Wi-Fi

[LunarMist]

I'm going to try to add a small Wi-Fi device specifically for the S9 FE galactic tablet. As I mentioned here the Fibros wi-fi is struggling through the walls and items. https://www.storageforum.net/forum/threads/which-tablets.9227/page-8#post-214824

I have 1GbE ethernet on several switches in the workroom. So what is small, cheap and reliable, that won't give me headaches for configuration or spywares? Thanks.

 

[ddrueding]

If your tablet tends to not leave the workroom, then everything mentioned in following paragraphs doesn't apply. Just about any AP will do, call the second network something different from your first, connect to it, and don't worry about it.

My understanding and experience is that unless the access points in your place are part of the same system, devices won't actively move to the one with the better signal as you walk around. I turned off the wifi provided by my ISP and installed two unifi access points to cover my apartment. This system also requires a controller, and isn't that cheap, but the company is based in California and I've had good experiences with them for many, many years.

With their current product offerings, I'd suggest one of the Unifi Express where your internet equipment is now taking over the Wifi there, and a U7 Pro in the work room.

UniFi Express - Ubiquiti Store

Impressively compact UniFi Cloud Gateway and WiFi 6 access point that runs UniFi Network. Powers an entire network or simply meshes as an access point.

store.ui.com

Access Point U7 Pro - Ubiquiti Store

Ceiling-mounted WiFi 7 AP with 6 spatial streams and 6 GHz support for interference-free WiFi in demanding, large-scale environments.

store.ui.com

 

[LunarMist]

From what I read the mesh stuff doesn't work well with my Fibros Wi-Fi router, which is necessary for video. So buying two Wi-FI systems would be excessive. I'm debating to just move the main Wi-Fi, but there are a lot of cables (AC, RJ45, and RG6) that would have to go across a doorway. I am reading so many complaints about all the Wi-Fi units and firmware and such.
Ubiquiti is a good brand of Wi-Fi that will work with various ssytems when I move?

 

[ddrueding]

Ubiquiti can do everything, but it doesn't have to. The one I linked above just does Wifi. The one I have at home is a Dream Machine Pro. That is a dual-internet capable business-grade firewall with all the fittings, plus WiFi management, plus cameras and phones and door control and all kinds of other stuff. I got the one I did because here it isn't hard to convince the ISP to let you plug your firewall that you own directly into the fiber coming into your house, without any of their gear involved. This is awesome if you can get it, but doesn't support legacy stuff like cable tv.

The one I linked to you will work with any internet provider and any router they provide. It leaves everything else in place, just offering better WiFi equipment. It will work much, much better if you are able to get into the ISPs unit and turn off their wifi. You can leave everything else how it is, and stuff should continue to work, but reducing the number of radios needlessly broadcasting around your house is always a good thing.

The second AP can be wirelessly meshed to the first one, but if you have network cabling running to that room, you will see much better performance with them both wired in.

 

[LunarMist]

The torpology is ridiculous. The RG6 cable goes from ONT (splitter) into the Wi-Fi and main STB, and the RJ45 cable also goes from the ONT to the Wi-Fi. They do that on purpose so that you must rent it to get video to the RJ45, not to mention replays from the main STB and other stuff, even if you don't use the Wi-Fi or router function. I have ethernet cable from the Wi-Fi to an 8-port switch in the working room, then that goes out to other switches for computers and to the other STBs by RJ45. I was planning to connect the new Wi-Fi to the wired network with one of the secondary switches.

I'm not sure what the controller in any new Wi-Fi would be doing. Are they spying on the data, updating the firmware randomly, and what else? I definitely want to be able to access settings through the computer on the network, not over Wi-Fi with some wretched and insecure Andorid app as some reviews indicate the consumer Wi-Fi routers do. I understand the theory is that Joe Blow does not have a real computer with RJ45 anymore. The UniFI/Ubiquitous APs seem to be for business use where they have a special POE that is just another expense.

Fibres is far more reliable than cable ever was here, so I'm not messing with the core stuff. Maybe after I move the options will be different there. The housing situation in the states is quite volatile and it's unclear where I will be living next.

 

[ddrueding]

*This next bit used to be true, and probably still is, but I haven't actually researched it in a few years* The most important thing the controller does is monitor the signal strength from each device connected to WiFi and actively push devices to the access point with the strongest signal. If you don't have this than wifi devices will hang onto the AP they connected to first until that signal is lost completely, and only then look for another authenticated network.

Other things it does is provide the local interface you can manage from a web browser as it should be. They also have an app, but it is unnecessary.

 

[sedrosken]

We tend to outfit most of our smaller customers that don't really have the need or budget for a FortiGate typically with a UDM Pro, a PoE 24 port Ubiquiti switch, and some amount of APs -- though, typically, we're outfitting with U6-Lites or U6-LRs for cost reasons, as most folks have zero need for full gigabit coming through their WiFi and their building plans typically don't allow for it even if they do. There's also the matter that a lot of these businesses have cheap, low speed internet connections, so they wouldn't benefit anyway.

Out of curiosity I checked what I've got going on and I get around 400-500mbps through my AP with my laptop, which for a 2x2 AX201 communicating to a Netgear WAX214 isn't bad at all. I wonder if my AP could do better if I had a 4x4 card, but I also don't care that much. In practice after about 250-300mbps you're getting throttled at the other end anyway for internet, and I don't do anything on here that I need a ton of throughput to my server for -- if I do, I'm firing up the desktop and making use of its 10Gb link.

 

[LunarMist]

I don't use my laptops wirelessly at home, not even my work laptop. I have USB adapters, either 1GbE or 2.5GbE, but my networks for the internet and NASes are strictly separate. The Fibros is 1Gb so it works fine on the cheaply 1GbE switches.

Temporarily I've decided to run the RG6 and ethernet lines in one of those safety cable covers across a 3-4ft floor to simply move the current Wi-Fi to a better position. I hope to get the longer cables and try it this weekend, before buying any new Wi-Fi AP/routers.

 

[LunarMist]

So I've learned that the orientation matters quite a bit. I don't understand the designs of the Wi-Fi, exepct maybe they are more for artistic or ergonomic than functional reasons. The Wi-Fi is much better when it is broadside to the receiving device. After relocating the Wi-Fi so that only only one wall intervenes, the Samsung tablet is now achieving about 408.11 MHz. It is also weird that once the tablet is moved to a bad location (like in a bathroom), speed drops severely and does not recover again until airplane mode is toggled on/off. I'm not planning to wander very much and it works quite well for just having an Exogenous 1380 SoC.

Now I have to revisit the age old problem of UPS since the three components of the system are spaced far apart. I can probably get away with a small normal UPS on the Wi-Fi if the power is off when I'm not home. I can always implement a manual UPS if necessary but I need some kind of tiny barrrel plug adapters.

 

[ddrueding]

An advantage of the business grade stuff, even if you aren't a business, is that they give you the data.

Antenna radiation patterns for each Ubiquiti AP.

https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005212927-UniFi-Network-AP-Antenna-Radiation-Patterns

 

[LunarMist]

I see those discoid devices in various buildings and the wiring is in the ceiling. I'm sure they are fine for just the internet
About a year after my system, they had something different with the AX vs the AC, but the other parts are altogether and I don't like some of them.

Meanwhile, the plug adapaters and some other stuff were ripped off off so I will have buy something else in about a week.