Access point recommendations?

[tgl]

@johnpoz
Ubiquiti definitely design their equipment to run hotter than most other manufacturers do. I've not heard that they have reliability problems, so maybe they know what they're doing. But I'd recommend making sure there's good airflow around any of their gear. My U6s get uncomfortably warm to the touch (maybe about 130F?) on the rear mounting plate, but they seem happy anyway.

The U7's have a fan, not sure about its noise level offhand. Mine don't, and I've not heard that any other Ubiquiti APs do. There are noisy fans in many of their switches and routers, too.

[johnpoz]

@tgl here you go on the unifi forums post about the noise of the fan in the U7

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubiquiti/comments/1bfe7n9/u7pro_very_loud/

I have 3 unifi myself, but not any of the newer ones - they don't make a sound.. They haven't caught the house on fire yet ;) but not sure how warm they get they are in the ceiling (where APs belong) hehehe

If I was actually in the market to change mine out, I would prob pick up a few different ones and check them out - the EAP660 HD, the omada line seems like a great price for its feature set.. Does it perform up to its specs, not sure - but be worth checking out, if I was in the market.. Or if one mine died.. UAP-AC-Pro, lite and LR.

[netboy]

@johnpoz I have 2 APs TP-Link EAP615-Wall and have been using it for 3 years now without no issues. However, it does not have USB

[JonathanLee]

@netboy can you disable the tp-link cloud constant connections? I had to send my tplink back because it wouldn’t stop connecting to something I never approved

[netboy]

@JonathanLee It is connected ONLY to my router using a wired connection. It does not connect directly to the cloud AFIK

[JonathanLee]

@netboy mine TP link was to something dev cloud or something who knows I sent it back to get a new one. Something was mixed up

[netboy]

@JonathanLee I checked yes you can disable the cloud access
login-to-view

[JonathanLee]

@netboy mine did not have those options, if it did I would have kept it, mine was stuck on all the time. You could see it in logs but couldn’t turn it off. Drove me tinfoil hat crazy, it was filling my logs up

[netboy]

@JonathanLee This has been rock solid!!!
4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports: 1× Uplink 802.3 af/at PoE powered port, 3× Downlink ports, with one access port supporting PoE pass-through to provide power for a wired device, making deployment effortless and flexible

The price is right too around $90

[JonathanLee]

@netboy I got a new one coming, ultimately want to install OpenWRT on it as I can get more experience with programming

[Dobby_]

@JonathanLee said in Access point recommendations?:

want to install OpenWRT

You are on the way to search for this device I am thinking.
Banana PI BPI-R4

• Debian
• Ubuntu
• OpenWRT
  (WiFi6 and/or WiFi7) should be running there if the boards will be more
  available in the public. Because this boards are brand "new".

The second one is more for data holding, let us call it. But you were
also looking for a small NAS as I am right here. Please have a look.
FriendlyElec CM3588
You can install much more systems and they have all preconfigured
images for any kind of install media (SD card, eMMC and M.2 SSD)
Images for CM3588

• Android
• Android TV
• Debian
• Ubuntu
• OpenMediaVault
• FriendlyWRT 21.x and 23.x (OpenWRT variant matching this board)

Perhaps it is something for you?

[JonathanLee]

@Dobby_ YES!!!

[Dobby_]

@JonathanLee

login-to-view

First test of my TurrisOmnia with TurrisOS (based on OpenWRT)
I got mine used for around 200 €, I added a WiFi and modem card.
SFP Glasfasermodem and two SFP to eth modules are on its way.

[coxhaus]

@JonathanLee
I am a Cisco fan boy. I use all Cisco small business networking equipment as you get firmware support for the life of the product. I use a Cisco layer 3 switch and Cisco APs.

I like the Cisco 150ax 2x2 WiFi 6 APs. They are cheap and they come in 5 packs. I think around $102 each at least the last time I bought one. They are so cheap you can add one to every important room so you have high speed WiFi. I use 3 and may add a 4th.

My old Cisco WAP581 APs were 4x4 and covered better but cost more. You can add more Cisco 150ax APs for less money and have better coverage.

PS
The Cisco 150ax APs download code from the cloud so it takes a few minutes if they go offline. It is not a problem for me as I have an APC battery smart backup. My Cisco APs never go offline if there is a power outage. I have 5 hours of backup.

[coxhaus]

@johnpoz
I had a Cisco AP run hot and it turned out it was the cable I bought off Amazon. I bought a different cable local and it did not run as hot. How I knew is my other Cisco AP was not running hot. I assume the CAT cable really did not meet spec. I don't buy CAT cables off Amazon any more.

I had run out of CAT6 cables and I needed a 50 footer. I bought it from Amazon

[JonathanLee]

@coxhaus like could cook eggs on it hot? Maybe you need to replace it…

[JonathanLee]

@coxhaus I was part of Cisco’s first group of Netacad students very early on, also first group to be trained on the CCNA track at college many years ago, I get the brand loyalty. My favorite Cisco product was the Cisco Mars appliance. They really were innovative years ago, today it seems they like to buy up companies like Meraki as an example.

[coxhaus]

@JonathanLee
I switched CAT6 cables and it ran much cooler. I was wondering if they are using too thin of copper? It was a no name CAT6 cable with CAT6 marking supposedly certified.
For some reason I can't seem to buy name brand CAT6 cables off Amazon. They always dump me on the generic CAT cables.

[JonathanLee]

I remember Dlink had some good stuff back in the day anyone line D Link? My parents let me set up and configure lots of Dlink stuff, I remember this one late 90s could extend the WiFi. The thing would extend around a city block it was like a repeater.

[coxhaus]

@JonathanLee
Their routers are full of bugs and they don't seem to fix them. I ran an old 100meg D-Link switch back in the day and it worked fine.

I run Cisco small business switches now so I can run layer 3 switches as Cisco has good code in their switches for home. When I worked I used all enterprise Cisco but it is too expensive for home use and you have to pay for IOS upgrades in enterprise networking equipment. Cisco small business comes with firmware support for the life of the product.

I have only setup 1 small office network since I retired. I used Cisco small business L3 switch with 10gig upload. I setup 19 IP phones using a voice VLAN for priority on the L3 switch. It worked well.
Cisco makes the IP phone setup easy in their small business switches.