[TriLUG] Wireless AP recommendation

Sat Aug 26 21:46:39 EDT 2017

It's mostly about more convenient/correct connections to the closer AP.
They also do some nice tricks like automatically scan the network
environment and pick the best channel for each AP (good, but not as good as
you can do by hand, usually).  If you've only got 2 APs and you don't get
too far from either, it's not a big difference.

One of the main drivers for me was that a lot of the other APs are... not
particularly reliable.  I replaced a few Netgear WAPs in rapid succession
and then decided it was worth more to be to run sightly higher quality gear.

I also don't need the router functionality as I'm running a Linux box as
the router (see, look, we mentioned Linux!).  :-)

Aaron S. Joyner

On Aug 26, 2017 7:31 PM, "Mike Viscount via TriLUG" <trilug at trilug.org>
wrote:

To ask a question ... I've been watching the thread for a while and I'm
curious ...  I used to have 2 internet connections in my house but when TW
said they were going to start charging me for both I got rid of one ... got
rid of TW also :-)  Now I have 1 router upstairs serving up wireless
(Netgear AC1750/R6400) and want stronger wireless downstairs since that's
where my roku so also looking to put in an AP.  I have a cat 5 run
downstairs so that part is solved.  The route I was going was another
Netgear AC1750/R6400 configured as an AP.  Cost $109 ... (Best Buy -
regular $129) and if my main router upstairs fails I've got a backup ready
to go.  If it doens't work for some reason I can take it back.

So, for my question ... is there any reason not to go with the router as an
AP vs. dedicated AP like the ubiquity, rukus, or others?  Only reason I can
think of would be if there were so many wireless clients that I needed the
dedicated performance but I don't ... it's a household, not an enterprise,
just a couple phones, tablets, a couple roku's, ... and in use at any one
given time is a couple, maybe a handful if I had family over and everyone
was using it on their phones?  Oh yeah, not super concerned about the
handoff from one to the other because most of the time the devices are not
on the move and it's not an ip phone ... just surfing, email, ... etc. so
even if there's a blip it's not a big deal - SSID will be the same so
reconnecting not needed.  It's all supported natively by Netgear in the
firmware.

Thoughts?  And to the original post as a solution .... perhaps any old wifi
router laying around could suffice for you also.  Can still to the PoE if
you don't have an ethernet cable available and if the router doesn't
support AP config natively ... DD-WRT does so just need to make sure the
router is compatible with that.

Much thanks in advance!

Mike

On Sat, Aug 26, 2017 at 7:03 PM, Aaron Joyner via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org>
wrote:

> This seems like a risk for any long cable run, why does PoE change that
> risk?
>
> I've lost a few Ubiquiti PoE injectors on long runs due to (presumably)
> induction from lightning strikes, but surprisingly I've never lost a WAP.
> The injectors seem to be a bit more sensitive.
>
> On Aug 26, 2017 5:37 PM, "Joseph Mack NA3T via TriLUG" <trilug at trilug.org>
> wrote:
>
> > On Thu, 24 Aug 2017, Ron Kelley via TriLUG wrote:
> >
> > As for using a PoE switch, the following URL gives a good indication of
> >> power loss vs cable length:
> >>
> >
> > My main worry with PoE is the length of ethernet cable involved. If it's
> > not in a Faraday cage (say it's under a shingled roof), during a
> lightning
> > storm, there will be large voltage spikes developed in the ethernet,
> which
> > will fry the WAP.
> >
> > I've only done one PoE installation but I put lightning protectors on
> both
> > ends of the ethernet cable. I don't know if this was needed.
> >
> > I've had a USB web camera sitting in a window blow during a lightning
> > storm just from the 6' or so of USB cable to the WAP. The PS for the WAP
> > blew at the same time, although the WAP didn't.
> >
> > Joe
> > --
> > Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
> > jmack (at) austintek (dot) com - azimuthal equidistant
> > map generator at http://www.wm7d.net/azproj.shtml
> > Homepage http://www.austintek.com/ It's GNU/Linux!
> > --
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