Done with Consumer WiFi solutions...

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I think he means a firmware backup with your settings configured into it? That way if you mess up your systems, you can reload/restore and start over rather than try and reverse navigate your way out of the mess.

{snip}

Honestly, I'm not even going to say that what I suggested is actually completely "accurate" and/or "efficient". I'm sure others might disagree with my concerns about the complexity. I'm quite certain my own set up at home is more "stupid but functional" rather than a well designed and optimized set up and that's with the dead easy AmpliFi routers hooked up and additional hours and hours of tinkering with things and solving random issues.

Well put.

Yes, a backup is essential. The hardware (and it doesn't matter whose hardware you eventually settle on) is always in need of some form of human assistance, tweaking, updating, upgrading etc. BEFORE doing so, it is smart to make a backup - all routers or control systems have the ability to do so - and to stash same on a location you can "reach" even if your entire system blows up. Typically that is somewhere on your PC, or on a USB stick. Back up, set aside, tweak, and only if needed, restore the backup and try again. Oh, yes: EVERY TIME.

How to proceed?

Map your system. Some of what you have will be useless, some may be of use, but until you know that, it's a tough thing to advise.

Yes - probably move all your "control hardware" to the basement, more because it's generally ugly, noisy and has flashing lights than any other reason and spouses generally don't appreciate any of that. At least not in my experience LOL.

Then, start slowly and easily. Yes, the Amplifi system is a good choice. I have a pal who is definitely non-technical and he had no problem setting up an Amplifi mesh system at his condo. (Use the white boxes, unless you are a fanatic gamer - the Alien system/Gaming systems are great, but likely overkill.)

The Amplifi "Instant" system should get you up and running almost totally wirelessly, if you don't want to go through the mapping process right away. At least you can have whole-home internet decently. Connect the base unit to your router and away you go, set up the mesh units and the rest of the house is connected. Quick info here: https://amplifi.com/instant.

Then add a switch or two for any wired devices at your leisure.

[Raekwon]

Here is the worst drawing I could do of my layout, there are two more rooms not listed which also have 6 port switches connected to them.

[Raekwon]

I bought some Cisco wifi extenders/AP and after trying both the Telus Extenders were just too simple and no signal loss to pass up when wired

[iggyntangs]

Piggybacking on this thread.

I'm looking for some Ubiquiti equipment: two Ubiquiti in-wall AP's that are WiFi 6 enabled and a decent Ubiquiti router (Dream Machine?) and a 24ish port PoE switch.

Anybody know where I can find these?

[taxbuster]

Typical places in Canada are Memory Express, Deploy Depot and the UI store (store.ui.com) though supply-chain issues are fierce right now. If you have a corporation, you can also purchase through Lin Haw as they are a wholesaler.

Edit: I don't believe that the U6-IW is available in Canada yet. (And why do you want WiFi 6 anyway? Not a lot of home use cases for it.)

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Typical places in Canada are Memory Express, Deploy Depot and the UI store (store.ui.com) though supply-chain issues are fierce right now. If you have a corporation, you can also purchase through Lin Haw as they are a wholesaler.

Edit: I don't believe that the U6-IW is available in Canada yet. (And why do you want WiFi 6 anyway? Not a lot of home use cases for it.)

If you've got Telus fibre and/or lots of neighbors with oversaturated wifi then 6 could definitely be useful. Besides if you're spending money on dedicated access points then it just makes sense to go with the new standard for future proofing

[taxbuster]

I'm yet to be convinced that WiFi 6 isn't just marketing garbage, but to be fair, have not yet tried it. (But I do have Telus Gig Fibre all the way out here in the middle of everywhere, BC.....but no "noisy" neighbours ha ha. Just frogs and loons.) I do have a Calgary condo, so if (when?) the Flames go deep, I'll be back there and maybe throw a U6 on in there ... overkill, but hey...

As far as the other gear, the UI store isn't too bad...but frequently out of stock at the moment. I get stuff there fairly regularly and check out r/UbiquitiInStock with a CAN flair.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

I'm yet to be convinced that WiFi 6 isn't just marketing garbage, but to be fair, have not yet tried it. (But I do have Telus Gig Fibre all the way out here in the middle of everywhere, BC.....but no "noisy" neighbours ha ha. Just frogs and loons.) I do have a Calgary condo, so if (when?) the Flames go deep, I'll be back there and maybe throw a U6 on in there ... overkill, but hey...

As far as the other gear, the UI store isn't too bad...but frequently out of stock at the moment. I get stuff there fairly regularly and check out r/UbiquitiInStock with a CAN flair.

IMO, the tech specs of WIFI 6 isn't garbage, but IMO it feels akin to the top speed of a car at 300-400 kmph and driving it on public roads. When on earth would you actually see the extra benefits of that other than maybe perhaps a few seconds shaved off to 150 kmph as a rule breaking lead foot? On top of that, it also depends on your device's processing power.

An iphone 7 might cap out at 110 Mbps no matter what you do because it cannot handle more.
An iPhone 11 might cap out at 250-300 Mbps.
A 13 is around 300-400.
Some newer flagship Androids might hit 400-450, but most apps are done downloading and updating before you even maintain over 200-300 Mbps.

Torrenting/VPN/remote login might get better stability/fewer drops/barely even notice a drop... but I cannot imagine data requirements/file sizes large enough to maintain insane leaps in download speeds over a long period of time. Additionally, anyone doing that is likely using wired connections anyways for even faster speeds than wifi.


For those looking to acquire Ubiquiti equipment, do your research. Amazon sells some, but at anywhere from 30-200% premium. I dug out and checked my Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Lite. $109 CAD new on Ubiquiti website (but unavailable), $99 used on Amazon, $230 each on some sellers on Amazon, 5 pack . Most other places sell of average price.

The Ubiquiti Canada website sells some at prices lower than anyone else and free shipping (I nabbed another AmpliFi HD modem on Wednesday for $179 CAD there vs $230-280 everywhere else; bundles are still within $10-30 premium). Strangely enough, I noticed that supply on the Ubiquiti Canada and USA are different. The AmpliFi HD was available on the Canadian website, but not USA and vice versa for the Dream machine.

Some companies like B&H have decent prices and will ship from the USA. Others are Canada only and/or brick and mortar might offer some decent prices in store because they save on the costs of shipping (easily $20-40 per these types of units including shipping costs, packing costs and employee labour).

Finally, I'd poke around some IT professionals/cleaners and demo guys to see whether there are some companies tossing out good ####. There are some old school companies out there that might have purchased some extra types of networking gear to facilitate WFH, but with hybrid and demands to return to the office, some of it might shake free. This might mean that stuff like POE routers and modems and stuff start to randomly appear from companies as they go back to using a lot of the fixed infrastructure in their buildings. There's also companies that did a lot of cuts/closed down/merged offices and this stuff might also shake free. But this isn't just for networking equipment. You'd find some decent desks and chairs that dudes are inexplicably tossing in the trash. There's some companies doing fantastic during the pandemic and some doing awful and folding. Both might have stuff that shakes free.

=================

And back to the utility room layout... IMO, a huge tip I will offer for an inexpensive but awesome way to organize stuff, buy something like this:

https://www.amazon.ca/SimpleHousewar...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I wall mounted this in my place and I retrofitted an older one at my office where I do IT. Almost all techs that comes out to do stuff ask something like, "Can I steal the concept?" or I can tell they are impressed by it. I didn't invent the concept. I just saw it was a good fit for what I wanted to do. I originally used a floating TV shelf, but this was way better for what I wanted to do.

- simple, relatively inexpensive around $20-40, looks clean, great design: things can't randomly slide out like a flat tv mount, wall mountable (although depending what you have on it, you might want to use an L bracket to reinforce the mounting)
- mesh helps to keep airflow and reduce overheating/you can see through and know what is what without pulling things out all the time.
- slots are plentiful, great sizes and not oversized for switches, smart hub(s), raspberry pi, Google home/Amazon Alexa and storage for documents/manuals, spare parts etc.
- spacing is great for using patch cables of .5 to 2ft.
- can pull cables through the sides (longer cables, power cables etc.)
- Can easily mount this at the perfect desired height above a cabinet for expensive network gear that you won't want to wall mount and risk damage if mount fails (ie: Servers, NAS, audio gear, etc.)
- Strong enough, but not insanely difficult if you need to drill holes for mounting/cable etc.

I've actually be considering seeing if there's smaller versions of this that I can do the same to organize small switches, AP/mesh unit, cables, USB hubs for power etc.

I will say though, go with patch cables that are about .5 feet longer than you need. That way, if you have a component that you have to pull out momentarily to check/inspect/reset etc. you have enough slack to pull it closer to you rather than only a few inches from the set up.

Mine is still relatively messy, but maybe in the summer I'll throw $50-100 for better sized patch cables all around and wall mounting a power bar or two with USB and independent switches to facilitate reboots/power cycles etc.

https://www.amazon.ca/Smart-Protecto...s%2C131&sr=8-5

With around $200 ish, it could look ultra clean and sexy organizing wise:

- $40 for mesh sorter to store modem, router, switch, hubs, POE docs, cables etc.
- $30 worth of Cat 6+ 0.5-1 ft patch cables
- $30 worth of Cat 6+ 1-2 ft patch cables
- $5 zip ties/$5 of velcro organizers to bundle longer cables (ie: Power/USB etc.)
- $70-100 worth of power bars to wall mount and provide power (can push a button to turn off vs have to trace power and pull and re-plug)

https://www.amazon.ca/Ethernet-Highe...s%2C104&sr=8-6

I nabbed these patch cables, and IMO I think it's awesome for identifying certain devices/hubs/switch to patch panel (upstairs) by color. Inexpensive too.

[taxbuster]

@DoubleF...that's a pretty cute "mini-rack" setup!! Great for someone with not too much gear (or not too heavy). I ended up buying a 9U rack...holds all my Ubiquiti gear, modem and NASes perfectly and my two Eaton UPSes stand right beside it. (I didn't want them in the rack for a variety of reasons.) But for sure that arrangement is not for everyone.

On reddit r/homelabsales often has used Ubiquiti gear on it already located in Canada. I don't mind ordering for CPers either from my local wholesaler (LinHaw) if the product is in stock there. I can also generally have it drop-shipped. They seem to have pretty decent stock as does deploydepot.ca (which does sell to consumers).

The Canadian and US (and for that matter EU) Ubiquiti stores seem to be completeley differently managed and run. A lot of the Early Access gear is simply not available in Canada, but Canada also seems to get a more ready supply of cams. Go figure.

Love their stuff - it's not for everybody, and one needs to be careful updating APs - personally I don't, unless there's a need. So far this has not been an issue. My edge equipment tends to be patched to current, but I always back up the firmware first.

In general I like the product because I can set it, and either forget it or manage it as need be, without a massive overhead of time and energy. And, at least for me, it's been absolutely rock solid.

[iggyntangs]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Typical places in Canada are Memory Express, Deploy Depot and the UI store (store.ui.com) though supply-chain issues are fierce right now. If you have a corporation, you can also purchase through Lin Haw as they are a wholesaler.

Edit: I don't believe that the U6-IW is available in Canada yet. (And why do you want WiFi 6 anyway? Not a lot of home use cases for it.)

Thanks I was able to get the 24 POE switch and U6-Pro's.

I'm finding a Dream Pro Switch increasingly hard to find.

I went with Memory Express but Lin Haw was out of the Dream Machine Pro and the other items were insanely pricey there.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by iggyntangs

Thanks I was able to get the 24 POE switch and U6-Pro's.

I'm finding a Dream Pro Switch increasingly hard to find.

I went with Memory Express but Lin Haw was out of the Dream Machine Pro and the other items were insanely pricey there.

Yah - suspect the best price is at Ubiquiti and everyone else is just making do with what they can get. Haven't seen a UDMP for under $525 CDN for a while, except on Ubiquiti - and they're o/s most of the time.

But keep an eye on r/homelabsales....they do come up there from time to time. I see another CPer looking for one there....

[iggyntangs]

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions.

One more, I'm debating between the U6 Mesh AP and the U6 Pro.

As taxbuster said the U6-IW isn't available in Canada so haven't been able to find that.

I don't find a massive enough cost difference between the Mesh and the Pro, I've read frequently that the features are quite similar but rather just the casing/antenna design is slightly different.

Any thoughts? My only thing is, I want these mounted to my wall (not ceiling), which is why I was looking for the IW.

[CroFlames]

I’ve slowly been building a Ubiquiti network.

I’m in the market now for an AP powered over Ethernet.

I think I can get away with just one as the UDM is covering my whole house with just the upper floor have less than full bars.

Are the lower end APs still ok?

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I’ve slowly been building a Ubiquiti network.

I’m in the market now for an AP powered over Ethernet.

I think I can get away with just one as the UDM is covering my whole house with just the upper floor have less than full bars.

Are the lower end APs still ok?

At home I have a Flex HD and also an AP-AC-Lite. Works fine....quite adequate for general usage. No, you won't get Gig WiFi on it, but you'll get somewhere in the low 100s Mbps range as long as you haved decent signal.

I also have one in a crowded condo space - lots of interference - and have never had any issue streaming anything.

[flamesrule_kipper34]

I do have a separate question, I also want to avoid having to get a Firestick for each TV device I have to be able to use my SurfShark VPN for services, I'd rather place VPN on a network but then I don't want every device have to go thru VPN.

So my question is, is there a way to set up a dedicated network via VPN that a device could connect to (wired or wirelessly) while the rest is non-VPN. Or is the only real way to do this via a dedicated VPN router itself?

[Iceman90]

Originally Posted by flamesrule_kipper34

I do have a separate question, I also want to avoid having to get a Firestick for each TV device I have to be able to use my SurfShark VPN for services, I'd rather place VPN on a network but then I don't want every device have to go thru VPN.

So my question is, is there a way to set up a dedicated network via VPN that a device could connect to (wired or wirelessly) while the rest is non-VPN. Or is the only real way to do this via a dedicated VPN router itself?

There are a number of VPNs you can install on your router or point your router to. I know ExpressVPN offers this. Especially if your router is using custom firmware, this is usually very doable.

[flamesrule_kipper34]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

There are a number of VPNs you can install on your router or point your router to. I know ExpressVPN offers this. Especially if your router is using custom firmware, this is usually very doable.

Yup, I see the same thing for SurfShark (which is what I have). But I'm more curious about on with say a Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro router/gateway, could I configure it in such a way to create a separate network for devices to connect to via VPN and another for the rest to use non-VPN.

Wondering if that's possible without having to have yet another router solely dedicated for VPN connections (and using the steps as you showed above, specific to my VPN)..?

[Iceman90]

Originally Posted by flamesrule_kipper34

Yup, I see the same thing for SurfShark (which is what I have). But I'm more curious about on with say a Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro router/gateway, could I configure it in such a way to create a separate network for devices to connect to via VPN and another for the rest to use non-VPN.

Wondering if that's possible without having to have yet another router solely dedicated for VPN connections (and using the steps as you showed above, specific to my VPN)..?

I would have to read the Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro documentation, but I doubt it. I can't see how that'd work to split the outgoing traffic like that.

[flamesrule_kipper34]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

I would have to read the Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro documentation, but I doubt it. I can't see how that'd work to split the outgoing traffic like that.

Yeah I have to verse myself more in this.

So far I've seen this: https://github.com/boostchicken-dev/udm-utilities and specifically split VPN.

[Iceman90]

Originally Posted by flamesrule_kipper34

Yeah I have to verse myself more in this.

So far I've seen this: https://github.com/boostchicken-dev/udm-utilities and specifically split VPN.

I am sure there is a user group, forum or sub reddit just for this hardware. That might be the best place to ask.