Recommendation needed on WiFi hardware
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Currently I have four Linksys AC2200 access points spread around the house on three floors. I am not happy with them. They are not meant to sit behind a separate internet gateway. Yes, I can set bridge mode on them but then use some features I deem useful, like node steering, parental controls—which are harder to implement on pfSense. Even three of the four have Ethernet backhauls to the wired LAN, they give me trouble, when they temporarily cannot receive each other’s WiFi signal.
I am looking for hardware to replace these. I know that there are PoE units out there, which would require an additional switch, like those of EnGenius. Aruba, Ubiquiti and Meraki also come to mind. I am just not sure, which of those is easiest to manage and plays best with pfSense. Being able to assign WiFi VLANs for home automation and guests would be really nice.
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What I can tell you I have used unifi AP for many years, have not had any issues with them. I have 3 in the house (uap-ac-pro, ac-lr and ac-lite). I have 25 some plus wifi devices on my network at any give time broken up into 4 different wifi vlans. Lots of iot devices, etc. And also manage my son's (different house across town) via remote access of his flexHD into my controller. I run the controller software on a vm on my nas. Not really a requirement - but does provide easy management and info about all the wireless clients and their connections, etc.
There are many pfsense users using unifi AP. Another one that you left off your list is omada line from tp-link.
Any AP that can do vlans would "play" nice with pfsense.. 802.1q is 802.1q there should be no issues with any device that supports it working with any other device that supports it.
Keep in mind you most likely are going to want/need switch(es) that also support vlans.
You don't really need a poe switch, pretty much any poe AP should come with or be able to use just an injector. My 3 aps and my sons are just using injectors to provide the poe. Its a bit more cluttered than a slick poe switch. But if you don't have a lot of AP or other poe devices it is a budget friendly way to provide power to them.
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@dominikhoffmann said in Recommendation needed on WiFi hardware:
I am just not sure, which of those is easiest to manage and plays best with pfSense.
Hi,
In addition to UBNT APs, I would recommend the now affordable Cisco Aironet 1850 series. (in- and outdoor ver.)
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-1850-series-access-points/datasheet-c78-734256.htmlOn eBay you can get packages of up to 5 -10 pieces with a 4 - 5 year runtime for a very good price.
I have used four AIR-AP1852I-E-K9 for years without any problems
It also accepts POE and external power, and in addition to these, one AP in the line can be appointed as a controller (Cisco Mobility Express), running a slightly different FW and this managing the other AP's just fine.
+++edit:
Of course, VLANs and client statistics are basic stuff on this
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The NETGEAR 8-Port PoE Gigabit Ethernet managed switch (GS108PEv3) seems like an inexpensive solution:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00M1C03U2/
I would need something like that, anyway, because I need to isolate my home automation on a separate wired VLAN.
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@dominikhoffmann said in Recommendation needed on WiFi hardware:
GS108PEv3
Maybe sure - just some advice. Make sure you validate what poe your AP will need vs what your switch can provide. There are multiple types of poe (802.3af) poe+ (802.3at) then the newer poe++ (802.3bt type 3 or 4)
Then there is passive both 24 and 48 volts, etc.
So before you go buying a specific switch, make sure its going to work with the AP your going to get, and any other poe devices you might want to run. Also make sure that the total power for poe available via that switch can provide power to how many devices your going to want to plug into, etc..
Also keep in mind if just adding say a 8 port poe for your poe devices, if that is going to be downstream of say a larger core switch, that you are not possible limiting your bandwidth for all your poe devices into the rest of your network via the single uplink from the poe into your core switch.. May or may not come in to play - but its best to be aware of such limitations so that you can take them in to consideration when purchase.. With say an injector the poe device is still connected directly say into your core switch vs a downstream switch, so you would not have any limited uplink bandwidth where all the devices on the poe switch would have to share that uplink bandwidth.
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@johnpoz said in Recommendation needed on WiFi hardware:
Maybe sure - just some advice. Make sure you validate what poe your AP will need vs what your switch can provide. There are multiple types of poe (802.3af) poe+ (802.3at) then the newer poe++ (802.3bt type 3 or 4)
Then there is passive both 24 and 48 volts, etc.Thanks very much, @johnpoz! I might have been blindsided by this.
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I use this.... works perfectly with Pfsense and no need for PoE switch
https://www.asus.com/Networking-IoT-Servers/Range-Extenders-/All-series/RP-AX56/
Fixed IP and 1 on every floor.
