Access Point Recommendations?

[synaesthesia]

Like any guest network, just means you can separate traffic from guest users (you normally have it as a wifi setup with no password or a captive portal where you supply them a password) which can be vlaned separately from the normal wifi, filtered differently etc etc.

[Chris_]

UniFi is definitely worth looking at. We bought a 3 pack to trial in our environment and prove it was a workable solution to SLT and then proceeded to buy many more 3 packs!

 

Here we are now just less than a year later:

 

[neilmac]

You need to really consider your requirements first, before selecting an access point.

 

Start by defining these three objectives: Time (ie when you want to have it installed by), budget (max budget available for access points, licensing, professional help, cabling) and most importantly, specification:

 

How many users ?

What type of traffic ?

What type of security ?

How do you want to control users ?

Do you want to apply policies for traffic, browsing, etc ?

What solution works now / 3 years from now ? 5 years from now ?

Single site or multiple site ?

Managed or standalone ?

How will you admin the network ?

New or old cabling ?

etc, etc, etc......

 

You really have to think about this, and rethink even when you feel you have it defined right. Why 6 access points ?

 

Finally, the budget is not workable. Depending on your environment, if you are in education or business, you need to spend appropriately. Secure more funds or give up, if you try and find a solution on the cheap, you will end up with a compromise that will translate to poor performance.

 

All of these kind of networks run into problems because of lack of understanding of what WiFi is and how it does what it does. If it's in any way important, then you need to plan properly.

 

NM

[Blue_Cookeh]

Went from Netgear WAG102 APs to UniFis and my god they're good. All our wireless speed issues have been fixed around high density areas (netbook/iPad trolleys) and it's far too easy to configure them once the initial controller config is done, plug a UniFi AP in, go to the controller and accept it, the controller goes off and does the rest.

 

I didn't like the idea of using the stupid little PoE injectors so I went for their TOUGHswitch, which is just as nice a product.

 

Also can confirm the controller runs on 2008R2 and survives an upgrade to 2012.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Blue_Cookeh

[m25man]

Went from Netgear WAG102 APs to UniFis and my god they're good. All our wireless speed issues have been fixed around high density

 

You will be pleased to know that the .AC UAPs are performing even better! Where I had 65 - 70% signal I'm getting 99%

A/N devices jump straight to 5Ghz and the coverage is undoubtedly better than the PRO's

Yes they are marginally more expensive and there are few clients around at the moment to take advantage of the .AC but I'm looking forward to putting a few on the public SSID next week to see how they cope with a couple of hundred users.

[ZBruce]

New user incoming.

 

If you're willing to actually configure the APs from scratch, I can recommend Microtik APs.

MikroTik Routers and Wireless

 

They are cheap, and work pretty fantastically. They do require a lot of configuring though.

[tipxxy-mungie]

try ubiquiti's outdoorAP