Seamless roaming

johnpoz

No I just run the controller in a ubuntu vm on my nas... You can manage the AP with just their phone app.. But you loose out on lots of the bells and whistles - and most important information easy to read in a simple to call up webgui..

It doesn't really need much horsepower, and can really run on almost anything. windows, macos, linux. they have people running it on a pi, etc.

Best you someone has put out a docker version of it as well ;) let me check ;)

Yup: docker https://hub.docker.com/r/linuxserver/unifi-controller

Also keep in mind that you can turn on the controller, do whatever you settings you want to do - and then just turn it off.. The AP continue to do whatever.. You just will not get all the history sort of info about your clients and the AP, etc.

Qinn

@johnpoz Am I correct in concluding that the only difference is that with accessing an most AP's your using a browser with Unifi you need a piece of software, so in both cases you need a PC anyway.

I don't know if you use 2,4GHz and if so do you use bandsteering and RSSI Threshold and if so what are the settings you use?

johnpoz

You need a piece of software for unifi because its a controller meant to manage multiple AP vs just single AP.. You can also run the controller in the cloud if you want, etc.

If all your going to run is single AP, a controller doesn't make a lot of sense.. But if you have more than 1, then you configure something once - and all the AP get that config - you don't have to touch each one..

Yes I do use 2.4, really the only reason is there are devices that only support 2.4 - or no I wouldn't run it.. But like my thermostat only 2.4.. Pretty much any sort of smart bulb or iot device only support 2.4.. So unless your talking only a network where all you have is phones and tablets sort of clients its not really possible currently to not do 2.4

Not real need for band steering - clients will move to 5ghz if its better from their point of view, and they support it.

But I do run min rssi.. .Have it currently set to -64 for 2.4 and -70 for 5.. Also output power of my AP is set to low for 5 and medium for 2.4.. More power is not always the solution for wifi ;)

The clients transmit is going to be the lowest level denomination most of the time.. So there is little reason that you client can see the signal from down the street, if his tx is not powerful enough for the AP to get back the signal..

Your almost never going to see billy bob user running unifi - unless one of his tech buddies talked him into it.. It really is more designed for the smb or the prosumer market.. They also have their ampli line of wifi more meant for end users that just want to plug shit in and have it work..

But being in the field and just an all around uber geek anyway... There is no possible way once got the taste of this sort of control of my wifi at reasonable prices could I ever go back to some end user shit ;) But my son out in CA just put in the google nest wifi, and he says it rocks.. He got that on my rec, he was looking at some utter crap ;) But for my other son in the area, I gave him a usgp3 had on my self, and he bought the flexHD.. So I can help him with any issues he has with his network ;) Since its just managed from my controller... At some point I will get him a pfsense box.. prob a sg1100 ;) But I had the usg just sitting on my shelf collecting dust anyway.

JKnott

@chpalmer

It would be nice if that controller software could run on pfSense.

Qinn

@johnpoz said in Seamless roaming:

You need a piece of software for unifi because its a controller meant to manage multiple > But I do run min rssi.. .Have it currently set to -64 for 2.4 and -70 for 5.. Also output power of my AP is set to low for 5 and medium for 2.4.. More power is not always the solution for wifi ;)

So in your case that means that when a node gets as low as -64 on 2.4 GHz it gets kicked off that AP and when there is no stronger signal from an AP available connection is lost, although it could have stay connected?

chpalmer

@JKnott said in Seamless roaming:

@chpalmer

It would be nice if that controller software could run on pfSense.

There are some that have.. I have a copy of windows home server going here so thats what I do..

JKnott

@chpalmer

My main Linux system is always up, so I could run it there, but it would be nice to have it on some network gear. With Cisco, the software is installed in switches.

Qinn

@johnpoz Which Unifi do you use and which would you advise, I need at least 4 vlan's per radio.

johnpoz

@JKnott said in Seamless roaming:

With Cisco, the software is installed in switches.

No while some switches now can act as the controller.. Before you had to buy a piece of hardware, normally 2 of them.. And if they were not on... nothing worked. Current models are the 9800 WLC, but yeah they have gone with cloud and embedded and or virtual.. Same sort of thing with unifi, you can run the controller anywhere - or you can buy the cloud key to run it on.. Or if you get the new Dream Machine Pro it will run right on the router..

The controller doesn't have to be running 24/7 - its just nice if it is.

There are people that have installed it on their pfsense box - I would NOT recommend that at all.. If you were going to do it, then run pfsense as a vm, and run whatever else on that hardware as another vm..

If I was going to buy today I would buy either the nanoHD or the flexHD... Or if you have budget the HD or the https://unifi-shd.ui.com/

Currently running the UAP-AC-PRO, the lite and the LR.. the pro is in the hallaway, the LR is in the kitchen and the guestroom is the lite.

Nano or the flex are the big sellers because of pricepoint and features.. They do have a new wifi 6 lite model out in beta you could try as well ;)

JKnott

@Qinn said in Seamless roaming:

I need at least 4 vlan's per radio

Do you mean 4 SSIDs?

Qinn

@JKnott said in Seamless roaming:

@Qinn said in Seamless roaming:

I need at least 4 vlan's per radio

Do you mean 4 SSIDs?

Yes a least 4 SSID's and you have be able to give them a VLAN ID/TAG

JKnott

@Qinn

That depends on the AP. My TP-Link only supports 4.

Qinn

@JKnott I know, that's why I asked John if it's available with the Unifi ;)

@Qinn said in Seamless roaming:

@johnpoz Which Unifi do you use and which would you advise, I need at least 4 vlan's per radio.

johnpoz

So with the unifi sure you can do 4 ssids.. If you turn off monitoring and they are wired uplinks you can do 8.. So if you wanted you could do 8 on 2.4 and 8 on 5.. For a total of 16.

Or just get real fancy and do dynamic assigned vlans and just run 1 or 2 ssid and assign your vlans dynamically based on auth or mac... Now your unlimited to how many vlans you can run through your AP.

Qinn

@johnpoz Thanks John, I am beginning to "shift over" to Unifi ;) I think I will kick of with 2 X AP AC Pro.

johnpoz

Get the nanoHD vs the Pro.. Really!!! Or the flexHD... No reason to buy the pro at this time..

I show the PRO on amazon for like 133, and the nanoHD for like 157.. For 25 bucks your nuts if you don't get the HD model vs pro..

Qinn

@johnpoz said in Seamless roaming:

Get the nanoHD vs the Pro.. Really!!! Or the flexHD... No reason to buy the pro at this time..

I show the PRO on amazon for like 133, and the nanoHD for like 157.. For 25 bucks your nuts if you don't get the HD model vs pro..

Thanks for the advise John, I think a nanoHD 2 pack it will be :)

JKnott

@johnpoz

I just looked at the data sheet for that unit. I see they still support 802.11b. I wonder if anyone still uses that. I hope not, as it's a performance killer for the entire area. The local library stopped supporting it several years ago and I have my AP configured for N only, as every device I have is capable of N. It's a performance killer because every device that wants to use g or n has to go into b compatibility mode, where it sends a b frame to reserve time for the g or n frame. G only doesn't cause such a significant performance hit for n, as the n device just has to slow down the header, when there are g devices in the area.

JKnott

@Qinn said in Seamless roaming:

Thanks for the advise John, I think a nanoHD 2 pack it will be :)

Do the 2 packs come with PoE adapters? According to that video, single units came with them, but not the 5 packs. If I'm not mistaken, those Ubiquity APs can only be used with their injectors or their PoE switches, as the APs run on 24V.

johnpoz

I don't think they sell a 2 pack ;) But @JKnott is right when you buy the multi pack they normally do not come with the injectors... Some old AP did use passive 24v poe, and that could be problematic.. But the current devices should be poe/poe+ (also known as af and at) and be able to powered from any poe switch that supports the correct poe.

New poe bt also coming out.