The Home Networking Megathread - Yes the OP is out of date

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thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

I have some older devices that are a/b/g only but also some newer devices that are N compatible.

I would like to have one router that runs a single network that is g/n compatible so my n devices will take advantage of the speed and my g devices will still work. I don't understand if this is really possible. I am also unclear if dual-band routers share one network/SSID across both bands, or if each band runs an entirely separate network (I want everything to play together seamlessly).

Can someone please explain me the basics? For reference, I'm thinking about getting a Linksys E3000 and flashing it with DD-WRT.

thiazi fucked around with this message at 15:48 on Nov 11, 2011

# ¿ Nov 11, 2011 15:13

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 04:14

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

wolrah posted:

On a simultaneous dual-band AP/router, both bands will operate independently of each other. You can set the same SSID on each and there are probably some vendor-specific implementations that can use both bands at the same time for the same data, but just assume it's simply one device hosting two networks.

As for backwards compatibility, I have never seen an 802.11n 2.4GHz device that couldn't operate in b/g/n mode for compatibility with all 2.4GHz WiFi variants. There are a few 5GHz devices I've seen though that are n-only and do not support a/n mode, but I'm not entirely sure why.

That said, you do lose performance when older devices are using a newer network. I don't recall the details though, so I can't say how bad it should be.

To answer your question though, almost any simultaneous dual-band device should support b/g/n, g/n, or n-only on 2.4 and a/n or n-only on 5GHz.

OK, that makes sense.

Next question: I have a wired PC that has a number of shared folders I'd like to access from my various g and n devices. If I am running my n devices on a n-only 5GHz network and g devices on a mixed b/g/n on 2.4 GHz on the same dual-band router that the wired PC is attached to, will devices on both bands be able to see these shares? Or will the shares only be available on one network or the other? (I'm afraid the latter is correct)

# ¿ Nov 11, 2011 17:23

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

I am using a WNDR3700. I have set it up so my PC and xbox 360 have IP reservations (192.168.1.101 and 102 respectively) but when I reboot/turn on these devices they just get a non-reserved IP from the router. (Router's LAN range is .101 to .150).

Is there something I can do either on the router or the devices to force them to get the addresses reserved for them (other than set a static IP on the device, which defeats the purpose)? I've double checked the MAC addresses in the reservations setup and they match the devices' MACs.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2012 19:20

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

TLG James posted:

Are the blue wire normal cat5 with just 4 wires being used?

If that's true, just rip out the fucker you want to use from the telephone thing, strip it back to get all 8 wires, terminate it with a female end. (Or a male end and just buy a coupler, or plug it right into the modem) Then on the other side, do the same thing.

I didn't see it at first glance either, but it appears all 8 wires are there.

Chemmy, it probably still make more sense to follow TLG's last bit of advice (just grab and terminate both ends of the one cable you need, since it sounds like you only need it for the one room - it may not be elegant but it should work).

# ¿ Dec 3, 2012 03:01

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

greasyhands posted:

Can somone just point me to the best product to do what I need? I'm pretty sure I need a wireless bridge, but what I have is a Linksys e2000 that is the primary router- I've got another room about 200ft away that doesn't get a wireless signal but I have run Cat5 over to it and would like to add a bridge/extender thing via ethernet that will put a wireless signal in the room. Preferably something that also has ports to hardwire some things into.

You just need a WAP, not a bridge. Any router or purpose built WAP will do this

# ¿ Jul 16, 2013 19:09

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

I recently got a Ubiquiti Amplifi mesh system to replace my C7. If your needs are just "plug in and forget it" I highly recommend this - it just works. I don't love that you use a smartphone app for configuration, but neither was it an issue at all - the app is intuitive. I was able to quickly reserve some static DHCP leases and set up port forwarding, which is about as advanced as this thing gets but also as advanced as my needs. I'd recommend it for most normal users, particularly parents.

One thing I don't like is the lack of USB ports - no adding drives or printers easily if that is something you need.

But the performance is excellent. I found that the base router has a much stronger signal than the C7, and then adding the two mesh points greatly enhanced the coverage throughout my sprawling house.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2016 13:21

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

god this blows posted:

Which model did you get? Base, LR, or HD. I am looking at getting one of these mesh systems and the Amplifi seems to be a decent system.

I just have the Amplifi base. It is more than enough for my coverage needs.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2016 02:00

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

god this blows posted:

How are the speeds if you're connected to the mesh adapter?

I haven't done any real testing. My best response is "fast enough that I can't tell when I'm on the base station vs the mesh points." My internet connection is 50/5, it is more than good enough to saturate that even from the mesh points.

I could maybe try to do some better testing when I'm home.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2016 04:02

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

god this blows posted:

I wouldn't mind if you could see how different it is. I have gigabit internet but honestly if I can get 100mbit that's plenty fast for streaming

ArsTechnica has a really nice write up today on several of the mesh network offerings, including the Amplifi and Google Wifi. It has real coverage maps and throughput numbers, which I think you'll appreciate much more than anything I can put together. The author of that article also links to another similar test he did recently for the Wirecutter, which touched on a few of the other mesh competitors. Wish I'd had all that info a few months ago - I'm very happy with the Amplifi but after reading those two articles I may have gone a different direction.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2016 22:30

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Looten Plunder posted:

I recently hooked up an old Router in my Lounge Room as an Access Point in attempt to achieve a couple of things.

1. Have a new point close to all of entertainment stuff to run ethernet cables to. This has worked fine.
2. Extend the range of my wifi so I can use Chromecasts and the like anywhere in my house. I haven't worked this one out yet.

So after initially following the instructions provided by your awesome selves earlier in the thread, I gave up and googled it instead only to find out the Belkin Router I had actually has a "use as access point" setting so I didn't need to worry about the majority of instructions this thread advised.

But now I have multiple wifi networks in the house. My regular "PlundersNetwork" and now my new "Belkin2G" and "Belkin5G" wifi networks. This has kind of defeated the purpose as I have to manually switch wifi networks rendering my Chromecast useless still as I can't cast a Tab from my Living Room PC to the Chromecast in the loungeroom as they are on two different wifi networks. Is there a way I can merge these networks in to the one seemless wifi network that just utilises whichever router is closest to get its signal? Is that what bridging is? Does giving both routers the same SSID mentioned in the OP fix the problem? If so, how do I do that?

Also, after selecting "use as access point" on the Belkin and specifying it a new IP address that on the same subnet (is that the right term?) as per the instructions I can no longer access the router page to view/alter any settings. The default 192.168.2.1 address doesn't work but neither does the newly assigned 192.168.0.111 address that I assigned it. Nor does the "http:\\router" address that previously worked as well.

Plug your computer directly into your Belkin and the normal way of accessing it's interface (using that address or IP) should work again. Then rename its SSID to be the same (PlundersNetwork) on both 2 and 5 Ghz bands. Set the WAP IP address to something in the same range as the rest of your network (e.g., if your router hands out addresses in 192.168.1.x then the WAP needs to be also), or just set it to DHCP so it gets a good IP from the router. Then put things back and you should be set.

thiazi fucked around with this message at 13:33 on Dec 13, 2017

# ¿ Dec 13, 2017 13:19

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

I'm considering getting an ERX and two UAP-AC-Lites but I'm unclear if I'll be able to power both from the ERX. I think no, but I'm not very familiar with PoE or these units specifically. Appreciate any thoughts you all have about the best way to do this.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2018 18:09

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Armacham posted:

The ERX only does POE pass through on one port. You also would need to use an injector on the WAN port, or use a higher wattage power supply. I think the ERX-SFP has POE on all ports, so that might be the better way to go for a similar experience.

Thanks! The SFP also has the advantage of additional ports so I won't need a separate switch in my use case.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2018 18:39

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

n0tqu1tesane posted:

I'd still get a separate switch. Not all of those ports on the ER series are able to be used as switchports, since they're designed to be routed interfaces.

I think you CAN configure them to act like switchports, but it'll affect router performance, and you likely won't get full line speed across those ports.

I don't know a lot about networking but my understanding is that routing has additional overhead beyond switching - so if the router can handle that overhead at full wire speed, why would knocking them down to switching ports (and eliminating the related overhead) hit performance? Genuinely interested, I'm not a networking guy so this just didn't make sense to me. But fair enough that I should maybe get a switch as well, it is just more money and complexity I'd prefer to avoid.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2018 04:17

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

CrazyLittle posted:

When measuring total throughput you count each packet direction as a separate transaction, so upload + download = total throughput. On "wire speed" gigabit that's 2gbps total. The ER-Lite is designed to handle up to 1 million packets per second, down to as little as 64-byte packets. That's effectively wire speed routing full duplex. Since each port is a discrete routed interface on the ER-Lite, if you want to treat two of the ports as a dumb switch then you have to use software to bridge them and the router has to route every packet that's transferred between the two ports. Every "software" feature that's not hardware accelerated will subtract from your total performance.

On a switch, the hardware just stores the hardware addresses of each connected device and just immediately forwards the packet to the destination port without needing to read or process the packet. A wire-speed 5 port gigabit switch is capable of 10gbps total throughput. If you had two PCs and a file server, then a switched network could transfer 2gbps up/down between the server and PC while the other PC is downloading from the internet at whatever the router can handle.

The edgerouter series breaks down like this:

ER-X: 5 port switch chip with software routing functions, 130kpps or 1gbps @ 1514-byte packets. 24v PoE-power-in on eth0, 24v PoE passthru on ETH4

ER-X-SFP: same as above, 5-port switch chip plus discreet routed SFP cage, 5 copper ports are 24v PoE.

ER-Lite: 3 ports routed with hardware acceleration. 1 million pps or 1gbps @ 64-byte packets.

ER-PoE: 2 ports routed eth0/eth1 + 3 port switch chip ETH2/3/4. 24 or 48V passthru PoE power on ETH2/3/4. Same throughput as ER-Lite.

Edgerouter-8: 8 ports routed, 2 million pps

ER-Pro: 8 ports routed. ETH6/ETH7 are shared media combo RJ45+SFP. "2mpps+" throughput.

There's a next gen platform that's slowly coming out based on more recent chips:

Edgerouter Infinity, aka ER-8-XG: 8 routed 10gbps fiber ports + 1 gigabit RJ45 port, 18mpps or 80gbps throughput. Odd quirk though - if you want to run 1gig SFPs in the SFP+ ports, you have to change the fiber port speed in banks of four: eth1/2/3/4 or eth5/6/7/8 all have to share the same speed.

Edgerouter 4, aka ER-4: 3 ports routed + 1 port gigabit fiber SFP, 3.4mpps or 4gbps throughput.

And frankly there's nothing stopping you from sticking a RJ45 SFP in the 1gigabit SFP slots to convert the fiber port to copper. Cisco's GLC-T is compatible in all the devices I've tested so far.

Excellent explanation, thanks! Sounds like I either need an ERX+switch or ER-POE to meet my needs.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2018 13:19

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

I've ordered two UAP-AC-LITES and I'm trying to figure out best places to locate them to cover my house. Any opinions on whether I should do one per floor centrally, or do one on right side and one on left side of the house (or a combination)? I realize this will depend building to building, but general guidelines or successes would be helpful. It will be much easier to run cabling if I can do a left/right split on the second floor as I have already got cables pulled up into the attic.

In related news, my Ubiquiti Amplifi home mesh system is for sale in SA Mart if anyone is interested...

# ¿ Jan 22, 2018 16:21

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

I have replaced my Amplifi mesh system with an Edgerouter X SFP + two UAP-AC-LITEs. The APs are currently just sitting on the attic floor facing down into the house (I haven't had time to run all the cables and mount them), but even in this configuration I am seeing drastic improvement in my wireless bandwidth - anywhere from 3-20x better results in iperf tests walking around the house with my laptop and hitting my NAS. I'm very impressed.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 13:58

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Bad Munki posted:

Lot of stuff

I can't answer all your questions but Ubiquiti gear is minimal cost difference from consumer gear and significantly better in my limited experience. Depending on the APs you get you need to consider what PoE needs will be - the AC lites run different voltage than the Pros, so pick router/PoE switch accordingly. The Pro has additional ports like the in-wall, so depending on the coverage needed the Pro may be a better bet. I've used mesh in a house setting but not sure how that would translate to an outdoor area - you might do better with some strong outdoor APs strategically placed.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2018 21:36

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Bad Munki posted:

Yeah sorry, that was a lot, I think half the reason for posting all this is just to organize my thoughts in a place where I might get some feedback and sanity checking.

Anyhow, the more I look at it, a single well-placed exterior AP will actually cover 90% of the exterior area I'm interested in, so I'm just going to do that. Any networking beyond that would require gymnastics to supply power, so it might happen some day, but I'm not going to worry about it for now.

I think I have most of the house/shop/exterior figured out now, I'm just trying to decide what do to coming right off the uplink. I could just stick a PoE switch on it and be done, but then I'd be stuck using the modem's routing, and man, I just don't like it: it's not my modem, the software is not good, and it doesn't even give me the controls I need to do stuff I've really gotten used to having. So I want my entire network behind some sort of router or something, and if my connection changes in the future, nothing changes but what the uplink on my network is plugged into.

So this is the current picture:

I think this is pretty sane? That router doesn't give me a lot of room to grow, but if I need more ports, I can just throw a small unmanaged switch in there as needed.

Looks pretty sane. I will note that someone in this thread recommended using a switch behind the router instead of using the router ports for switching for your other devices, but I think it won't be an issue, you just may not get full gigabit in that config (read the manual for the ER-POE, it will tell you).

# ¿ Feb 5, 2018 00:18

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

CrazyLittle posted:

Ask the guy in this thread that's selling his Ubiquiti AmpliFi system

My Amplifi system is sold, but my feedback is generally positive. I had strong coverage in the house - going from a single wireless router with dead spots to no dead spots at all. Due to layout I had to use the (slower) 2Ghz backhaul for one of the mesh points and the speed suffered as it should. I was happy with it but wanted to get closer to my WAN speed so I did like you and went with Ubiquiti APs.

If speed is really important, mesh may or may not work depending on the layout of the house and network. If coverage is most important, I'd confidently recommend a mesh system. Amplifi was nice for non-power users in that it had relatively light interface entirely controlled from a phone app.

# ¿ Feb 5, 2018 17:17

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

iajanus posted:

Finished wiring up my house and was trying to find a new piece of equipment to finish off the job; hoping to get advice.

Simplified network diagram:

(In garage)
ADSL Modem/Router
|
|
|
V
Switch
|
| (cat6 in the walls)
|
|--------------------------------------
|...... |..........|........|............|
|various rooms with stuff wired up
|
|
SOMETHING

Where something is I want to put some sort of switch/accesspoint with gigabit and wifi. I want to plug in at least 3 devices into it and since it's at the extreme end of the house it needs to put out wifi for stuff to connect to. I want it to be a dumb switch to just keep the ADSL M/R to be doing the DHCP work for the whole shebang.

I found the Netgear WAC104-100AUS, is this a decent thing to use? Hardpressed finding stuff to put there that has gigabit eth ports and wifi that's not a router.

I think you probably just want a wireless router and turn off the routing/DHCP functions - then it will be a switch + wifi AP. Or buy a switch and hang an AP off the end of it along with the other wired devices.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2018 14:49

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

iajanus posted:

I've got old wifi routers but none have the combination of things I want (that's what I've been experimenting with); happy to get a recommendation of something that isn't too expensive but that will do the job.

What's expensive to you? I'd personally recommend any $25 5-port gigabit switch and a $75 Unifi AP-AC-Lite access point. But most any modern consumer wifi router (e.g. Archer C7) will also have 4-port gigE and wifi, and can probably be had for $50-75.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2018 15:09

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

emocrat posted:

Assuming the internet connection behind it is full gigabit and the router is handling at full gigabit, and that my client device is reasonably positioned to use 5GHZ , what is the actual, real world speeds I should expect from a Unifi AP AC Lite?

The Lite tops out at 867Mbps, so that bottleneck would be max theoretical of about 100MB/s. Actual will depend on lots of thing like the client's strength, etc. I've done iperf tests within my home network under similar conditions you're describing and seen 80+ MB/s, so fairly close to theoretical max (20% less) is certainly possible.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2018 16:20

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Piggy Smalls posted:

Hi Guys. I want to get some WiFi upstairs but I�m a noob. I have an AirPort Extreme downstairs connected to the standard spectrum modem they provide. WiFi upstairs is spotty so was thinking g of ways to boost the signal upstairs or have one of those fancy doohickeys they put on the ceiling that basically extends the WiFi. Any not so expensive solutions to my problem?

Best solution is run an Ethernet cord upstairs from your router to a wireless access point. If that isn't possible, you can do the same thing with MOCA or powerline adapters instead of the Ethernet cable. Or you can replace your existing Airport with a wireless mesh system like Google Wifi, Netgear Orbi, Amplifi, Eero, plume, etc. Those options are also approximately in order from cheapest to most expensive. But don't buy a wireless repeater.

# ¿ May 1, 2018 23:25

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

THF13 posted:

High end lovecraftian routers are dumb purchases, but I think we're way too eager to push multiple ubiquiti devices in this thread. I wouldn't recommend them over a single normal router for most people unless they needed multiple APs to cover their house.
Even for networking geeks the AC-68u with AsusMerlin firmware should do everything they would want.

I disagree, because it is much less about "everything you would want" in terms of functionality (QoS, VLANs, etc) and more about stability and value. In my case, I had an Archer C9 ($90) crap out on me in under a year, and it needed frequent resets before it died. An ERX + UAP-AC-lite was $120, has been stable as a rock, and delivers 2-10x better wireless throughput everywhere in my house. I'd much rather have spent that extra $30 the first time and never thought about my wireless gear again than have the headaches from the consumer-grade all-in-one. Different strokes and all that, but I kick myself for not getting the Ubiquiti gear sooner.

# ¿ May 6, 2018 01:21

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

skipdogg posted:

Question for the UniFi AP users in this thread. What kind of range are you seeing with your AP? Getting closer to finishing the new house, starting to finalize my plans.

For reference, floorplan photos. bottom floor about 2K sq ft, 2nd floor about 1400.

1st floor https://i.imgur.com/M9lu54d.png

2nd floor https://i.imgur.com/avibDR5.png

I have Ethernet ran to every room, so wireless is going to be mostly for mobile devices and smart home stuff. Quality connection more important raw speed. I'm thinking 2 AP's on the first floor. The first one in the front hall towards the front of the house between the garage and bedroom, a second one towards the rear of the house. I'd like enough coverage to cover the garage, a doorbell camera, and the back patio with a solid signal.

The second floor a single AP in a centralized position in the hall should suffice I think. I'll ceiling mount the AP's.

I'm thinking 3 AC-Lite's should do the trick as far as wifi coverage goes. Unless they're so strong the upstairs unit will cover the front half of the downstairs part of the house as well. Any reason to spring for the Pro's instead?

My house is similarly sized and I'm very happy with just two AC Lites, and frankly one did pretty darn good on its own. I'd say start with one or two and see how it goes - because you already have Ethernet everywhere it'll be easy to add more if you need them.

# ¿ May 18, 2018 01:04

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

poe meater posted:

Would a lovely cable modem affect a router's wireless signal? The room next to where my router has been having wireless issues for a while now ( slow, lost connections). I just changed my ISP and upgraded from the lovely rental modem to my own modem and it's been positive so far. Small sample size so who knows.

Is setting up an access point as simple as plugging a long Ethernet cable into my Archer c5 and putting the other end in the access point located in the desired area?

The answer to your latter question is yes, it is just that easy.

# ¿ May 22, 2018 16:51

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

WattsvilleBlues posted:

OK, so if I get that, can I run an ethernet cable into it to be able to get better wireless coverage? I just have regular ethernet cables, I don't think they support POE so I take it that thing has a separate power connector?

Yes and yes

# ¿ Aug 6, 2018 00:43

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

I've read good things about Plume but I don't know anyone who has used it. I used the Ubiquiti Amplifi mesh system and liked it, but eventually broke down and ran cables so I could use real APs.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2018 21:11

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Nibble posted:

I want to set up a two-router system in my home for better WiFi coverage and more available wired connections. The house is wired for coax and we're not planning to use cable TV, so I'm looking into MoCA. I read the link in the OP and think I know what I need, but wanted to get confirmation before I order anything.

One of the routers is a modem/router combo with coax in, ethernet out, and the other is a standard ethernet in/out. Both provide WiFi. I plan to put them in separate rooms on two different floors, each with a single coax cable coming in.

So here's how I think I need to set it up, hopefully this makes sense:
code:
FiOS origin ---> Coax splitter ---> Coax splitter ---> Modem/router coax in
                     |                            ---> MoCA adapter ---> Modem/router ethernet out 
                     |
                      ---> MoCA adapter ---> Router 2 ethernet in
The part I didn't think about initially is that while the modem/router can take coax in, I think I'll need a splitter and adapter to have it establish a wired connection to the 2nd router. So the former will have raw coax in and MoCA out, and the latter just MoCA in. Two splits, two adapters.

Assuming that pans out, I want the modem/router to be the only one communicating out, and the 2nd router to just provide additional wired and wireless connections into the primary network. I think running that router as an access point with the same SSID as the primary should accomplish what I want - anything connected by ethernet or WiFi to the 2nd router will get passed along to the primary, which will then send it out to the internet. Do I have all that right?

I don't think so. You only need one router, which will get the signal from the cable modem (or be one-and-the-same device, sounds like you may already have a combo box). Then you'll run Ethernet to the first MOCA adapter, that will run over coax to the other MOCA adapter, then you can hang a switch (for wired clients) and an AP (for wifi) off of it. You can use a wireless router to accomplish the last two things but you need to turn off all the routing functions.

# ¿ Aug 13, 2018 21:11

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

bolind posted:

My questions:

Can more than one AP figure out how to peacefully coexist with the other AP, handing over nicely with no drama?

Will the ERX-SFP PoE feed two AC LITEs on it's own, or do I need clumsy injectors?

If so, does Ubiquiti make a router that will feed two or more AC LITEs and possibly a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ with a PoE HAT?

Yes, Unifi APs figure this out themselves.
I have this exact setup and the SFP does fine to power two AC Lites over Ethernet.
You may not get 1gbps over WiFi (I believe mine top out at ~500mbps under ideal conditions), but as noted above the router can handle it on the wire.

# ¿ Nov 27, 2018 13:13

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

RoboCop 3 posted:

We finally got FIOS in my neighborhood, so I've been able to upgrade from a lousy Qwest 40/40 DSL connection to a 1 Gbps connection. Yay! But it turns out my Linksys E4200 router/AP with Tomato firmware isn't gonna cut the mustard anymore. On a wired connection, it can only push about 160 mbps to my PC.

I like the look of Ubiquiti's stuff. I'm not a networking guru, but I know the basics and can Google the rest (probably). My setup is 3 wired connections to my main PC, file server, and a printer, and wireless to my laptop, phone, tablet, and a few game consoles. For my needs, it looks like I want a UniFi Security Gateway, some kind of UniFi AP, and a switch for my wired stuff.

The only problem I have with my current setup (aside from not being able to handle 1 gbps) is somewhat poor wireless performance with my devices downstairs. With the AP on the main floor, I'm not expecting great performance, but I'd like to at least be able to get enough signal downstairs to stay connected. My current Linksys router/AP cuts out sometimes. So, when it comes to selecting an AP, would the UniFi AP AC Lite be sufficient? I could go with the Pro or the Nano HD as well. I'd be willing to spend the extra money if they would give me noticeable range and speed improvement in my small-ish ~1,400 sq ft home.

For my 3 wired devices, I'll need a switch of some kind. I like the idea of staying with all Ubiquiti products, but even their cheapest 8 port switch looks like overkill for my needs. Would I be fine with a little Netgear switch like this?

Apparently I need to use their Controller software for setup? From what I've read, I can just install it on my PC for setup purposes, then shut down the service and ignore it unless I need to make any configuration changes, which would be very rare. I saw the UniFi Cloud Key thing they sell, but I wouldn't need that for my simple setup, right?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

The AC Lite is probably fine for you. I have 2 covering my 3400 Sq ft, and just one covered the whole thing pretty well. It'll depend on home construction, lines of sight, etc but I'd start with one and if it isn't performing well enough you could return for a Pro or HD or add another Lite.

You are correct about the controller software - use once for setup, no need to keep it running unless you need some advanced monitoring features. But if you're getting the USG you might want it, and you can run the controller on a PC or RPi it whatever, Cloud Key isn't required.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2018 23:18

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Walked posted:

Is the Edgerouter 4 the best replacement on the market for gigabit? Dont need anything super fancy; just a performant gigabit router where I have control over routing/firewall rules and not much else really.

ER-X is solid and a lot cheaper, though less powerful than ER4. Check and see if it would meet your needs.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2019 23:58

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Deviant posted:

I read all the previous posts, and let me see if I have this parsed correctly as it pertains to the ER-Lite//USG + UAC-AP-LITE combo:

ER-Lite: Has a GUI at 192.168.1.1 or whatever like I'm used to, but I have to use local software on my computer to configure the UAC-AP-LITE and push settings out to it.
ER-X: Same as the ER-Lite, but less good due to offloading(?), and has PoE port?
USG: Has a GUI at 192.168.1.1 or whatever I can use to configure the router, UAC-AP-LITE, and any other on-brand gear I happen to acquire.

Neither the ER-Lite or USG does PoE, so i'll need an extra power outlet to do the UAC-AP-Lite's included PoE injector, correct?

Is this accurate? If so, what's the purpose of the CloudKey? And how do all these products compare to the Amplifi line, which seems more geared to the casual home user?

The USG is configured using the same software (the controller) that the AP also uses, it has no web server interface. The controller can be installed just about anywhere and can be always on (like a CloudKey, RasPi, you own PC) if you want some more advanced functionality, or only on when you need to configure/troubleshoot.

You are right about the POE injector needing its own outlet.

Amplifi is a home mesh system, and yes, it is squarely focused on the home market like Google Wifi, Orbi, etc. Amplifi is entirely configured through a mobile app. It is slick but much less powerful than the Unifi and Edgerouter lines.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2019 21:55

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

pseudorandom posted:

Oh. That's sort of the case, but I omitted one detail that I didn't think was important. The AT&T device handles the network connection, and then my roommate and I both have our individual personal routers connected to it. I do not know whether or not he actively uses the AT&T device's wifi.

So there's actually two routers connected to the AT&T device so we can each have our own network. Is it possible to have two bridged devices? If not, I'd need to try to find a different solution.

The AT&T device is a Pace Plc 5031NV-030.

Searching that model number, the first result was instructions for setting up a bridge network, so I found that at least. Obviously that's only useful if I could do that with two devices?

What you're describing sounds like double NAT, which may be causing your IPv6 issue. How are you connecting two routers to this AT&T device anyway? A switch in between?

# ¿ Jan 18, 2019 21:09

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Teabag Dome Scandal posted:

I just got gigabit fiber through Centurylink and would like to use a Ubiquiti device to do my PPPoEing and VLAN tagging and I guess probably routing. I have an ASUS router that I will probably convert into AP duty but at some point will likely upgrade to a Ubiquiti AP. I have a file server that I will likely have running UniFi. Having UniFi running elsewhere eliminates the need for a USG, correct? So an Edgerouter X or Lite are the two to consider? What should I be looking at when deciding which is a better fit for me? It seems like with the Lite I would need to also get an unmanaged switch but with the X I would not? The ports on the ASUS AP should work as normal from a switching perspective so I guess that might not be necessary until I upgrade to a Ubiquiti AP? Which seems to mean the only thing I really need to consider right now is actual routing ability between the ERX and ERL and maybe PoE on device for the future AP?

I don't think you have all of this correct. Running the Unifi controller elsewhere is not the same as not needing a USG. USG runs the Unifi OS, whereas both the Edgerouters run Edge OS. They all route but the OSes have different commands, interfaces, etc. You also don't want an unmanaged switch in the chain if you're planning to do VLAN tagging (at least AFAIK). Others can chime in with more detailed info, but I think you need to know your needs/priorities. USG will be more expensive but has some features that ER doesn't (particularly if you end up with Unifi switches and APs), but USG also struggles with routing gigabit WAN in some cases, so you'd need to consider if those cases cover you.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2019 00:16

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Teabag Dome Scandal posted:

Oh. I knew the Edgerouters were CLI but I thought UniFi running somewhere would give you a GUI that could push your settings to Edgerouters. Sounds like not and there are probably specific devices that run off UniFi. Seems like the APs so I'd need to worry about that at some point but not right now? The vlan tagging is only for the PPPoE login stuff, which Clink requires, not for the network as a whole. The vlan tagging is strictly between the ONT and the modem I think. I don't intend on having any actual vlans otherwise.

Ok, then let me state what I would like to maybe help clarify. Currently, I have my ONT plugged into the Clink provided Modem/router, which is connected to my ASUS Wireless AP. The ASUS is flashed with Merlin so it is capable of authenticating my fiber connection which requires PPPoE login and vlan tagging which I did but the bandwidge was garbage so I switched back to the Clink provided one for the time being. I would like to get a device capable of authenticating my fiber connection at near full bandwidth and removing the Clink provided modem/router which it appears Edgerouters are capable of to different degrees. I don't mind learning and using the CLI.

I want to basically do this https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi-Routing-Switching/USG-CenturyLink-Fiber-and-VLAN-201-Help/td-p/1810808 and I am trying to decide which device would be best. I had seen some chatter that the USG is a little buggy which is why I was not considering it (on top of being more expensive) but I'm open to being corrected. I'm also not going with Ubiquiti APs for the time being but probably will in the future so UniFI OS is not an immediate requirement.

ER has a GUI as well, but the GUI is different than Unifi. You can mix and match between them just fine, but you lose the Unifi ability to push changes to the full stack if ER is in the mix. Sounds like you probably want an Edgerouter of some flavor if you don't have any other Unifi now, and if/when you even consider more Unifi things like APs or switches you may want to move to a USG (but don't have to). I don't know enough to comment which you'd prefer between ERX and ERL.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2019 01:27

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Dennis McClaren posted:

Posting this here because I think this could either be a networking problem or a hardware problem but im not sure; and desperate!

This is my soundbar = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...1?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is my TV = https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've tried unsuccessfully for three days to get my new soundbar to pair with my tv, my laptop, or anything. Ive followed the manufacturer's instructions, and called tech support and got no help whatsoever. Please, someone help me understand what's going on here.

I store and play movies on my laptop, and I run an HDMI cable from my laptop to my TV to watch them on the tv. I have the soundbar connected to the TV via optical audio cable. When I put the TV into pairing mode, it searches but does not find or pair with the soundbar.
I tried pairing the soundbar to my laptop as well. My laptop won't find the soundbar when they're both pairing either.
I tried pairing the soundbar with my phone just to see if it would pair with anything - it did not.

I removed all the devices previously paired on my laptop (and the tv) just to start with a clean slate. Still, the soundbar won't pair or output sound with any device.

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong here? It's so frustrating to have a brand new $200 soundbar I saved for, and I can't get the drat thing to work.

Why do you need to pair it at all? The HDMI should be carrying audio from you laptop to the TV, so then it should be up to the TV to play the sound to the correct output (internal or external speakers). If the optical cable is connected to the TV, just make sure the TV is set to play sound to the sound bar, and the sound bar is set to play on the optical input. On my fairly old Samsung set, there is an audio setting called "external speaker" or similar, just make sure your equivalent is set right. Then my sound bar has HDMI1, HDMI2, Optical, and Aux, so I have to set that to "optical".

Edit: I agree if the sound bar is brand new then it should be able to pair, but the use case you are describing doesn't require it AFAICT.

thiazi fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Apr 10, 2019

# ¿ Apr 10, 2019 02:36

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Dennis McClaren posted:

Sorry
VIZIO SB3621n-F8M 36" 2.1 Channel Sound Bar

and

TCL 43S305 43-Inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model)

Glad you got it sorted

thiazi fucked around with this message at 03:20 on Apr 10, 2019

# ¿ Apr 10, 2019 03:15

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Listerine posted:

I'm having issues with weak signal in my second floor office, the router- which can't be moved that much- is on the 1st floor. From what I've been reading in the OP and recent posts like the one quoted above, it sounds like getting a Unifi AP would be a good next step, and if that doesn't work, adding a second access point upstairs.

I don't know anything about networking or how these devices work, so pardon my ignorance and feel free to assume that I'm an idiot. From what I understand they draw power over the ethernet connection, so do I just connect it into one of the ports on my router? If I need a second one, can I connect it to the first, or does it also have to plug into my router?

My router is the Asus RT-AC66U- would this be compatible with the Unifi AC Pro?

Yes those APs use power over Ethernet (POE). Your router doesn't do POE, but the AP comes with what is called an injector whick takes power from an outlet and adds it to your Ethernet cable so the AP gets its power that way.

Each AP would generally need to be connected to a port on your router, but I think the Pro can daisy chain. Any Unifi AP will work with any router but be aware you'll have to load the controller software on a PC or phone to set up the AP initially.

# ¿ May 5, 2019 22:12

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 04:14

thiazi: Sep 27, 2002

Snowy posted:

Thanks BB and sorry for the missed details. I don�t really plan on expansion, not sure how I even could. I have the 200/200 plan but get a little over 300/300 currently. I mentioned that I have a little experience but not tons so I don�t really want to janitor much. So far we�ve hard wired our two desktops and everything else is wireless, tv, ps4, phones.

The G3100 is actually working well across the apartment despite the walls, I�ve been impressed.

I�ll check out the advice and thanks again, I got my old router based on your tips and it was great ✊🏼

The ERX should be able to handle those speeds even with all the QoS bells and whistles turned on. That + an AC-lite or similar AP should do just as well as what you have now without the rental fee. Setup is slightly more involved but once it is set you can forget it forever (I haven�t touch my setup at all since I installed it two years ago - solid as a rock).

# ¿ Jan 15, 2020 19:16

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The Home Networking Megathread - Yes the OP is out of date

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