Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post

TorqueDog · 07-03-2018, 10:31 AM

In my last place, a 1,200 sq-ft apartment downtown, my faithful ASUS RT-N66U served up access without skipping a beat, and I paired it with a Linksys RE7000 repeater/extender to provide patio coverage (since the glass was pretty good at blocking wireless signals).

Since we've moved into our house (3 storey, 2,700 sq-ft built in 2008), it has become increasingly evident that our current wireless solutions (the primary of which must live in the utility closet out of necessity) are simply not up to the task of sufficiently providing coverage. AP roaming is clunky between the RT-N66U and the RE7000, and the RE7000 is often reporting simultaneously that it is 1. too close to the current router to provide maximum extension and 2. receiving a weak wireless signal, denoted by a solid orange LED on the unit.

My RT-N66U is old and I get that. I've been rocking this thing since ~2013, so naturally I started to shop for a new router. But the problem is that all the top rated router/wireless combos cost an upwards of $500 and will still suffer from the same problem of being located in the utility closet. Mesh wireless systems that use a separate communication network look interesting, but I just wasn't convinced that I wouldn't end up with similar issues to my current setup (trying to extend an already weak signal)... not to mention that many of them lack more advanced features that my old ASUS still has going for it.

So I've decided I'm going to spend a bit more money to do it properly, and go enterprise. I'll be installing the following in the upcoming weeks, and I'll let everyone know the results:

- Ubiquiti UniFi Security Gateway
- UniFi 8-port 60W PoE Managed Switch
- UniFi AP-AC-Pro being installed in my office, far east main floor
- UniFi AC-Mesh to be installed in our master bedroom, far west top floor
- UniFi Cloud Key (optional, used for managing the whole thing without installing the software onto a VM or server)

The PoE switch is required unless I want to use a PoE injector. However, since I've already got ethernet ports/wiring where I want to mount the wireless APs, a PoE switch is a no-brainer and saves on wiring clutter. I'm going to re-purpose the RE7000 as a 'basement only' AP and hardwire it until I decide to pick-up another AP-AC-Pro (likely).

If anyone is interested in a similar set-up, I found that price shopping between Amazon.ca and NewEgg.ca yielded the best results. Amazon had the USG, the AP-AC-Pro-E, AC-Mesh, and Cloud Key for cheaper than NewEgg.ca, but couldn't beat NewEgg.ca's price on the PoE switch. Shipping was free on both sites.

07-03-2018, 10:31 AM	#1
TorqueDog Franchise Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Calgary - Centre West Exp:	Done with Consumer WiFi solutions... In my last place, a 1,200 sq-ft apartment downtown, my faithful ASUS RT-N66U served up access without skipping a beat, and I paired it with a Linksys RE7000 repeater/extender to provide patio coverage (since the glass was pretty good at blocking wireless signals). Since we've moved into our house (3 storey, 2,700 sq-ft built in 2008), it has become increasingly evident that our current wireless solutions (the primary of which must live in the utility closet out of necessity) are simply not up to the task of sufficiently providing coverage. AP roaming is clunky between the RT-N66U and the RE7000, and the RE7000 is often reporting simultaneously that it is 1. too close to the current router to provide maximum extension and 2. receiving a weak wireless signal, denoted by a solid orange LED on the unit. My RT-N66U is old and I get that. I've been rocking this thing since ~2013, so naturally I started to shop for a new router. But the problem is that all the top rated router/wireless combos cost an upwards of $500 and will still suffer from the same problem of being located in the utility closet. Mesh wireless systems that use a separate communication network look interesting, but I just wasn't convinced that I wouldn't end up with similar issues to my current setup (trying to extend an already weak signal)... not to mention that many of them lack more advanced features that my old ASUS still has going for it. So I've decided I'm going to spend a bit more money to do it properly, and go enterprise. I'll be installing the following in the upcoming weeks, and I'll let everyone know the results: - Ubiquiti UniFi Security Gateway - UniFi 8-port 60W PoE Managed Switch - UniFi AP-AC-Pro being installed in my office, far east main floor - UniFi AC-Mesh to be installed in our master bedroom, far west top floor - UniFi Cloud Key (optional, used for managing the whole thing without installing the software onto a VM or server) The PoE switch is required unless I want to use a PoE injector. However, since I've already got ethernet ports/wiring where I want to mount the wireless APs, a PoE switch is a no-brainer and saves on wiring clutter. I'm going to re-purpose the RE7000 as a 'basement only' AP and hardwire it until I decide to pick-up another AP-AC-Pro (likely). If anyone is interested in a similar set-up, I found that price shopping between Amazon.ca and NewEgg.ca yielded the best results. Amazon had the USG, the AP-AC-Pro-E, AC-Mesh, and Cloud Key for cheaper than NewEgg.ca, but couldn't beat NewEgg.ca's price on the PoE switch. Shipping was free on both sites. __________________ -James GO FLAMES GO.