100+ Device Network Hardware Questions
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Hello everyone and happy holidays. I just want to get clarification on something dealing with hardware.
I have a network I am building a router for a network that has over 100 devices on that is expected to grow. Those devices are doing many things. Videos are being played, emails being sent, webpages being loaded, etc. basically all the time. They are computers and mobile devices., but usually more mobile.
My questions is:
Is 8GB of RAM with 128GB SSD overkill? Basically I am asking what is overkill and what isn't, particularly, what kind of CPU would actually be necessary for this person? Everywhere I look, people are saying an Atom CPU will do with 1GB of RAM, I am not so sure since this isn't your average network.
Perhaps a socket 1151 Pentium or Celeron? I don't think I need to go into the i or Xeon series Intel CPUs.Would this NIC work along with a few daisy-chained external APs?
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Corp-I350T4V2-Retail-I350V2/dp/B00NEIF65Y
Thanks!
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It isn't so much how many devices but how fast and what fancy features you enable. You can get a cheap home router that'll handle 100 devices.
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I have this right now and people are complaining about constantly being booted off with "authentication problems." I don't think a cheap home router (a downgrade from this) would cut it.
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-RT-AC68U-Ultra-Fast-Acceleration-AiProtection/dp/B00FB45SI4
Also, nothing fancy is enabled. This was pretty much plugged-and-played.
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8GB RAM and 128G SSD is more than enough. Question is what is your internet speed? If it's less than 500Mbps the Celeron would be just fine. Even 750Mbps would be fine if you are using it just as a simple router with no intensive packages like snort/suricata.
And yes, that NIC will work.
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complaining about constantly being booted off with "authentication problems."
What, exactly, are they really seeing? What "authentication problems?"
Are you really trying to do 100 simultaneous wireless associations on that Asus thing? Changing out pfSense isn't going to fix your wireless.
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complaining about constantly being booted off with "authentication problems."
What, exactly, are they really seeing? What "authentication problems?"
Are you really trying to do 100 simultaneous wireless associations on that Asus thing? Changing out pfSense isn't going to fix your wireless.
It just means that the router can't handle all the connections. After the 70 mark hits, random devices start getting kicked off and it gets slower.
When we setup another modem/router on the same line to the building and leave the other one with over 70 devices on, the internet is as fast as the other one would be without those 70-100 people on it, and no one is getting kicked off, so we think the bottleneck is the router. We don't want to do make two spots though as it should be all in the same place in the shop, so I am thinking multiple APs on this Pfsense machine.If my experience is misleading, what would fix my wireless then?
Thanks. -
8GB RAM and 128G SSD is more than enough. Question is what is your internet speed? If it's less than 500Mbps the Celeron would be just fine. Even 750Mbps would be fine if you are using it just as a simple router with no intensive packages like snort/suricata.
And yes, that NIC will work.
Thanks. I will go with one of those.
I don't know the exact plan, but it is Xfinity with one of the middle-tiers. Oddly, (and this is why I really think it is the router giving us a bottleneck) the 2nd modem/router station (TP Link Archer C7) we set up with no devices is running at 120mpbs down with no devices. The one with the active people on it with 70+ people on it all the time is down to 14mbps down. The connections are right next to each other and we checked the cable box in the front of the building, they are also on the same connection.
What we would like, however, is one great Pfsense machine with just multiple APs on it if at all possible. We would also like it to stop booting people off when the going gets intense and a reliable network not have to "just restart it" like the ISP tells us how to fix it.
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Based on your very confusing descriptions. (Many beginners confuse the words AP, router, switch, etc) I think Derelict nailed it. work on fixing your wireless before spending money on pfsense hardware.
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Based on your very confusing descriptions. (Many beginners confuse the words AP, router, switch, etc) I think Derelict nailed it. work on fixing your wireless before spending money on pfsense hardware.
I know what an AP is.
It will be our current router with the "router" settings turned off. It goes into AP mode.And what does that mean? How do I fix the wireless without getting new equipment? Reboot it everyday, update firmware, tell 30 of the 70 people to leave because our network can't handle it?
Should I buy the $300 Asus Router and use that instead of using a Pfsense + a few APs?
Thanks. -
Get a Ruckus 7372 off ebay and be done. Personally seen one routinely carry about 150 simultaneous associations, split among 5GHz and 2.4.
Get two and be double-done, with the radio load split between the two.
If you want to actually do it right get a couple Ruckus R310 Unleashed. Mfg. Part: 9U1-R310-US02. That would set you back about $700 for the pair.
There is more to providing Wi-Fi to 100+ people than just sticking some consumer router somewhere. Even if it is "prosumer" like that Asus.
It just means that the router can't handle all the connections. After the 70 mark hits, random devices start getting kicked off and it gets slower.
Yeah you are probably hitting the physical limitations of the wireless chipset there. Quality is out there. Usually costs more $$$.
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There is more to providing Wi-Fi to 100+ people than just sticking some consumer router somewhere. Even if it is "prosumer" like that Asus.
That is why we were looking into Pfsense, but alright! Scratch that. I will look at those solutions.
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Firewalling and providing reliable Wi-Fi access at scale are two completely separate things.
