will also +1 the Aruba APs. I just went through the motions of swapping out a nanoHD AP for an Aruba Instant AP over the weekend and I am pretty happy with the results. I wasn't ACTUALLY intending to, but I got a steal of a deal on 2x Aruba IAP-315s that had very clearly been ripped out of a New World somewhere and dumped on TradeMe. They are 4 years old, but since I'm not that fussed about WiFi 6 yet, it is same-or-better specs as the nanoHD and, as sbiddle said above, definitely more configurable/features. The setup was really straight-forward with InstantOS, and I was easily able to setup my VLAN'ed SSIDs while juggling the NB.

Thanks for that. I've brought a few of those and encouraged others to buy as well. IAP-315 for $30 each is hard to go pass. Seems to be a nice step up from the Cambium E400, also brought on a recommendation from here.

The guy had 150 of them, but, I can see he is having a lot of interest at that price and they are going fast. Would suggest that people don't wait around if you want them.

They look like one hell of a deal. What are you doing about wall/ceiling mounts?

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

ShinyChrome

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#2676112 17-Mar-2021 14:36

openmedia:

They look like one hell of a deal. What are you doing about wall/ceiling mounts?

Unfortunately, the only option I can see is to purchase these through the likes of PBTech or Acquire for $25-28.

Un-sweetens the deal a bit, but $55-60 an AP is still good I reckon. If anyone else knows where to get the mounts cheaper, feel free to share.

dolsen

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#2676117 17-Mar-2021 14:49

ShinyChrome:

Unfortunately, the only option I can see is to purchase these through the likes of PBTech or Acquire for $25-28.

Un-sweetens the deal a bit, but $55-60 an AP is still good I reckon. If anyone else knows where to get the mounts cheaper, feel free to share.

Perhaps, get a few of these, snap off the protruding bits from the back, put a few screws through them to screw to the ceiling and twist and mount the AP to them?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0829D55J7

Ge0rge

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#2676119 17-Mar-2021 14:53

ShinyChrome:
openmedia:

They look like one hell of a deal. What are you doing about wall/ceiling mounts?

Unfortunately, the only option I can see is to purchase these through the likes of PBTech or Acquire for $25-28.

Un-sweetens the deal a bit, but $55-60 an AP is still good I reckon. If anyone else knows where to get the mounts cheaper, feel free to share.

I was thinking that if I can get my hands on one, I might be able to scan it and 3D print them.

ShinyChrome

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#2676454 18-Mar-2021 12:15

Thanks for the suggestions, but since the APs are so cheap, I will just grab the ceiling mounts.

@Ge0rge if you have a need for it, happy to supply with one of the mounts to grab a scan of it. I need to lay cable first, so won't be mounting them for awhile.

My partner must think we have a WiFi problem that she doesn't know about... (3 more APs not pictured)

jonathan18

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#2676478 18-Mar-2021 13:16

I've ended up being persuaded by the clear value proposition that is provided by these Aruba IAP-315s; costing less than $160 for three of them (including two brackets) means the cost is well under half of what I was looking to spend on new product, plus that third unit will let me add a unit to serve solely the HT/sleepout (always had dodgy reception due to the metal walls), so the end result will actually be more consistent WiFi across all living spaces than I'd probably got from two new units.

Thanks to ShinyChrome in particular for alerting me (and others) to these and for supplying me two of the units he purchased, but also to all others who have provided advice and suggestions on this thread.

BTW, does anyone have a compatible PoE injector or power adapter they'd be willing to sell me?

The relevant Aruba data sheet states:

Direct DC source: 12Vdc nominal, +/- 5%
- Interface accepts 2.1/5.5-mm center-positive circular
plug with 9.5-mm length
• Power over Ethernet (PoE): 48 Vdc (nominal)
802.3af/802.3at compliant source
- Unrestricted functionality with 802.3at PoE
- When using IPM, the AP may enter power-save mode
with reduced functionality when powered by an 802.3af
PoE source (see details on Intelligent Power Monitoring
elsewhere in this datasheet)
- Without IPM, the USB port is disabled and transmit
power of the 2.4 GHz radio chains are reduced by 3dB
to 15dBm max when the AP is powered by an 802.3af
PoE source

Ge0rge

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#2677393 19-Mar-2021 20:59

@ShinyChrome I will take you up on that offer, I'll flick you a PM.

Has anyone else has any issue configuring the Aruba 315 APs? The couple I brought turned up today. I've done the factory reset procedure (push and hold reset button, power off, wait 5 or so seconds, power on, release reset button after power light flashes green). They seem to reset ok - power light flashed for some time then went solid green and no more "new world" SSIDs. The power light is going solid green after a few minutes, but I'm not seeing the green/amber flash that software wants in order to adopt them.

Thoughts/suggestions most appreciated.

CNZ

132 posts

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#2677395 19-Mar-2021 21:01

Ubiquiti always running 3 UAP-AC-PRO's on a POE switch

shanes

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#2678753 22-Mar-2021 19:28

Ge0rge: @ShinyChrome I will take you up on that offer, I'll flick you a PM.

Has anyone else has any issue configuring the Aruba 315 APs? The couple I brought turned up today. I've done the factory reset procedure (push and hold reset button, power off, wait 5 or so seconds, power on, release reset button after power light flashes green). They seem to reset ok - power light flashed for some time then went solid green and no more "new world" SSIDs. The power light is going solid green after a few minutes, but I'm not seeing the green/amber flash that software wants in order to adopt them.

Thoughts/suggestions most appreciated.

Did you get this sorted yet?

I brought a few of these, I also did a factory reset, but they don't really seem to have the flashing LEDs as described.

FYI for anyone doing this, the initial login uses admin/admin, but if you leave them sitting for a while they seem to do a firmware update and the login credentials become admin/serial

ben28

171 posts

Master Geek

#2678764 22-Mar-2021 19:51

Yes, same issue here , although I never experienced the admin/admin login change .

I'll leave it to someone who knows what's going on to explain it to me and you. ( factory reset pushing a switch always harder than it should be , you never know how long to push it down)

But very happy with performance once going and my 2 magically behave as a pair

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