Here's the composition of the rack:

• NavePoint 12U Network Rack
  
• TP-Link TL-SG1024: 24 port rackmount switch
  
• TP-Link TL-SG1016PE: 16 port rackmount power over ethernet switch (needed for the Wi-Fi access points)
  
• TP-Link TL-R600VPN: Rackmount router w/ dual-WAN and VPN
  
• Rackmount Power w/ surge protection
  
• Rack shelf: Used to hold modem and NAS
  
• Patch Panel: 24-port Cat6 patch panel (wires go in the pack via punchdown connection, and you run patch cables to the switches)
  
• 12" Patch cables: For connecting between the patch panel, swicthes, other on-rack devices
  
• Synology 416play NAS: Movies, music, pictures, etc. 32 TB in all.
  
  Elsewhere in the house/other useful parts:
  
  
• Keystone Cat6 jacks: one per bedroom, 4 in my home office, 4 in the media room (not built yet), 3 in the family room
  
• 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-hole keystone wall plates: Buy the number of holes you want and just pop in the keystone jacks
  
• Blank keystone inserts: For when you have too many holes in the keystone plates
  
• Ubiquiti AC Pro x 3: Wi-Fi access points, roughly center of the house on each floor (basement, first, second)
  
• Punchdown tool: For doing the punchdown connections on the patch panel and on each of the keystone Cat6 plugs in each room
  
• Extra rack screws and washers
  
• J-Hook: There are two hooks on each wall, holding service loops for the Cat6 and Coax, respectively.
  
  Useful things I learned:
  
  
• I was originally going to run the wires myself, but never could find the time. Also Cat6 is expensive when not purchased in wholesale quantities (< 10,000 ft). So we hired a local electrician to run the actual wires. It took two of them about 1.5 days to run everything. This was well worth the money, since the project would have taken many months to do in the evenings/on weekends with a toddler running around.
  
• I did all the wall terminations. Since they were punchdowns, it was easy and took one evening after work. The electricians would have charged me another half-day of labor.
  
• I did all the network rack work. This also took one evening after work.
  
• Do NOT buy electrical/networking equipment from a big box hardware store. Always go to a specialized retailer, like an electrician supply store. Their prices will be 1/20th that of the big box store, you won't have to have anything shipped, and their employees actually know what they are talking about. So if you're looking for something that you don't know the name of, you can usually describe it.
  
• Newer construction may have fire breaks/blocks/stops which prevent fire and gases from traveling up the inside of the walls. This makes fire move more slowly and give you more time to evacuate. However, it also means you might need to drill holes/patch walls in order to run wires vertically.
  
• Put in a service loop. If you ever need to re-terminate for any reason (like replacing a patch panel), it will give you extra cable to work with. Do the same thing inside your walls behind the wall plates, since you might have to do the same thing there as well.
  
• Buy networking gear that is rated for the same speed (i.e., gigabit). Your network will only be as fast as the slowest part of it.
  
• Watch out for network loops. This is really easy to do and will cause your router to crash or perform suboptimally. I spent >2 hours debugging on of these as a result of connecting my router to itself by way of both switches.

If you want your stuff to last a long time and be more reliable, get dedicated devices rather than combined ones. A "wireless router" is actually three devices combined into one: router, switch, and access point. The router separates your network from the internet, moves data between them, allows multiple devices to share your single public IP address, blocks unwanted internet traffic from reaching your network, and assigns local IP addresses to devices on your network. The access point does Wi-Fi. The switch connects these together and gives you the multiple LAN Ethernet ports on the back.

These three devices are also available separately. For example, this is a router, this is a switch, and this is an access point. You'd connect the router's WAN port to the modem and the LAN port to the switch, then connect access points and other wired devices to the switch. This has several advantages:

• The devices are much more reliable as each only does one job, rather than having to juggle three different ones.
  
• It's easily expandable. If you need more Ethernet ports somewhere, just add another switch there and connect it to an existing switch. If you need more Wi-Fi coverage somewhere, add another access point there and connect it to an existing switch.
  
• Upgrading is less wasteful. If, for example, a new Wi-Fi standard comes out, just get new access points that support it. You can keep your existing router and switch(es). Likewise, if you upgrade your connection speed to something your router can't handle, just upgrade it and keep your switch(es) and access point(s). And if something breaks, you can just replace it and keep everything else.
  
• You can optimize the locations of devices. Your router and switch(es) can be put well out of the way, behind other stuff, where their cables will be out of sight. Your access point(s) can be ceiling mounted to provide the best Wi-Fi coverage, with only one Ethernet cable running to them. This cable also powers the AP using Power over Ethernet.

$400.

What $400 could get you instead:

• A gigabit ethernet router without Wi-Fi and PoE $169
  
  
• A gigabit switch for mooooooooore ports (optional)!!! $25
  
  
• 500 feet of Cat5e. If you're running cable for access points, then you'll need this. If not, it's still nice to have and cheap. $32
  
  
• Get a wireless access point! Now your wireless isn't stuck next to your modem/router! $63.67
  
  
• Have a bigger house? get another access point. $63.67
  
  We spent $353.34. We got: 2 Wireless-N access points for different points in our house, a router with all of the same features (minus automatic DDNS, which you don't need your router to do), and more (gigabit) ports.
  
  And we spent less. Obviously this requires a lot more work: you have to run cables (which includes measuring, cutting, and crimping cables, installing wall ports, running cable up walls and through your attic if youw ant to do it correctly), configure your router (at least a little bit),
  
  And I'm not saying that this solution is for everyone. Or even for very many people, but I am trying to show that we are able to get a gigabit PoE router with the same features, a small gigabit switch, and two access points for less than this thing. These expensive routers are getting ridiculous.
  
  
  Edit: I'm just saying guys, consider your options. These big routers don't really solve most problems people have. It's buying a Ferrari to drive your 4 kids to school.

Yeah for sure.

Rackmount

Ubiquiti POE Switch

Unifi Security Gateway

Unifi Cloud Key Gen 2 Plus + NVR

Unifi G3 Pros

Unifi G3 Dome

Unifi AC LR

Unifi AC Lite

TP Link 5-Port Switch

Monoprice CAT6 1000ft

Cable Matter Blank 24 port Patch Cable

Nest Thermostat

Nest Doorbell

Nest Indoor Cam

Nest Sensors

Casetta Dimmers

Phillips Hue Starter Kit

Google Home Hub

Google Home Mini

Google Home

Chromecast Audio and Ultras (not pictured)

Labeler

It's not stupid - what you're proposing would work, but give Ubiquiti a look before you commit to buying WRT54GLs.

You can get a 3-pack of Ubiquiti Unifi APs for just a little more than what the old Linksys units are going to cost, but the extra cost is very well worth it.

Edit:
Expanding on the above:

That little Linksys box was phenomenal for its time, and the independent/community firmwares do give you a lot of performance and stability that wasn't present in the stock firmware, but the design is old and using the internet in general requires a lot more bandwidth now than was available back when the WRT54G series came out.

The Ubiquiti hardware is superior and better featured. The radios are 802.11n, so you'll get better throughput than 802.11g with similar coverage, and with the controller you get things like different VLANs for different SSIDs and smart client roaming between APs, both features missing from the Linksys. ( While you could give the Linksys APs the same SSID, most clients aren't smart enough to roam to a stronger AP when it's available until the old connection is dropped. iOS devices will roam, for example, but Android doesn't without 3rd-party apps, and whether Windows clients do or not depends on the drivers. )

The price of a UniFi setup is comparable to your consumer Linksys stuff. Amazon sells single WRT54GLs for $50/each. Those aren't ready for use out of the box - you need to reflash with your preferred OS and load your config on each unit individually. A 3-pack of Ubiquiti Unifis can be had for $180, or $60/each. Your controller will update firmwares and configs for you. (If your preferred consumer unit is more expensive than the WRT54GL, you'll probably save money upfront.)

Installation is super easy. Pick a box you can install Java on where port 8080 isn't already used (Linux or Windows). Install the Unifi Controller software (~40MB java stuff). Create a DNS A record and point it at the IP of the box you just installed your controller on. Log on to controllerbox:8080 and manage your APs. Even if you have no other monitoring in place, the controller will email you alerts when APs go offline/come online. (If you have no other monitoring in place, fix that!) The lack of centralized management on the WRT based firmwares becomes a liability once you're dealing with larger installations. You're only talking about 6 APs now, but you may find a need to change that in the future.

I've been down the WRT54GL route before, back in 2009, and it worked okay. Some of those APs are still in place now, and they work as well as they ever did, even if they are showing their age. If you do go down that route, I can share the settings that have worked well in that environment:

OS: DD-WRT build 14929

Setup > Basic setup:

• Set the WAN connection type to disabled.
  
• Check assign the WAN port to the switch.
  
• Enable NTP client and use pool.ntp.org or time.nist.gov.
  
• Make sure the Router IP section is correct for your environment. (Easy way to tell: power cycle it and check whether the Time shown in the top corner is correct.)
  
  Wireless > Security:
  
  
• RADIUS if you've got it, otherwise use WPA2 with AES.
  
  Wireless > Advanced Settings:
  
  
• Max associated clients to 32. (This solved a lot of lock-ups for me, but I didn't need to support a lot of simultaneous users.)
  
• Transmit power to 120. (This gives a little better coverage than the default and worked fine for my laptops - if your intended devices are mobiles or other things with tiny antennas, leave this at the default.)
  
  Services:
  
  
• Disable everything except SSHd if you plan to use it for monitoring.
  
  Security:
  
  
• Disable everything. (This is just an AP, not a router, right?)
  
  Administration > Keep Alive:
  
  
• Schedule reboot for 00:00 Sunday. (This is why you set up NTP earlier. Reboot takes less than a minute and keeps you from having to troubleshoot mystery issues.)
  
  
  Whichever route you choose, once you have your devices in place, walk around and check your coverage, and make adjustments if necessary. The easiest way I've found to do this is use inSSIDer on Android - it lets you visualize where you've got signal and where you don't. Or, better, HowtoGeek has some good reading on this here: http://www.howtogeek.com/165614/how-to-create-a-wi-fi-heatmap-for-network-analysis-better-coverage-and-geek-cred-galore/
  
  There's some conflicting information in other comments about which channels to use. I suggest using 1, 6, and 11 to control your overlaps and minimize your interference - again, HowtoGeek has some useful reading here: http://www.howtogeek.com/129231/do-limited-wi-fi-channels-restrict-network-availability/

Don't go with the NanoStaions, we have deployed a few for work and their beam width is not narrow enough. I would go with Ubquiti's NanoBeam AC Gen2. Same cost and MUCH better prefrormance!

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-NanoBeam-High-Performance-airMAX-NBE-5AC-Gen2-US/dp/B0713XMHH9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500430303&sr=8-1&keywords=Ubiquiti+nanobeam+ac+gen2

If this is a house, not an apartment, just hire a professional to run the cable. It should be about $100 per cable run anywhere in the house, so long as it's possible.

Get the cable run up to the 2nd floor, then put in a good 5MHz access point on the second floor. You could even set up two access points in wireless bridge mode (one on the second and one on the third floor) and have a switch up on the third floor for hardwiring more devices. These DLink 1525s are great access points with built in switches and can run bridge mode. The newer and more expensive one is the DAP 1650. If you don't need the switch ports on the back, I suggest sticking with the cheaper TP Link AP.

Also, you could see about moving your cable modem upstairs.

You need something like this. Once those are installed, you connect something like this to the unit connected to the guest house.

List:

• ZTE F609 - GPON ONT from ISP, bridge mode and connected to pfsense.
  
  
• Mikrotik CSS326-24G-2S+RM - Super budget 24 ports switch with basic features and 2 SFP+ ports for only $139 brand new, you just can't beat that price.
  
  
• Ubiquiti Unifi AP AC Lite - To handle wireless devices in my house, to be honest I was very disappointed with the temp, it runs very hot and it's the reason why I didn't mount it on the ceiling. If I knew all Unifi AP runs this hot, I would've go with other brand. Many people have told me that it's fine, but mine reaches 70 degrees on idle (I live in place where it can reach almost 40 degrees) and if I mount it on the ceiling without proper ventilation, it probably can go up to 80-85 degrees and I've seen couple post on Ubqt forum that their AP melted due to the temperature.
  
  
• Plugable 7 port USB hub - I have an unused spare. It's kinda expensive if you compare it to other cheap chinese crap but it doesn't backfeed power and super reliable, the other one is currently used to power my Pi2 24/7 for almost 2 years without single issue.
  
  
• Deepcool cooler - Super old notebook cooler I found on my garage, currently use this to blow the hot air from Unifi AP until I finish my mod to mount 120mm fan on the ceiling so I can put my AP.
  
  
• PC - Spec is G4400, Asrock H110M-HDV, PNY SSD CS1311 80GB, 2 WD hard drive 2TB, 8GB RAM, and 2x single NIC Intel PT Pro. This thing run Windows 10 and pfsense under Hyper-V (not a good idea I know). Also act as my media and storage server. I'm very surprised that this thing pulls less than 20w on idle!
  
  
• Others - Old monitor I found in my garage, probably from Intel dual core era, some cheap landline phone, a bluetooth keyboard, and bluetooth mouse.
  
  All these only pull about 40w, my next upgrade is probably to invest in a decent rack so I can have a better cable management.

Unifi is the best what you can get in the professional range for a reasonable price. There is only one step up, which would be Cisco, but that stuff is unmanageable if you are not seriously familiar with their equipment.
Get a couple of Unifi AC Longrange Access Points (Unifi AP AC LR), they are simply awesome. They broadcast on both 2.4 and 5 GHz simultaneously, and the range is crazy. One of them is like 100$, and there are packs of 3, where you save a little. Connect them to your router/mode from your ISP, or get a switch from Unifi and connect them to it.


And yes, you wan't to keep both networks. It's actually not 2 networks, it's the same network broadcast over 2 different frequencies. But people might have older devices not supporting the newer 5 GHz standard, so you should keep it.

If you get all those devices in one box, they're going to all be inferior to discrete solutions. And if one breaks, you're throwing away several perfectly functioning devices.

Edgerouter Lite 3-port: $95

Unifi AC-Lite: $86

TP-Link Gigabit Switch: $25

If you want to do cheap NAS, you might as well just share a drive on a desktop over the network.

Evening Tim,

My default suggestion is Ubiquiti gear. However something seems, very, very wrong with your network. You shouldn't have a device limit and I would pressure Asus for a fix. RMA it again and make them resolve the problem.

That being said, you said less than $200 so I will offer this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C

https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/

Little bit more upfront config. However you will be far happier with the results.

2 Ubiquiti NanoStations.

The AP you have specified is 802.11bgn only so its not a fair comparison. To be more equitable you should specify this AP which is 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. ($82.35 each)

Plus no one should be buying an AP in today's wireless world that doesn't have a 5GHz radio. 2.4GHz is overcrowded, interference laden shit and should be steered away from wherever possible.

Not OP, but we've deployed Ubiquiti products in a few of our enterprise customers and it is running great. I am not sure how much you already know about networking, but I'll explain for anyone else reading.

First, some background to fully understand what it is you are trying to do. The thing that most consumers call "routers" are really three things: a router, a switch, and an access point. TLDR the router portion is the thing that actually moves traffic between machines, the switch extends how many physical ethernet ports you have, and the access point gives you wifi.

The Ubiquiti Access Points (UAP) are just access points. You will still need a router to route traffic, and your consumer one will work just fine for most people. If you are looking to get something more SOHO, Ubiquiti also makes their own router/firewall (check out USG, or ideally EdgeRouter). For all intents and purposes, it is a pretty good idea to separate the roles of your network (physical appliances for the router, firewall, wireless, etc...), and you can have as many UAP's as you'd like for wireless. The UAP's run off of Ubiquiti's 24V Power-over-Ethernet (POE), which can be provided via a POE injector or with a Ubiquiti Switch (either Unifi or EdgeMax). So for a basic network, you'll disable the wireless functionality on your consumer router, and plug a UAP into a port (obviously you'll need to pass it through the POE injector first). Rinse and repeat for however many UAP's you want, maybe another one on the other side of the house for example.

The UAP is pretty useless on its own, though. It needs a piece of software called the Unifi Controller. The software is free, and you can run it on Windows, Linux, or with Ubiquiti's appliance called the Cloud Key. Within Unifi Controller, you'll setup the UAP's; e.g. setting the visible wifi name (SSID), security, channels, etc... It isn't too complicated, the interface is really intutive and anyone who is even slightly technical could figure it out. The controller also serves another really important feature, which is zero-handoff. As long as the controller is running, your device will connect to the access point with the best signal. This is the seamless switching you asked about.

Ubiquiti also is focused on mesh networking, although we are generally pretty against that for businesses for reliability reasons. Of course, the exception to that is Cisco Meraki, which is a hybrid that will self-heal. If you lie and say you are an IT professional, you can get a free Meraki with a 3 year license. Just make sure that you follow the rules.

As a note, I would stick to the UAP AC's. They are the newer version and run great. For consumers, the UAP-AC-LITE is going to work fine. Obviously there is more to networking and wireless solutions than what I went over here, but this is the general gist of it.

TP Link EAP 225

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT

TP-Link EAP225 V3 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Ceiling Mount Access Point, Supports 802.3af PoE and Passive PoE(Injector Included), AC1350

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/33201-tp-link-eap225v3-ac1350-wireless-mu-mimo-gigabit-ceiling-mount-access-point-reviewed

"Excellent bang for the buck".

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/images/stories/wireless/tplink_eap225v3/stackedthroughput.png

Inventory:

pfSense:
Snort, pfBlockerNG, OpenVPN, Squid, ClamAV, Default deny ingress/egress FW, etc.

ZOTAC ZBOX NUC

Kingston 120GB SSD

Crucial 8GB DDR3L RAM

ESXi Hypervisor:

Skull Canyon NUC

32GB DDR4 RAM

Samsung 950 Pro 512GB M.2 SSD

Virtual Machines I'm currently running.

Splunk - Receives my FW, DNS, Snort, and OSSEC logs. I have dashboards to filter this data.

Snorby - Also receives my Snort logs. I like this a little better than Splunk as I can view packet contents.

OSSEC - I used this for file integrity and endpoint monitoring on my servers and desktop. Functions as a host based IDS.

Nessus - I use this every once in a while to see if there are any open holes. Otherwise, I just use nmap and iptables to close everything off.

Unifi Controller - for managing my AP.


Wireless:

Ubiquiti Unifi AP-AC Lite


Switch:

TP-LINK 8-Port Gigabit L2 Switch

RetroPi + Monitor:

RPi3

10.1 Inch IPS HDMI Monitor


My VMs, configs, and files are backed up to a HDD I keep offline. I'm thinking about adding a NAS into the mix for somewhere around 200-400 dollars. Low energy consumption preferably if anyone had any recommendations. :)

You will NOT be disappointed with a UAP-AC-Lite. Just mount it on the ceiling, in a centrally located space in your home, preferably on the top level and enjoy the best WiFi you never thought was possible. I used to insist on wiring up everything with Gbps Ethernet, simply for the improved latency, but this access point has caused me to be lazy these days. We've had zero issues streaming 4K content out to the very edges of 2.4GHz band in an environment with moderate interference and there's regularly ~30 devices connected at all times across a couple SSIDs each on its own VLAN.

It's hard to describe how much better the experience is coming from the usual consumer grade stuff. $80 and can be powered (via PoE injector) from a single cable:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015PR20GY/

You really don't want your router doing wireless, it is preferable to have a dedicated Access Point (AP) doing wireless. Unfortunately what people think of "routers" now are actually three devices in one, they are a router, switch (multiple lan ethernet ports), and access point (wireless). Personally I feel the combo devices do a bad job at all three of those which is why I prefer to have dedicated devices for each piece. If you plan on using an existing router and just want wireless I would suggest the unifi ac lite access point.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

If you need a router as well then I would use the access point and pfsense for your router. You could use a wired nic like this in an existing computer.

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-1000-Dual-Server-Adapter/dp/B000BMZHX2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527380550&sr=1-3&keywords=intel+dual+gigabit

Pfsense does support wireless cards but trust me you don't want to go down that road for many reasons. Any time that topic comes up most users on this subreddit suggest against it myself included. I have tried building wireless into my pfsense build before and quickly abandoned it.

On the cheap end, get a 3 pack of UniFi WAPs: http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

Set them up with zero-handoff roaming: http://blog.gowifi.co.nz/2013/11/configuring-unifi-zero-handoff-roaming.html

On the expensive side, Meraki's a good choice.

Mikrotik RB2011 and a 3 pack of unifi standard AP's.

http://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-RB2011L-IN-10-Ethernet-Ports/dp/B008GZ7NEC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1394008968&sr=8-4&keywords=rb2011

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1394009024&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=unifi

You'll need a controller box for the AP's, it could run on the PoS system in the shop if that would be acceptable, or it can be run off of amazon AWS.

Unifi is great for this sort of role, you can quickly sort through all historical users for a period to find big data consumers, I'll typically MAC address ban devices using more than 10GB or so a month since that is far more than typical browsing should ever require, usually it's someone on an adjacent property or an employee.

The guest mode you can set by a single checkbox for an SSID is awesome, gives users just enough access to the lan to get to the internet. Eliminates the need to implement vlans to protect your POS system and other equipment.

Don't go with repeaters. What you should get is a wireless bridge. This will act just like a wire, allowing you to install an access point in the Hall with the same SSID and password (for roaming).

Repeaters cut the speed in half. Having several in succession means there will be nothing left at the other end.

Have a look at Ubiquiti Nanobeam AC. These will act just like if it was a long wire. You will be able to get a very good connection and the speed won't suffer. They are rated up to 15km, so 450 ft is nothing for them.

Install one on the church, one on the hall, and then get a nice access point for the hall, like the Ubiquiti Unifi AP AC Lite.

They aren't too expensive and should fit well in your budget. Amazon.com has them for $90 each. For the AP, Amazon.com has them for $82. If the hall is large, you could get a switch and 2-3 APs to get a good coverage.

Total cost for 2 nanobeam and an AP : $262
Total cost for 2 nanobeam, a switch and 3 APs : $454

For a temporary solution how about running an Ethernet cable from the existing router to the room directly underneath your office. Then connect a decent WiFi access point to the cable and aim it up to your office through the ceiling/floor?

The Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Lite costs around $80 and comes with it's own power-over-ethernet adaptor so you don't have to use a power outlet at the AP end.

Later on you can install it on the ceiling of your office or anywhere else you need better WiFi signal.

Get 3 of these. Problem solved.

Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AP AC Lite, Dual-Band 24V passive PoE, UAP-AC-LITE (24V passive PoE Indoor, 2.4GHz/5GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 1x 10/100/1000) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016K4GQVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EsVgAbVFWN61G

I've had great success using a pair of these. They were actually pretty easy to set up, and once set up, they haven't given me a single problem.

I think it's only a difference of $50, not $120. But personally, the standard POE on the PRO is worth it.
Lite
Pro

There are APs that have some switch capability, but most of them are enterprise level. You can put a router into AP mode and it may also switch locally, or you can install an open source OS on a router and set it up that way - but it's going to have more poor performance than a stand-alone switch or AP.

• Ubiquiti AC-LITE $80
  
• TP-Link 8-port switch $30
  
• 1ft Ethernet $1.50
  
• Power strip $6
  
  Total: $117.50 which is less than most routers and with better wifi and switching.

The unifi ac-lite is $81 on amazon so out of your budget but it's just barely enough to cover my small ass apt.. your house is smaller than this?

Alright, best case scenario time.

For a heavy workload you want 15 or less clients per access point. You can do up to 30 per AP but performance drops off quickly.

At minimum you will need 5 AP's. 10 is going to be far more realistic.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512

Even an entry level pro-consumer radio like the UAP-AC-PRO is $137 a piece. So almost $1400 already.

Beefy edge router and a switch will also be on the shopping list. Sticking with theme of Ubiquiti for this theoretical build:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Edgerouter-Router-ERPro-8/dp/B00IA5J8M8

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Edgeswitch-Gigabit-ES-24-LITE/dp/B012GUVIY8

$530. Of course, this gear is so popular because that price is considered rock bottom if you ask anyone that works with Cisco gear.

Now, the real cost of this build is the client adapters. With 10 AP's you have 10 clients per AP and each AP has 3 streams available so your clients should have matching adapters. 1300Mbps is the theoretical maximum but you can't have that because wi-fi is half duplex, and then halve it again because you aren't testing in a Faraday cage. So 325mb/s is a reasonable expectation for a single client on an unloaded AP. With 10 clients joined you might get closer to 500mb/s total.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Wireless Network Adapter | TP-Link Archer T9E PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter | $79.99 @ Best Buy
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $79.99
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-05 19:37 EDT-0400 |

Oh dear me. $8000 in wireless adapters. Plus that $1730 in networking gear. Add a thousand more for the time it will take to get the hardware installed.

Now go ahead and break down the cost of Cat6 cabling plus enough switch ports for your clients. Multiply it by .5 to account for how much faster and lower latency a wired network will be. CAD files are usually a bit large, I'm sure it will be noticed.

All the links contain affiliate links (tag=lx7-20&linkId=fe646f143f52bb0de1504aa396676d4e). Unaffiliated links are below. The user has posted affiliate links before, so I believe this is not an "Oops" mistake. The users also posted this in Beermoney as well, but it was removed because of the affiliate links included.
_____
Access Point - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/

Router - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YFJT29C

Powerline Adapter - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EE9APYS

Modem -https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016PE1X5K

Ethernet Cables - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E5I7VJG

That link is NOT the UAP-AC-Pro. It's the older UAP-Pro, which is an 802.11n only product. You do NOT want that one.

You want this one: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/

That's the new UAP-AC-Pro. It's $130ish. It supports 802.11ac (3x3 antennas) and true 802.3af PoE.

The UAP-AC-Lite is around $80ish as I recall. It also supports 802.11ac but with only 2x2 antennas, and it uses special 24v passive PoE so you have to use the Ubiquiti injector or a special Ubiquiti switch.

The difference between real PoE and passive PoE is that real 802.3af PoE has a handshake sequence for safety. When you plug an 802.3af device into a compatible switch, the device signals that it needs PoE power and then the power flow is turned on. This prevents damage to non-PoE devices.

Passive PoE just means that power is sent down the line without consideration for what's on the other end. If you plug a non-PoE device into a Passive PoE port, that non-PoE device will receive PoE and will usually be damaged or destroyed as a result.

Please note that the injectors included with either device are passive. IE, the UAP-AC-Pro's included injector is JUST an injector, no handshake.

The best way to do things is to get a real PoE switch like a Ubiquiti US-8-150W or a Netgear GS110TP, and the Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Pro.

However if this is the only PoE device that you have or will have, then you're fine to just buy the Lite and use the power injector... just be careful which port goes where :)

Op - Go buy a Unifi:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504882410&sr=8-1&keywords=unifi+ac+pro

They are the best WIFI solution I'm come across.

I've done that exact setup.

2 of these.
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-NanoStation-Dedicated-Management-NS-5ACL-US/dp/B078NN1J4K/

1 of these for within the barn
https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-GREENnet-Switching-Protection-TPE-TG82G/dp/B074PXNRFH/

1 of these for inside the house:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PoE150S-Injector-Adapter-compliant/dp/B001PS9E5I/


If you want wifi out there you can do a LR:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-UAP-AC-LR-Single-Version/dp/B01609AF22/

Cameras you can use a variety. but even at 4k resolution with h264 you're at 75 mbps with 4 cameras at 30fps.

one camera option:
https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Outdoor-Security-Surveillance-Waterproof/dp/B0776S8N8X/


edit: i also suggest a battery backup to clean power up in remote buildings. esp if they're old
https://www.amazon.com/APC-Battery-Protector-Charging-BE600M1/dp/B01FWAZEIU/

If you have a friend that lives in the area with service, offer to wire up the opposing ISP they already have so their house has both services (i.e. if they have Frontier, then order Spectrum). Another option, if there is a community house or common building for the development you could perhaps talk to managers / HOA to work out a deal. This is to get you a dedicated ISP line in your name, although you could share someone's line with the solution I propose.


Then get a point-to-point solution like this:

https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0


Since you need broadband for work, that is the quickest solution until you get it run to your house.


Of the two services, Spectrum is worse on speed and Frontier is unbelievably bad from accurate billing / customer service perspective. I've had both in the Tampa area. Finally settled on Frontier since I need the better upstream. Took over 3 months and a dozen phone calls to get billing correct with them.

Buy one of these https://www.amazon.ca/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-Access/dp/B015PRO512

Put it in a central location and any device that supports 802.11ac should be able to max out a 150mbps connection.

It only needs one network cable run to it (the power goes over the network cable too) so it's pretty easy to run. Maybe you can run the cable through a cold air return from your mech room.

It's enterprise hardware so it'll likely out perform any $500 consumer grade router out there. I run one of the lower models and it's the best upgrade I've ever made for my home wifi. No drops, rock solid, only had to reboot it once in three years.

A point-to-point bridge is often the cheapest and simplest way to cross outdoor distances. Get two bridge units (like these) to face each other on the two buildings, the one on his side connected by an ethernet cord to his router, the one on your side connected to an Access Point (like this,or if you have an old router lying around it can probably be run in AP mode).

>If I was rich I'd buy a ranch or some shit in Colorado and throw away the 100m it'd cost to run fiber out to it.

Or you could talk to a neighbor that gets internet and spend $60 on a pair of these. No neighbor with internet nearby? Drop about $5k and get a set of these instead. That will do roughly 13 miles.

A standalone wired router (e.g EdgeRouter X) and access point (e.g EAP 245) will perform much better than pretty much any consumer grade wireless router and allow for a lot more control/config, but you would be paying about $190 vs $110.

Correct.

My connectivity issues all disappeared when I moved from a Netgear Night Hawk router with Shibby's Tomato Firmware to an Ubiquiti EdgeRouterX and UniFi AP AC Pro.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YFJT29C/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/

Again, took a bit to get up and running but once I did -- I'll never go back to consumer networking gear. The LIFX bulb connections have been rock-solid ever since that move... In fact, 3 of the top 5 devices with the most "connectivity uptime" are LIFX bulbs. The other 2 being the Nest Protects. 😊

Don't buy anything you listed.

If you truly had no budget:
-AP: http://www.amazon.com/Meraki-Cloud-Managed-Wireless-Access/dp/B00FA1TNZ2
-Router: http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Edgerouter-Router-ERPro-8/dp/B00IA5J8M8

For your budget:
-AP: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512
-Router: http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C

If you want a affordable gigabit setup with Ubiquiti just run this setup.

• USG $110
  
• Unifi AP AC Lite $80
  
• TP-Link 8 Port Unmanaged Switch $25
  
• 1000' cat 5e $85
  
• 24 port patch panel $19
  
  If you don't have a gigabit connection you can swap out the USG for an ER-X which will knock off $50 but if you have the $50 to spend I would suggest staying with the USG so all your managed products are on the Unifi admin interface. You can also save some money by going with 500' of cat 5e if you don't need the full 1k foot spool.

I'd go with Ubiquiti products. Something like a Edgeroute X SFP and a Unifi AC lite.

I've got the slightly older Unifi AP and it's bulletproof. And with the X SFP you won't need the power injector for the AC lite. I setup the AC lite for a friend and it's also very solid, easy to use product.

Check out /r/Ubiquiti

I've had this problem, and have spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how to solve it.

My best advice would be to ensure that your PS4 is connected to the network via ethernet, not wifi, as there is a single shared antenna for wifi and bluetooth in the PS4^1. If your PS4 is too far away to allow for it to be connected via ethernet, consider purchasing an access point^2.

I also saw improvement by going into the settings of my Samsung Smart TV and disabling every single function that connected by TV to my wireless network. My reasoning was that the TV would periodically "phone home" to download updates to the firmware and streaming video applications supported by the TV, saturating the wireless network; this in turn would interfere with the bluetooth connection between the PS4 and its controller.

Good luck!

If you really want to have a high quality, robust solution then ditch the consumer grade stuff entirely. What I (and many others) would suggest is something like using the Ubiquiti Edgerouter Lite as your router. Then you run Ethernet to one (or more, if your house is big enough) Ubiquiti Unifi Access Point to provide wifi. These are rock solid, business class products for a great price. And the best part is if you need more coverage, you just plug in another Unifi access point and put it where you want.

As for a modem, most people on here would recommend the Motorola line, like the SB6141 or the SB6183, but those are dependent on being on your ISP's approved modem list (though most major American ISPs approve of these particular modems).

no he doesnt. its all about how you set up your network. i have a linksys EA3500 handling 10 devices. i have a crap router behind it handling my checkpoints farm for that IP(10 devices). i have a netgear something handling 15 devices on a different IP. the key is to separate the channels. i run mine on 1, 6 and 11. no overlap for the 3 programs i run (sb, perk and checkpoints).

however, if you are going to upgrade, may as well as upgrade to something commercial that will handle the traffic you're throwing at it:

use this as your router (this is what im about to upgrade too)

use this as your access point for your wifi devices. add more as needed

$300 routers are trash compared to something under 150 thats commercial-grade.

Boy, Ubiquiti sure doesn't make it easy for the average home user/consumer to get a grasp on their products and offerings. I fumbled my way into a similar situation as yourself, perhaps bits of my ramblings will be helpful for you. I started off with a trusty little ER-X, fully planning to outgrow that little device within a matter of months. That did NOT happen, as it's quite a capable router for the $49 I invested in it. It even handled load-balancing dual WAN connections without breaking a sweat. And there's a PoE passthrough for pairing the router with a wireless access point. After being so thrilled with the ER-X, I decided it was time to bring our wireless capabilities into the 21st century and ended up going with a UAP-AC-LR, which has continued to serve us well over the past ~18+ months, or so. I was getting consistent remarks on just how great the WiFi was all of a sudden after deploying that lovely little UFO shaped device. Do yourself a favor and avoid the CloudKey, unless you have a very specific use-case / need for it. There's dozens of ways to run a UniFi Controller that are both cheaper (free?) and better, IMO. If you just have the single access point (I only have the one) you could potentially even stand it up simply by using the UniFi mobile app to set it and forget it. It only needs to run when you want to make modifications, or changes to your setup, but the options are immense. You can even run the software on your desktop PC, pretty much whatever you have on hand will suffice.

In an effort to give a somewhat complete run-down of your options, there's another line of products, where many folks prefer to go with a pure UniFi setup. The USG is on par with the ER-X, but it's twice the cost with less power and less features. The only added bonus is that you get to manage it from the same menu/interface as your access point(s), so your metrics and charts will fill out more and look a bit prettier, but how often do you really sit around and look at how much data your network devices are pulling? I still prefer the EdgeMAX dashboard over the UniFi Controller interface, especially considering the fact that I'm not wholly convinced the values are particularly accurate, so it may be of little value if that's something you actually need for your use-case, rather than just a pretty toy to view. Hope some of this helps, if you have further questions, please ask away! Below I'll list the absolute bare-bones, budget-conscious way to get into an incredibly stable home network setup, from my experiences. I only recently upgraded my Edgerouter-X with an Edgerouter 12 from the Early Release store, and today is the day my upgraded fiber package gets flipped on. Goodbye 100Mbps, hello Gbps! Sadly, not symmetrical... but that's for another time and place. Best of luck with your decision(s). I swear by my little "hybrid" network with the Edgerouter at the core and the UniFi access point (i've since added a mish-mash of switches, but unless you have a large need for ethernet connected devices, the ER-X should be plenty to get you going. This TP-Link was the absolute cheapest "managed" (smart) switch I could find in my research. I'm not quite sold on the UniFi switches, but I often wish I owned an Edgeswitch Lite, but someday I'll learn more than just the basics of the used Cisco SG300-20 i picked up to be the "core" switch of my network. Both the ER-X and ER12 have the added bonus of built in switching chips, so you get the best of both worlds which gives you quite a bit of flexibility in a home/lab environment.

TL;DR -- Edgerouter-X paired with UAP-AC-Lite with the UniFi Controller software running on pretty much whatever you have on hand (RPi, Google Cloud Compute, AWS, any old PC, etc.) and you will have a rock-solid network core with dreamy WiFi that'll get you compliments for weeks, if not months from your significant other and/or housemate(s).

These are great access points for the money.

So instead of using a mesh system, you will get much better performance using WAPs instead. The most popular one here is the UAP-AC-lite. You will still need a router, so you could buy a new one, like the Edgerouter X, or if you're happy with the netgear (except for the wireless performance of course) You can keep that and just run the WAPs off of that.

This thing is pretty good, and if you already have a router it's not a very expensive addon. The caveat, it needs a cat5 connection from your router handing out DHCP addresses to work, it won't do routing on its own.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

>Plus it all seems inefficient since I already have the LAN throughout the house.

If you already have Ethernet pulled to places all over the house, then wired Access Points is the obvious and correct answer.

Ubiquiti is the king of reliable Access Points. But switching to Ubiquiti requires a bit more knowledge than your typical wireless router / repeater system, so if you choose this, you'll have to do a bit of learning too.

For 900 sqft on two floors, you can likely get away with just one Access Point mounted on the First Floor in the Center. That would easily cover the floor, plus very likely cover the floors above and below it too. A Ubiquiti nanoHD is my go-to recommendation lately, but if you are trying to save some money, an AC-LITE is fine.

nanoHD:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Internal-1733Mbit-Ethernet/dp/B07FFNTLJD/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=nanohd&qid=1574904222&s=electronics&sr=1-4

AC-PRO:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=nanohd&qid=1574903775&s=electronics&sr=1-5

AC Lite:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-YWMgbGl0ZQ%3D%3D-ac_d_rm&keywords=ac+lite&pd_rd_i=B015PR20GY&pd_rd_r=382f4fce-b8fd-41f5-9d83-2ce30c7d4867&pd_rd_w=2JjVi&pd_rd_wg=IV1TH&pf_rd_p=e2f20af2-9651-42af-9a45-89425d5bae34&pf_rd_r=BRFTH2F9ZHRVN6T7YH6B&psc=1&qid=1574903705

Since you already have Ethernet presumably at ground level, you can also consider the Ubiquiti In-Wall units as well. These units provide you Wireless Access Points PLUS they give you two Ethernet ports at ground level. If you can get your gamer and game machines plugged into Ethernet instead of wireless, you'll have the ideal setup (streaming and other things are fine on wireless).

So maybe 1 ceiling mounted AP in the middle of the first floor, one in wall where the gamer is (for Ethernet ports as well as supplemental WiFi on the second floor), and maybe one In-Wall in the basement if needed (good chance it won't be).

AC-In-Wall:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-UAP-AC-Iw-Wireless-Access/dp/B06XZLP8Q6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1YA0NR13TWSGZ&keywords=ubiquiti+in+wall&qid=1574903832&s=electronics&sprefix=ubiquiti+in+w%2Celectronics%2C199&sr=1-2

If you do get 2-3 Ubiquiti APs, you'll probably want a PoE switch to power them all. This is another expense, unfortunately, but makes installation much cleaner.

>Based on what I've read (and experienced before) one kungfu wireless router isn't likely to provide adequate coverage throughout the house.

If you didn't want to go the Ubiquiti route, your house is actually a pretty good candidate for an Asus or Netgear, since it's 900sf stacked on top of each other. These consumer routers are pretty good these days. Unless your house is all brick and metal, I don't see why it wouldn't cover it.

Ideally, there would be a strong directional antenna at your parent's home, aimed at your window. These are not expensive. If their router has external antennas using a standard antenna mount, you can exchange one of them for a directional antenna like this one. Even through walls, it should improve the signal considerably, but you have to carefully aim it, since it'll only deliver a very narrow signal. The example I linked to is for 2.5 and 5GHz WiFi - if you only have a 2.5GHz router, you can get a cheaper model.

At your end, you may want to place a repeater with a high-gain antenna, at a window that looks at your parent's house, which would be the spot you'd aim at with the high gain antenna. Just pick a model with good reviews. You can also get a directional antenna for this device as well in order to further improve the signal, if necessary. Most repeaters have the same standard antenna mount as routers.

In any case, this will require a lot of fiddling, running back and forth (or getting one of your relatives on a phone and coordinating them to aim an antenna for you). Expect a good afternoon of tweaking until it works. I can not make any promises regarding bandwidth, since this is highly dependent on local conditions. The method listed above is the easiest option, just a few simple antennas and a repeater.

Alternatively, you could also get more specialized, stronger directional antennas, mounted outside on the walls of their house and where you are living, but that's a bigger effort. It's not that these are expensive though, even the cheapest model has a potential range measured in miles. Installing two of them wouldn't cost much more than getting a repeater and two directional antennas, but the results would be significantly better.

If you're buying your own modem, you might as well get a DOCSIS 3.1 modem - Not that the 3.0 won't support your speed, but to future proof yourself. The Motorola version is this:

https://www.amazon.com/MOTOROLA-Approved-Comcast-Gigablast-MB8600/dp/B0723599RQ/ref=sr_1_7?crid=MN7K7BCN9JT8&keywords=docsis+3.1+modem&qid=1566855330&s=electronics&sprefix=docsis+3.1%2Celectronics%2C175&sr=1-7

As for a WiFi router, the Nighthawk series is Netgears top of the line, so place it in the middle most part of your house on a shelf or somewhere up high and you should get pretty decent coverage.

Since you own the home, you could go all out and do a couple of Ethernet runs in the ceiling and mount two (or more) wireless access points where you need a little more coverage.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ubiquiti+unifi+apac+lite&qid=1566855646&s=electronics&sr=1-3

Sounds like you are looking for Ubiquiti and a UniFi cloud controller.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE-US/dp/B015PR20GY/

https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/209376117-UniFi-Install-a-UniFi-Cloud-Controller-on-Amazon-Web-Services

It does everything you're asking and can be fully managed through a web interface without connecting to the clients network

>I've considered trying to run an Ethernet cable to their side and then adding a repeater (is that the right name?)

Repeaters are trash. Don't bother.

>Also, was thinking it might work to put the router in the center of the attic?

Location of the router doesn't matter, just the access point.

How to get decent wireless coverage on both sides of a double? Stop using consumer grade all=in-one garbage. Get a dedicated access point (AP) that you can mount on a wall or ceiling and your coverage will be much, much better. Personally I use the UniFi line of access points from Uniquiti. UniFi AC Pro for $150, UniFi AC Lite for $78. technically you need to install the controller software someplace to do initial configuration, but that software doesn't have to run 24x7 (unless you're a dick and want to do a captive portal to make your neighbors log in). The UniFi line is Power over Ethernet (PoE) as well (with an injector) so you only have to run one cable to the device. Additionally if you need you can add an additional access point and have handoff between the devices.

The AP doesn't have to be from UniFi. I just suggest them becasue the configuration is easy. The iPhone app makes pairing the AP to a controller stupid simple as well. I used an entry-level Cisco Meraki AP for three years before replacing it. You could get one for free by watching a webinar and got a three year license. UniFi doesn't have licensing.

You can use any COX approved cable modem and router with an external access point. If your router has an AP built in just turn that off.

Since you are looking to share with your neighbors you may want to look at the "unlimited" data package. that is an extra $50 USD month. If you have multiple TVs all streaming content it adds up fast. Between the neighbors and myself we average 3 TB a month. I can always tell when the COX CSR looks at data usage.

Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1uY.ybZ0ZY0V0

You must have gotten a dud because mine has work flawlessly for over a year.

That makes more sense. That would totally work. Pretty much any router put into access point mode would work. I was using an old Asus router as an access point for a while but it overheated and eventually died. I can highly recommend a Ubiquiti access point. Its what I eventually switched to and I'm extremely happy with it overall.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/

For Wifi, Unifi Access Points are often recommended by /r/HomeNetworking. Having a few AP-AC-PRO's is probably what I'd go for. (Enterprise-grade hardware on the cheap, and not much more difficult to setup than consumer AP's either)

Also a mesh system trades speed for coverage. It's usually only recommended when it's difficult to route multiple ethernet lines to separate access points. I know Unifi systems support seamless handoff between AP's, acting just like a mesh system.

Check out /r/HomeNetworking for more insight. They can give some good advice, especially since a streaming house isn't exactly a typical scenario.

$14 for 100 foot cable, 50 footer is $8 (Plus $7 shipping)

CAT5e 2-pair data cable with RJ11 connectors

https://www.cablesondemand.com/category/MPUSCat5E/product/MP-52RJ11UNNE/URvars/Items/Library/InfoManage/MP-52RJ11UNNE.htm

Other option is to disable Wireless access point in your AT&T gateway and buy a better wireless access point (though you need to run a patch cable to give it ethernet).

You will get MUCH better range/throughput by ditching the onboard wireless and using your own AP.

Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR $102

• 450 Mbps 2.4GHZ speed
  
• 867 Mbps at 5GHZ
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-UAP-AC-LR-Single-Version/dp/B01609AF22/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527279159&sr=1-6&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point

Needs more specifics like distance, line-of-sight obstructions, etc.

Assuming it's a fairly clear line of site, and there's no hills and crap in the way (reading the reviews, a few trees and stuff are fine) get two point-to-point antennas. These appear to be well reviewed and easy to setup, good for a mile or two at $200: https://amzn.com/B002K683V0

Then have one end connected to your friend's router/switch, and on your end, have it connected to a switch, or your device directly (or the Internet/input port on a router if you're wanting to setup wireless at your place, with the router set on bridge/repeater mode, DHCP off).

Essentially works like a virtual network cable.

Ubiquiti

Get an access point which can be put into client mode and plug it into your NVR

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater-TL-WA801ND/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543089995&sr=8-3&keywords=wireless+access+point

This way it will connect as if hard wired, but really over wireless

I use Amazon frequently. Here are 5 of my favorite purchases from the past few years under $100.00

[1. Raspberry Pi with XBMC ... Click Here]( http://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Original-Preloaded/dp/B008XVAVAW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1405658957&sr=8-5&keywords=raspberry+pi
)

2. 6x Monitor Mount ... Click Here

3. Egg and Muffin Toaster ...
Click Here

4. Almond Wifi Range Extender ...
Click Here

5. Networked Thermostat ... Click Here

Mostly Amazon but they are still available on the UBNT store. Some are hesitant because of speed issues, Others because they have had problems connecting phones to their gen 1 gear.

wow 50 bucks huh? not sure if your going to get anything reliable at that price. if you need 5ghz only you could always get one of these and mount it to a rafter facing down. at 65 bucks its a little over your budget.

one of these though is a lot more suited to home wifi. you can turn the 2.4ghz channel off if you really dont want it too. yes its a hundred bucks but you would be hard pressed to find another solution that would work as well in this price range.

First question, have you connected a computer directly through the Ethernet before? The WiFi can be forcing the authentication every time you connect but it could also be at the router level, meaning if the Ethernet jack is connected to the same router it is possible that it is configured to still prompt for sign in. If you know that's not the case and an Ethernet connection is directly connected with a live connection then you're good to go this route. If your internet is provided, you don't actually need a router. You simply need an access point. It has no routing capabilities and only broadcasts a WiFi network that runs back through the network. Here's a great inexpensive option for what you are looking for.

TP-Link Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point, 2.4Ghz 300Mbps, 802.11b/g/n, AP/Client/Bridge/Repeater, 2x 4dBi, Passive POE (TL-WA801ND) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TE-RBbJN4BZ41

Setting it up as an access point will assure you don't have to do any more advanced network configuration due to double NAT or relaying DHCP servers.

No, it isn't Wifi. It is probably better off being "hard wired".

I haven't done this with Hubitat, but there was a different device that I wanted to hook up wirelessly, and I ended up using a "wireless access point". This is the one I used (less than $25) but there are others out there too. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UBU8IE

It certainly would add complication to the network, and might cause delays, but otherwise should work.

> http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

Those UniFis are great, however the units you linked only have fast ethernet. The UniFi Pro and the 802.11ac one both have gigabit, however those units are around $250-300 a pop.

You can upgrade wifi router with an enterprise grade unifi ac-lr for $90 from Amazon, it'll beat anything consumer grade.

Edit. Link here: Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Long Range - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAP-AC-LR-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRCBBI/

Network cabling everywhere. Even if you aren't in tech, you'll still find tremendous use out of this. Some requirements if I were to get it done custom:

• At least one ethernet jack per room, maybe two per room on opposite sides if I could splurge. These are called network drops.
  
• For each ethernet jack, run TWO ethernet cat5/6 per drop, because if one of them breaks or fails, you don't want to be the one that has to rewire a second one from your network closet to the jack. Also useful for testing if the cable is the culprit or if your networking gear is at fault. You don't have to hook up both cables on both sides, just choose one cable per jack to connect and the other is left dangling until you need it.
  
• Addendum to above, if you want to be very fancy, get ceiling mounted wireless access points and have a network drop in the ceiling where the WAP will be mounted. You can get WAPs that are powered over an ethernet cable (called Power over Ethernet, PoE) and you would need a PoE Injector with your switch equipment to supply enough power over the lines (though some network switches PoE inject by default, so look for those if you want convenience), or you can wire another power outlet to where the WAP will go in parallel to the network drop that should be there too. Unless your home layout is convoluted, one, maybe two WAPs per floor is sufficient, usually in the common areas of each floor. Too many will cause interference with each other and you'll have a bad wifi signal. You can go with consumer grade TPLink or Netgear (ceiling mounted, remember, not just any old wireless router), or go with a more enterprise Ubiquity WAP (what we use).
  
• Find a good spot for your networking gear, preferably near your home "demarc" AKA where your internet comes into the house at. Or, move the demarc into a closet for easier access. Have a patch panel set up that all of the network drops from the rooms connects to, and then you would connect each jack on the patch panel to a network switch, which then has one uplink (connection) to your home modem/router. Of course, the patch panel and network switch have to have at least as many ports as you have network drops to rooms, so if you have 16 drops, you'll have to get a 16 port patch panel and a 16+1 port switch (+1 because you have to have one connection to your uplink router/modem).
  
• Not 100% necessary, but if you like having internet during power outages, or just momentary power in general during an outage, get a UPS or two or four... It will provide battery backup power to whatever is plugged into it for a certain amount of time, depending on the electrical load (how many devices you have plugged in, and how much power each device uses). I personally have 4 UPSs all around the house. One for the bedroom, and our phone chargers are plugged into them so we still have charged phones if a power outage happens overnight; one for our desktop computers (avid gamers :P); one for our networking equipment (power spike usually means you lost your internet and it has to reboot. I haven't had to deal with since getting a UPS unless the outage lasts for longer than 30-45 minutes!); and one for the living room TV setup and consoles. If you could only get one, I'd recommend it for the networking gear so you still have internet during momentary spikes. Useful for cell phones and laptops!
  
  This turned out longer than I expected, so if anything is confusing or you want more details, let me know!

That particular seller is too pricy for the AC pro and probably distorting your decision.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-Access/dp/B015PRO512/

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1184036-REG/ubiquiti_networks_uap_ac_pro_unifi_ap.html

I'd still take 2 AC lites over 1 ac pro though if that was the choice.

A lot of the "ooh" and "aah" factor of a home is in the kitchen and bathrooms. That's also where you get the most money back at resale.

So if you're deciding where to spend money, that's where to spend it.

You've probably been advised to run ethernet network wiring. I'd also plan to hide wireless access points like these in the attic or other hidden areas. You will be amazed how much you enjoy stable, fast wifi access throughout the house for your various devices. Wired ethernet is better, but most devices these days have wifi built in and don't need gigabit transfer speeds. Just use it.

Where will your broadband modem go? Now's the time to plan for distribution of TV/network/etc. and designate an "IT closet."

Decide now where you might want wall-mounted TVs and plan for it with power and other connections. A nice recessed outlet with cable management can make that whole process much simpler.

In the garage, at the least, wire for 20A outlets. You never know if a future tool or device will need a lot of power, and it's not fun to retrofit. Is there a possibility that you'll ever have an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid? If so, wire one 240v/90A circuit for each potential EV. That'll max out a new Tesla, even if it has the high-amperage charger upgrade.

I adore having a separate beverage/wine fridge and separate under-counter ice maker. They're expensive, but they make hosting a party much easier. Another must-have is a built-in warming drawer. It's super convenient and I can't believe how often we use ours to keep something warm while the rest of dinner is finishing up or because someone was late getting home and didn't get to eat with the family.

Uhm, none of the above? Yeah none of the above. It looks like you are looking to spend around $200-230 for your networking gear, which is fine, we can work with that!

• Router: Ubiquiti Edgerouter X normally $50 but appears to be $60 right now. Get fucked I guess.
  
• Switch: TP-Link switch $25
  
• Access Point: Ubiquiti Unifi UAP-AC-Pro $130
  
  Total is around $210
  
  Now here is the thing with this setup. You will mount your access point on the ceiling as close to the center of your home as you can. It will give you much better coverage than the netgear setups, as well as a far more mature and stable access point. If in the future you decide you need better coverage still you can just buy a second one and hook it up, make sure to wire it back into the switch as well. The access point comes with a PoE injector so you only need to run a single line to it.
  
  You are buying gear for your business, buy business grade gear :) Especially because it costs you the same anyway.
  
  

Well, some free advice that you can take or leave - you spent entirely too much money on that router. I mean, there's overspending and then there's overspending. You overspent big time. You paid for that router what equipment from Ruckus costs.

You will recieve exactly zero benefit from 802.11ad, considering you have no devices which can use this speed, your internet provider will not come close to maxing out AC in the next 10 years, along with the fact that your average x265 compressed 4K stream is about 12 mbps. You might, maybe possibly find one that is 100 mbit. Regardless,you have no need whatsoever for 802.11ad.

As far as your wifi coverage, all you need is a decent 3x3 router with normal antennas. Funky plastic desinged to look like a stealth bomber does nothing for your wifi. The following router/access point is $90 bucks at Microcenter, amazon, or newegg

http://www.microcenter.com/product/414584/ARCHER_C7_Wireless_AC1750_Dual_Band_Gigabit_Router

If you need you can even buy two for less than half of what you did pay. It is what I use at home, they work well.

You could also explore Ubiquiti AC-Pro access point models, but it does seem like you need a router. But, again, you can buy three of these for less than one access point you did buy, and they will cover every square inch of your house.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512

Lastly, your offer of $20 bucks an hour is low. Good IT is $100/hour on the low end. But, your suggestion of $150 is a fair price for someone to come and do this job right for you.

I'd say the TP-Link Archer C7 or the ASUS RT-N66U should do the trick. If you want to go nutty there's always the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite and UniFi AP AC Lite, but this setup isn't as plug-and-play as the first two.

I use these https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE-US/dp/B015PR20GY/

Just spread them around your house. I used 3 for my house, not even a single spot has no/weak signal.

Get yourself a Ubiquiti Edge router and AC-AP-Lite. Network problems done.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=pd_sbs_147_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00YFJT29C&pd_rd_r=XWMVACJREC989AK6NVZZ&pd_rd_w=TT8Ar&pd_rd_wg=4sK3H&psc=1&refRID=XWMVACJREC989AK6NVZZ

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1517765893&sr=8-5&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point

Ubiquiti Wi-fi extender or access point.

Got the wrong link and didn't realize it,
This should work
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-NanoBeam-High-Performance-airMAX-NBE-5AC-Gen2-US/dp/B0713XMHH9/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1510758018&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+nanobeam+ac&dpID=31IZGvJk0vL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Some general thoughts.

You included a map. AMAZING.

1. You should be able to "convert" coax to ethernet. MoCA 2.0 Bonded Adapters work wonders and basically give full ethernet speed(~16x as fast as your internet). They work so long as the coax is not being used by satellite TV. If you're using satellite TV along that run, the DECA is the next best thing. DECA is 1/8th the speed but cheap kits can be had on amazon for $20 (still ~2x as fast as your internet). If you aren't doing network transfers either works. For 90% of people it's pretty much plug two adapters in and you're done. It's almost like magic. For the remaining 10%... MoCA filters, maybe fiddling with the 500 splits some cable-guy rushed into place 20 years ago, etc. Let me emphasize, it's pretty awesome, there's a reason why the reviews on the products are so awesome.
   https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Adapter-Ethernet-Bonded-MM1000/dp/B077Y3SQXR/ (you'll likely need 2)
   https://www.amazon.com/PACK-Broadband-Ethernet-Generation-Supplies/dp/B01AYMGPIO/ (this is a paired kit)
   latency associated with MoCA is ~3ms; latency from Wifi is 3-100ms. MoCA tends to be VERY consistent.
   
   
   
2. A switch is a switch to some extent. I generally buy whatever is cheap from TP-Link or netgear. As long as it's gigabit.
   
3. The best way to improve your wifi is to probably add on another access point (or router repurposes as an AP) and set it with the same network name(SSID) and password
   https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT/
   
4. Flat ethernet cable is worse. At the same price, go for full, round ethernet... with that said, if being flat allows you to "get away" with it, it'll often work. I personally have used flat cables without issue and it often goes a long way with getting others to "approve". If your walls are white or you already have an existing cable... it disappears.
   

OP, take a look at this

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT

Or, a sub favorite, Ubiquiti router plus Ubiquiti AP

Note: if the back haul is wired (and I am not familiar with any mesh products that do it that way), it's like having APs, not mesh anyway.

>Along with this I am going to run hardlines for wall jacks in each of the bedrooms and one for the back of the house.

And, in doing this, hard wire anything that doesn't move: TV, desktop PC, DVR, etc. That gets that traffic off the airwaves, reduces congestion, and is faster.

That would be better for sure, add one of these and you'll be good to go. Or save some money and get the lite version.

And then to really get a nice SOHO network going add an Edgerouter to replace that C7

You're better off buying your own router and access point (preferably two discrete devices). The combo devices (modem/router/AP) provided by ISPs are typically disposable low-quality junk that they can afford to buy by the hundreds of thousands, and toss in the trash when they break.

From a security standpoint, it is "best practice" to have your own router and relegate the ISP modem/router to "bridge mode" (where it is acting as only a modem, with the firewall functions disabled). The HH3000 is Bell's device, managed by Bell. By plugging things into it, Bell gets to see what your home LAN consists of. With everything connected to your own router/firewall device, Bell doesn't get to see all of the other devices that live in your home LAN.

Put your router somewhere where it's easily accessible (for inspection of lights, troubleshooting, resets, etc). Put the access point in a central location in the household, and run a cable to it. If coverage is inadequate, considering buying a second AP and placing it in the dead/weak signal zone.

Run cables to as many non-mobile devices as possible; TVs, streaming media boxes, game consoles, etc. Save your wifi bands for mobile devices that actually need wifi (ie. laptops, tablets, phones), and put them on the 5GHz (not 2.4GHz) band.

A pair of dedicated appliances like the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite and AP AC Lite will give you more flexibility and better coverage than any ISP combo device.

As /u/nonades mentioned, /r/homelab is a good place to ask as well.

My setup:

• pfSense on a dual-NIC fanless Atom
  
• Netgear GS724Tv4 managed switch
  
• Synology DS216Play with 6TB drives
  
• I'll soon buy a Ubiquiti AC Pro or Lite to replace my old Linksys E3000 running Tomato, but I'm able to get 16MB/s samba throughput so there's not much rush here.

Ditch the yagi and get two Ubiquiti Nano stations and setup a wireless bridge. You can easily setup a reliable bridge at 300ft since you'd have dedicated hardware for the intended purpose you're seeking. A yagi would be too finicky and unpredictable plus you'd still have to upgrade the antenna at the other site.

Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EHSV4W/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_9VgAub0R5V15Y

I just did "line of sight" at ground level through trees at 1.5km 80mbit link using ubiquti m5's.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Nanostation-LOCO-Outdoor-802-11n/dp/B004EHSV4W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369620726&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+m5
2 of them....


I used quotes as I could not see either end...I was across water through trees in rain.

hai due opzioni

• pigli quel router e sostituisci quelo che hai
  
• pigli un access point e lo attacchi al router che hai
  
  
  

You would like to get:

1. Access Point
   
2. Adapter
   
   This will give coverage to your whole house. It will run you about ~ $60 dollars.

I can almost guarantee you that you could get 3 UniFi's , configure, and install them in the time it would take you to add another residential point to the mix. Not to mention the headaches you'll prevent for you and those on the floor using the wireless. As far as cost, 3 UniFi points will cost a very affordable $180 and take about 5 minutes to set up.

If you add a second, non commercial access point, you're going to have overlap, it's going to disconnect clients when they transition between networks (if they even do transition) and you have to manage each point individually. It will introduce issues you'll never see in your current setup.

We had a customer who went the residential route for their network. We were out there every damn week for wireless issues. It got so bad we fucking GAVE them a UniFi setup and installed it all for free. We've had not one call about it and it's been over two years.

I know I sound like a broken record but check out the Ubiquity UniFi stuff. For $200 you can get a 3-pack of their UAPs. You could even toss in an outdoor unit to cover your yard. Obviously this assumes you have Ethernet runs to various places in your house to position them. Also have to still need a router (pfsense maybe if you have an old PC laying around) as these are APs only.

Check out Ubiquiti Networks (UBNT) (https://www.ubnt.com/), I've used those a few times with great success. Implement RADIUS, point it to AD, and your set. They can be spread out throughout your building, they can run via PoE, and they also have directional antennas if you have to cover a large area (i.e. warehouse).

Edit: When I said that I've used those with great success I specifically meant this one (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-AP-Unifi/dp/B00HXT8R2O?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0)

I bought one of these : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AP-Router/dp/B00HXT8R2O

You turn the wireless off in your router and plug that in. You need to do a little setup (takes about 5 minutes), all your wireless stuff will then connect to this.
The advantage is that should you ever need to move ISP you just use their router and plug this in again and it will keep working without having to change anything else.

It has a bunch of features too - multiple SSIDs, scheduled access times, you chan throttle devices, reserve addresses etc.

I've since set up one for a friend with two SSIDs, one for their stuff and another for all the kids stuff - that one is scheduled to turn off at a certain time to get the kids off their ipads/consoles etc.

There are several versions - more info here: https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/

You can add more if you need to, the management of them all is centralised by the software.

Thanks for all the advice. Got the boss to approve the budget for two PoE injectors, going to use two access points. After looking into it further, due to the heavy lighting and metal reflection, Wifi extenders probably aren't best-use.

Debating between these two access points:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI/

https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-Wireless-Supports-Technology-EAP245/dp/B01N0XZ1TU/

Thanks for all the help! ^_^

I know what you need, you need a WAP that's meant for long distance signals. Ubiquiti has a few that also work outside.

One sec.

Edit:

Since I don't know what kind of ethernet situation you have in the main house, I've included a powerline adapter.

Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI

Powerline Adapter

https://www.amazon.com/Zyxel-Powerline-Gigabit-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00D7GF6NA


The way you would set this up:

Router -> Power line #1 -----> Power line #2 (electrical outlet nearest to the wall that's nearest to your house) --> Ubiquiti LR WAP, if you can mount it outside, even better.

Essentially, the powerline adapter will act as an ethernet run for this project, and will allow you to place the WAP on the wall that's nearest to your house from the main property. The LR (long range) WAP that I've chosen should be able to reach your area.

There are more expensive routes to go, but this should get the job done.

Edit:

Or...

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-PBE-M5-400-2-pack-PowerBeam-AirMAX/dp/B00UZ03UUW

If they don't mind having some little dishes outside.

I've been fantastically pleased with Ubiquiti UAP access points...except for the controller method of configuration. From a stability and throughput standpoint they're "fucking amazing". I got one a year or so ago to try out, after looking inside and seeing the dinky things they call antennas I was afraid I had just thrown away good money...

Beamforming really helps with getting signal where it actually needs to be, rather than just splattering it everywhere and hoping enough ends up wherever. It's no joke! We've got three metals buildings connected in a U-shape here, and I've never been able to get wifi to the far end of it, through multiple interior and exterior walls.

Threw one of these on the wall without consideration other than "wifi for these two offices that I hope to not have to reboot too often", and it just worked, automagicially, through our entire building. 24/7/365. It's not incredibly fast at the far end, but I'm amazed that it works at all. Seriously, the antennas look like tiny malformed paperclips...

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI/

Radiation pattern: https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi-Wireless/Antenna-radiation-pattern-for-UniFi-AP-diagramm-inside/td-p/772468

I swear I'm not affiliated with them, for all I know they're just a scam to get backdoored hardware in every office of America. And I absolutely hate the java controller. But I love the coverage and reliablity...

Got a 5Ghz version a few months ago, and it moves some bytes: http://imgur.com/FJvMba0

I had a spare Apple router laying around. Haven't had issues at 30-40ft or so. WiFi is a tricky business, because no matter where you go, the environment will always be different for WiFi channels.

A lot of places are broadcasting on 2.4g or 5g. So having a router/ap that does both is probably your best bet for flexibility.

If you're wanting something simple and cheap, just look at some basic home routers like Linksys (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014MIBLSA/ref=twister_B07FTFK622?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1).

If you are willing to do a bit more pre-setup (one-time) and have a greater throw for your WiFi, I would suggest an ubiquiti edgerouter and Ubiquiti long range access point (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C)
(https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI).
That'll get you DHCP and a longer distance than most retail routers.

If you need any more suggestions or have questions, let me know. I'm a certified network engineer.

Edit: the reason I like ubiquiti is because it scans the current environment for wifi channel conflicts and makes the appropriate adjustments.

I'm currently upgrading my own setup. What I decided on:

Ubiquity edge router 4

Ubiquity Unify AP-AC wifi access point

Not a cheap setup, but I'm done with high ping and weak wifi coverage.

Everyone is telling you to get a gigabit switch and put all your routers into AP mode. They're forgetting one important thing. You still need a router/firewall on your incoming connection. I recommend the following:

1. pfSense firewall/router. You have many options when it comes to pfSense. You can build a device out of an older computer. The requirements are an x64 processor that has AES-NI (just Google your CPU brand, model and AES-NI. You must have that for future versions of pfSense. Also, it'd be best to have an Intel NIC. Not RealTek or Broadcom. Intel is well supported in pfSense. Or, you could buy a new device. You could buy a new computer and build it yourself or you could buy directly from Netgate. If you don't have anyone that's good with computers you should buy from Netgate (and even if you do have someone who's "good with computers"). Try this model: https://store.netgate.com/SG-3100.aspx
   
   
   
2. Gigabit managed switch. The reason I say managed is that you never know if you'll need to create VLANs for a guest network. You can get a nice switch from eBay. Or if you get a specific Netgate device (SG-3100) it has a switch built in. If you get support on the device (which is extra, but I recommend it) you'll get assistance setting up the appliance with guest VLAN. If you just want a cheaper pfSense device you will still need a switch. Dell, HP or (my preference) Cisco. PoE is nice, but not needed.
   
   
3. Access points. There's no other way to say this. You guys are using the wrong hardware. You should be using prosumer/enterprise level equipment. What's nice is that you don't have to spend enterprise level prices to get this equipment. I'd recommend Ubiquiti AP AC Pro access points:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512
   
   When you purchase individual APs from that link above, the PoE injector comes with it. The 5 pack does not have injectors so you'd need to buy those separately. Now depending on the size of each floor, you might need more than one AP one the floor. In WiFi, you never want to max out the transmit power. This seems like an odd thing to say. But think about it, if you're in a lecture hall, you can hear the professor easily because he's using a mic and speakers. However, if you have a question you have to speak very loudly (since you sit at the back of the room). It's possible you can't speak loudly enough for him to hear you. This is the same for wireless devices. Just because you blast your AP, doesn't mean that long distance devices have the power to talk back. This wastes your battery. This is the reason for multiple APs.
   
   This isn't really that bad, price wise. These devices will allow the frat to have good signal strength throughout the house. If you have more questions or would like assistance with the config, I'd be happy to help.
   
   

Get this and this and you'll never have a problem ever again

Consumer-grade access points generally don't work them same as professional access points. They (consumer) won't reacquire a strong connection until you lose your current one.
So if you are CONSTANTLY moving around your house/apt/etc AND you lose signal/get very weak signal in common areas - THEN a seamless roaming setup is something you could consider.

Technology has improved (shocking, i know) over the past 5-10 years to increase performance per $ of wireless network setups utilizing seamless roaming. Linksys's Max Stream is their version of a wireless mesh network. The biggest part of this is they have the Apple approach of: We did all the hard work behind the scenes, you just do a quick setup and we'll walk you through it. But that's where the extra cost comes in versus other systems.

Depending on the size of your location, it's possible that this dual-band setup will be sufficient for you since it allows 3 wireless areas (+ expansion), up to 20-30 feet from each node (maybe less, environment is a big factor) + all the wired connections from your switch.

If you're looking for 1 to 2 devices, another option to consider is Ubiquiti. They have a range of devices but need more setup than Linksys. It's not hard from what I've seen, but they are very popular for people looking to switch from the common household wireless routers to a seamless roaming router. 1 to look at is their UniFi AP AC Lite [amazon link].

The big thing to learn about when you delve into seamless roaming are 802.11 protocols: k/v then r/f.
802.11k
802.11v
802.11r
802.11f

Now I could be wrong and there's more pertinent info, but having a very very VERY basic understanding of these and finding devices that have/support them will make understanding your network easier(at least in my opinion).

Ich kann dir nur empfehlen, ein eigenes Homelab einzurichten:

• Firewall mit OPNsense: Ermöglicht dir, sehr realitätsnah Firewall-Szenarien mit mehreren Netzwerken zu konfigurieren, mit OpenVPN zu arbeiten. OPNsense ist mMn die beste Opensource-Firewall, die es gibt
  
• Hypervisor mit VMware oder oVirt: Es gibt kaum ein System (außer vielleicht ein Domaincontroller oder SAP-Systeme), das nicht virtualisiert ist. Ich persönlich halte nicht viel von Containerlösungen wie Docker oder ähnlichem; Container sollten nur für kurzweilige Testzwecke eingesetzt werden, nicht für dauerhafte Workloads. Von VMware gibts Testlizenzen, oVirt ist Opensource und kostet daher nichts.
  
• Storage mit FreeNAS: FreeNAS ist meiner Ansicht nach das beste, was man im Homelab einsetzen kann. Speicher kannst du entweder per iSCSI, SMB oder NFSv4 (kein v3!) freigeben.
  
• Netzwerktechnik: Für den Anfang reicht eigentlich ein D-Link DGS-11008P, den kannst du zwar nicht über die CLI konfigurieren, dafür aber erste Erfahrungen mit VLANs machen
  
• WLAN: Ich hab mir vor kurzem einen Unifi AP AC Lite gekauft - in Verbindung mit VLANs und der Firewall kannst du auch dort sehr realitätsnah Netzwerke konfigurieren und Erfahrungen sammeln
  
• Configuration Management: Die Zukunft der IT liegt in der Automatisierung. Lösungen dazu entweder mit Puppet oder Chef oder Ansible. Ein gutes Handbuch für ein Einstieg in Puppet gibts bei im Internet.
  
  ​
  
  Ich spreche dir die Empfehlungen aus, weil ich selbst damit arbeite; ich persönlich mache die besten Fortschritte durch Trial & Error. Viel Lesematerial findest du halt in englischer Fachsprache, das muss dir klar sein.
  
  Edit:
  Die Lernkurve ist in vielen Themen sehr sehr steil. Gib nicht auf - es lohnt sich ;-)

First, here's [the list of compatible modems](https://teksavvy.com/services/internet/hardware/?code=sCable25&itemId=3710
) for their cable plans. Anything in that list will work. I got this Hitron CDA-RES but it doesn't seem to be available anymore. This Hitron CDA3-20 seems to be the newer model. If you have time that's also the kind of thing you can find on kijiji - nearly any somewhat recent Shaw cable modem should work, since in Alberta TekSavvy uses Shaw's network.

Note that that's just the modem - a box that receives the ISP signal through a coaxial cable and gives internet access through a network cable. It's not a router - the router's job is to manage the various devices on your network. Technically a router isn't a wifi access point either although in most consumer devices the 2 products are combined to make a wireless router.

For the router and wireless portion, you can use anything you want. Personally I now use a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X as a router and a Ubiquiti UniFi AP-AC Lite as a wireless access point. edit to add: if you want help deciding on what network equipment to get (router, wireless AP, wireless router, mesh setup, etc), check out /r/HomeNetworking - they're really good at helping not so tech savvy (lol) people setup a solid network.

Hope that helps!

TP-Link has a line of software controlled access points that are about $50 less than Ubiquiti. AC1200 and AC1750. I have one arriving tomorrow, I'll update with how it goes.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0XZ1TU/ref

Edit: Got it and installed it today. The web interface is super simple and very robust. Every setting you want is there. For 1 or 2 APs controller software is absolutely unnecessary. It seems like it even supports multiple APs without adding a separate controller. Signal strength seems to be as good or better than the TP-Link C7 router. So far it seems like a very strong buy vs Ubiquiti.

My wifi sucks from my AT&T modem as well. I went with installing two of these access points in my house: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT TP-Link EAP-225, they are connected to the modems ethernet switch ports. I have two installed, one on each floor. I then turned off the modems wifi. My wifi has been great since and they have been trouble free, house is around 4000sqft.

It goes a little above budget, but, they are both very solid devices, and recommended like crazy here.

Go with a separate router and AP. You get better placement for the access point and a router that can handle a lot more than 150MBps.

Ubiquiti AP-AC-Lite

Edgerouter Lite

If you want a not as capable, but still fast and cheaper router, Edgerouter-X

WiFi range extenders are not an optimal solution for high bandwidth uses like streaming, or for use in gaming since they can add some latency to the connection.

A floor plan of the house would help to see what you are dealing with here. And how many Square feet? Without this info, everything below is a guess.

I would do the following. You may not want to make such an investment.

• Remove the range extenders
  
• Shut down all WiFi from your cable modems
  
• Don't install, but place a Ubiquity Access Point in a central part of the home as a test.
  
  Did the network performance improve everywhere and is working how you want it? Can you wire it in that location? Paying an electrician a $100 might be great if needed. The install will be for a single CAT5e or CAT6 cable. The power for the AP is sent from what is called a power injector that comes with the AP through the network cable. This is how I did it in my home.
  
  If it did not work well, and assuming you live in a 2 story ranch style/wide house, I would do the following:
  
  
• Install the Ubiquity AP in one corner of the house on the first floor.
  
• Run a cable for a second Ubiquity to the second floor, opposite side.
  
• Run the Ubiquity controller on your PC. This will allow you to use the same SSID (WiFi network ID) for both APs. As you roam throughout the house your devices will seamlessly jump from one AP to the other without changing networks. This is what large offices that are well setup do. And Ubiquity allows a homeowner to do the same for a lot less $$$.
  
  Good luck!

The Edgerouter Lite is quite a popular choice capable of handling Gigabit speeds.

If you don't have wireless APs, also grab one or two of the AP-AC Lites.

Use a WiFi Scanner app to find the best 2.4 / 5 ghz channels in your apartment. For 2.4 it's channels 1/6/11 @ 20 MHz. For 5 GHz basically just to find the least congested space.

If both 2.4 and 5 is heavily congested then maybe something like an Ubiquiti AC Lite running in DFS 5 GHz frequencies may help out a lot.

Just to add a little to /u/IWillNotBeBroken you can do the basics of what he suggest your self using some freely available tools. I like the android app Wifi Analyzer for doing general site surveys. It will show you what channels are in use and let you gauge your own coverage.

But generally speaking I would not trust a "good router" to handle 20+ Wifi connections. Most good routers are home user grade (linksys, netgear, etc) and not made to handle that much. Depending on the size of the area you are trying to cover I like ubiquiti for smaller places, I'm imagining you as a small office or net cafe? Get a mid range 48port switch you can can wire to all the computers and printers as needed and still have a few ports to install these wifi devices.

Is this like a neighbors router (the 20Mbps one)

You could return the card. Get this:


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4JKQGK/

When you’re having trouble connecting the best thing is to get a directional antenna.

If you have line-of-sight to the new office, you could at least (in the short term) use point-to-point antennas as a holdover until a long term plan can be fleshed out. I have a pair of https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-CPE210-300Mbps-dual-polarized-directional/dp/B00P4JKQGK at home that seem to do a decent job. Just set one up as an AP, and the other as a client.

> unifi ap lite

$115 right now.

> edge router

I assume you mean the ER-X which is 82.66 and isn't in the Unifi product line.

So yes you're in for about $200 assuming you can get by with 3 Ethernet ports, or are you adding a switch to this setup as well? A full Unifi setup (Unifi router, switch and AP) starts at about $400 for the no PoE versions.

In any case unless the space you're servicing is absolutely huge and/or you have Gigabit upload (and need to use it) there's no practical benefit to it over a good consumer router.

You're right, that's the older model. I looked for the cheapest one. Anyway here's the newer model it's only $10 more. Outperforms anything you got. Whole write up shitting on you coming soon. Stay tuned.

Kudos on thinking ahead on this kind of stuff.

It's a more "advanced" router / firewall but the Mikrotik equipment is very powerful, especially for how much it costs. It's not a router common in a home setting, but lots of ISP's use the higher end models for the backbone of their networks.

This will outperform any off the shelf router you can buy at the stores:
https://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-RB750Gr3-5-port-Ethernet-Gigabit/dp/B01MSUMVUB/

Since you have a month before the event this would give you time to get familiar with the router and make any changes you need.

The router doesn't have wireless, but my suggestion is to always use a separate AP for wireless anyways. Get a Unifi AP::

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/

Now your thinking "I said there's going to be 6-8 people, and that router only has 4 lan ports!" Correct, you should use a switch:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Ethernet-Replacement-Unmanaged-TL-SG108/dp/B00A121WN6

The main benefit of running all these things separate from each other is you don't have to have them central to your gaming. The router can stay with the modem and just 1 cable has to run out to the switch.

Now if you are going to do this more often or want higher end gear, let me know and i'll offer up a different set of suggestions.

Personally, I'd go with a simple dumb switch and a really nice access point

I think this fits your budget, just don't forget to get a couple of patch cables as well.

actually, the above is a lie, I'd personally go with a hAP ac .. and I have, it's just it's not for everyone as it can be a little complicated, .. but the other access point I mentioned above is good too.

Getting this out of the way. USG and UAP-AC Lite. $190 from Amazon.

Or Edgerouter X and UAP-AC Lite. $130 from Amazon (rock solid reliability, but less user friendly)

You can upgrade to UAP-AC Pro is you have devices that can use its spec's. $169 for the AP from Amazon.

Wow, you want to do all that with a Celeron Quad-core? If that's all I had I would throw CentOS 7 Minimal Server on it...
https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/centos-7-minimal-server/

For easy GUI administration use
Webmin: https://lintut.com/how-to-install-webmin-on-centos-7/

For TM Backups use NFS or SMB: https://www.unixmen.com/setting-nfs-server-client-centos-7/ https://lintut.com/easy-samba-installation-on-rhel-centos-7/

To enable NFS on Mac: http://www.serverlab.ca/tutorials/osx/administration-osx/how-to-connect-mac-os-x-to-nfs-shares/

For DLNA use Plex Media Server (enable DLNA in settings): http://brettspence.com/2014/11/17/installing-plex-media-server-on-centos-7/

For Web app hosting etc. use Apache or Nginx with MYSQL & PHP: https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/centos-lamp-server-apache-mysql-php/
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-linux-nginx-mysql-php-lemp-stack-on-centos-7

Use Webmin to administer your virtualhosts using the Apache module or use this Nginx module: https://github.com/vixh/nginx-webmin

For NextCloud use this script https://github.com/PietsHost/Nextcloud-Installation-Script

For DIY IoT edge device/gateway, there's no better for the money than EdgeRouter X + UniFi AC AP (Lite/LR): https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-ER-X-Networks-Router/dp/B0144R449W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494305813&sr=8-2&keywords=edgerouter+x

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494305859&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+ap+ac+lite

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494305879&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+ap+ac+lr

For VPN use OpenVPN (use this script): https://github.com/Angristan/OpenVPN-install
NOTE: With this script it remove passwords by default, just open the script up in a text editor and remove the "nopass" text (4 times) and your good to go! It's very easy to install and add/remove users.

Again, this is a lot for a small little machine to do, but this is how I would do it with the limited hardware you have.

Cheers!

Wire everything you can. Then look at getting the often recommended Ubiquiti AP AC Lite and either use R7000 or ISP provided modem to handle the routing (disabling the wifi in either case) or look at getting a matching Ubiquiti Security Gateway (USG). The bonus is the Ubiquiti gear supports Dynamic Frequency Selection which could help eliminate interference from your neighbours on the 5ghz spectrum.

Hardware with Ethernet where you can and get a decent wifi ap for stuff you cant. I picked up one of these awhile back for my phone/tablet and stuff that has no ethernet cable and no issues from it. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549167421&sr=8-5&keywords=ubiquiti+wireless+access+point

But in a gaming machine ethernet no way around it, don't wifi on a device over ethernet because its "easy" it will only cost you a LOT more time in the long run vs running that cat5 cable or even MOCA adapters.

The new Ubiquiti Unifi AP AC Lite is what you need - http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE-US/dp/B015PR20GY

The AP's don't need the controller to function, just get provisioned. You can run the software on your PC to setup the AP then never run the software again once its setup.

I run one of the UAP-AC-Lite AP's behind my 60E.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

¿ Donde estan? Estan en medio de la nada o hay alguna población cerca?.
¿ Te refieres a que no tienen nada contratado o a que no hay internet disponible en la zona?


Si es lo segundo y si estan cerca de alguna ciudad grande puede haber alguna empresa que les de internet por microondas como mcm telecom o bbs red. Si no,en caso de estar cerca ustedes mismos podrian darse acceso con un airlink . https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0

Otra opción es internet satelital.

I'm listening! And now that I have looked at what cell modems do, I can't believe we didn't think of this.

The physical location is doable, but I'm not sure I have enough expertise to know how to make those elements work together.

My limited understanding is that I would put the cell modem on the hill, hook it to a wifi router with a beefy antenna pointing down at the camp. The camp end would have another wifi router with an antenna feeding the broadband "input."

The ultimate goal is to be able to access the Internet and place voice calls, which could be VOIP. It would be really nice to be able to do video calls like Skype, FaceTime, or WhatsApp, too.

So, hypothetically, would something like this work:

1. 4G cell modem: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQRHQYT/ref=psdc_284715_t1_B00KTLAEQ0
   
   
2. Two wifi routers. Maybe something like this: https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wi-Fi-Gigabit-Router-WNDR4300/dp/B008HO9DK4/ref=zg_bs_300189_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M9QF325AYXRX9Q47AE9D
   
   
3. The point-to-point antennae. Would these work? Link: https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0
   
   
4. Appropriate power supply for each element. Most likely 12V solar batteries with whatever capacity of inverter is needed.
   
   
5. Possibly add the optional 3G/4G antennae to the cell modem for a better connection with the cell tower.
   
   The end result is an Internet connection that all of our wifi devices at camp could use, but they would be sharing whatever data plan the SIM in the cell modem has.
   
   Does that seem workable to you?
   
   Thank you very much for the suggestion, falcon5nz! You have already given me better help than two months of trying to talk to industry people!
   
   Edit: The wifi router on the hill would be redundant, wouldn't it? The cell modem could just connect directly to the point-to-point antenna, maybe?

Use these!! I have used them at work and they're dope! Very stable as well.

I would not recommend running "a line over to a neighbors" assuming you mean a copper line. It's just a magnet for lightning. Get yourself a pair of these Also If you're not planning to have separate vlans on the neighbors side you don't really need a managed switch. Assuming said neighbor isn't in IT or able to setup his own vlans I'd just have them get any generic commercial router and use that. All you need to do is get their nanostation on its own vlan and give it internet access.

You don't need to spend that much. There are consumer/small business solutions out there for less than $200.

I'm about to upgrade my wireless Ethernet bridge for about $140 by picking up a pair of these

Is the distance between the two positions free of obstructions?

If so a pair of UBNT LocoM5s would probably do. If you are uncertain there is a link simulator that you can use to plan things out.

If not something like this may work. After that its a matter of buying component antennas (Yagi or Parabolic dish) and hooking it up to whatever wifi you have at hand.

default mode is access point. also can be used as wifi repeater.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WA801ND-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=lp_1194486_1_24?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1397412955&sr=1-24

I bring a wireless bridge with me ($25) to turn the hotel WIFI into my own personal WIFI hub. Then a Chromecast ($35) for the TV entertainment will connect to the bridge (so will my phone/tablet/laptop).

Here's the bridge I use on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater-TL-WA801ND/dp/B004UBU8IE

After further searching this subreddit...would this setup work:

Modem --> Router --> PoE Switch --> 3 AP's spread throughout the shop, all broadcasting the same SSID and Password for seamless/smart transitioning.

Edit: Just realized you said you have SIX AirPort Extremes....your MSP sold you $1200 worth of home networking stuff, plus labor to set them up. Consider firing them.

Apple wireless gear is great for homes, terrible for business. Put them on Amazon used or eBay and sell them, and buy a 3-pack of UniFi access points instead (you might even come out ahead on this trade): http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417536036&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi

Install the UniFi controller app on your own PC to get started (you can always move it to a server later if needed, and the controller doesn't need to run 24/7 for the APs to function): http://www.ubnt.com/download/

Ubiquiti support is limited to their forums, which are great, and lots of people here and /r/networking use them, so you can find help if needed.

Let me tell you something about Amazon reviews, a lot of them are fake and nonsense. If something has that many reviews then chances are the company spent a shit ton of money sending out review units to people who are pretty much obligated to review the product 4+ to continue getting free/discounted stuff.

I mean the most reviewed router on Amazon is one that I've never heard of. Bought it for my ex's house and it acted just as mediocre as any other $70 router out there.

I mean for such an unknown company to get 11000 reviews? There's something fishy going on here, especially when most people don't review shit ever.

Are you in a wireless connection? This game doesn't work to well on wireless, you need to plug your computer into the router or if that's not an option (like me) you can buy a range extender and plug your computer into that. This is the one I have, works great.https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0087NZ31S/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496598780&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=almond+range+extender

As for what's actually happening, your ping is spiking and the server thinks your in a different spot then your computer says, tricking the anti cheat system into thinking you are using a "speed hack" which makes you move faster then normal.

This exactly.

Start with a cheap, unmanaged 8-port switch. They cost anywhere from $10-$40, depending on brand/speed. If you want really go cheap, pass on the gigabit switch and just get one that goes up to 100 Mbps. I would just get the 1000 Mbps though.

Then, add an AP (like this https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-UAP-US/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1474114110&sr=1-3&keywords=unifi) and you'll still have 6 ports to plug in devices.

I was probably gonna go with Ubiquity as I am returning my DLink 895L (complete garbage btw) and replacing it with a pfsense box + this AP. I end up paying less than the stupid Dlink router and have much more control and power.

Something like this?

Don't buy another router, you already have one. Buy an access point such as a TP-Link EAP225, EAP245, or Unifi UAP-AC-Lite. Give it an IP address on the same subnet as your router (if your router is 1.1, pick 1.2 or 1.254 or something out of the DHCP scope) and make the WiFi network the same details as your current setup. Your client will figure out which AP to connect to based on signal strength.

You can get a good AP for much less than $100. An EAP225 is $60.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT

Get two of these and one of these. Put one of the nanobeams on either side of the way you are trying to extend to. You will need a small switch inside the trailer to plug the other nanobeam and the UAP into. The nanobeams in this case replace a physical wire going between the buildings (use one as a sender and one as a receiver).

OP, this is the correct answer. Everyone else is saying a router but those do other things, not just sharing the wired connection over wifi. The most popular access point over in /r/homenetworking is the Ubiquiti Unifi AP-AC Lite.

>Any suggestions as to what I should buy?

UAP-AC-Lite: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

While your internet isn't very fast you still want to have decent LAN transfer speeds. I highly recommend the UniFi gear, it's solid hardware and the central management is great.

>Presumably I'll just need to give them all the same network name and password, and unique channels, and the devices should choose the best access point automatically? Is there anything else I'd need to do?

Nope, that covers it!

It depends on your budget and technical abilities. For most people getting into this type of networking I usually recommend any of Ubiquiti's Unifi equipment. It all runs off a single web UI and is more user friendly than more serious equipment. You could get a basic 8 port switch and AP from them for less than $200.

Something like this switch and this AP

The AP is powered by the switch using POE (power over ethernet) so you don't need to connect any other cables to it. Unifi is prosumer, it's not quite enterprise level, but it runs on the same principles and can still do some relatively high-level stuff.

Some people in here don't like Ubiquiti products, as they're kind of like the Apple of networking gear, but they provide good products and a good UI imo. I think it's a good way to go for people getting into this side of things. You can get similar TPLink gear for cheaper, but its configuration is more difficult imo.

5ghz makes a huge difference! Take a look at the Ubiquity Unifi AP's they have a cheapish 5ghz model. I love them! There pretty simple to install and just work afterwards.

All they do is be an access point and your current router takes care of the rest.

Honestly repeaters are pretty hit and miss. The better solution is generally a better wireless access point with greater range. If possible wire in a second AP and create a seamless network.

Great value AP (can use more than 1 together if you have a line ran): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015PR20GY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524511125&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=unifi+apac+lite&dpPl=1&dpID=31-u-5bgo0L&ref=plSrch

If you have to use a repeater I've had good results with this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CGZPQVE/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1524511268&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tp+link+ac1200&dpPl=1&dpID=31QkJ757pTL&ref=plSrch

I've setup 10+ sites with the unifi AP's they work great and are very reliable. Better to make the jump to enterprise equipment then mess around with home grade junk.

Wifi boosters suck. They take an already weak signal and just repeat it. If you already have Cat5 this is what you need. It creates it's own wifi signal, a fresh strong on. I have one of these and can catch a usable signal from it literally a block from my home in the park.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015PR20GY/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PR20GY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's still lots of old stock out there. Very possible you still got an older one with 24V passive. It's the same SKU which makes it more confusing. There should be a sticker on the outside of the box if it's an af/at compatible one.

consumer grade routers are garbage for perk and beermoney stuff. look into something like this:

https://amzn.com/B00YFJT29C

and for an access point, something like this:

https://amzn.com/B015PR20GY

anything consumer grade is really garbage for perk and things that need a router with more processing power. many of the expensive routers barely have any memory (64mb) yet spout nonsense like 'dual core processor at 1ghz!!'.

means shit if you only have 64mb of ram to work with.

the router i listed has 256mb, and if you need something more, there is an upgraded version of it that has 512.

Ubiquiti ubifi aclr access point has a 600 ft radius. It should reach. I've used the amplifi hd mesh system to cover multiple houses and shops. One over 100 feet I know. It was across the road. I have used the bullets and nanostations before as well. I like the nanobeams for wireless bridges as they are ac and bulletproof. Use them a lot on camera systems, and have made some pretty impressive connections with then through trees and buildings. Have less trouble out of them than I do a wire.
I am installing one of the UAP-AC-M-US outdoor mesh antennas tomorrow. It looks solid and I have yet to see a ubiquiti product that is not. Their routers, switches, and wireless are all good products. I recommend them often for small and larger networks alike. About all of their products will get out there. I dont know of any that wont.
I would make sure I got ac though if you want anything close to gigabit. A gigabit port means very little on a 15o mbps wireless connection. I have 1 aclr and an edgerouter x in my setup. Access point is inside a pantry cabinet as well. I have full signal all over my yard, all my neighbors yards back and both sides, and inside my shop. I have to drive down the road to lose wifi. There is nothing close to ubiquiti in wireless. I have worked with it for years and it is by far the most resilient, but you got to have a little know how to get the most from them. They are not meant for standard every day users. The outdoor antennas are more straight forward as they dont require the controller.
Your options are abundant. There is no best in this situation, it is just whatever is easiest to install and which one you want to work with.
Here are some links to help you find some:
I would look at this one first:
Ubiquiti Networks UAP-AC-M-US UniFi AC Mesh Wide-Area In/Out Dual-Band Access Point (US Version) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076B4ZVF2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_68p.AbVZ5M0V1

Here is the unifi aclr:
Ubiquiti UniFi UAP AC Long Range UAP-AC-LR Single Unit U.S. Version https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01609AF22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1pq.AbE41JW98

Here are the nanobeams I use:
Ubiquiti NanoBeam ac Gen2 High-Performance airMAX ac Bridge (NBE-5AC-Gen2-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713XMHH9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_FoFsCqHPWaTTJ

I'm also currently researching APs for my new house. If you need a single AP I would get an UAP-AC-LITE which includes a PoE injector for power. If you need multiple APs like me then a switch with PoE + UAP-AC-PROs is the way I will probably go.

Any brand will work and you could get a cheaper one. They differ in signal quality/range, reliability, speed/features and ease of setup.

How they are linked differs by brand.

Back to 150-200mbps on speed test, close to what I get on wire, for my internet plan

Range is phenomenal, where I've been cutting out at the far corner of my bedroom, is now solid 3of5bars...and that's with the AP still sitting 2ft off the ground, imagine mounting it high improves signal.

With just the features I'm getting from only having an AP, I imagine a switch and router really round out the package. I'll ask over at /r/ubiquiti about my usecase...heck somebody probably solved it with a script already.

Amazon for $82, UAP-AC-LITE - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DRM6MLI/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_2VF6BbYHD2PKT?pldnSite=1

Price is still more than double Amazon.ca even after you add taxes: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01DRM6MLI/

i dont have a quest so i cant say for certain this all works, but the idea of the WAP i s to add wifi on to hardwired locations, like around in businesses etc.

your computer would still be on the routers lan and wifi devices would be on that same lan.

a device similar to this https://smile.amazon.com/NETGEAR-AC1200-Wireless-Access-WAC104-100NAS/dp/B01LFSDZCU

Don't get a combo router/modem; it unnecessarily limits your options and it's annoying when your device ends up half-broken or half-obsolete, but the whole thing has to be replaced at once.

modem:

Check the approved device list for your tier of service and buy whatever's cheapest (except that if the list still contains DOCSIS 2.0 devices for some reason, ignore those and get a modem that is at least DOCSIS 3.0). If you shop around for cable modems you'll notice that they're labeled as "MxN": M is the number of downstream channels and N is the number of upstream channels, which determines the maximum connection speed the modem supports. IMO 8x4 (which corresponds to 343 Mbps download) is the current value-for-money sweet spot; unless you plan to switch to a faster service than that within the next couple of years it's not worth paying extra for future-proofing.

The Arris/Motorola SB6141 ($40 on Amazon) is a popular choice.

router:

If all you care about is Internet access speed (i.e., the thing that's limited by your 70 Mbps connection) then even an old 802.11N router would be good enough, let alone an AC one. If you care about transferring files and/or streaming between computers within the house, then having gigabit ethernet and 802.11 AC (and dual-band/MIMO/other buzzwords/etc.) starts to become more important.

Don't pay extra for fancy software features (security, antivirus, parental controls, etc). Instead, pick a router that is supported by open-source third-party firmware such as LEDE, which can turn even a basic router into a pseudo-"enterprise"-level device with every fancy feature you could possibly imagine. (Subject to hardware limitations, of course!) (If you decide to care about third-party firmware support, pay close attention to exactly what hardware you're getting, including the revision number. Sometimes hardware changes in ways that break compatibility without any way to tell just from reading the outside of the package.)

Also pay attention to the physical form-factor of the device (this goes for the cable modem too, by the way). If you want it to lay flat on a surface instead of standing up on its edge (or vice-versa), make sure it actually supports being used that way. For example, this piece of shit would have been a great device, except that some dipshit designed it such that it can't sit flat or hang on a wall. It's asinine!

I concur with /u/JustBeefTaco in recommending the TP-Link Archer C7. In addition to the reasons he said, it's also good because it's supported by LEDE. My own home network runs on an Archer C7 (running LEDE 17.01)

That said, if you wanted to "do it right" using one access point per floor, then you'd put a non-wi-fi router such as this Mikrotik in the basement next to the cable modem, and then connect it using gigabit ethernet to ceiling-mounted access points on each floor. (Disclaimer: I haven't researched this kind of setup, so I don't know if these are the best devices to choose.) Note that the devices I listed support PoE (Power over Ethernet), which IMO would be important for that kind of more permanently-installed setup.

You don't mention what your existing equipment is, but if it is typical consumer-grade stuff, like LinkSys, D-Link, Netgear, etc. you should be able to replace all of it with 5 good APs.

5 x Ubiquiti Unify UAP-AC-LR

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PRCBBI?th=1

Ubiquiti AP's are also centrally controlled and managed from a free app. You can monitor traffic, see which device is using the most bandwidth, etc. Excellent gear for the money.

Could you turn off the wifi of your current router and get something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LR/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459006172&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+lr it's an access point only but, it has power over ethernet so you aren't limited to being near a power outlet to use it. So if you could discretely run an ethernet cable from your router and mount it on a wall somewhere more central in your house you would get better coverage. Also as an access point is the main wifi hotspot. A repeater just well repeats that main hotspot to give more effective range. Just think of it like one of those baton races.

[uniquiti Acesss Point. ](Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Long Range - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAP-AC-LR-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xZlvCbQTYKBTQ)

I'm gonna level with you.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

Buy one of these, make sure you get an LR model. They're industrial access points, and they work really well. Easy to use, nifty cloud controller you can join them to and do maintenance/change settings on the AP. One or two will absolutely cover your house, and the transition from one AP to another is seamless. It might not be a quarter mile coverage, but I connect to my wifi before I pull into my driveway at home.

Going to copy/paste this from my history as its asked rather frequently on this sub.
--

Spectrum is fine, if you can get AT&T Fiber go that route. Check to see if you're able to get Fiber here;

https://www.att.com/internet/fiber.html

(Note, only their 1000/1000 speed is 'uncapped' -- the rest of their offerings, Fiber or DSL has a data cap)

For Spectrum, you're looking at:

200/10 (or) 400/20 (or) 940/35

The base tier is fine for the vast overwhelming majority of people. You'd probably know if you needed more speed than the base tier (Eg: Off site backups, serving up Plex to friends/family..etc) Spectrum also has no data caps on any of their speed tiers. You'll use a Spectrum modem (which they provide for free) but use your own router as they do charge a monthly fee for wifi. As far as what networking gear to get, that's easy.

Get yourself

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534877933&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+edgerouter + https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1534877954&sr=8-3&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point

and have worry free wifi. Don't bother with routers from Asus/Netgear/TpLink..etc. They're comparatively junk next to the ubiquiti equipment.

If you're going with Spectrum, use your own Wifi infrastructure. The Ubiquiti stuff linked above is a fantastic solution. The Spectrum provided modem will work fine, regardless of the tier you subscribe to

The 400/20 tier will probably get you an Arris TM1602 which is an absolute piece of trash as it uses the Puma 6 chipset. Read more about that here;

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-file-class-action-lawsuit-against-arris-for-defective-cable-modems-300433510.html

If you do sub to the 400/20 tier, I then suggest picking up your own modem, specifically, the Netgear CM600 as it does not use the Puma 6 chipset, but rather, a Broadcom BCM3384 and is an 'approved' modem by Spectrum.

The base tier as well as the Gig tier with Spectrum will get you a satisfactory modem at no additional cost.

Milwaukee has been activated as a "Gig" market for Spectrum, and has been for 4 months or so.

This means a speed of 940/35 is now available for most--if not all of the area. The gig tier does require a $200 technician visit as well as a Spectrum provided modem. Customer owned modems are currently not being provisioned for the gig tier. The Spectrum modem is a Technicolor TC4400, but there is no monthly charge for using the Spectrum provided modem.

I used this to extend my wifi. Works very well, but you'll need to have it plugged into an ethernet port and to a power source if you don't have a PoE (power over ethernet) switch. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI

You could wire up a couple Ubiquiti UAP-AC-PROs, no hardware controller (it's a free app that can be installed on any computer on the network). That's what I and most of my co-workers use for our houses.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_AP1cAbX642Q18

Turn off the wireless radio on your router and buy [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501096252&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi+ac).

I'd place it in the middle of the second floor and it should cover the whole house.

For outside: [here] (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-M-US-Unifi-Access-Point/dp/B01N9FIELY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501096437&sr=8-1&keywords=unifi+outdoor)

Might I suggest a more prosummer solution.

Look at ubiquiti gear. It’s what I run at my home and we deploy there access points and switches at over 200 customers. They are excellent for the price

Gateway/router
Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway (USG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HE45BbH0YVZR8

8 port Poe switch
Ubiquiti UniFi Switch 8 60W (US-8-60W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU3WUX1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hF45BbGNDVBBR

Access point
Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XF45BbNXXZSJ2

These products will allow you to make sure your wireless network is on something with the least interference, you can also band steer clients to use the less congested 5ghz band all on the same wireless network. Instead of having to make a separate one 2.4 and 5. Which is what most all in one home devices do.

This will over all be a much more flexible system as well. Find an area that doesn’t have good WiFi coverage. Run a cable and add an AP there, or they can even mesh and do it with out a cable.

This is a great one, though you will need to run controller software somewhere. There is no master/slave stuff with APs, they just each offer a way for wireless clients to connect to the wired network. With Ubiquiti stuff, once you have the controller running, setup is very easy. And if you buy into the whole line (Unifi Security Gateway, and Unifi switch), you can do more advanced stuff like VLAN and guest networks super simple as the controller takes care of all the tricky stuff for you.

2 routers is not the solution. You may need something like this.

Unifi AC AP Pro If your house is long, and the signal doesn't reach, put one of these at each end ( or something simialr ).

It kinda depends what's in the walls in your place. 20 feet and drywall should not cause a problem for any router.

unless it's an old house with concrete or wire mesh in the walls, you shouldn't be ok with a router in the middle.

My go to is the ASUS RT-AC68U It's got good signal and enough RAM to deal with all kinds of shit.

Instead of a router why not get a proper AP with a management interface?

I use this at home and it does great.

Honestly the AirPort ease of setup is the biggie. For most people it will automagically set most things.

I don't think routers are hard to set up via the webui but then again I do this stuff for a living. Something cheap like this honestly gets the job done in most cases where long range or AC isn't a requirement.

If you've gotta have AC you're probably looking at $150+ for a router. Honestly at that point I'd probably get a cheap router to act as a gateway and a nice stand-alone AP for wireless.

I almost never recommend running the "quick setup" disks that come with a lot of consumer routers; I've seen them do waaayyyyyy too many janky things to ever trust them. Some companies will have web-managed routers that do similar things to AirPorts but I'm just not super keen on having my inexpensive home router require a web account to configure/control.

That's all probably more than my 2 cents. More like 3.50.

Sounds like you have faulty old wireless routers that are interfering with each other. What you need is one new Router/A.P that has massive distance. I would recommend this: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536702639&sr=8-1&keywords=ubuiti+ap

It's incredibly easy to setup, and it's range is 5x more than what you need. I personally have it, and I can sit in my car which is 90ft away and download a podcast before going to work. You can also pick up another one, and setup a mesh network. So the connectivity is full bars throughout the building. Hope this helps.

If you are going to spend that much to fix his wifi why not take the jump and get this https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1487192187&sr=1-1&keywords=unifi+ac+lr

Amazon has them for $98.41 if you have a Prime account

How tech savy are you?

But consider this - $8/mo for 12 months is 96.

A good reliable DOCSIS 3.1 modem (only modem, not router) is $170 on amazon today. That's less than 2 years and modems tend to live a long time unless you have lots of lightening.

Now lets add a router - we'll get fancy and do EdgeRouter & Unifi Wifi Access Point.

Edgerouter is $60, and a UniFi AP that will cover MOST households better than a Linksys is 100.

So you spent $330 up front for a REALLY good system. If it lasts you 4.78 years you broke even. Mine has lasted me 2 years already thru mulitple storms in the gulf coast. Well, teh modem isn't that old b/c I had a non gigabit for a while as we didn't have that option.

I completely forgot that Ubiquiti makes a long range access point.

I think this could be a good solution for you, I've heard of these being boosted to cover half a mile. It would involve turning off the wireless access point in your router and using this in place of that, so relatively minimal financial investment. You'd keep using the router as a router, just not a router/AP multifunction device.

I feel like I’m always repeating myself in this sub, but Ubiquiti access point all the way! Get the LR (long range) Version and you will be fine, I also have FiOS gigabit and use a LR without issue.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_qoWOBb596MMGM

Also you can add more later if you feel the need....

One of your biggest opportunities for saving is going to come from dropping the second AC-Lite. How big is your space? What's the materials it's made from? I've got a pair of AC-Lites, and I occasionally toy with taking one of them out, as they're a solid 50 feet apart on the opposite ends of my house, and they're still too close. One of them (the one closest to the driveway, of course) will give me adequate signal coverage through an exterior wall at the end of my driveway, well over 70 yards away. The only reason I don't is because the other AP is significantly closer to the outdoor areas of the back yard where we want solid signal as well.

So really get a feel for whether you think you'll need that second AP. If you're in anything other than a steel-framed house or a house that's significantly bigger than 2000 square feet, you can probably drop to a single AC-Lite and be fine. If you're right on the edge, switching to a single UAP-AC-LR might take care of the problem for about $60 cheaper.

As for the ER-X, while I liked mine, quite a bit actually, I don't think it's a good fit for a lab IF you have any intentions of doing funky stuff on your WAN connection. I was using it to run a Tinc VPN, which it can do with some modifications, and it did the job just fine. Except that I had to completely redo everything every time there was a software update, and at one point the updates got big enough that I couldn't actually download the update without removing the VPN functionality first. Yes, I could've used OpenVPN or IPSec, but that would've involved changing three different sites over to it along with the ER-X, so I eventually gave up and went with pfSense.

The only other place you could maybe shave a few bucks is the switch, if you didn't need managed capabilities. (For example, this looks a lot like the setup I've been considering for my parents' house, but I wouldn't need a managed switch there.) I probably wouldn't bother unless you KNOW you won't need or want the managed functions.

As far as a home firewall I would check that device out. You place it after you Comcast modem, but then before an aftermarket wireless access point. Your Comcast modem would then only exist as your internet gateway with your whole network behind the firewall. If you do this you should also disable the WiFi on the Comcast.

Honestly this! Get a good AC AP LR and you shouldn’t have a single issue with range and throughout at a distance either. I had This and I could pick it up down the street and a buddy’s house on the backside of it actually. If you know how to set it up right and know where to place it all you will need is this singular AP.

1. The AC LR and the other Unifi access points come with a poe injector in the box. The manual tells you how to set it up.
   
2. The switch is what take the internet from the USG and gives it to your wired devices. Even if you have no wired devices its recommended you have a switch since you can connect into the AP if it has issues wired. The switch I use. My setup is like this: Modem --> USG --> Switch --> AC LR --> wifi devices etc
   
   
3. Yes the access point is what gives wifi to your house.
   
   
4. The ERX has more features, but the USG is on the Unifi product line meaning it uses the same piece of software to manage as the LR. Unifi Controller . I can managed my whole network from the single software and not have to log directly in like the ERX. The controller software is how you setup and manage your network. So make sure you have it on one of your computers preferably a desktop or laptop with ethernet just in case you gotta go in hardwired.
   
   Here is a video showing a setup: https://youtu.be/HcfIpTso_Ys
   
   The cloud key is optional but if you have the money then go for it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HXT8EKE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PRCBBI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i also have just a linksys switch just for more lan ports ;) the wifi strength and performance is great! look it up on youtube a bit more though!

Can be a bit more complicated to setup somewhat... but set it up from my phone w/o issues. 4000 sq foot house with zero signal issues! and that's with one access point.

I generally agree with you, although if you have a ton of devices or a larger space to cover then you may need to pay more for a router or access point that can meet those needs reliably.

I had a lot of trouble getting a distant dropcam to work reliably with powerline extenders, wifi extenders, etc. Eventually, I was able to get an Access Point that had enough range to pick it up, but none of the cheap ones I had around or even a $200 Airport Extreme (which seems to work well in all other scenarios) was able to deliver the range I needed.

Since people will probably ask, the one that worked was this: http://amzn.com/B015PRCBBI

Using the UniFi controller with UniFi APs will very easily and plainly let you know who is using what bandwidth. It'll also let you kick them off if you're so inclined.

Take a look at the hardware (link) and maybe google up on the UniFi controller itself to see if you like it. I'd highly suggest it personally.

I work for a small tech company and we use Ubiquiti's here in our office and out OPS guys use them at home.

I'd use them at home if they weren't $124 a pop (I need three): Linky

One fairly simple way to secure your network would be to buy a managed switch like this one and setting up VLANs to separate your network.

In a nutshell, VLANs are a way to partition your switch into different segments or "Broadcast Domains". It's like breaking your switch up into smaller switches that are not connected to each other.

Why would you want to do this?

By virtually separating your LAN, if an attacker somehow gained access to one of your devices (say the Raspberry Pi), they wouldn't be able to access your WD MyCloud or your Camera because they would be on a completely separate LAN.

Based on your network, I would create at least 6 different VLANs. Something like this:

VLAN 2 - Servers (The WD MyClouds and the Dell Tower)

VLAN 3 - Cameras

VLAN 4 - Wireless LAN

VLAN 5 - LAN (Ethernet connected PCs, Laptops, etc.)

VLAN 6 - IoT devices (The thermostat, sprinkler controller, RPis, etc)

VLAN 7 - Guest / Unsecured Wireless

VLAN 8 - Management

The Management VLAN is used to allow access to management functions of your devices like the switch.

How do the different VLANs talk to each other?

For example, how do your PCs talk to your WD MyCloud if they're on a different VLAN? Through the use of a VLAN-Aware Router!

It looks like your WRT1200AC is supported by DD-WRT and OpenWRT. It also appears that it does support VLANs. The stock Linksys firmware will not support VLANs so you would need to flash it with either OpenWRT or DD-WRT in order to use that functionality.

If you don't like the idea of flashing your WRT1200AC I would recommend replacing it with a VLAN-Capable access point like the Ubiquiti Unifi-AC-Pro (which is not bad looking either). You'll also need a VLAN-Capable Router/Firewall. You can use any Linux box with a decent Gigabit Ethernet NIC (e.g. Intel) for this task, or you can go with a purpose-built router like the Mikrotik RouterBoard hEX which has been tested to route at nearly gigabit speed.

This is a lot of info to process, if you have questions I would be happy to help! :)

First, don't go by the antenna bars, they aren't 100% accurate. Download a speed test app, and test the speed strength when you're in your room compared to being next to the router.

I can't imagine losing that much signal strength from being down the hall. You can try moving your router closer to the middle part of your place.

Your current router isn't the latest and greatest, but it is dual band, so I would definitely setup the 5ghz network as well. 5ghz is stronger and usually has less traffic on the frequency, but it doesn't do well with distance. If you have newer phones (iPhone 5 and better), they should have an antenna for 5ghz and might improve your speed. You can easily google if your devices are compatible. Most should now be.

If that doesn't work you can look into getting a MoCa or a Powerline adapter. Don't get a wifi extender, those are crap. Also, I wouldn't bother with any new "mesh network".

If you really need to strengthen your wifi signal, it's always the best bet to run an ethernet cable and setup an Access Point (AP). This is usually the least preferred option for most people because they don't want a cable running down their hallway, or don't want to deal with the hassle of running it through the walls.

If you want to stay in the same ecosystem, here’s my recommendation for Ubiquity. You may need more than 1 AP depending on the layout of the house, walls and placement.

Modem: ARRIS SURFboard Gigabit Docsis 3.1 Cable Modem, 10 Gbps Max Speed, Approved for Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity, (SB8200 Frustration Free) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DY16W2Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OdcqDbMF39946

Router: Unifi Security Gateway Pro 4-Port https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019PBEI5W?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Switch for non PoE gear: Ubiquiti US-24 Unifi Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZBLO0U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7fcqDbNRQ3ZRH

Switch for PoE gear: Ubiquiti UniFi Switch 8 60W (US-8-60W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU3WUX1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MicqDbTHS34TA

Access Point(s): Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YhcqDb6EEP86C

Access Point. Usually those white things you see in the ceilings (though mine are just sitting on a desk and a shelf).

These are the ones I used.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/

Well the good news is it doesn't look like anything super hard to run spec wise (i.e. you aren't transferring large files back and forth, streaming blurays rips, etc).

2.4 vs 5 ghz are the two bands of WIFI. Dual band means it can accept either one. 2.4GHz is more common but devices are increasingly moving towards dual band capable (most modern laptops and streamers including your Fire Stick are dual band). Generally speaking, 2.4 GHz is not as fast (it's not slow either but I believe it maxes at 450 Mbps) but has longer range; it can be more congested as well if you are around others since it has longer range and is more common (both in WIFI devices and other home electronics). 5 GHz can be faster (up to 1300 Mbps for a single AC connection), is less common, and has shorter range; there is less interference due to the less congestion and shorter range. It would be best to use both (devices close to 5GHz use that, devices further away use 2.4ghz).

I mentioned the attic because while wiring your own home is a whole thing, you might be able to run one cable to an AP (Access Point, a WIFI only device) in the middle or most strategic location of the home. As an example, I did this in my parent's home. They had a 3000 SQFT long, single floor rectangular home. I used a Long Range Unifi N AP. It had a POE injector (power and data on one ethernet cable) and just had to run one cable to the middle of the house.

For example, you could install one of these in your living room either closer to the stairs or the eating room depending on where the majority of your devices will be.

Covering the backyard is probably going to be another AP; however, if you have crawl space, you could wire an outdoor AP same as the unifi (in fact, the model I linked is weather resistant).

Yes, all the major companies sell things marketed as AP's that you can plug into your router. My favorite one to use is Unifi. The biggest issue with that is you need to install controller software to configure it. Not a big deal though. You can also take any consumer router, disable DHCP and it makes it a wireless access point.

Right, so you're looking at consumer 802.11n hardware. You're also looking like a 2x2 antenna setup at that so your max connection speed will be 150Mbps. With wireless overhead on consumer gear you can expect less than half of whatever your connection speed is for actual throughput. When connected to the wireless range extender you can expect half of the half, so less than 1/4 of your connection speed on actual throughput. Wireless also operates at half duplex, so once you start adding a lot of clients it will get exponentially worse.

If you want to do this yourself, I have a couple of recommendations:

1. Put in a consumer-prise system like Ubiquiti for wireless. It has a controller for easy-ish setup and you can get the latest 802.11ac speeds for not a lot of money. I would look at the UAP-AC-Pro specifically since it can be used with regular PoE. 3-4 of these should do well for you:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512
   
   
2. Upgrade your switch to something with gigabit PoE, doesn't really matter the vendor. Make sure the switch is gigabit to take advantage of newer wireless speeds. Ubiquiti actually makes a cheap-ish one that can be used with their controller:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OJZUQ24
   
   That will keep your cost under $1k and give you a decent experience. Don't skimp out on this stuff, it will dramatically change your overall experience. Also, run cable to all 3-4 APs back to the switch for max speeds and the most reliable operation. They will also get their power from the switch so you only have to run the network cable to where you need to mount the APs. Put them on the ceiling for the best signal strength.
   
   ps- I do this for a living for a large enterprise nationwide company. If you have a floor plan, PM and I'll help you determine the best location for the APs.

you cannot go wrong with Ubiquiti

I have four of these throughout my house, they work great

8 port managed POE switch: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Managed-Gigabit-US-8-150W/dp/B01DKXT4CI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497803035&sr=8-2&keywords=ubiquiti+managed+switch

AP (1 every 4 rooms): https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497803133&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point

24 port switch to feed APs: https://www.amazon.ca/UBIQUITI-US-24-250W-UNIFI-Switch-24-Managed/dp/B00OJZUQ24/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497803253&sr=1-2&keywords=ubiquiti+managed+switch

Router: I'm not sure, my company actually orders custom-made little PCs that we run OpenWRT on. I assume Ubiquiti routers would be nice though, judging by my experience with other pieces of their equipment

Just installed my first one for a client.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PRO512/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This thing has more range than anything I have ever setup. Incredible.

I read these are nearly as good for a much smaller tag.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=psdc_1194486_t3_B015PRO512

If I didn't have a Areohive setup in my house I would pick up Unifi in a heartbeat.

Since I've had their service, my internet has crapped out at least 5 times and I just got their service maybe two months ago, so I went out and bought a new modem (from a list of supported modems on their site):

ARRIS SURFboard SB6190

This has excellent reviews; it's a shame though that they don't support DOCSIS 3.1 yet (heard they are working on it).

The router of choice I went with is: Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X x ER-X-SFP

and then I purchased this Wireless Access Point from Ubiquiti. High reviews, large coverage, and easy to setup/maintain.

All in all, for under $300 I feel good about my purchases and getting rid of this leased modem. I've always used ISP provided equipment, whether it be AT&T or Time Warner/Spectrum and it's been quite the headaches over the years and finally wanted to do something about it.

Not sure if any of this will help you out, but hopefully it does!

The best thing to do is separate everything out so you can future proof your setup. What if down the line you want to extend your wifi or need more wired ports? When you separate everything out (security gateway/firewall, switch and wifi access points) its much easier to upgrade and troubleshoot. Your typical consumer grade all in one routers have all three of those things in one package and none of them are particularly great.

Ubiquiti is the current leader at this for the home user. They have SOHO grade equipment (small office home office) which is basically enterprise grade equipment but at consumer grade prices.

If I were you, here's what I'd do:
Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway (USG) - this will be the brains of your system and allow port forwarding, QoS, deep packet inspection, etc.

Ubiquiti Networks 8-Port UniFi Switch, Managed PoE+ Gigabit Switch with SFP, 150W (US-8-150W) - this gives you 8 ports, all of which can be enabled for power over ethernet which can easily power your security cameras and access points. If you don't need this then you can get the cheaper non-PoE switch Ubiquiti US-8 Unifi Switch

Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) - This is a great access point to give you fast wifi at a great range. This plugs directly into your switch via ethernet cable. If you need to extend you wifi then you can get a second one and plug it in. These can be powered by PoE which is really nice.

Total cost: $461

I guarantee you would end up spending more upgrading an all in one router over the next few years. This will easily last you 10+ years if not more and be enterprise grade equipment.

I ran into the same issue, I now have 85+ devices on my network with zero problems. Your best bet is to scrap/sell your current network gear and build yourself a solid setup. I recommend the following (get as many switches and APs as needed, I am using 3 APs currently):

Cable Modem: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA5U1FW

Router: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Appliance-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK

APs: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512

Unmanaged Switches: https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-ProSAFE-Gigabit-Desktop-GS108-400NAS/dp/B00MPVR50A

Software: Unifi Controller - this is free - https://www.ubnt.com/enterprise/software/

I also have a charter and recently upgrade my router to https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-AC1750-Router-800MHz-Processor/dp/B00Z0V2NQ8/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1481427290&sr=1-3&keywords=netgear+nighthawk (holds about 32 devices - I test b/c i have about 50) then I bought a access point https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1481427368&sr=1-5&keywords=access+point which now runs the other 40 devices+ then rest is on the router.

Sure, there are tons of access points ("AP's"). Without knowing the layout of your house it's hard to say exactly what you need. The main thing is to buy one that is 1) reliable, and 2) fast enough. I wouldn't get one that isn't dual band (i.e. supports simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5 GHz networks). Also get one that supports the newer 802.11ac ("AC") standards.

I like the dual band models from Ubiquiti (like this) for their ease of setup and usage.

Also I updated my higher post with some definitions and information that might help.

I've got the Unifi AP's too. (this one specifically).

They're freaking awesome. They aren't quite as fast as maybe Netgear's higher end Nighthawks, but in larger homes, it is the ideal setup for adding multiple access points. If you have a smaller apartment, I think you could do about as well with the Nighthawk. (I used to have the 3200 before switching to Ubiquiti Unifi).

That said, Unifi is a bit more 'enterprise'. A novice could probably get one up and running by following directions closely, but it's not the AP I'd tell my dad to go out and buy.

And, noticed this is a month old..... do you have everything up and running decently?

That's only if you are converting a wifi router into an access point. Follow these instructions:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-turn-an-old-wi-fi-router-into-an-access-point/

You don't need to do that if you buy an actual access point, like this one:


TP-Link EAP225 V3 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Ceiling Mount Access Point, Supports 802.3af PoE and Passive PoE(Injector Included), AC1350 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781YXFBT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kqIZCb7WK1SBS

Get a better understanding of what you're doing with this video:

https://youtu.be/Vc16CCAAz7Q

Tldr: single EAP225 added on to what you already have. Costs around $70, should be a night/day difference in terms of WiFi performance.
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT/
an alternative is the Ubiquiti AC Lite. The AC Lite costs a bit more and has lower performance, it does look better though which might be useful if you need "wife approval".

>The modem i am using is sbg6580

This unit is a single band device and its WiFI performance SUCKS. I've used it before. The performance is just bad. It's passing as a router/modem though. You probably don't need to replace it, unless you're paying a rental fee in which case DO REPLACE IT because the rental fee isn't worth it.


Disable the WiFi on the 6580 and get something like a TP-Link EAP225. It's dual band (2.4GHz + 5GHz) and each of those bands performs better than what the 6580 can do. It's also a lot easier to position in a strategic location which in general helps with WiFi performance (distance/walls kill WiFi).

----

When funds/time allows, DO try to hard-wire everything you can, especially if it's far away. If you're in a big building you can even add more than one of the wireless access points I listed and this would expand coverage a lot.

Take a look at these, go through the three models they offer and chose what frequency your WiFi can support.
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-CPE210-300Mbps-dual-polarized-directional/dp/B00P4JKQGK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=long+range+wifi&qid=1563738927&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Ach, I was wrong. I just found the one I was thinking of. Turns out it's 5km line of site here: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-CPE210-300Mbps-dual-polarized-directional/dp/B00P4JKQGK/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1522696170&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=ethernet+bridge+directional+5km. Though I imagine directional antennas could boost that.

No LOS makes this tricky. You state your balcony doesn't face the garage, but do you have any windows or walls that face the garage with minimal obstructions?

I have used these TP-Link devices before.
TP-Link Long Range Outdoor Wifi Transmitter (CPE210) $40 each https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4JKQGK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ot-GDbY62A43F

They are outdoor rated and directional, but they are still small enough that they can be mounted inside and not be very noticeable. There is a 2.4 and 5g version. They operate using standard 802.11 protocols so they can easily pair with other devices. They can be setup as a pair in a point to point mode, AP, Client, etc. They are PoE so you only need an ethernet cable.

I used one to bridge to a neighbor's cable gateway across the street and through their home to the back room where the gateway was located. I had mine in a window and got very decent signal. The speed was limited to the open cable SSID (think ATTWifi or Xfinity) so can't attest to the overall throughput. I was/am a customer but just didn't have the cable working at the time.

You could get a wireless ethernet adapter with integrated anteanna to guarantee the best signal. It has to be configured, much like a router does, to connect to the host's wireless.

ubnt.com or tp-link

Maybe something like this

The main thing is to get something that has a good antenna. That's going to help your weak signal.

Check out some outdoor routers. It will solve your problems. I got it $40 router for my Ring Doorbell 2.
TP-LINK CPE210 2.4GHz 300Mbps 9dBi High Power Outdoor CPE/Access Point, 2.4GHz 300Mbps, 802.11b/g/n, dual-polarized 9dBi directional antenna, Passive POE https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4JKQGK/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_jdWWCbH2KADVK

I haven't used consume grade APs in probably 8 years so I have no hands on experience. The what to buy thread in the sidebar suggests ubiquiti which is in the same price range as MikroTik, but a little easier to set up. The basic equivalent to the MikroTik I posted is https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1518904131&sr=1-6&keywords=ubiquiti

Well, unfortunately, consumer products suck. You can shell out $300 on a nighthawk router and still experience the same issues. Fuck that shit.

In my experience you have 2 options. Drop the money on an apple airport router (they're great) or drop the money on an enterprise AP (ubuiquiti). You can get a unifi AP for under $200.

If your ISP gives you a router free great, use that. Just disable the wireless and pick up a unifi AP for wireless.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE-US/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1465095973&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi+ap

Please research the model because I have never used the non-pro ones.


Otherwise, pick up the airport for the all in one. You can't go wrong.

If you have the option for wired backhaul and are going to use the Orbi as an access point only, there are cheaper solutions that will yield just as good results.

A couple of these should do the trick in your house. Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAPACLITEUS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7fGxDbDFT10XV

The beauty of the Orbi is how well the wireless backhaul works. Why pay the premium and not use the features?

Thanks, Something like this? Any chance you can recommend a product..?

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

You can get an Edgerouter Lite (ERL-3), 2 UAP-AC-Lites, and an unmanaged gigabit switch to stay within your budget easily.

I have ubiquiti products at 2 sites, and have had no issues. Also the AC-Lites use Passive PoE which not all PoE switches have so you will more than likely just get a non-PoE (unless you need it for something else), and run the power injectors.

Maybe... You don't want a switch in between your modem and your router. In that case you'd want an actual router, though not necessarily a wireless one.

If you're tech savvy or like learning, this is where UBNT and some of its competitors are neat, b/c they treat the wifi access points and the routers as totally different modular components. I have a $50 UBNT Edgerouter X (looks like it's $60 or so on Amazon right now) and then use an $80 UAC lite access point for providing wireless. That actually ends up being $10 cheaper than a $150 Nighthawk and you can add all sorts of other neat crap on later if you want (and setup QoS on the ERX to prevent buffer bloat, and I think you can even run pi-hole directly on the ERX for house wide ad blocking without a dedicate PC, but that's on my "to research" list).

The downside: it's commercial grade hardware AND software, so certain things that you'd expect to be "easy" may require running actual command line scripts etc (for example, I wanted to turn off downstream DNS resolution so that a failed DNS lookup from 1.1.1.1 didn't bubble up to Verizon, this is a checkbox on most routers but requires a script on the ERX). I'm a software dev and I love being able to do so many things, but I set my in-laws up with a simple Google Wifi setup that just works that they never have to touch b/c that would be a nightmare for them.

And... I've looped back around to a UBNT ad by accident, /u/tatersnakes would be disappointed in me.

The AP will probably be the most expensive part to replace.

Unmanaged 8-port desktop switches can be had for less than $30.

A commonly recommended AP is the UAP-AC-Lite which will run about $80. However, the Ubiquiti products need a controller software to manage them. This either needs to come in the form of a "Cloud Key," which is almost another $100, or you would need to run the controller software on a PC. It does not need to be running all the time, only when you want to modify the settings of the AP.

If you currently have an all-in-one device, that can be used as a standalone AP for now to save some money. You would simply disable the firewall and DHCP/DNS Servers on it, and connect one of its LAN ports to a LAN port on your new router or switch.

It is going to be hard to find a device that is all-in-one that runs pfSense, since the WiFi compatibility of pfSense is abysmal. There are other solutions out there that are all-in-one, however most are either consumer/gamer level (think your Netgear Nighthawk and friends), or will be used enterprise equipment. I will let others comment on other possible solutions, as I have no personal experience with them.

are you getting comcasts phone or are you planing to use voice over IP?

If your getting comcasts phone your options are limited to modems that support it.

If voice over ip,then no restrictions really modem wise.

If your getting comcasts phone,then atleast new, I dont see any modems that can support 400 mbps and voice in your range

If your not getting comasts phone then

Something like

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PR20GY/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_6_w

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-download-960Mbps-XFINITY-CM600-1AZNAS/dp/B06XGZBCKP

plus some cabling should be right around $300

that gets you a cable modem that can support your 400 mbps,a router that can route that fast with 2 open lan ports and an access point for wifi.

You can do 400 mbps over Ethernet on this set up,400 over wifi I imagine would be possible in the very best of conditions.

The easy way is to get a wireless extender. But in my experiences those things don't work well. here is an example

The Hard way is to get a wireless access point and connect it via Ethernet to your router (yes, making holes in walls and ceilings/floors). here is an example This will deliver the best quality and result but its more of a pain to do.

Are all of those Cat5 cables fully wired and terminated for Ethernet connections?

If so, are you able to simply connect Wifi access points to each of the Ethernet cables in your home to provide a full wifi connection throughout? Or at least plug in an AP to the switch so you have both Ethernet connectivity and wifi?

I wouldn't recommend running a long chain of wifi signal boosters connected to one switch, and connected to another from there; if you can avoid it.

If you can have a router in your central networking closet, which has multiple Ethernet cables going through the walls into different rooms, you can plug Wireless Access Points on the other ends of those Cat5 cables, making a Star topology network rather than a Line or Tree network.

Each access point would then have equal speed to the main switch / router and provide a more stable connection.

As for a decent WAP, I believe these ones are nice: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=zg_bs_1194486_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7A2T4AH4W82EFXPBPJKG

From my understanding pfsense doesn't do well with wifi cards. If you already have a router you could set it to AP mode and use it for wireless. Another popular option is to get a Ubiquiti device and use it for wireless. I myself have gone that route and use the AP-AC Lite. I don't really have a suggestion on a psu and case as I already have those. This case is what I'll be using since I already have it. I'll probably just go with this ram since it is pretty cheap.

Yep, but just get the ac lite https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/

Pro is probably overkill for you

Actually both of these are likely overkill for home use, but once they're set up they should be rock solid and give you zero issues. And if you want to do anything fancy they support a ton of advanced features.

Never really offered advice on this so I'm not sure if my setup Is a budget build.

I had an old PC with an i3 6100 and 8GB RAM and a 250GB HDD. I bought an Intel Gigabit CT PCI-E Network Adapter EXPI9301CTBLK for $27 and installed it in the pc.

Then I burned a free copy of pfsense
and installed it to the computer. Pfsense is an open source router/firewall operating system. I turned my old pc into a router.

I bought a TP link 5 port network switch for 25 dollars.

I needed the switch so I could connect an access point to my router.

Last, I needed an access point. I had a linksys e1200 wireless router running tomato on it but I had money left over so I spent 75 dollars on a Ubiquiti unifi 802.11AC access point

That AP was the best thing I've ever bought. When you've had nothing but linksys or netgear wireless routers on your home network, you get used to having to reboot your router every day. At one point it got so bad that I had to make a script to reboot my router every time it lost Internet connectivity. I haven't rebooted my new AP in 9 months and I haven't had any performance loss.

 

I didn't need to invest in the network card for my pc because it had on board ethernet. I also didn't need to invest in the AP since I already had a linksys e1200. I only needed the switch to connect my AP.

Without those two purchases, my build cost 25 dollars. With the ap and network card(emphasizing that they weren't essential, just wanted) it cost me $125.

 

When I search on amazon "gaming router" they cost anywhere from 70 - 200 dollars so I would consider this a very cost effective build.

 

I get 50ms ping on League of Legends.

My speedtest.net results are 1ms ping, 65mbps download and 11mbps upload.

*I guess If you don't have an old PC you don't use this becomes more costly.

**Last update. I just searched Craigslist for used computers. I found dozens of used computers that have an Intel pentium 4 @ 3ghz or something similar, with 2-4GB RAM and a 100gb hard drive. The most expensive I saw was 100 dollars. The cheapest I saw was 40 dollars. If you don't have an old PC sitting around doing nothing, pick one up from,Craigslist for 40 bucks those specs will easily suffice considering routers run 8mb flash memory and 300mhz processors.

This TP Link model beats the Ubiquiti in testing:

>The first thing I noticed about the EAP-225 was how complete, functional, and usable its standalone web interface is. I'm most familiar with Ubiquiti's UAP line—and with those, you really need to set up their Unifi controller to access more than a tiny fraction of the functionality of the access points. Not so with the EAP-225. Logging into a single EAP's web UI presents you with everything from multiple SSIDs to VLANs (with rudimentary QoS!) to working captive portal—all with no controller required. All the functionality was well laid-out and easy to find, and the UI was quite responsive.

>The EAP-225 did a flawless job on 2.4 GHz. Spoiler alert, this is as good as it gets for this round-up; do not expect to find a better set of 2.4 GHz curves for any other kit.

> Its 5 GHz maximum throughput scores were middling, roughly on par with Ubiquiti's UAP-AC-Lite. Environments that expect to actively use the 2.4 GHz band as well as 5 GHz would have a tough time finding a better-suited AP.

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/33191-2x2-ac-access-point-roundup-part-2?showall=&start=6

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LLAK1UG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=small0c-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B076FZ7VJ2&linkId=4e15b03c9269738c292fff3aed0565cf

Several AC lite versions on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LITE-802-11ac-Gigabit-Dual-Radio/dp/B01DRM6MLI?crid=32ASJLA25JN0R&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point&qid=1540590671&s=Electronics&sprefix=ubiquiti+%2Celectronics%2C247&sr=1-5&ref=sr_1_5

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY?crid=32ASJLA25JN0R&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point&qid=1540590671&s=Electronics&sprefix=ubiquiti+%2Celectronics%2C247&sr=1-6&ref=sr_1_6

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Dual-Band-passive-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B016K4GQVG?crid=32ASJLA25JN0R&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point&qid=1540590671&s=Electronics&sprefix=ubiquiti+%2Celectronics%2C247&sr=1-21&ref=sr_1_21

Look into line-of-sight optical transmission. No issues with cabling or permits.

Example ($200): https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0

A wireless point to point bridge would likely be better for that distance.

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0

You don't want to go over 300 feet on a cable run. You CAN however, use a wireless bridge, then hang an access point off of the end that goes to your sisters house.

We used these to get a wireless shot for an XBox Lan, and used these as access points in combination with a couple 5 port switches to cover a pretty large area, where I am. Our wireless shot goes for probably a quarter of a mile, but this can easily go farther than that.

https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0

I subscribed to the Subreddit but didn't see an option to post, which is why I hadn't yet.

Anyway, the bridge works fine, as it gives you a visual indicator of signal strength between the transmitter and receiver on it, and the box almost always lights three of the lights, which indicates a fairly strong connection.

The issue seems to me to be in the miscommunication/inefficiency involved in the AT&T router at one end and what I am currently using as a repeater (my decent router that I am using in this manner) on the receiving end. I have tried playing around with different settings, but I have yet for the internet speed on the receiving end to be even in the same ballpark or near the speed that exists on the other end, and exists between the two bridges.

do you have any sort of electrified structure there?
you could get an ethernet based tuner at the aerial
then run a ug cat6 cable <100m or fiber <1,000m.
https://www.amazon.com//dp/B002K683V0
if you have line of sight you could do it wirelessly.
https://i.imgur.com/uwfuvhB.jpg
i use 2x2 ethernet based ota tuners, and watch tv
anywhere within reach of my home wifi which can
add another 25m distance from my 35m coax run.
using many popular video streaming systems.

Look up this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002K683V0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500431328&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=EZ-Bridge&dpPl=1&dpID=512mBhIpR0L&ref=plSrch

I use this to my barn with metal siding in the way and a door entrance from my basement. Punches right through both, about 300 feet no LOS. Works perfectly. Is LOS better? Sure, it's it all you can go with? No.

No. You suggested a unidirectional antenna. That's completely different from what I suggested.

I suggested a pair of something like these: https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Netwoks-0000070700985-NanoStation-loco/dp/B004EHSV4W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518383103&sr=8-3&keywords=ubiquiti+wireless+bridge

They are powered point to point wireless bridge devices. Designed specifically for this purpose.

Vlans are not needed and will just add complexity to this setup.

What you want is two Ubiquiti NanoStation Loco M2 or M5. The M2 is a 2.4 Ghz and the M5 is a 5Ghz. Due to the physical properties of the two signals, 2.4 will go through stuff better than 5 will, but the 2.4 Ghz spectrum is smaller and much more crowded.

If you have a way to put the two devices in line of sight, then you are going to get a much better signal than not, yet at 86 meters it still can be done.

 

As far as routing goes, it's fairly easy. As you said you will want two different subnets, for example 192.168.1.0 /24 and 192.168.2.0 /24 (any 2 will do).

The two Wireless devices (M2 or M5) will form a point to point link, over a network of your choosing, say 10.0.0.0 /24 (or whatever).

So you have those 3 networks. Now you need to let each side know about the other. The quick and dirty way to do it is to have two static routes.

From the perspective of the 192.168.1.0 /24 network it would look like this:

ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.2

192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 - this is the remote network (non local), the first IP is the network IP, and the second is the subnet mask, together they tell the router which range (192.168.2.0 - 192.168.2.255) of IP addresses are reachable.

10.0.0.2 is the address of the remote NanoStation. We specify this because our local Nanostation knows about it.

We also need to specify another static router for our router to find the 10.0.0.0 /24 network in the first place.

So once again from the first LAN, we do:

ip router 10.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.222

Same as above, first two Ip addresses are network IP and subnet mask, but the 3rd IP is the local IP of the NanoStation.

You see, the Nano is basically also a router, and it connects the 192.168.1.0 and 10.0.0.0 networks together, but since your main router does not know about this, we have to tell it to send any data that is destined for the 10.0.0.0 /24 network, to the NanoStation at 192.168.1.222 (the IP of the Nanostation will be set by you so this will change).

 

On the other LAN, you have to do the same, but change the IPs accordingly.

Here is where I wonder how easy is RIP to set up on DD-WRT and if it not easier than 2 static routes per side...

 


Ask any question you may have.

Exactly. I'd greatly recommend that the "boxes" connected "by radio" are 5GHz like these. These won't double as hotspot so you should get either a router to have a separate network (I'd recommend a buffalo as they come with DD-WRT preinstalled or easily installable) or a DIR-615 which keep revising hardware and usually takes a while to have a compatible DD-WRT. If you don't want any hotspot-specific features you can get a simple AP or any router.

I'd get a pair of these if you're looking for a 100Mb/s connection.

Or a pair of These or these.


For each higher price point, you'll get more speed out of the link at that distance. The locos have the smallest antenna, however can link up at that distance without issue, at 4 miles, they may be capable of 100Mb/s throughput. Although I haven't tested them at this distance. According to Ubiquiti, they're good for links up to 15Km.

With the Nanostations, they have a bit stronger antenna, so they can go a bit further, or offer more throughput at the same distance. Physically, that's the only difference between the nano, and the loco... the antenna power, and the Nano's are a bit taller because of this. They both sport a 45 degree horizontal plane.

The powerbridge would be the mother of point to point links in this scenario. Not only the most powerful antenna of the trio, but also the most directional, meaning a connection that is less plagued with interference (if there is any), as well as a more focused shot.

Skip the cable run?

Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EHSV4W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.HunDbQ85GERD

That is the right idea, but I don't know anything about the quality of that specific product in the video.

Ubiquiti gear is well known to be good quality for the price. The Loco M5 units would likely do fine for your use case. You need two: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-0000070700985-NanoStation-loco-M5/dp/B004EHSV4W/

The loco M2 is a bit cheaper, but it might not do as well in an urban area like you are in.

nanostation loco m5

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EHSV4W/ref=psdc_1194486_t1_B00HXT8KJ4

connect to your machine, point it at the router. configure wifi, all done.

Create a point to point outdoor setup it should be cheaper then trenching a cat6 line.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Nanostation-LOCO-Outdoor-802-11n/dp/B004EHSV4W/ref=pd_cp_pc_1

Like wolffstar said tho the wireless cards aren't super reliable you could go for a TP-Link Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point, 2.4Ghz 300Mbps, 802.11b/g/n https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_joADybXQHG37
It's 25$ it only goes up to 100m but it's cheap and reliable I'm not positive if it supports vlan tagging I got my first AP with vlan support because I was interested in dividing up my network into clean sections but if you go the pfsense route I think you should get this pfsense has a lot of things to play with and configure so a AP that isn't super feature full might be ok because it does the minimum it needs to do connect wireless systems

> ur crappy WRT54G's is a joke.

Please don't discount this advice, OP, on the basis of how /u/tdotr6 has expressed himself - WRT54Gs really are not up to routing at this kind of speed.

You can get 300Mbps wifi for as little as $25 - I can't recommend this or this
from personal experience, but read some reviews and I wouldn't be surprised if you find one (or both) of them adequate. 802.11n should give you better range, too.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WA801ND-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1462811378&sr=1-7&keywords=wireless+repeater

Buy this and use it to put the Xbox on the wireless. Here's a screenshot of the UI with the option you need to use highlighted.

The Wyze cams need to be activated on WiFi and need to check in regularly with the cloud system.

If you have a basement or attic, from your router you can run an Ethernet cable across to the wall closest to the garage and add a cheap tp-link access point to service the camera


TP-Link AP that includes a poe injector
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater-TL-WA801ND/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=sr_1_5

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater-TL-WA801ND/dp/B004UBU8IE

You can use it as an access point, it will connect to your WiFi network and you plug it via ethernet to your PS4.

Okay, you have a few options here. The simplest would be a wireless repeater- something similar to this- placed mid-way between your rooms and refreshing the signal to provide strong wi-fi to your room. However, going through two layers of wireless will impact speed. There's a better way.

A quick note- do not just connect another router to the cable running to your roommate's router. This will usually work, but without special configuration, it will put you in a state called "double NAT", which is a headache. Especially if you game.

In your place, I would buy a separate switch and Access Point.

• The long cable from your roomate plugs into the switch.
  
• You will need a short cable to go from the switch to your PC.
  
• A second short cable is needed to connect the AP to the switch.
  
• Both the switch and AP need to be plugged in to power.
  
  Now, your PC's access is going:
  PC->Switch->Roommate
  and your phone is going:
  Phone->AP->Switch->Roommate.
  
  You can configure a network name, password, etc for your Access Point, entirely separate from whatever wifi your roommate has.
  
  You can likely find a single product that can do both of these functions (a correctly reconfigured router can do the job), meaning fewer devices/wires and probably less cost. But if I had to buy a setup that I knew would work with a minimum of fuss and configuration, those are what I would buy.

Better to get a cheap switch to split the wired connection and then hang a cheap access point off of it. Or just run the router upstairs/mount it to the ceiling. Something.

I have no experience with that but looking at the manual, it supports WDS which does link 2 routers together, so I think it may work, but WDS will cut your bandwidth in half.

Since you are so close physically, this might work.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WA801ND-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1450193083&sr=8-5&keywords=2.4+bridge

He could connect this bridge to your wifi, then his router to the bridge to broadcast his own wifi network.

But also with a bridge like this connected to a consumer router, you won't be able to really separate your networks without VLANS.

I would not reccomend a wifi range extender. It is only as good as the signal at the place you plug it in. Since you have already run some ethefnet cable, you can just plug in a wireless access point. NOT a router. If you use a router you wont be able to communicate with your other devices (network printer, nas, chromecast... ) as intended. You can get an access point for around 25 bucks offamazon remember to set different ssids for your main router and the access point since many devices dont switch to the nearest ap automatically and if you have set the same ssid there is (almost) no way to make sure you are on the right access point. Oh and also different wieless channels.

Something like this might work nicely:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater-TL-WA801ND/dp/B004UBU8IE


It can operate in bridge mode. Have it connect to your campus WiFi and then plug the Pi into the ethernet port. You'll never need to enter a network password on the Pi.

good cheap bridge

Netflix/Amazon at present only do 4K primarily on TVs/Fire boxes

If you did want to use a PC you need a Kaby Lake CPU and Microsoft Edge

Here's the bandwidth requirements

>25 Megabits per second - Recommended for Ultra HD quality

Now I know that G should give enough at 54 Mbps but this theoretical maximum and what you get is highly subjective to your house (Angel through walls, wall type, neighbours etc all have an effect). That's why I say go wired if possible, you could try it first, but be aware of the issues.

I have used a PoE access point in the same room if getting the wires to one side is hard. That way the Wifi signal only went 4m in clear air. If it works it isn't stupid

Thanks for the quick reply!
So would something like this work?
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater-TL-WA801ND/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1482532251&sr=1-2&keywords=wireless+bridge

And could I connect something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-5-Port-Ethernet-Desktop-TL-SF1005D/dp/B000N99BBC/ref=pd_sim_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=G72XDPPB55GJ66MCEQKC&th=1
So I have multiple ethernet ports?

Or is there a more efficient way to do this? Sorry again haha, total noob here.

If you're going to end up buying new hardware, I'd suggest going with Powerline ethernet, unless you really want to buy a new router/wireless bridge. It will be be less clutter, cheaper, and more reliable (than cheap wireless bridge alternatives).

Out of the box Wireless Bridge capable routers, you could get something like this TP-LINK.

I'd suggest any Asus router, and flash tomato on it. Something cheap like this N-12 would do. I like the asus routers because they are unbrickable; perfect for messing about with the firmware.

>there's a cable in the wifi box thing in the wall

I don't know what this means. Does this mean there's an ethernet jack available to you to use? Is the wireless router physically in your apartment? Can you try plugging a PC into this router and see if the PC gets internet through the router?

Regardless there's a different way to get it working and that's by using a wireless bridge.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-300Mbps-Repeater-TL-WA801ND/dp/B004UBU8IE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502852928&sr=8-1&keywords=tp+link+wireless+bridge

This will connect to the WiFi and rebroadcast it out across your apartment. So if it works well if your roommates room, then you'd just put the bridge in there and connect it to the WiFi and it would rebroadcast it out hopefully giving you a better signal assuming your roommates room is close to your room.

Ich hatte vor etwa einem Jahr exakt das gleiche ein ähnliches Problem.

Powerline habe ich probiert, war aber dank uraltem und merkwürdig verlegten Leitungen keine Option, einfach einen WLAN-Adapter an den Desktop auch nicht, da mehrere Rechner versorgt werden wollen. Habe es dann letztendlich gelöst, indem ich einen billigen (zweiten) Router gekauft, bridge mode eingestellt und das Teil zwischen Provider-Fritzbox und Switch gepackt. Funktioniert super, Nachteil sind noch eine Box, die Platz im Serverschränkchen wegnimmt und etwa ~3 ms ping extra, das ist noch vertretbar. Empfang ist gut, trotz zwei Rigips-Wänder und einem Ziegel-Schornstein.

Edit: Hmm, irgendwie hatte ich überlesen, dass ein simpler WLAN-Adapter/Karte bei dir eine der Optionen ist. Wäre das einfachste.

N300: $24
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004UBU8IE/ref=olp_twister_child?ie=UTF8&mv_style_name=2

If your modem has 4 available Ethernet ports then it's probably a modem/router combo. A normal modem only has one port.

If you don't wanna move anything you can buy a cheap 4-5 port network switch and plug it into one of your router ports to expand it and use one of the ports on that switch for the adapter.

I prefer just using the PowerLine kits to get a good wired source to where you need it then plugging a access point into that. Wireless extenders are only as good as your existing wireless signal which in your case seem poor in that area.

Here's an idea of parts to get a reliable wireless signal to another side of house.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004UBU8IE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481239630&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=access+point&dpPl=1&dpID=41poupiCvrL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FNFSPY/ref=pd_aw_fbt_147_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=C3PA3MS98K61AQAC2BMP

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AWRUICG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481239732&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=powerline+adapter&dpPl=1&dpID=31IYBNuPwFL&ref=plSrch

5 port switch to your router, from the switch to the PowerLine adapter. From the other powerline adapter in your target room/area to the access point. Then setup the access point and name it "Other side of house wifi" lol


This should give you a great full bar wifi source without uprooting your existing setup.

Absolutely run Ethernet while you have the chance. It'll make your life easier.

That said, I have a wifi network to supplement, so that things like phones work well in my house. They run off the ethernet anyway, so you still need decent wired coverage to get them to work, but you can stuff them in the attic as well if you're able.

Check these out. They're reliable and fairly easy to set up. Set them up once, and they work as long as your wifi settings don't change.
http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW

Here's a question - do you have absolutely no requirement for wired connectivity to any devices other than the APs? In another comment I suggested just getting the ERLite model - it's around $100 and will serve the purpose you need.

From there you can break out with either their PoE switch, or another vendor's switch (if you go this route - be warned - the non-pro APs are not standards-compliant with their PoE implementation and probably will not work), PoE or otherwise. Since the APs come with power injectors you don't NEED to have PoE, but it eliminates a point of failure when doing troubleshooting.

For the APs, 2 will definitely not be enough. I would suggest either...

• Buy a 3 pack for the AP Pros, you'll save some money - http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-PRO-Enterprise-System/dp/B00DJERLFG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1393768952&sr=1-1&keywords=ap+pro+3+pack
  
  
• Since budget appears it could be a factor, buy multiple 3 packs of the standard APs, as they're about $200 a pop. Better average signal strength + offloading users to more APs will result in better performance than just 2 or 3 Pro APs. - http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=pd_sim_pc_11?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TCR66J9YV6TWD4DQ6TW - these still support 802.11n up to 300 Mbps in 2.4 Ghz, which is probably what you will want if this is an older house. You will need to be cognizant of channel distribution however, and will likely need to stagger the design.
  
  For example, an ideal layout in the 2.4 GHz spectrum might be...
  
  Floor 4: AP - Channel 1 - AP - Channel 6 - AP - Channel 11
  Floor 3: AP - Channel 11 - AP Channel 1 - AP Channel 6
  Floor 2: AP - Channel 6 - AP Channel 11 - AP Channel 1
  Floor 1: AP - Channel 1 - AP Channel 6 - AP Channel 11
  
  If you cut it down to two APs per floor, obviously you can be a little more creative...
  
  Floor 4: - AP Channel 1 - AP Channel 6
  Floor 3: - AP Channel 11 - AP Channel 1
  Floor 2: - AP Channel 6 - AP Channel 11
  Floor 1: - AP Channel 1 - AP Channel 6
  
  You can leave them all to auto and it might work okay, but control over the selection would be best practice.

However, the regular AP is $199 for a 3-pack:

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

The PRO is $629 for 3:

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-PRO-3/dp/B00DJERLFG/

The original network was 3 AP's and an Edge router, built for 30 people. We hired ~60 people over a few months so we just keep tacking on AP's per 20 employees and it works awesome. The entire network could be done with PRO/AC but there's no reason to as it works flawlessly and we don't need any of the features that they offer (with just a regular AP we get roughly 1/4 mile of strength.... I'm having a tough time imagining just how far the 'LR' range goes).

I'll third this. If you've got the budget, go for the Pro series 3-pack.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-PRO-3/dp/B00DJERLFG/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1404403274&sr=1-2&keywords=unifi+ap+pro

If you don't have the budget, you can go with the lower-end units that don't support 802.3af/at (but they include their own PoE-type adapters).

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1404403177&sr=1-4&keywords=ubiquiti

This seems promising:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493407344&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+ap+kit

Noise is a small factor. the ubiquiti switch seems to run a little pricey for me.
I can get 1 of http://a.co/4ZLsAlE for less then two of http://a.co/1KLWwv3

Current i pay for 100Mbps but I need to start fighting Comcast to make sure I am getting that or close to it. I want Gig wired in the house though was also debating about setting up a wifi network for older devices and IP cameras, want to keep the primary one under utilized.

http://www.amazon.com/EdgeRouter-ERLite-3-512MB-Ethernet-Router/dp/B00CPRVF5K/

and http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B004XXMUCQ/

or perhaps

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Access-UAP-LR-US-Version/dp/B005H4CDF4/

or go hog wild (and out of budget) and buy http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UniFi-Enterprise-System/dp/B005EORRBW/

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375732817&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi

Replace your access points with these. They allow for a primary + guest network. This is the cheapest way to do it if you need 3 WAP coverage. The guest network won't have access to your church LAN.

Get a 3 pack of Unifi APs, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005EORRBW/)

You've got three to work with, so put one near your television, one near your desk, and one near your other television or bed.

As for the network, configure your SSIDs to use a single 20 MHz wide band, sometimes referred to as HT20, instead of two 20 MHz wide bands, referred to as HT40 (20 + 20).

Keeping the bandwidth (literally the width of the RF spectral band!) smaller means that in the 11-channel range it can utilize, it's looking for a smaller contiguous space to operate in than would a 40 MHz set up, and that's going to be more likely to happen. That is worth a shot for any access point you use.

Can't spend $200? Well... I've seen them on eBay for $50 a piece. No matter what though, you should go with multiple APs instead of a more powerful one anyway. Attacking your problem with an AP that just "shouts louder" will probably do more to exacerbate the issue than it does to address it.

Still? Sigh... It's possible that you're suffering from shitty router syndrome. It's a very common ailment that can be contracted from retail stores across the country, and the symptoms are often attributed to environmental issues or blamed, often incorrectly, on the ISP. Given the number of devices you have connecting, it's a remote possibility. To address this problem, the best bang for your buck that I've found is in this product, flashed to DD-WRT, which is supported out of the box and done by doing nothing more than a firmware upgrade with the dd-wrt bin file: (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0088CJT4U/)

Good luck. Reply or PM if you've got any questions.

tough at that price point, at $150 you could get this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320115

these are badass but not gigabit

http://www.amazon.com/Securifi-Almond-Touchscreen-Wireless-Extender/dp/B0087NZ31S

This is a common question. I made a video to explain the best way to achieve the coverage you need.

/u/aguidecoat was right to recommend Ubiquiti hardware. Rather than a Unifi Access Point I would use a standalone Ubiquiti Nanostation Loco M2., the Nanostation is outdoor rated and has a directional antenna to give you the best range possible.

The Unifi devices need to have controller software running on a PC in order to complete initial setup and future changes. The Nanostation however is configured via built in web based admin.

The video shows how this all fits together. Let me know any comments or questions.

Maybe this a little out of scope. I've had good luck with directional antennas. If you wanted a bit larger solution and had a cellualar based wireless Hotspot that worked via cell on the hill, you setup a router and create a wireless transparent bridge using something like this; (Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M2 - Wireless Access Point - AirMax (LOCOM2US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXT8FFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VlBzzb552PVKQ)

This could get you basic Internet and hence sms via Internet and voip for voice...

You will be way better off using two nanos. They are made for this.

Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M2 - Wireless Access Point - AirMax (LOCOM2US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXT8FFI/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_zBPHzbCMTK0Q3

So you would probably want the EdgeRouter X - it's pretty basic, but for your use it should be more than enough. I have an EdgeRouter Lite, the two are similar, but the EdgeRouter X is PoE, a little slower, and has switched LAN ports (doesn't matter for your uses).

I don't know much about modems, but you want to get one that's basically "all modem", since your EdgeRouter is going to be doing all the routing for it. I went with this one but I'm sure there are better options.

You can then plug in the AP wherever you want on the internal network. Could be directly to the router, doesn't matter. You will need to use something called PoE - you can either pass that through the EdgeRouter X or use the included adapter directly in-line. It's not complicated, just take a sec to read the instructions. :) Basically you just need to make sure you plug the AP into the correct port, else you could damage things. It's pretty evident.

As far as which AP you buy... Well, it's up to you really. This would probably be fine, but they also have long-range and AC versions. I've tried the Long-Range version and it's not super impressive. Not tried the AC version yet because very few of my devices actually support it sadly.

Let me know if you have any questions!

I have these for my Production networks at all 4 of our church sites, and love them. Super easy to configure and manage, and they are rock steady.

I don't have any specific product recommendations, but for the last 7 months I've been using the method I proposed with a surplus router as AP and it has been rock solid. I'd guess any decent wireless router with WPA2-PSK (AES!) WiFi should be secure enough, these are dirt cheap & function as pretty good AP's. Preferably with two or three antennas so you can point them in XYZ directions to maximize the WiFi range around the house. Also make sure to disable DHCP on the router you are using as AP. Idk if all the routers support working in AP mode, so before buying look it up in the manual. I have an ethernet cable running from a LAN port on my primary router to a LAN port on my AP converted router. If you want something more fancy, then you are looking at stuff like Ubiquiti UniFi, but I think these need a PoE injector/switch to power them.

For just $60 you can get the b/g/n version.

One of these or a similar one from Ubiquiti will do the trick

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-AP-Unifi/dp/B00HXT8R2O

You're on the right track; what you're wanting is an extra wirelesss access point. (not a router)


If you've already worked out how you can safely run CAT6 from the router in the home back to the apartment, then all you need is an access point to provide wireless connectivity on the other end. At ~225ft, you should be fine with a single cable run. I'd recommend looking at a Ubiquiti UniFi AP, you can pick any that meets your needs. (Wireless N/AC, long range or not, etc)


UniFi UAP (wireless N)


UniFi UAP-LR (wireless N, long range)


UniFi UAP-AC-LITE (wireless AC)


The AC versions are rather new and should be closer to $100-110 MSRP. If you wanted to go that route, wait until there's stock at B&H Photo.

I've heard good things about Ubiquiti's Unifi line, seems like there are a couple options that might suit your budget

I was under the impression that ubiquiti stuff usually started at $100 and went up.

Edit: And in Canuckland [here] (http://www.amazon.ca/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-Unifi-UAP/dp/B00HXT8R2O), they do. US starts at [$70] (http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-Unifi-UAP/dp/B00HXT8R2O).

Go exchange rate....

since you are just connecting two building two of these should work well.They are very strong

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-Unifi-UAP/dp/B00HXT8R2O

I assume you'll use the tplink at the router still. In that case you can get one of the best access points for cheap. Ubiquiti Networks Enterprise AP Unifi (UAP) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_mFpywb5C90K5M

Are these any good? (I have no AC Devices)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HXT8R2O?keywords=UniFi%20AC&qid=1458500635&ref_=sr_1_8&sr=8-8

I am not familiar with Almond+. But I can tell you about QoS. Basically QoS on most devices (again never used an Almond+) allows you to tell the router who has the highest priority when handling data packets. By default a router will route packets as first in first out.


QoS matters when you have a really congested network and want to make sure that packets from computer/service X get routed first. This is frequently used in VoIP because when the packets are delayed too much the voice can be distorted and cause call quality issues.



As for router I am using a virtualized pfSense system and for my wireless access point I am using a UniFi-AC-PRO that I bought from Amazon.

Edited for grammar

Most of your consumer grade wifi equipment can only handle 5 to 10 devices. Need to move up to business class.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_4?crid=370YLEG5AN1C0&keywords=unifi+ac+pro&qid=1571504356&sprefix=unifi%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-4

Don’t use that netgear garbage. Ubiquiti makes really nice enterprise class network equipment which is super simple to set up and manage. At a minimum, all you need is cat5-e (cat 6 fine too) distributed around the house and a couple access points connected to the hard lines:

Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gHiRDbHKHSSRR

(2 access points cover my 2500 sqft house and a third covers my detached garage and back yard)


You can optionally buy a PoE switch (power over Ethernet) to connect to the access points so that the power is transmitted through the network cable and you don’t have to plug them in to a wall outlet. This will work if you choose this route (you will have to configure this switch to turn on PoE on ports connected to access points).

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch 8 60W (US-8-60W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU3WUX1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nNiRDbW2HP8HG


Any one of these progressive options is a valid stopping point, but I recommend buying the secure router/gateway and then the cloud key. These allow you to do advanced network management (main + guest Wi-Fi networks, custom qos throttling):

Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway (USG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1RiRDbW5SEFNM


Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Key (UC-CK) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017T2QB22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vSiRDb8SMX7ZY


The guest network is worth the price of admission for added security. Put all your random wireless devices (i.e. the internet of things) on this network to isolate them from your major devices (PCs and phones). Reason being the IoT devices are frequently hacked and used to access your home network.

Are you using your ISP-provided wifi to run AirPlay over?

ISP wifi radios are often really crappy.

I had Airplay dropout problems with my system until I upgraded to a quality wifi access point. One of the best upgrades I've ever done.

I got these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015PRO512/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523857354&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point&dpPl=1&dpID=31zGaGUPhaL&ref=plSrch

It was overkill and you can probably get away with the cheaper AC Lite version.

Good luck!!!

I'm talking about this one.

I can't seem to find it on ubiquiti's online store though

I have one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PRO512/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Which connects to one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MU3WUX1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Switch connect to the FiOS Gateway. I wouldn't mind adding a second (or even 3rd) AP, but money is always an issue. The Switch and the other Gateway interaces have several other devices on it:

• 2 Desktops (One is the 'server' I mentioned)
  
• Home NAS
  
• Work Special Access Point
  
• 'Lab' Router
  
  The AP has a pass-through which connects to a no-name switch (that I need to replace) that provides connectivity to the entertainment center stuff (AppleTV, TiVo, game consoles, etc.)
  
  I'm pretty minimal by many people's standards. If I move I'd like to switch to using one of Ubiquiti's USG Firewall/routers and a dedicated controller so I can do wireless guest access better.

I went with a separate router and access point as they're in different locations, but at the prices you're considering it'd be an option even if both devices are right next to each other.

• Ubiquiti ER-X router for $55. 4 port gigabit, and they have models with more ports if needed.
  
  
• Ubiquiti AC-PRO access point for $130. Awesome coverage, robust config, cloud management, and runs on POE (above router won't power it alone, though).

Or this: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1484521557&sr=1-1&keywords=edgerouter+x
And fr wireless this:https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-UAP-AC-LR-Single-Version/dp/B01609AF22/ref=pd_sim_147_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D2RCFQCNXDR1ZNGW18EE

I replaced an ASUS AC68U with the Ubiquity stuff and love it.

again. can't thank you enough.

for real last question though. any reason why the lite is 190 bucks vs the long range (should be better right?) for 150?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PR20GY vs http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01609AF22

Look into the below link, its from UK Amazon but its a global product. I run 3 of these in my house (a little overkill, but one was free) and they are fantastic.
They offer a "roaming" style feature, like you are looking for, but without the need of a conventional physical controller.
Set the AP's up using the mobile app, its a real piece of cake. Then you have access to a whole host of configuration presets from basic to advanced, that allows you to monitor, control and report on everything you could need.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-LITE-Access-Point/dp/B016K4GQVG/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_147_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=G1ZZZFFNCV46C2T5JNR2

You're sorta on the right track, but there is definitely room for some tweaks in your setup. First off, you dont need 3 actual routers. to achieve wifi like youre talking about, you need APs, or access points. These simply put out wifi, whereas a router has much more functionality. Secondly, dont buy powerline adapters that have passthough power as the more "noise" on the circuit the worse the performance will be. Id suggest something like the NETGEAR PL1000 In fact, you should avoid having anything else plugged into the wall outlet with the powerline. I did a lot of testing in a previous house where I was forced to use powerline adapters to get internet into my room.

As far as APs, check out the Ubiquiti AP-AC-LITE It's dual band, meaning newer devices will benefit from the 5ghz band, while any older devices you have will still have access to the 2.4ghz band.

You may only need 2 of these. Hang one in a central location on the first floor, and check wifi connection and do a speed test in every room. Depending on results, you could move the AP to the top floor and add a second in the basement. Hard to give perfect advise, as this kinda stuff is all very situational.


Onto the bad.. This setup is much less than ideal, especially if you intend to do any gaming on this setup. Powerline is very susceptible to interference, and sometimes an appliance turning on can cause a momentary connection drop. But not only that, you've now got the entire wifi network tied to this. A drop over the powerline will not disrupt your entire network.To avoid this whole mess, you could potentially use MoCa adapters, which is basically the same concept as powerline, but goes on the homes coax wiring instead of power wires. This of course requires coax already wired into the home to work. If you already have the coax in your house, id definitely use MoCa over powerline. You will be much more satisfied with the experience

Se vuoi sfruttare la connessione l'unica è cablare.
Se vuoi/devi restare sul Wi-Fi tieniti il loro modem e mettici in cascata un AP tipo Ubiquiti Networks UAP-AC-LITE https://www.amazon.it/dp/B016K4GQVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VGp9ybMBRPJSM o il modello Long Range Ubiquiti Networks UAP-AC-LR https://www.amazon.it/dp/B016K5A06C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_mHp9ybT10149S

Ubiquiti Unifi AC lite


Ubiquiti Networks UAP-AC-LITE WLAN Access Point https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016K4GQVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lHJRAbX10G04Q

Something like a decent tablet/laptop hybrid https://www.amazon.it/dp/B01LCWGFPS

Two good access points https://www.amazon.it/dp/B016K4GQVG/

A micro server https://www.amazon.it/dp/B013UBCHVU/

About 30kg of Nutella https://www.amazon.it/dp/B00GS64Y4I

Almost a GTX 1060 https://www.amazon.it/dp/B01KHWOAR4

A Philips Hue starter kit https://www.amazon.it/dp/B01LZ8QYPI

The second router would indeed be an access point. That will work, altho it will require some configuration, that might cause you some grief. You can use a laptop before you put the new router on the network and turn off the DHCP and get it to grab an IP from your other router, but it's not really the right tool for the job. Keep in mind they won't mesh. The only way to mesh is to get those ones you rent from bell. Bleh. You don't really need a second router, an Access Point will do just as well.

I see them anywhere from $100 to 200,

Something like this maybe?

https://www.amazon.ca/UBIQUITI-UAP-AC-LITE-Unifi-Wireless-Access/dp/B01DRM6MLI/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=wireless+access+points&qid=1563243328&s=gateway&sr=8-4#customerReviews

There's lots of choices, some reviewing of reviews will help.

What is the model of your modem? It could be a modem router combo, and all you would need is a gigabit switch and an access point to connect wired/wireless devices to it. Personally I recommend the Ubiquiti AP AC Lite access point due to their customizability and rock solid performance.

You'll want some Ubiquiti equipment for this functionality and price point. Ubiquiti wifi AP's can broadcast multiple SSIDs, each on their own VLAN. Back that with a ubiquiti switch which also supports vlans, and you should be good to go.

Swtich here, AP here, and I'd recommend a new router so you know the vlan segregation extends all the way to the firewall, so here's the USG.

Granted, VLAN's are not a security tool and it is relatively easy to bypass them, but this should do for home use.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537542465&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=USG%2B%2BAPlite&th=1

• one of their AP'
  
  the lite: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LITE-802-11ac-Gigabit-Dual-Radio/dp/B01DRM6MLI/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1537542525&sr=1-2&keywords=uap+lite&dpID=31o-JViBQPL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
  
  or pro
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-PRO-Access-Included/dp/B079DSW6XX/ref=pd_bxgy_147_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B079DSW6XX&pd_rd_r=2a4097fb-bdb0-11e8-9d90-8b493ea953ed&pd_rd_w=UiEyb&pd_rd_wg=tidgK&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf_rd_r=G22Q2AY0GQW7Q39SCQZT&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=G22Q2AY0GQW7Q39SCQZT

Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AP AC Lite. They're not cheap, but at ~$120, they're also not crazy expensive, particularly for an enterprise-class mesh-capable AP.

>it seemed you needed a lot of additional equipment.

Well, you can, you don't have to. For a basic network you'd only need their access point and a router of some sort (doesn't have to be theirs). You can just use the current switch you linked.

>What would be an equivalent setup from ubiquiti that's cheaper?

For the Wi-Fi you can get 2 or 3 UAP-AC-LITEs, which use Power over Ethernet, so you only need a single cable to each access point that carries both data and power. Which router you use really doesn't matter much, but the USG from Ubiquiti is a popular choice, it also integrates really well in the UniFi ecosystem. Another advantage is the UniFi controller, which is basically a central management interface for all UniFi products. You can try it out here.

If you MUST go wireless IMHO you'd be better off buying a high speed access point to connect your computer to. An access point is a stand alone box that connects to your router wirelessly which you can in turn connect devices to either wirelessly or directly with a wire. They're generally more powerful than cards, usb, and built in.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-AC1200-Wireless-Access-WAC104-100NAS/dp/B01LFSDZCU/

Something like this would allow you to connect your PC and game consoles to with a wire, and it will talk to your router where ever it's located.

The reason I like access points is because they're easy to upgade and relocate. If faster routers and access points come out next year, you can replace your existing wireless setup. You can reuse the access point in another part of the house that doesn't have good connectivity to expand the coverage of your network.

These kind of things are available, how much bandwidth do you have? If you have gigabit you might want the expensive ones. If you have 20 megabit then just get the cheapest.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=powerline+ethernet+adapter&crid=10WTONWVYHL9R&sprefix=powerline+ethernet%2Caps%2C177&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_18

Any wireless access point can handle this, plug the downstairs switchport into the power line adapter (of course you need the UK version) then the other one into the upstairs router. You can disable the DHCP server on the new router since you only need the one that is downstairs. Or you can just leave it enabled but there is a small chance of issues by double NAT, plus you need to access the upstairs router so it will need a hard coded address if you disable DHCP. And if you have Gigabit you might want something like AC1750 or more.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-AC1200-Wireless-Access-WAC104-100NAS/dp/B01LFSDZCU/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wireless+access+point&qid=1574629815&sr=8-3

As u/manarius5 point out the cat-5 cable is setup as phone; and you will need to change it over to network.

Best option is to get a patch panel, a punch down tool, jacks, 2x WAP; maybe this one. You might or might not need a switch, you might also want to consider going with POE to power the WAP. You would also want to get some cat-5 jumpers.

Please make sure your parents are not using POTS( plain old telephone); if they are, you can still do this, but would need to proceed with caution. Install new wall jacks, install new punch down block down stairs; when punching down, follow the color coding for A or B, dosn't matter which, just keep it the same on both sides. Move Comcast modem next to the location in your pictures. Setup the WAPs on either side of your house, plug the Roku in hard wire. This setup would use 3 ports on the Comcast modem/router, so no switch needed.

If your parents are still using the phone, only move the jacks to network that you are going to use.

A more advance solution would be to go with a wall mounted rack, Ubiquiti equipment for router, switching and WAPS, buy a cable modem and return the Comcast unit.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LLAK1UG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xwoxzbXPS4CCH

This one here, or the $40 variant if my router has PoE. I can't find out if it does or not. $78 is up there. I'm not paying for this, so I don't want it to be too pricey.

I put a TP-Link EAP225 AC1200 in my backyard connected to my main router via PoE, and it's been pretty solid, I paid $59 for it a few months ago. The TP-Link EAP stuff is pretty well regarded for the price.

If you're looking for a straight AP, no routing, just using it as a wifi to ethernet bridge and disabling the wifi on your fios router and letting it continue to do the routing while your AP connects to it and provides wireless...
as an alternative to the Unifi UAP-AC-Pro or LT, there's the TP-Link EAP245 for $85
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Supports-Technology-EAP245/dp/B01N0XZ1TU/

So, I can't open the image because I'm at work, but as long as there are no trees between the two buildings a pair of these should work:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-LBE-5AC-GEN2-US-LiteBeam-Wireless-Bridge/dp/B06Y2JH7PV

When paired correctly, they operate as a wireless ethernet cable. You can then hook the one at the workshop into a switch and/or AP.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y2JH7PV/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3LGJ9ZB5RSN9T&pldnSite=1

We have a pair pushing 1800 feet right now. Through a subdivision.

Right, That's point to point.. & would be my best option if I wanted to get it on the boat in middle of the lake when we anchor up.. It's a clear shot and the better part of the lake is 15~20KM open shot.. so it will work. I ordered this .. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-NanoBeam-High-Performance-airMAX-NBE-5AC-Gen2-US/dp/B0713XMHH9

What I wanted was just a long range AP.. Sure, as /u/RustyU said.. Doesn't matter, devices are limited by FCC @ 500 feetish.. so doesn't matter what I put out..

I second the use of Ubiquiti wireless bridges. You'll get plenty of bandwidth, very low cost ($300 per pair, or even less for the Nanobeam ACs, only $200/pair), very simple to configure. They even have these 900MHz pair for not-exactly-line-of-sight connections. We've blown through a line of trees with these for a short throw with no issues, and get 60Mbps throughput, full duplex.

Unless you're streaming multiple 4K video streams, it's a solid solution. Those small Nanobeams work great, as well. We've used a pair to connect a portable, when it was too expensive to trench over to it, and have used them for connections over 3 miles, with about 120Mbps full duplex. This is in the Sierra Nevada, so pretty harsh weather every winter - lots of snow and ice, and haven't had weather-related failures. In any case, they're so cheap it's trivial to have a shelf spare in case a radio dies.

Whatever you choose, good luck!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0713XMHH9/

I have installed two pairs of them in the last two months.

FWIW, I don't have much networking experience, and I had very little trouble getting these up and running. There is an app I installed on my phone, the app allows you to do most things remotely, from configuring them to updating firmware. it is really slick.

The antenna ($90 a piece), 1000ft of TOUGHCable ($150), Ubiquiti Universal Antenna Mount ($30 a piece), plus the cost of running cable from the antenna to a closet. Use the TOUGHcable for going through the external wall and connecting to the antenna, put a keystone jack just inside, and use regular cat5/6 on the internal runs.

How do you have the second router configured? Two routers on one network is going to cause problems. You either need to turn off routing on the second router (if that's even an option), or you need an actual AP (I like the TP Link EAPs https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT?th=1&psc=1)

Perfect. This is the one I was looking at.

TP-Link EAP225 V3 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Ceiling Mount Access Point, Supports 802.3af PoE and Passive PoE(Injector Included), AC1350 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781YXFBT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RiKUBb7VM90JJ

It does look like it has power included. But where I’m putting the AP it has power right next to it, so I got lucky with that.

Now when this gets setup into my system. Will my phone and what not have to connect to it separately? Or will it mirror the same SSID and what not as my wireless router?

At this moment, WPA3 shouldn't be the primary concern. It was only certified back in June of this year.

In order for WPA3 to work in any environment, your broadcasting device (wireless router, wireless access point, etc) AND your client device (phone, tablet, laptop, etc) must both support it.

So, if you have current devices that only support WPA2, getting a WPA3 wireless router will have no benefit at current. If you do get a WPA3 wireless router, you'll be set for the time when you do replace your existing wireless devices with WPA3 compliant devices.

----

In regards to improving your wireless experience (leaving WPA3 out of the topic for the moment), it'd be better to focus on a few other details.

1. How many people within what approximate square footage space?
   
   
2. How many people per room?
   
   
3. How many rooms require wireless coverage? (saying ALL is not helpful, detailing the total number of rooms is)
   
   
4. Does every device support 5GHz?
   
   ----
   
   My basic recommendation is as such.
   
   Determine which devices DO and DO NOT support 5GHz. Determine how many rooms are critical for wireless coverage. Purchase a wireless access point (or multiple - depending on square footage coverage requirements) that are DFS compliant.
   
   If you cannot find specifics on your device, whether is supports 2.4GHz or 5GHz - you can adjust/alter your current wireless settings. Most wireless broadcasting devices should allow you to name your 2.4GHz and your 5GHz networks (SSID) separately. Do so. As example, name your 2.4GHz network something like 'Home - Legacy' and your 5GHz network 'Home'.
   
   Then have each device 'search/look' for the available wireless networks. If they can only see 'Home - Legacy' and NOT 'Home' - then you are holding a device that can only use 2.4GHz.
   
   Document what each device CAN and CANNOT see.
   
   If every device supports 5GHz, great! You can and should disable 2.4GHz - and never use it! In order to determine if & how many wireless access points you'll need, you will need to do some research and intelligent planning.
   
   Use the same device for this test.
   
   Go to the room where your wireless router is. Check how many bars of signal you have. Document it. Go to the next room and repeat this process for each room.
   
   Most devices will show 4 or 5 bars in regards to signal. If they do not, then it is likely a percentage. 2 of 4 bars is the minimum you want (50%), and 3 of 5 bars is the minimum you want (60%).
   
   That will give you your baseline per your current coverage area. Based upon that, you will begin to formulate a plan for how many additional wireless broadcasting devices you will need.
   
   I tend to go with Ubiquiti wireless access points. The AC Lite is a good entry level device. You'll want to leverage the DFS channels too, as it will help you get better wireless speed.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=psdc_1194486_t3_B015PRCBBI
   
   Give that a shot. If you have any questions, please ask.

I see. Thanks for the explaination.


My questions then, is, what am I actually getting in the pfSense gear with the higher price. For example, if I got an SG-1000 and one of these Ubiquiti WAPs, what am I getting that I would in, say, a Linksys AC1900 at half the price. Hardware performance wise. (I realize it's also pfSense vs DDWRT)

If buying new, it's 77 on Amazon:

Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AC Lite AP Enterprise Wi-Fi System (UAP-AC-LITE-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_klzDCb64FE95F

Edit: potentially not an authorized seller as stated below

How to setup an AC-class Wi-Fi Router as an Access Point (New Blue UI)?

Sans that, grab one of these, they kick ass for the price.

The article in the networks sub reddit described it perfectly - basically its better to offload the functions into separate devices

https://www.amazon.ca/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499034651&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+wireless

https://www.amazon.ca/Ubiquiti-ER-X-UBIQUITI-Router-Black/dp/B0144R449W

Would you say this is a better option?

Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X + Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite + gigabit switch

Or

Just get a Mikrotik hAP AC?

As stated elsewhere you will need a managed switch.

If you are on a budget my go-to for over a decade has been various revisions of the Netgear GS-108t

If you want ease of use these days I would go with Ubiquiti. for home use. The linked switch is 2x the cost of the Netgear, but provides Power Over Ethernet (PoE) which allows you to use Ubiquiti's matching Access Points at some point in the future, both of which can be managed from the same interface. Note that the AP linked to is an example, they make different models for different use cases. The management interface shines if you are not a networking pro.

Sysadmin here. You need Unifi!

It's awesome stuff. Since I discovered it, I've not only used it for clients, but used it to wire up my dad's, and sister's house as well.

The Unifi AP AC Lite is only $80 on Amazon.

If you want more info on Unifi, you can watch the youtube channel Crosstalk Solutions, which has excellent videos, although most are more in-depth and technical than your situation warrants. Or you can check out /r/Ubiquiti (Ubiquiti is the company, Unifi is the specific line of network products).

To better help you on this (and a lot of it will be opinion) please give us some more info.

>How many devices do you plan to use (if more than 5, stay away from the crap you can find at best buy and walmart)

>How big of a space do you need to cover

>What's your budget


Personally I went Ubiquiti and grabbed an edgerouter X and an AC-AP for $150 and have never looked back. Since the AC-AP came with a PoE brick I hid it in the ceiling and the whole house is covered.

Edit - formatting

I myself use a Edgerouter X (good for about 250-300Mbs with QoS enabled, get one of their bigger models if you need gigabit internet speeds) then add a Unifi Ap-AC Lite (POE), it's commercial quality, will run circles around those home units, or if that AP is too much, if you have an old wifi router you can use it for just a WAP.

Rule of thumb with ALL consumer brand routers is that they are specifically designed for speed and not for handling large amounts of devices. even the biggest baddest most powerful router on the market that would cost you over $600 is designed to provide you with extremely fast download/upload speed but wont be able to stably handle more then a dozen devices.

The speed of the router has nothing to do with how many devices you can connect to it.

If you want to connect dozens upon dozens of devices. The only way to do that is with a non consumer brand router. like this one then a access point like this one

in total it cost me about $160 total and i have 40 devices connected and they are running none stop, they have not dropped the signal once in over a year since i bought them and the speed is very stable

Actually yeah. I suppose I could "wire" in the computers but they have run a set it n' forget it task when I'm not at home anyhow.

I guess a lot of the IT hobbiests have this and this as their network set up which means I get an end of year Net Admin crash course. My current network is a disorganized mess.

The only saving grace is a lot of places have cut off our phone supply and cheap ones go really fast in places where we can mass order them.

Amazon has AC AP lites for SALE and in stock!

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452958080&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi+ap+ac

Instead of getting another consumer router you should go enterprise and get a Ubiquiti Edgerouter X and a Ubiquiti Unifi access point

Gotcha, so basically overhead might cut into my 300. As long as its like 250 I don't mind, what with reasonable expectations and all that.

For anyone else curious, I bought a Ubiquiti Unifi AP-AC lite and Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X along with OP's modem. I've had good experiences with the AC-Pro in a professional environment, so hoping that the Lite works, and first time trying their router.

Just do two more lite's. The amplifi line isn't as good, and wouldn't integrate into your existing system (and at a higher cost than two more lite's.

https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504709151&sr=8-2&keywords=uap-ac-lite

I second /u/washu_k and Amazon.com would be the place to look. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ER-X-Router/dp/B0144R449W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1506524312&sr=8-2&keywords=edgerouter+x

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1506527343&sr=1-2&keywords=uap-ac-lite

Sorry I forgot to explain something, from what I know about using such devices. Even if you create a bridge between those 2 devices wirelessly, they may not be able to act as a Wi-Fi device as well, on cheaper routers they can act as a wireless bridge, but they cannot then be used to connect to Wi-Fi as well.

Also the reputation of Wi-Fi extenders is really bad. I would suggest getting something like a Ubiquiti AP AC lite, they have great range, plus you can have multiple Wi-Fi networks in one device! (Up to 4 separate networks AFAIK)

But make sure to shop around or talk to folks who have already have done what you need to get the most out.

Ubiquiti's AC AP

For sub $200, I now have an SOHO grade router and an enterprise grade AP. When wifi gets faster, I'll swap one component in my network. When my cable modem gets faster than gigabit, I'll swap one component in my network.

Thanks for this question!

I will be fixing up the wifi at a 24-hour coffee and pastry shop in the next few weeks. They are currently using the UAP you linked first, and probably 30-40 concurrent users maximum at any given time.

It is very problematic as it is. Likely has more to do with improper configuration by the previous IT person, but I will be going with two UAP-AC-LITE antennae due to budget constraints.

Good luck! Hope it works out nicely.

Thanks for all the comments! I think I'll be going with the LR.

To answer people's concerns:

1. I do have a full infrastructure already going in my homelab, with multiple VLANs each with existing DHCP servers and routers. So I actually do want "just an AP". (I also have a NAS so I definitely don't need the "readyShare" cheap NAS that Nighthawks have.)
   
   
2. The Pro is around $144 on eBay, but I can get an LR for $107.59 on Amazon with free Prime shipping. http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=A1B5ZP69N9WQBH
   
   It's looking like all three WAPs (Lite, LR and Pro) all have the same core feature set and their only differences are their maximum speed and range (and physical size). Once I get around to remodeling the rest of my house, I'll probably throw a Lite WAP on each floor and stick the LR against the back wall as I said before. (Long term remodeling will be to bring an Ethernet feed out to the garage, so then I could throw the LR in the garage for even better outdoor range.)
   
   I'll post on here once I get my WAP and let everyone know how it works for my setup, but given the cost and Amazon's return policy I can't see this going wrong.
   
   

I need to build a whole new network because the cable modem is only the Spectrum bare bones with nothing but a wired connection. If I'm seeing this correctly, I would need the EdgerouterX plus the Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Long Range plus a [switch] (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Switch-60W-US-8-60W/dp/B01MU3WUX1/ref=pd_bxgy_147_3/134-2367728-7655000?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01MU3WUX1&pd_rd_r=441ae487-d265-4bf9-bee1-32808368ecd6&pd_rd_w=m61Fs&pd_rd_wg=RryX3&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=RWYB945JJK6S08X1HX3V&psc=1&refRID=RWYB945JJK6S08X1HX3V)for the wired LAN computer to connect to in the back of the house.

I could then plug the Unifi AP into either the EdgerouterX or the switch where my main computer is plugged in with Cat5. If necessary, I could get another Unifi AP and have them plugged in at both ends of the house in a wireless mesh.

Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Lite.

Not to mention this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1541721616&sr=1-1&keywords=ap+ac+lite

For even less; $77.62

Thanks for the info AC-Lite is what I was planning to get.

If you don't mind is there a significant difference between the older and newer AC-Lites? I want to save a couple of bucks.

old: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&srs=8938872011&ie=UTF8&qid=1543453761&sr=1-3

mid?: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DRM6MLI/ref=psdc_1194486_t2_B015PR20GY

Newest: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Dual-Band-passive-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B016K4GQVG/ref=dp_ob_title_def

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539535616&sr=8-1&keywords=edgerouter+x

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539535605&sr=8-1&keywords=unifi+lite

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Gigabit-Lifetime-compliant-TL-SG108PE/dp/B01BW0AD1W/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1539535854&sr=8-17&keywords=poe+switch+8

​

You might need a second access point depending on the wall penetration, or the layout of your home. Ubiquiti switches are more expensive, threw in a tp-link POE smart switch. The initial setup on the erx is very simple.

​

As an alternative, the EAP225 access point from tp-link.

So this: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

Plus this: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/

About $130.

Though I got an Edgerouter X as well, which cost another $90 so I completely replaced all my other routers/access points, this part is optional.

Correct answer is to use real access points. Ubiquiti unifi is dumb easy to setup and you can get the cheap ones and just turn the shit ISP WiFi off. It'll cost you a bit more but is the correct way.

Ui.com

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_Y1lKDbMB3KYQA

Yikes, that definitely makes for a bad time, if you're tech-savvy, Ubiquiti is a robust brand that will outlast anything consumer-grade. Otherwise, I can find Asus or Netgear all-in-one.

ERX is the wired router
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ER-X-Router/dp/B0144R449W


AC-Lite or Mesh for wifi
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-M-US-Unifi-Access-Point/dp/B01N9FIELY/

OK, is this a good one for a small home?

> it's because we had an outdated router

Verizon agent is bullshitting you

Do you configure the extender and connected to the LAN port on your router? Also, what is the reason you got this extender for? Extenders are pretty much garbage. If you are trying to fix a wifi coverage issue you should look into getting an access point rather than extender. The extender will likely just provide you with half the bandwidth it gets. An access point like Ubiquiti AC Lite will provide better coverage without the sacrifice of speed or bandwidth

Im honestly not sure but i saw your post is a few hours old and doesnt have any comments yet so i figured id take a stab at it lol

Is there any way your room for some reason has some sort of aluminum in the walls or ceiling somewhere for some reason? Aluminum blocks radio frequency and can sometimes cause signal loss in certain places in certain homes. Have you tried putting the router actually inside of your room to see if the same loss happens? If it doesnt and you can leave the router there, great. But if you have to move the router you could always get an AP for inside of your room

EDIT: since you said your desktop is hardwired from your roomates room it would actually be easy to implement an AP. Just pick up a Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite and have it be hardwired from your roomates room, and then from the AP to your pc so thats still hardwired as well. (or just use one of those other routers as an AP since i saw you have like 3)

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

this

these

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAPACLITEUS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ovzIzbVW3BAYN

Yeah you can get em through amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-3/dp/B005EORRBW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450461160&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi+ap

Or if you want the AC versions:
http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1450461367&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+ac+lite

and like I said, they have the EDU ones that have intercoms on them (and wireless AC) which I cannot find anywhere.

A lot of clients won't ever be able to do this. Any device that does this will either require you to have the only 2.4 Ghz WiFi signal within range and enough spatial streams and/or channel width to support that throughput or it will require 5 Ghz clients with 802.11ac, enough spatial streams, and/or channel width to support that throughput.

That said, a Ubiquiti Unifi AP-AC Lite combined with a Ubiquiti Edgerouter Lite will get you as close as your clients will support.

As for a modem, Comcast's own recommendations are the best bet.

For a router and two poe AP you are looking at about $200. Edge Router X $53.50 and Unifi Ap-AC Lite $78.96

Keep the router, disable the WiFi and add an absolutely superb wireless access point to your network. It's a bit over your budget, but it will serve you well for years to come:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481251759&sr=8-1&keywords=unifi+ap+ac+lite

This is regular price. Shop around and you may find a deal, especially as the holidays approach.

Awesome. Final question: Amazon has two AC-LITEs that look relatively indistinguishable. The only difference I can see (from the compare section) is that one is 802.11 instead of 801.11. I assume the 802 is the newer, faster version you speak of? Or are those actually the same device, and Ubiquiti/Amazon just has different, confusing listings?

I got this guy: Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AC Lite AP Enterprise Wi-Fi System (UAP-AC-LITE) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_J0mRwbN35JD7T

No idea if he is the new or old model. I was enticed by the sale price, perhaps I should have been wary.

> I'm curious. What exactly is inferior in performance about having multiple Archer C7s?

To be fair, I specifically said:

> I'd definitely bet on a pack of UAPs over a single Archer C7.

Emphasis added in the quote.

With that said, though, let's answer your question: why would a pack of UAPs be superior to a pack of Archer C7s?

First off, I'm not sure exactly how well a pack of C7s would assist stubborn client devices with roaming (as the UAPs certainly do). Frankly that's a bit of a sticky topic as not all clients support AP-based roaming handoff protocols, and even a lot of the APs themselves don't bother with it and do proprietary management involving kicking stubborn clients from the BSSID of sub-optimal APs directly, forcing them to seek a different BSSID (and hopefully this time choosing a better one).

Moving on from what roaming assistance you might or might not get - or need, depending on your client, which very well might already be perfectly competent at figuring that sort of thing out for itself unassisted - UAPs aren't terribly expensive. An Archer C7 is about $90. A UAP-AC Lite is actually less money, at $80... and it supports PoE, comes with a PoE injector included in the cost, has vastly superior mounting options, has a unified controller interface, good god, I could go on and on.

The Archer C7 has somewhat better range than a UAP AC Lite, but not enough better to justify giving up all that and an extra $10 per unit. Hands down, if you're doing multiple APs, the UAP is a better option than a bunch of C7s.

Oh that's cool I wasn't completely sure if you had to keep the controller running.

I have been looking at these two routers.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1449531583&sr=1-4&keywords=ubiquiti

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Edgerouter-Router-ERLITE-3/dp/B00HXT8EKE/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1449549072&sr=1-7&keywords=ubiquiti+router

I do some large file transfers over the wired side of the network so I thought it may be worth it to get the second one listed. Also we have between 15-30+ devices connected at any time but probably most of them are idle.

These were the AP's that I was looking at

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-Unifi-UAP/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=pd_sim_147_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=31DJWuaQDOL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=13TM14RQA56J7T55G2B1

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1449550183&sr=1-10&keywords=ubiquiti+ap+dual+band

I would probably just do the Wireless N one but idk. Do you have any thoughts or recommendations on these?

Thanks really appreciate it!

Thanks for the advice - seems like the best solution. Purchased one and will see how the range and performance is before I buy another. Also appreciate your use non-technical language and providing a simple overview (exactly what I need haha).

To be clear, I only need to buy the following: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

1. If your ISP is charging a monthly fee, swap it all out. The rental fee is AWFUL in most cases, even if it's only $5.
   
2. Some ISPs give you a modem/router for free and only charge to enable wifi. If it's is the case, disable that and start slapping on some of these. You'd be amazed at what happens when you put 2 of these in various places throughout the house. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY or https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0ED-0005-000V6
   
3. If you want something even better, completely swap out what the ISP provides. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C
   
   
   You can get advice on "running cables" at various places online. It's basically just putting cables in nice out of the way areas (think inside the walls or attic). Similarly, you can "terminate" cables and place RJ45 jacks on a cable at any length to get custom cable lengths - useful if you buy cable in bulk or want to reuse older cord.

> it's cheap

I think this is the part I take the most issue with. It's neither cheaper nor better than a "real" WAP/router/extender. The Raspberry Pi + SD card + case + power supply + ethernet cable + screen (+ ethernet switch if you need it) is going to be, what, $75? $75 can buy you a very nice, clean WAP.

If yours draws 1w at idle and the Ubiquiti draws about 3 watts, that's a savings of about $0.20/month...so that doesn't seem like a compelling difference either, especially because you are just trading power savings for lower transmission strength.

If you can run a cat5 cable to where the other box is, I’d say to turn off google WiFi and buy 2 (or more) of these Ubiquiti access points:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=asc_df_B015PR20GY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198138936631&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11706054629834333903&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009674&hvtargid=pla-381252494348&psc=1

You’ll still need the firewall/NAT/routing that the google network box provides, but if you run your own WiFi, you can have as many access points as you like and put them all over your house. The Ubiquiti access points allow you to broadcast a single SSID (WiFi name) that your phone/Roku/whatever will pick the strongest one and use that.

If you can’t physically run cat5 Ethernet wires to the location you want the WiFi transmitters, you can accomplish the same thing if you get a few of those “mesh” WiFi access points. I use Ubiquiti gear (wired), but I’be heard good things about Eero’s mesh networking equipment. Basically instead of wires, they wirelessly figure out the uplink back to the router (where you have one of the mesh devices plugged into Ethernet). I find the wired solution to be better for my setup (more reliable), but I’ve heard the mesh networking is pretty good as well.

could I use this you think then
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480101196&sr=8-1&keywords=edgerouter+x

2 of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480101253&sr=8-1&keywords=ac+lite

Would this be good enough to provide the internet to my wireless devices/wired ones too? I also have a couple of netgear repeaters to provide internet in a far part of my house. Think the ac-lite would reach? House isn't that big. around 2000 sq ft

first off, don't rent a router from your ISP. you will need to use a modem or gateway depending on the type of internet you are getting. if you are using cable or dsl i would also suggest to buy your own modem as well. it's a modern version of renting a rotary phone from the company and a racket.

you can get a router and wifi combo that is new and good for about $150 or more for faster or more advanced features.

as far as game plan for your home here is my suggestions
to start you off since you just moved in and are already renting it for now just use the provided router from to fiber provider so you can get connected and plan the rest of this build out.

depending on the layout and size of your home (cinder block construction is terrible for wifi and other rf signals) you may need multiple access points. my suggestion is to look into a brand of networking equipment called ubiquity.

they are relatively new to the market and have really shaken up the price and feature packs. set up is mainly through a web and mobile app and is very easy for a relatively new person to IT. there is also a huge community here on reddit and youtube showing off features and giving how to's.

here is my goto suggestion if you are willing to invest in an infrastructure more than a single router.

the fiber will come into your property and go through a modem and gateway provided by the isp you would then plug it into a router:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526552321&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi

This is a smaller model that is a router and firewall combo by ubiquity, its about 110 at amazon

Then you plug the router into a switch:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Managed-Gigabit-US-8-150W/dp/B01DKXT4CI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526552321&sr=8-3&keywords=unifi

This is a sort of backbone device that you would use to send the internet to other devices and for other devices to comunicate with each other. this one is a poe switch which means it can send power to some devices like access points over the one cat 5 cable. this one has 8 ports so that means 7 outboard devices can be connected to the network because one is needed for the router. they make larger ones with more ports for more devices. this model is currently 194 on amazon

you will then need access points:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1526552321&sr=8-5&keywords=unifi

these are radios that broadcast wifi to your wireless devises these connect to the switch with cat 5 cables and are best placed near where you are going to use wifi devises the average home would benefit from two or three of these one to cover the living room kitchen great room area and one to cover the bedroom hallway are and possibly one for the backyard pool area (that might be important because of your external walls). this model is currently 80 on amazon.

if you deploy this list you will also need a cloud key:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Cloud-Key-Control/dp/B017T2QB22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526553343&sr=8-1&keywords=cloud+key

this is a devise that manages the network and stores configuration files locally. it's like a mini server. this is about 78 on amazon.

you will also need cat 5/6/7 cables of various lengths and a power strip for about 500 you can get a really great network that can cover your whole house and that can easily be upgraded incrementally as technology improves. My suggestion would be to get all this mounted in a closet somewhere and get cat5/6/7 run to all the things that you can and place the access point in the house so you get the best coverage possible for the IOT devises in your house. as your network grows and you need more wired ports you can add a switch or replace the one with a 24 or 46 port one. when wifi tech improves past ag you can just replace the access points without affecting the rest of the network.another big thing is to run cable to anything you can this will help with keeping your wifi fast since there are less devices on the wifi.

Edit:
If there are two main points they would be:

1. wire everything you can so that way the devises that need to be wireless can be faster
   
2. Don't rent non-proprietary equipment from your ISP

I use the Edgerouter X (56.50) and UAP-AC-Lite ([79.15]
(https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526999758&sr=8-1&keywords=uapaclite))

 

I get that $135 investment is a lot, but it is not as much as the "high end gaming routers" that manufacturers push out. But I guarantee that my setup will be rock solid for a very very long time. And for a fraction of the Netgear (298.94, 248.99, 188.99), Asus (258.90, 235.91, 229.00), or Linksys routers (237.68, 249.97, 206.99)

 
 

Now yes, I did cherry pick some of the more expensive routers that these guys offer, but I chose their "gaming" routers. The edgerouter x and uap AP will provide just as many options and coverage as all of those much more expensive routers, as long as you're willing to do the setup.

Thank you both for the quick and helpful responses. I guess I'll give the Ubiquiti devices a shot. Is the AC Pro worth the extra money over the AC Lite? Also, could you confirm that these are the correct models? Amazon seems to have multiple of each line:

• Lite
  
• Pro
  
  A couple additional questions about these:
  
  
• I read that they require the installation of additional software on a computer just to manage the APs. Does that software need to be running 24/7, or do I just open the app when I need to change some config?
  
• How does PoE work? Do I need some sort of adapter, or will the ethernet outlets in my wall "just work" in terms of providing power?

This is the pair that I use, and they work great:
http://amzn.to/2qzR4G1
http://amzn.to/2rzLWAh

I did have some problems with POE with the AP, but after using the POE injector I haven't had a single problem. I think the uptime on my ERX is like 5 months now.

So just to make it clear for me it could basically go:

Ethernet cable coming into my room -> Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite -> Which will give off Wifi from it -> Which I can connect Galaxy tablet/Google Home/Google Chromecast

Okay so 150 feet isn't all that long for a able run. I have done many runs that are longer and have run faster speeds.

Did you run it parallel to ANY electrical cables? If so this is your problem.

When you say your not getting 25 MbPS what is the speed your getting? How did you determine that speed? Are you aware there is a difference between Megabits and Megabytes per second? (And huge difference) so your download speed on Chrome is not your Internet speed.

Since you have a cable ran and you are need good WiFi look into a Ubiquiti Wireless AP unit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015PR20GY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500304812&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=ubiquiti+wireless+access+point&dpPl=1&dpID=31-u-5bgo0L&ref=plSrch

I install these at work in residential homes. They are amazing. I installed the Pro version in businesses normally. (As they have an extra port for add another POE devices.)

Feel free to ask any questions and good luck getting it solved.

I just bought these 2 weeks ago: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PR20GY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Would be nice to have a separate network for the Guest House since it might turn into a rental down the line. Here is what I am looking at to order from Amazon:

2x Nanostations


1x Ubiquiti Switch


1x Ap-AC Lite Wireless Access Point

Or keep the Nighthawk Modem/Router and eliminate the switch and access point.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI this works well if you can run Ethernet. LR is for Long-Range. These require PoE injectors (included) unless you have one of their PoE switches (from what I've read)

If ease of use is your thing then get the USG, 8 port UniFi switch, and an AP-AC-LR, The AP-AC-LR's have both 2.4/5Ghz bands.

You can get two AP-AC-LR's and UPLINK the second from the first one if you are unable to run Ethernet.

No need to add a router off the switch as it will segregate the networks. I.E. Create two networks. And it's rather pointless.

Just buy a second access point.

What sq ft are you trying to cover? 1 AP-AC-LR can relatively cover a 1500 sqft 1 story wood/plaster home.

USG: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485235835&sr=1-1&keywords=unifi+usg

Switch: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Managed-Gigabit-US-8-150W/dp/B01DKXT4CI

AP-AC-LR: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485235882&sr=1-1&keywords=AP+AC+LR

I noticed in this guide that it says the AP required UniFi controller 4.7 or higher. Is the guide just outdated? This is the AP I'm looking at.

Yeah, this product springs to mind, and it tends to be the most recommended wifi brand on this sub (although I don't have one.. yet).


Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR


Or the Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR which is much more expensive


Info sheet says 183m for each of them. But I don't know their actual performance at long range.

Like the linked video Point to Point may work, but probably not cheap. If they are that close you may be able to get line of site. For something temporary, that won't cost an arm and a leg, not sure. Maybe a Ubiquiti Long Range Access Point mounted outside your neighbors house (this assumes no weather will get to the device and it will stay between -10 and 50c at all times)? They are supposed to go up to 188 meters with no interference between.

you have a amazon link? was about to get this one http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C?ie=UTF8&keywords=Ubiquiti%20EdgeRouter%20X&qid=1462818057&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
and http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1462819605&sr=1-1&keywords=ap-ac-lr

It really depends on the size of the house and what the walls are made out of. My parents house isn't that big but it's old and the walls are plaster and have chicken wire in between them. I needed 3 APs to cover the house and networks speeds were iffy on the remote APs compared to the main one. This was a 802.11n network though.

I don't know where the bottleneck is on your network exactly so I'd troubleshoot starting with the least expensive options first to determine where it is before you go and spend lots of money.

1. $15 If it's an option, buy a cheap switch and move the NAS to room B as I mentioned above and see if that improves performance.
   
   
2. $35 Buy a Chromecast and see if it performs any better than the Roku Stick.
   
   
3. $80-200 Buy a Roku 3/4 or Nvidia Shield TV. Regular settop box might get better receptions than a streaming stick.
   
   
4. $200 Buy 2x Ubiquit UAC-AC-LR Wireless Access Points. These are considered the best APs on the market and these are the long range versions. I personally love these things
   
   
5. $370 Buy THIS MONSTROSITY and pray the signal reaches all corners of your home.

I realize this is a lot cheaper but might this be a suitable alternative?
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-CPE210-300Mbps-dual-polarized-directional/dp/B00P4JKQGK

woa, almost 400 bucks is really expensive. Why not try a dedicated router (without wifi) to make the mixing of the networks and simply connect it to an access point in the end?.

I installed one of these on a restaurant where they had two networks to mix and the config was not hard at all. In the end it provides wireless access via an access point.

Since the router pretty much lets you mix up to 4 networks its up to find a good access point/wireless router to link with it.

Most reliable would be a buried conduit like others have mentioned, but this would be easier. You can use this by itself like a super-router or in pairs for better signals.

TP-Link Long Range Outdoor Wifi Transmitter - 2.4GHz, 300Mbps, High Gain Mimo Antenna, 5km+ Point to Point Wireless Transmission, Poe Powered W/ Poe Adapter Included, Wisp Modes (CPE210) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4JKQGK/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_7hCEDbVBHP2ZC

This might also work. I use a pair of TP-Link outdoor CPE's to get internet to our garage that is a good distance from our home. These things are highly configurable for different applications. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4JKQGK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_vRSjzbWAWGGB4

You could try getting just one and hope that it can pick up the signal from your neighbor, but that's the equivalent of one person talking with a bullhorn at opposite ends of a football field.

What's your budget? You can get pair of TP-Links for about $80.

You might try two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-CPE210-300Mbps-dual-polarized-directional/dp/B00P4JKQGK/ref=zg_bs_1194486_11?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NYR87KHCA8CVA8SZBS9P

or

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-NanoStation-loco-M2-Wireless/dp/B00HXT8FFI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1488817628&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=ubiquiti+nanostation+300mbps

Not OP but I believe even just two cheap TP-Link CPE210 as you suggested should be easily able to reach 1km, given clear line of sight (including clear air in a cigar-shaped volume; that is, it widens slightly in the middle).

That is exactly the model I used, though I was using just one, as I only needed to bridge a couple hundred feet. So I could get away with using a regular short-range wireless adapter on the receiving end. It worked great.

The other two on that same amazon page are even higher power/more directional! 1 2

What's the difference between the Unifi Ap-AC Lite and the UAP-AC-LITE?

>That way you can have both your main and guest/IoT network on the same physical hardware (no need for the old Netgear) but still secure from each other.

How does this work? One review talks about an always-running UniFi "controller". Another talks about "CloudKey"? I'd rather deal with different physical hardware than have to deal with server maintenance or cloud software.

Dude I have both a life and time but I am willing to sacrifice them to setup a sweet ass home network. If youre willing to help me get in over my head, please do. I want to order a Ubiquiti Edge Router X and hook it up to a Ubiquiti AC Lite access point. And I'll need a modem for that right? I just bought a TP Link modem but I can send that guy back if ya think its lame or whatever.

I'm pretty sure thats a common reccomendation but I've never used anything but consumer stuff like a Linksys. Or I just bought a TP Link AC3150 that I am sending back because the 5G kept disappearing and after a few weeks the WiFi completely disappeared permanently.

Will I have a firewall and shit? Does a consumer router automatically have that or something? What modem should I get? I dont need much control, just want to set a custom DNS for streaming NHL games.

Anyways, this is too long. Thanks if you help me out.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518895521&sr=8-2&keywords=ap-ac+lite

Run an ethernet cable to that and set it up. You can use a different SSID if you want but I would set it as the same SSID and password/security type and then your devices should switch when the access point is closer to them.

Sounds like a UniFi AP AC Lite would do a bang up job.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/

You'd be better off segregating your devices. Use the modem for a modem, get a Ubiquiti Edge Router, and then get an Access point like a Ubiquiti AC Lite. Your current modem is fine; it's on their 2018 approved list. Also, pulling down 100Mb/s isn't very taxing. It's when you start pulling down 300+ that you need much more expensive gear.


If this set up is too complicated, I'd still recommend getting a separate router / access point combo. TP-Link is a great brand and many of their SOHO routers are compatible with 3rd party firmware, such as DD-WRT or OpenWRT.

Bufferbloat is actually a very complex issue but doesn't stem from wireless. It's mainly caused by routers having more and more memory as a "bandaid" for needing to deal with more clients and connections at higher speeds. With such a massive buffer on board, no back-off signal is sent and it just takes a long time to clear out the queue.

A new router may help, and I know you'll probably be ending up getting one for your faster internet speed. For now, you might consider trying out DD-WRT or OpenWRT and then setting up an AQM like fq_CoDel. I'm not running it at the moment, but it brought my latency from +100ms down to around 20ms under network load.

I believe fq_CoDel will be integrated into DOCIS 3.1 modems... which we're all still waiting for.

For the WiFi only slowdown, I really don't know what to say other than invest in a decent AP like Unifi lite, this might interest you as well.

That one is unreasonably expensive for home usage. Anyway that is the old model which I believe they don't sell it anymore. The new one is better, just the mounting kit is plain shit compared to older model.

Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AC Lite AP Enterprise Wi-Fi System (UAP-AC-LITE-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sP2zxb6WXBBMJ

ok so im gonna try what you are suggesting i want to buy this edgerouter
and this access point for now. if i see how well it goes ill buy additional APs and switches. but do i currently need anything else other then that router and ap? like does it come with its own power cables and ethernet cables or is there specific ones i need to buy?

Product

I don't really know that much about modems, except that you definitely want DOCSIS 3.0.

What about one of the Edgerouters and one of these for each floor? https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE-US/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=pd_cp_147_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0XG5V2764X8RN7HC8NCS

Unifi is a line of business grade network equipment from Ubiquiti. Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAPACLITEUS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AKiwDb09ETXQD

After trying several wireless access points from Linksys, TP-Link and Netgear I gave them a try with an older A a few years ago. After not having to reboot them monthly or bi-weekly and able to pull full speed tests I was sold. Now I'm running 2 of their AC Lites linked above, and 2 8-port managed switches. So much easier to troubleshoot speed issues and the annoying buffering problems I had with Kodi. Lol The two APs cover our 2900sqft house with 5 laptops, 3 Roku TV's, PS4, XBone, and several phones.

When we switched from DSL to TW they were still charging $5/month to turn on the wifi in their modems so I got in the habit of not using it. Even with purchasing my own modem the built-in wifi wasn't good enough. So I just turn it off and run separate APs.

Price History

• Ubiquiti Networks Router (ER-X)   ^PureLink
  ReviewMeta: ★★★★✮ 4.6/5 from 191 valid reviews
  CamelCamelCamel - [Info] │ Keepa - [Info]
  
• Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite Wireless Access Point 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAPACLITEUS)   ^PureLink
  ReviewMeta: ★★★★✮ 4.5/5 from 746 valid reviews
  CamelCamelCamel - [Info] │ Keepa - [Info]
  
  _
  These prices aren't just Black and White.
  ^(Info) ^| ^(Developer) ^| ^(Inquiries) ^| ^(Support Me!) ^| **[^(Report Bug)](/message/compose?to=The_White_Light&subject=Bug+Report&message=%2Fr%2Fbapcsalescanada%2Fcomments%2Fcpmnkr%2Frouter_tplink_archer_c7_ac1750_gigabitrouter%2Fewqlzns%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0APlease+explain+here+what+you+expected+to+happen%2Fwhat+went+wrong.)**

Probably one of these

I'd suggest getting something like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510783248&sr=8-2&keywords=ubiquiti

I disabled the ATT router's wifi, and I have one of those downstairs and another upstairs. They're wired wifi repeaters and did wonders to improve my signal vs. just going off the ATT wifi router.

See my edit above, just in case.

This could be done. Even without what I described above. Even if you can't futz with the settings, you could move the router into the garage. You already have that ethernet line running into your house. You could put an access point in the house in the router's place (or a switch + an AP if you need ports in the house) and then do what you need to with the outbuilding.

Plus, you'd have wifi in the garage, as well. :-)

Thanks for the help. How do I go about doing that? I don't know much about WiFi, in fact I don't even know the difference between a router and a modem :>

Should I get these 2 items?:
https://www.amazon.ca/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=pd_bxgy_504_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RM0VZC2T25S9C19Z3DMR
https://www.amazon.ca/Ubiquiti-ER-X-UBIQUITI-Router-Black/dp/B0144R449W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511288325&sr=8-1&keywords=edgerouter+x

Thanks for the clarification. I was actually mixing up their Pro and their AC line. I have a UAP-AC-LITE-US in my house.

If you want something a bit more business class (and to save some money) look into a Ubiquity AP and edge router.

Those two will likely be a bit more flexible than the RT-AC3200. Also, if you decide that you need another AP, you can pick one up and get away with simply running another wire.

Would this be a better option for POE?

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Switch-Managed-US-24-250W/dp/B00OJZUQ24/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=unifi+24+port+poe+switch+250w&qid=1567047431&s=gateway&sprefix=unifi+24+&sr=8-3





Is this what you mean for the router

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-4-Port-Gigabit-ER-4-US/dp/B078PGCGN2


If I buy two of these and the router above would it give me full wifi now until I have the opportunity to run the wire.


https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=AC-LITE&qid=1567047624&s=gateway&sr=8-2



Do I need a cloud key for the APs or just the Switch?

Thank you for the response. Are you suggesting that I can get the following:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-ER-X-SFP-US-Advanced-Gigabit/dp/B012X45WH6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1467112450&sr=8-5&keywords=Ubiquiti+EdgeRouter

and https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LITE-US/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467112342&sr=8-1&keywords=Ubiquiti+UniFi+AP+AC+Lite

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, but you're suggesting that the EdgeRouter and the UniFi is an access point that will help "boost" signal? The only "hardwired" devices connected directly to my router is the TiVo box. Might there be any resources on this type of configuration you're describing? Perhaps more complicated than the suggested TP router below, but this might be a more "powerful" solution. Again, thanks for your suggestion.

I am hearing more and more about these Unifi AP AC Lites..

How is their coverage?

i.e. is one sitting in the 1st floor living room of a Colonial(2 stories+basement) enough to cover a 1700sq foot house?

In other words, will upstairs be ok as well as basement level?

UBNT edgerouter:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C

and if you need wifi slap one of these in:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

What models are the current ones you're using?
The UniFi range is nice and can do seamless transitions between different APs so long as you have a computer running their control software, but are kinda expensive https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1524752349&sr=8-8&keywords=802.11+ac+access+point

There's a huge range of access points/routers available.

Ahh, since I do have an ac1750 in possession, would it be good enough to just skip the ac1900 instead? That way, I would have a bigger budget when I do plan on switching to the Ubiquiti APs.

Planning to get the USG, switch, and one or two APs. What else will I need?

Thank you for the suggestion. There appears to be multiple models. Looking at the comparison on https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-lite/ , I think I would be fine with the lite version for under $100.

However, it sounds like Unifi requires a LAN cable and cannot be bridged over WiFi, is that correct? I'd rather not run an ethernet cable throughout the apartment for the AP.

$171.99 Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US)

$127.00 Ubiquiti Networks UAP-AC-PRO-E Access Point Single Unit NEW (No PoE Included In Box)

$81.77 Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Lite - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAPACLITEUS)

Ubiquiti Edge Router X

It's not 'stupid-easy' to configure, but it has a wizard(update the firmware first, which is easy). There are a lot of videos on how to configure for a basic network. Also, it's $49(little higher now while stocks are low). Given how cheap it is, you can then get one of the Unifi Wifi APs for $81. Also easy to set up with a phone app.

Together, you have a pretty powerful combination, and when(not if) they upgrade the wifi standard, you only need to replace the AP, not the whole router. That router is rock solid and has never failed me.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY

Actually I do need your help on this.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B017MD6CHM/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483418769&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti+ac+lite

or

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483418769&sr=1-2&keywords=ubiquiti+ac+lite

Why is one more expensive? They seem to be the same thing!

What is the difference between this and this? Amazon says the second one is "newer"

I was looking at the unifi APs. Thoughts on the AC Lite

First of all, thank you very much for the help. The TP-LINK is a TL-SF1005D, which is unmanaged, so you are correct, no IP. Not sure how I came up with the IP conflict earlier.

I've updated the future network diagram here (new equipment in orange): http://imgur.com/qoyRQi4

It looks like I will need:

(1) [UBIQUITI USG] (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495983480&sr=8-1&keywords=Ubiquiti+USG)

(1) 16 PORT SWITCH

(1) [UPS] (https://www.amazon.com/APC-Back-UPS-Battery-Protector-BE550G/dp/B0019804U8/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1495985064&sr=1-4&keywords=apc+ups)

(3) UAP-AC-LITE

Questions:

• Is it worth spending the extra money for a ubiquiti switch vs netgear?
  
  
• Should I replace the 5 port TP-Link in the office to match the new 16 port switch?
  
  
• It looks like the UAP-AC-LITE has two ethernet connections. Is one in and one out to a hardwired device?
  
  
• Will the UAP-AC-LITE work like a wifi extener? No hard wired connection in, ethernet out to a device?
  
  Cost effective question:
  
  
• Would it be feasible to disable the 2.4 and 5.0 network on the existing E2500 router and install a UAP-AC-LITE for wifi?
  

Sorry,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_5i0LBbADST9HW

So I'd be tempted to suggest getting a UniFi Lite. You disable the WiFi on the current router, plug the Lite into one of the LAN ports and use the Lite to do the Wireless part. You can manage and set it up with your phone initially. I did this once with a cheap old wireless router for someone and it worked great as the router was fine for everything except the Wireless part so I only needed to use the UniFi Lite to 'upgrade' the wireless.

If you buy on Amazon, you could always return it if it does not work for you. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499783410&sr=8-1&keywords=unifi+lite

Easy peasey:

Modem: Netgear 8x4

Router: Edge Router X

Access Point: UAP-AC-Lite

This will be absolutely rock stable and will max your speeds easily. Will require you to do a tad bit of setup but it's very easy. If you need an explanation on why this is better than something you could buy at BestBuy let me know.

That is a lot of information. If I choose the Ubiquiti would the AC-Lite be enough for my use? I have found it here for 81US$:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540331007&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+lite

The pro version seems a lot more expensive. As for the DFS, I live in Mexico (Mexico city) and even though I searched for the regulations I am not sure about it.

​

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of Ubiquiti and have my whole network "Unify"ed. One thing I like are the low prices. A AP AC lite: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY would be 80$, that is a really very good price for an enterprise AP.

A thing to keep in mind: you don't have a web interface on the AP itself, Unifi is a controller based wifi / networking system. The controller is a piece of software that can run on your computer, but best runs all the time so that you can get the advantages of that (e.g. statistics, a guest portal, etc.). Some features require a USG (their router), some need Unifi switches.

I highly recommend investing in a Unifi system, as you can get prosumer / soho features for consumer prices. Just have a look at https://demo.ubnt.com/ concerning their great "single pane of glass" interface. It doesn't matter if you have 1 or 100 APs, you simply can define you want a new SSID and the controller provisions it to the APs.

Are you using wifi to test the speed? If so, try connecting a computer with an ethernet cable (any type will do, if it was bought in the last 20 years). Make sure all other devices are off, or at least not using data. To test, use speedtest.net. It will automatically choose the best server and measure your speeds. If your speeds are still slow, it is your ISP's fault. Contact them and figure it out with them.

If your speeds are fine with ethernet, then it's a wifi issue. Your current router can handle 60 Mb of network traffic, just not through wifi. It could also be metal pipes in your walls creating a Faraday cage. In either case, you should buy a Ubiquiti access point. This is the cheapest option, this one is more powerful, and this is designed for use in large buildings or spaces. They are probably some of the best access points you can get but might take a little setup.

If your current "router" (apart from the wifi) is OK then add an additional wifi AP and $100 should get you a reasonably decent one. A separate wifi access point (wifi AP) is simply a bridge which means that it will put all of the things connected to it onto your network. This also means that you are not throwing away your current working system and starting from scratch.

This: https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-lite/ is roughly $89 RRP
or https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498005678&sr=8-1&keywords=unifi-ac-lite - at $77 a pop. I'll assume you are US based and I've used the US version of Amazon for that.

There's an app that you install on your phone (cell) to find it and configure it and off you go or you can install and fire up the full Unifi gateway software which can be a bit tricky but has a few more features that I don't think you will need.

Your router is simply the point where your local network is translated out to other networks (in this case the internet). Since you want to be on the same local network as everything else in the house, what you're looking for is NOT a second router. I believe you are falling prey to incorrect terminology here. What you want (assuming you want a wireless connection) is to have a WAP (Wireless Access Point) to provide a wifi signal where you need it. Here's how that works. From your router, you use one of your spare ports to run a cable to the area you want a better wireless signal, you then plug said cable into a wireless access point and it will provide wireless connectivity in that area depending on the range and specifications of the WAP.

Now, there ARE ways to extend wifi range and use a second, or third WAP without running a cable to it as some of the other gentlemen mentioned. This can be done if your router (the one going to your provider/ISP) ALSO has wireless capabilities. In that case, a remote WAP could do something called bridging the connection. Basically you could use the second WAP to receive the wireless signal of the router, and extend it as a second hop. This does bring problems though since without the WAP being hard wired, you're relying on the wireless signal from the router to the WAP, and from the WAP to your PC. There's a lot more that goes into doing wireless bridging than if you simply cabled the WAP instead. For example, you need to carefully place the WAP so it's close enough to the router to receive a strong-ish signal, but you ALSO need the WAP to be close enough to the low signal area to provide you with a better signal.

As you can see, the better of the two options is simply to run a cable from your router to the WAP where you need your wireless signal. WAPs can be pretty cheap, easily under 100 bucks. I personally use a UniFi AC Pro AP for my wireless access point since my router doesn't have WiFi, however for your case I think a longer range solution like the UniFi AC LR AP would be better. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP-AC-LR-Networks-Enterprise-System/dp/B015PRCBBI There are other brands out there too, but this one is nice because it has free software you can use to see who is connected to the WAP, what the signal strength for them is, and how much (if any) noise there is on the frequencies that the WiFi signal is going over. Since you life on a farm house, there should be little to no RF(Radio frequency) noise, so the signal should be nice and strong.

Hope this helps!

Thinking about something like this Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR Do you see a need for a PoE switch if the only thing I'd be running off of it was this Ubiquiti AP? Looks like the AP comes with some kind of power converter so that I wouldn't necessarily need a POE switch to run it off of. No other PoE devices on the network. But this will probably be the switch that lasts us another 10 years so if there's some functionality that we might use somewhere down the line it would be worth grabbing now.

Just a HUGE price difference between the two. Right now we have a [3Com 2948-SFP] (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833105139) switch back there and I'm looking at something like this HP Procurve 2620 to replace it. I also have a friend who does networking who says I should be looking at Cisco switches like this Small Business 200 one as well, but I don't know the pros and cons (except that I could ask him for setup help I guess!)

But I'm also a bit worried as it seems like the damaged switch we have now is a Layer 2 switch and it sounds like Layer 3 switches require a lot more setup.

I'm reading up a lot about it and I'm not afraid to tackle more complicated set up if it can get us better functionality or make life easier down the line for me. I'm just all alone here and I inherited all this set up already and just had to maintain it, so I'm kind of gun shy about ordering thousands worth of equipment I've never worked with and not being able to get it to work properly!

/u/Archvile7 Thank you for your response. Greatly appreciated for the time you took to respond. No offense taken. When I say that I am a CIS student, it's my second bachelor's degree as a 30-year-old, getting a networking certificate, and I have some decent networking knowledge from work. I find networking interesting and I could potentially consider it as a career. I digress, so let's get to the actual point of the thread.

I have looked into the Ubiquiti APs as a solution since we used to have them at work. What exactly do you mean I need a 'computer with the controller software installed for the AP's?' As in, I just need a computer to configure them initially? I have a small 5-port switch that is in their wiring closet at the moment, but it does not push PoE.

Do you have any experience setting up an AP in your home or a local business to extend wireless? How did you do it? You didn't really offer much technical explanation in your post. Thank you.

Yea, I really dislike that you can't use your own modem. When I was living in the states, I had this neat Arris Docsis 3.0 modem that was amazing! Izzi locks it down as well. HOWEVER, I have an Ubiquiti access point that I installed because the range was completely useless. All the access point does is generate it's own Wi-Fi network and has a way stronger range than the stock router Izzi provided.

Installation is super easy, too. Simply plug the access point to your modem, install the Ubiquiti software on a PC, load up the software and you'll see the access point through there. Then it's just a matter of giving the Wi-Fi network a name and password. Don't let the "Enterprise" label scare you.

Do you live in Tijuana?

As an update I own these two switches - right now my setup under cable is modem - router/wifi/switch - NAS/5-Port Switch/8-Port Switch/Free (I think, I cannot recall, I do not think I have a 4th device hooked into it).

So their modem - pfsense - I am assuming this EdgerRouterPOE/8PortSwitch/5Port Switch/Ubiqiti AP

Am I missing something?

Thanks both of you for the reply! Regarding the controller--that's a great idea--I didn't know I couldn't incorporate the EdgeRouter into my controller instance (I'm new to controllers though). It does look like the Unified Gateway is the way to go.

​

Also, after thinking on it--I guess I'll splurge for a 16 port POE+ switch just so I'm safe. So the hardware update would be;

​

Router

Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540404424&sr=8-1&keywords=unified+gateway

​

Switch

UniFi Network Switch US-16-150W Switch Managed PoE+ Gigabit Switch with SFP 150W

https://www.amazon.com/Network-Switch-US-16-150W-Managed-Gigabit/dp/B07G4HKV3N/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1540404535&sr=8-8&keywords=ubiquiti+switch+16

​

AP

Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Long Range - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAP-AC-LR-US)

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

​

​

Do I really need a Cloud Key?

​

IMO - disable the wireless side of your AC1750 and go buy a dedicated AP. Like a unifi LR. They can be had for about $100. Even cheaper if you look around or wait for a sale. Also, if you need to increase your coverage down the road , you can always add more unifi APs.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI

FYI , you shouldn't use "range extenders" , they can really kill and much up wireless bandwidth and cause interference .

If you need better range , you should wire up a Wireless AP to the router with a cat5 cable and put it in a central location .

I love Ubiquiti products , rock solid ! https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1543440302&sr=1-5&keywords=ubiquity

I'm confused. First you mention a modem, then you call it a router. I do have an old modem, but I don't have a second router. Would a cheap 2nd router do the trick or should I spring for a real access point like this one

Thank you for the help. Unfortunately, our budget at the moment only allows for one or the other. I'm wondering if the Archer C7 is maybe our best bet? Or, would we still be ok with just the Unifi? Maybe it is best if I show you what I'm looking at. Considering we have 150 mbps speed, which of these is my best option?

This Unifi, which has multiple models and I don't know which one I should go for

This Archer C7 router and modem bundle, which I think is what you're talking about

Or should I combine this modem with this wifi router?

Or, if I'm completely missing the point, should I combine this modem with this Unifi? The Unifi is kind of pricey, so I'm wondering if this cheaper model will handle my speed just fine. At most, we have 1 computer gaming, 1 Amazon Fire-Stick streaming, and 2 phones connected to WiFi.

I know some of this doesn't line up with what you're saying, but I'm trying to incorporate what I'm learning with what my budget is :/

I do agree and I've heard lots of good things about Ubiquiti and did look into that:

switch (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK)

AP (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_147_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HVE9H3KXJB8DQZ6MEKAH)

That would run me about $300 for two AP's for the non-pro versions which is what the router cost, but then I'd have to string PoE cable which would be difficult but not impossible. I was hoping there was a simpler solution and someone had good experiences with an off the shelf router. I'm also scared of investing into Ubiquiti because if it doesn't work out as well the return process would be more difficult.

It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!


Here is link number 1 - Previous text "UAP"



----
^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete

There are likely many options for your setup and maybe you'll get a lot of suggestions. I can tell you that I have a similar setup as far as home and devices. I had the Linksys WRT AC1900 (with DD-WRT open source firmware). It worked just fine, but I wanted a bit more control and options. I went with the Ubiquiti EdgeRouterX and the Ubiquiti Unifi AP-AC LR (long range) access point. This provided the ability to separate out devices by network (VLANs) as well as give the option to be able to easily add additional access points if I need it. Head over to the r/Ubiquiti subreddit for more info if you are interested. This setup hits pretty close to your budget, but does require a bit more tech know-how than setting up a single all-in-one router. The Ubiquiti line is sort of considered Pro-Sumer I think.

hey. thanks for the reply.

​

Since I am not well versed in networking I am unsure how access points actually work.

For this Unifi AP AC LR this is what I've read on amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-System-UAP-AC-LR/product-reviews/B015PRCBBI ):

​

"1. It isn't a router. This seems to catch many people, especially home users, off guard. But I've always used a separate router, so no problem there.2. It is powered over the Ethernet connection, which is great for commercial installation but an annoyance for home install.3. The controller software must be used during setup and is best kept running 24/7. Not a problem if you have a server computer (which I do). Once running it is reachable through a web browser on any of your computers (nice). "

​

1. I would need a router obviously and I had the idea that this AP can work as one
   
2. Now my question here: if I wanted to have a second AP would I need to get the ethernet wiring over there also (meaning it wouldn't work wirelessly as mesh networks do)? Powerline would work for me as well I just don't want to install another 50meter cable into the walls (although I might consider it if it's that good of an idea).
   
3. well this is worrying as I wouldn't want to keep a separate machine running just to keep the internet up
   
   ​
   
   Thanks in advance in any insight you can give in this matter!
   
   ​
   
   PS. additionally on paper the Orbi gives a 2200Mbps performance compared to the Unifi one which if I calculate correctly is 1300+Mbps. I currently have a 1Gbps (on paper, 350Mbps guaranteed) connection. That is quite the different in bandwith.

The repeater has to overlap the routers WiFi signal by no less than 30%. You can't really know where that is without a spectrum analyser, which cost 10k.

The best way to resolve this is to buy a Ubiquitous light weight access point

That's going to get the job done. Once you have it disable the routers WiFi and just use the Ubiquitous AP. You won't need that repeater either.

Get a Unifi AC Pro and a cat5e cable intended for burial:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Waterproof-Shielded-Ethernet-Direct/dp/B001B6DX88?th=1

Put the included PoE injector in your house, the Unifi AC Pro in the barn and connect them with the cable. Standard cabling can be used to connect the PoE injector to the LAN.

I am assuming that the barn is not a conditioned space, which is why I am suggesting the Unifi AC Pro, which is rated for outdoor use.

It is also possible to use fiber, but the copper cable can carry both power and data while the run is below the 100 meter limit dictated by standards (although going higher is possible).

I have this: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Pro-UAPACPRO5US/dp/B015PRO512?th=1

For routing I am planning to get this:
http://www.balticnetworks.com/mikrotik-routerboard-rb3011-complete-with-usb-3-0-port-1u-rackmount-power-supply-lcd-display-fiber-enabled.html

As far as cheap stuff (see: residential) goes, Ubiquiti is pretty good. This might be overkill but this one has a second ethernet port that would function the way you want. Also looks like it comes with a PoE module.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1484673176&sr=1-1&keywords=ubiquiti&refinements=p_72%3A1248879011

You might be able to save $30+ by going with a Netgear (they make access points as well) but my general philosophy is to buy good stuff off the bat and not have to worry later.

Sorry - networking noob here. Apologies in advance, and thanks for any clarification you are willing to offer.

What is an erlite? Is it this? https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519246604&sr=1-2&keywords=erlite

Also - Unifi AC Pro - you mean this?
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519246663&sr=1-2&keywords=unifi+ac+pro

Again - thank you :D

Oh yeah, powerline sucks. I looked into it, and noped right out.

Look into these Ubiquiti wireless devices. I have never had such good performance. Just hands down will blow you away. The range is incredible - I can get signal a half a block away from home. They have some that have seamless hand-offs between APs. I used to have a central router and then two extended APs which (short story) sucked.

Now I have ONE Ubiquiti AP and it covers all 4 stories of my house.

I am running a Win 2016 Server with shares, client backups, and file history backups.
Then I have a Plex media server streaming to 3 RasPlex (Raspberry Pi's) and two PS4's and a PS3. I also have a Blue Iris camera system with twelve 2K wifi cameras. Then I have the usual 4 laptops, two desktops, two phones, and a tablet. I also have a wifi garage system, VOIP phone line, wireless printers, and some other crap.

BTW, get a cloud-based backup. I got a Crashplan Small Business account and back up my server. It, of course, backs up all my clients, and it's CHEAP, easy, and secure.

Hope this helps!

If you are on TWC, what modem are you using currently? Or is it a gateway provided by TWC?

I basically always recommend the SB61XX- series of modems. Not their fancy gateway versions.

the SB6121 is End of Life now, so you have either the SB6141, SB6183 or the SB6190, if you are buying new. If you have one of these or another passable modem, you can continue to use that. The difference between them is the upper limit of service speed. They are all basically the same product besides this difference.

For a router, I typically go with a Mikrotik RB3011, but that is going to require some networking know-how. Since you are here asking questions, it's definitely not your speed.

I would suggest the Ubiquiti Security Gateway, for you. I have personally never used one, since I know my way around Mikrotik, but I hear good things, and I have like any other hardware they make.

For your Wireless, I suggest the Ubiquiti Unifi AC Pro APs. You can have as few as one, but can scale it later if you want.

Also, if you own the home and plan on sticking around for any amount of time, you might consider actually building a network shelf by the Cable/telco demarc (usually by the power panel in the basement by most modern building codes)

Something like so.

Then you can mount your networking equipment out of the way, in the ideal location to put the modem. This sort of setup, combined with structured wiring would be the ideal home network setup.

I'd confirm what /u/braiiam says - do a survey first, one AP may be enough. AP ACP Pro works more than fine for me in a 2000 sq ft office with a lot of metal studs, lowest signal level I see is about -71 dBm at far ends.

One bit that may save you some money: UAP-AC-PRO-US singles (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512) come with a PoE injector, while what that page refers as "newer item" (UAP-AC-PRO-E-US, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079DSW6XX) doesn't even though it's more expensive.

One more bit - get yourself WiFiman if you have an Android device: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubnt.usurvey - you can use it even if you don't have any Ubiquiti equipment on the network yet, say, to map your current signal levels.

By gig blast I assume you mean fiber maybe? Here is the fiber version of the router. Ubiquiti Edgerouter X SFP - Router - Desktop - Black (ER-X-SFP) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012X45WH6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-C7sDbRNTZ9DC

Access points: Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_eE7sDbCT7FFQT

The access points will act purely as a bridge from wireless to wired (aka not a router, just wifi) with your home's size I'd recommend probably 3 or possibly 4 of them depending on how well you want the wifi to reach. This type of wifi will be mesh meaning you'll only have one ssid and your phone will connect to whichever AP is closer automatically. (Youd need to download a controller software to a PC)

Again, this is just the most optimal setup and required a little bit knowledge of the devices and general networking to setup.

If you're strictly looking for good but plug and play this would be the best route: AmpliFi HD WiFi System by Ubiquiti Labs, Seamless Whole Home Wireless Internet Coverage, HD WiFi Router, 2 Mesh Points, 4 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 WAN Port, Ethernet Cable, Replaces Router & WiFi Extenders https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L9O08PW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oH7sDbKR37G0G

Hope this helps clear things up!

In the event I take the Ubiquity route I just wanted to make sure I knew what I was jumping into. So as I see it I just require the following pieces:
USG

Switch

AP

Then download the controller and i'm good to go I think with a little bit of wiring and mounting.

Sorry to highjack the conversation here but am in the process of following your recommendations here but not sure if I am missing something. I plan on getting the following:

1. 2 - UB AP Pro amazon link here
   
   
2. UB Edgerouter X amazon link here
   
   Question - Is there anything I am missing?

Buy one of these and never worry about WiFi connectivity again. Power line is terrible don't use it. Best option is to use direct ethernet cord but if you can't use wifi.

I use cat6 cables.

this is the ap i own.

The UAP-AC-PRO-US would be close to the 2702 and is 1/3rd the price. It's 3x3 mimo, but I've yet to see a real-world situation where the clients could do 3x4 or 4x4

Controller is free. Really nice too if you're using the Unifi line of switches as you get central visibility for both wired and wireless clients.

I always recommend the Ubiquiti AC Pro. They are a little on the pricey side, but they are pretty much the indisputable leader in the enthusiast home sector.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512

Also, this video guide has a pretty good overview of what you can expect and how simple the setup is.
https://youtu.be/470VUMjsC8g

Check out the Unifi

If you're going to be trying to consume 2160p content, hardwire everything you can. Get an ethernet cable to that TV and to everything else that doesn't move.

The Nighthawk is a decent unit, but the thing you have now is a fine router. Get a Ubiquiti Unifi AC-Pro, and just turn off the N900's wireless.

is this a good access point https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512?ref_=ast_bbp_dp ?

Ubiquiti Access Point sounds exactly what you are looking for - but it is not below $60. Honestly, you wouldn't want an AP that low priced anyways, unless you want to reboot it twice a week. This one is rock solid, and you will be very happy with its performance.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495835772&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point

You could also go N instead of AC, or get the lite one (which is just a bit over $70) if you want to go a bit cheaper.

• 1.The wifi on the MI424WR is garbage. The Quantum gateway is better.
  
• 2. You can add wireless access points that have much better broadcast range. I added two of these at my parents house. I have one in my apartment.
     
     
     Edit: Also check out this.

Thanks for the answer.

Do you mean this one?: https://www.amazon.com.mx/Ubiquiti-Networks-UAP-AC-PRO-acceso-blanco/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494957073&sr=8-1&keywords=ubiquiti+AC+pro

Would I also need the Edgerouter X?

OK. I see on the TP-Link page you sent an illustration that helped clear things up for me.

One unit plugged in next to the router, connected by an Ethnernet cable.

One unit plugged in next to where I want better wifi, connected to "any device" with an Ethernet cable.

Now... what would that "any device" be? Is that the AP? I'm guessing AP means access point. OK! Is that one of these things, Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US)?

Basically I would need both of these right ?

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499726691&sr=1-1&keywords=Ubiquiti+edgerouter+x

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=pd_bxgy_147_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B015PRO512&pd_rd_r=HDNSZAWA99GZHF55TK0A&pd_rd_w=kPnqD&pd_rd_wg=CbfzB&psc=1&refRID=HDNSZAWA99GZHF55TK0A

I have to set up the antenna in the ceiling ?

I don't have hands on with a wide selection of routers but I've heard these are the way to go: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512?tag=pickmyrouter-20
If you can spread a couple of these around in your house, you'd have 3 total wireless signals to utilize.

If there will be alot of streaming happening on the same wireless AP, a tri-band router/ap may be the way to go but they're pricey. see: https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC3200-Tri-Band-Gigabit/dp/B00KWHMR6G?tag=pickmyrouter-20

If it were me, I'd pick up 1 of the ubiquiti APs, and see how it goes. If there is too much congestion you can always pick up another one.

As a previous poster stated, asking people that live around you will give you an idea of the speed you'll receive from CL. I live off of 84th and Q and tried CL and ended up switching to Cox for various reasons:

1. Speeds were half of what I was supposed to receive. No surprise here because the DSL line running into my apartment was nearly 3 apartment buildings away, so the sheer length of the cabling my connection had to go to for communication was absurd. I signed up for the 80mbps plan and got a consistent 35mbps because I had a fairly decent technician.
   
2. For whatever reason, I never received a bill from CL. I didn't want to end up paying a bulk bill because CL's systems were awful and couldn't keep track of my account, but when I cancelled they ended up just sending me a bill for the 3 months I had service expecting me to pay all of it since they hadn't previously charged me. Wonderful.
   
3. CL's service reps are hands-down much worse than Cox's. In my entire existence I've never had a rep transfer me around to 4 or 5 different departments to solve such a simple question, whereas Cox typically answered my questions immediately.
   
   I would never recommend CL to even my worst enemies. If you're upset with Cox, I would recommend cancelling your service then reactivating it under one of their deals at the time. Also, buy your own modem and router and don't go with what they give you, you'll notice a hell of a difference and it makes the process of cancelling and re-subscribing much easier. If you want a recommendation for equipment, I suggest a Ubiquiti router that suits your needs, but I would recommend the Unifi AP-AC Pro as it is what I use. For the modem, I would recommend a 16x4 modem if you have around 2-3 people living in the household or a 32x8 modem if you want to go all out. The only reason the channel count matters is if you have a high-bandwidth plan or if you have many, many devices simultaneously connected.
   
   If you have any questions about anything I posted, let me know!
   
   Tl;dr - Centurylink is garbage unless you can get the gigabit plan. If you can, get CL. If you can't, stay with Cox.

Did some research, drank some Ubiquiti koolaid and this is what I'm looking at now

1: Netgear Modem - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I5TJGSE/

2: Ubiquiti Security Gateway - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LV8YZLK/

3: Ubiquiti Wireless AP - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/

4: Ubiquiti Cloud Key - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017T2QB22 (sure Rasp Pi but by the time buying everything and configuring it I don’t mind forking over the extra $30)


Leave the un-managed switches as is for now.

The qotom server only starts at $180 for the 2016 version.

The HP Procurve is only found used at $100.

The Ubiquiti Unifi is $130 apiece, and there are 3 of them.

I'm not a maths expert but I think it may end up slightly above $130. But then again, I didn't go to UCLA.

You can get a nice Ubiquiti AP for less than an extra r7800.

Also keep in mind you want a router that can separate networks so you're not processing credit cards on a network that employees or guests can access.

So if I get the following:

Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway (USG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_G.-6CbQKR05PA


Ubiquiti UniFi Switch 8 60W (US-8-60W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU3WUX1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oe.6CbNHHGH30

Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) x2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_We.6Cb27RWQ13

This should be sufficient, or am I missing something?

As someone who isn't network savy, is this relatively plug and play? I can mount the access points on the ceiling and plug into the cat 6 cables. The router would then plug into my modem in the smart panel, and be connected to the switch and my 4 Ethernet lines? (2 to the access points, 1 to living room and 1 to the den/office)

Ubiquiti.

It's not just a WiFi router, it's an AP that will connect to a Switch and has a hardware Security Gateway protecting the whole network.

If you want some quality equipment, Ubiquiti is pretty nice. Online Management, Stats and graphs and loads of functionality.

I don't have gigabit since its not available in my area.

But this is probably good in your budget.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_K.vwzbRZ8MV7C

Remember this is an access point not a router. So you still need a router to use. You can buy a router to use with this for like $50. But i use the fios router as a router.

When I installed it in my uncle's house I did do it myself. It was expensive.

• Edgerouter X - $67
  
• UAP-AC-Pro - $128 (Bought 3 of these but it doesn't count for this calculation)
  
• Cat6 Cable (1000ft In Wall) - $150
  
• RJ45 Connectors - $9 (Didn't need this many but it's a lot more expensive if you buy less)
  
• Network Tool Kit - $60
  
  Total: $414
  
  You're right about the tools but once you get Cat6 wired up in your house when would you need to do it again? I don't think Cat6 is going away anytime soon.

Have you performed a wireless site survey? How congested are the frequencies that you are using to communicate with your router? Although your router looks decent, personally I would try a Ubiquiti Unifi access point and see if your performance improves. Ubiquiti access points are highly-rated, amazingly fast, reliable, and a breeze to configure:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/

Never had issues like you describe in any UniFi deployment I've ever done. I'd suggest calling them to get it replaced. Something is definitely wrong there.

Just read the reviews, your experience is most definitely atypical.

Also check this.

AP pro

Absolutely not! To understand why, I need you to exterminate from your head the idea that a router provides WiFi. Within the realm of real networking, a router merely routes data between your local network and the internet. Instead, WiFi is generated by access points which you plug into that Ethernet port in the room on the other side of the house.

Generally, your network stack will look something like this.

Internet ---Fiber--> Modem ---Cat 6 ---> router --Cat 6--> switch --Cat 6 (in walls)--> Access Point --WiFi --> Phone.

Well these are business class devices that are priced so that residential users can also take advantage of them. Ubiquity has a huge following and there's a lot of support and documentation out there along with Youtube vids that could probably walk you through the whole process.

The devices connect to a controller. You can run the controller on a windows PC, Linux, or Mac. You can also purchase a hardware controller but it's not necessary.

You would then configure the AP and the Gateway from the same controller (basically a GUI web interface).

It might seem challenging and more than what you would run into with a standard home setup but their APs will blow Google mesh wifi out of the water.

Here's the AP I would recommend: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ubiquity+ac+pro&qid=1555956856&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Note: you will need to power the device over ethernet. A POE switch or I believe when you purchase a single AP it comes with a power injector but you want to make sure.

So this and 2 of these and I'll be golden? I just have a ton of shit in the house and now my wife wants a TV in the kitchen.. I think the microwave is like a faraday cage or something because the kitchen wifi is basically garbage

We've had good luck with the G-Rack. From $17k to $37k for 48-144TB. It's pretty flexible as far as connections go. Make sure the server hits your switch over 10gig, preferably using an LACP bond. Your designers could hit it via gigabit. Laptop folks should be encouraged to use copper, but if you have good wifi they'll have enough connectivity for meeting rooms. Video clients should be connected over 10gig ethernet, but if you don't have the money to pull Cat6a wires everywhere NBaseT can get you 2.5Gbps or 5Gbps over existing Cat5e or Cat6 wires.

Edit: Just don't overlook backup. Amazon S3 or Backblaze B2 are great cloud solutions.

No, Ruckus is not less than $500 per AP. Unifi is around $100 for the AP, an entire solution would cost you less than $300. I'd still argue that you'd have a hard time proving Ruckuss' value outside of the enterprise. How does it blow them out of the water anyway, what metrics?

https://www.amazon.com/Ruckus-ZoneFlex-802-11ac-Indoor-802-3af/dp/B00MV93Q2M
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520258812&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi+ac+pro

So a Ubiquiti setup would need 1 router + 1 AP? Like this:

Router:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Appliance-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

and

AP:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Ubiquity 802.11ac Long Range Access Point easily covers 50x24 feet of office space which costs ~ $80 costing ~ $130


I got the above one for Office use and Home use but budget was not constraint I would use the 802.11ac PRO Access Point

Ubiquity Unifi AP pro wifi

​

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-802-11ac-Dual-Radio-UAP-AC-PRO-US/dp/B015PRO512

Thanks this worked but now I have more questions:

I currently have 1 router, and 2 more routers running in "bridge mode". I assume that means that they are running as access points. I have them all wired with ethernet from the main router so I assume they are getting the internet signal over the wired network and then rebroadcasting it as wi-fi. They are all Linksys EA4500 model routers. Each is currently brodcasting a 2.4ghz and 5ghz signal, so I previously had 6 SSIDs total. Once I scan my neighborhood:

1. I find all the channels everyone is using, and pick the least used channel on my device, right?
   
   
2. Do I set the same, least used channel on all 3 of my devices or do I need to find like 6 different least used channels across my neighborhood and set 2 for each device (1 for the 2.4ghz and 1 for the 5ghz)?
   
   
3. If I understand this concept correctly, my mobile and wifi devices are smart enough to 'latch onto' and 'release' wifi networks based on signal strength; the access points and routers don't need to communicate with each other to pick up and handoff devices, right?
   
   
4. so who needs a 'mesh network'? I was under the assumption that the mesh network was needed to pick up and handoff devices and distribute the network load and stuff. It seems, from my understanding, that if you have a weak signal somewhere in your house, all you need to do is get an access point or two, connect it to your network with an ethernet cable and have it rebroadcast your wifi signal and find a channel that isnt crowded in your neighborhood and use that. Am I missing something? Is the only benefit of a mesh network is for people who dont want to run ethernet between access points and so are buying devices with a dedicated wi-fi band that can handle the backhaul without contaminating the 'internet' bandwidth?
   
   
5. do you have a recommendation for access points I can stick around the house so I blanket my house with seamless wifi coverage? is this a good one for what I want: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=wireless+access+point&qid=1573065820&sr=8-5
   
   thank you!

Not totally against picking up the SG-3100; not sure what my initial reservation was. I do like the form factor.

Also, i considered getting a couple of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781YXFBT/ to serve as APs throughout my home. Shouldn't have any issues with those, right?

Thank you all!

PS: The current Netgears are 802.11n - hoping to upgrade to ac (or better?) as part of all this...

TP-Link EAP225 V3 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Ceiling Mount Access Point, Supports 802.3af PoE and Passive PoE(Injector Included), AC1350 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781YXFBT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GUO9Ab1TBD5V0

I'm too lazy to write things out

watch this, it's conceptually the same for DECA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhCaZqxVAJE

get a cheap AP
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT

Depending on how close to $100 you want to stick, you might do best just ditching the wireless on your existing router and setting up matching access points upstairs and downstairs. Here are some 802.11ac wave 2 access points that come in at "around" $100 for a pair:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT/

https://www.amazon.com/Grandstream-Mid-Tier-802-11ac-Beam-Forming-Technology/dp/B071XTVSXL/

If you disable the wireless radios on your existing router, and set up a pair of access points, you would have one SSID that would provide better transitions between upstairs and downstairs.

I have an SBG6580 and am looking at getting either this:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Dual-Band-passive-UAP-AC-LITE/dp/B016K4GQVG

or this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781YXFBT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_zhWKAbGA77383

and just putting the SBG into bridge mode disabling the wireless radio. I've read this is a decent solution.

If thats the case I would see if they would let you pay for a second connection to their property and as long as you can get a Line Of Sight between you and them you should be able to use something like THIS to bounce if to your property pretty easily.

Otherwise as you say you could offer to foot a portion of the bill, the only issue with that is its very easy for one party or the other to tie up the whole line.

What type of connection do they have?

I'm thinking about something like this
https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0

Ive used off the shelf consumer grade wireless bridges for myself and a friend. They go 200ft through walls at full speed but are rated for over a mile line of sight. Theyre about $200 and believe they are level 2 so no configuring, your network sees them as a cable connection. The EZ-Bridge-Lite EZBR-0214+ High Power Outdoor Wireless Point to Point System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002K683V0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_12LnzbNB9TW7K

Edit: this is not the same one I use but its the one I setup for a friend's workshop, the one I use gets the full 50mbs but this one seems to only be rated for 15Mbs.

You definitely want a wireless point-to-point link for this.

However, instead of buying standalone radios and having to configure the pair, I would suggest you simply buy a pair that come pre-configured. It makes deployment way simpler.

And it doesn't need to be a Ubiquiti product, either; in fact, I don't believe they even offer a pre-paired set. I'm referring to something like a TrendNet TEW-740APBO2K, or an EZ-Bridge-Lite EZBR-0214+, or, for 60Ghz non-interfering goodness and up to full line-rate wire speed, Mikrotik Wireless Wire (do note, with 60Ghz you really don't even want a clear window pane in the way, as it's very sensitive to even the slightest of physical obstructions, and something like that could cut link speed in half, or more, or kill the link entirely).

Regardless, you have so many options; even the 2.4Ghz stuff, at proper gain and placement, will likely link up fast enough to cover a 100/5 internet pipe.