Home/Garden WiFi

[Overlandr]

Hello, I am new to networking and want to learn more and heard you help with that stuff here?
I am looking to install wifi in to my garden, but I am not sure what to use. I would like something that can work in conjunction with an AP inside my house as well. I was looking at Ubiquiti airMAX stuff before I saw they only work between themselves and won't connect to my phone.
I am now looking at maybe a Ubiquiti UniFi AC Outdoor Mesh and a Ubiquiti Networks UAP-AC-LITE. Alternatively, I was looking at a TP-Link EAP225-Outdoor Omada and a TP-Link EAP225 Omada. They both add up to £150 ish.
Some added info; I have a long thin garden so a directional AP would be good, but I'm not sure what would be good.
I want this to be as cheap as possible, but be reliable.

TL;DL Help with good value house and garden WiFi
Thanks

 

[al_bundy]

Hey.
A unifi setup should work fine in your situation.

Tplink have come leap and bounds on their consumer router front but I personally haven't used their access points.

The normal unifi access points can be installed outside just not in direct elements.
The unifi out door mesh is 5ghz only so this maybe an issue for some devices.
What's the distance from the house to where the furthest you want wifi.

 

[Overlandr]

Thanks for the reply. It's about 50m to where I have seating.

 

[al_bundy]

50m will be pushing it for an install on the house. You will likely be able to get a connecting on 2.4ghz even maybe 5ghz but the quality will be reliant on many factors. So if you are looking at only browsing the web it may work. Netflix and video calling will likely be a no

Is there any restrictions to the physical install eg can you get a cable halfway down to install say the unifi flex hd which should be good for a 25m raidus out doors.

 

[Terry Kennedy]

Tplink have come leap and bounds on their consumer router front but I personally haven't used their access points.

I have a large TP-Link deployment in a remote campground in the Mojave Desert. I'm using the EAP110-Outdoor units as this is the only WiFi for 15+ miles at least, and there's no concern with interference (and just about every client supports 2.4GHz). I am running the Omada Controller software on a Raspberry Pi 4B - it had been running on a Windows 10 box, but every few days the Windows box reboots and the Omada software doesn't start because you have to click through some useless security warnings, and when that happens the captive portal goes offline.

My only complaint is that the EAP110-Outdoor uses passive PoE and they don't make a switch that can power these directly, so each unit has its own power injector. That means that most of the facility WiFi goes down when the power fails (which happens quite a bit) - the communications building has a large UPS for the Cisco 3945E router / switch and the microcell and WiFi access point in that building (and the microwave link back to Las Vegas for connectivity) so that part of the network stays up, but the other access points go down.

I used to use the Ubiquiti stuff, but a combination of them apparently getting bored with a product and not fixing longstanding bugs, and their "we've added advertising to our product firmware" caused me to give up.

 

[Overlandr]

I can install an AP further down on a garage which could mean I have better coverage. I could also use those to links thinks. There is also a lot of 2.4G around me here unfortunately. I have a pi I could run the software on. Or my unraid NAS perhaps?

 

[al_bundy]

I used to use the Ubiquiti stuff, but a combination of them apparently getting bored with a product and not fixing longstanding bugs, and their "we've added advertising to our product firmware" caused me to give up.

i'm going the same way fast for my home setup the lack of certain feature although promised were coming.

I can install an AP further down on a garage which could mean I have better coverage. I could also use those to links thinks. There is also a lot of 2.4G around me here unfortunately. I have a pi I could run the software on. Or my unraid NAS perhaps?

Installing the AP further down will be your best option.

as for which solution to go down TPlink or Unifi or another brand that will be something you should research.
The unifi APs are quite good but as mention the controller is a nag fest for other unifi stuff. One that i brought into my self. I didnt like seeing red everywhere not a big deal if the eco system provides everything you will want.

The controller can be installed on a Pi but if you have ab unraid box there is a docker conatiner maintained by linuxserver
If you want to see a general home setup for the unifi shoot me a PM and ill make a read only account on my system to look at.

 

[LodeRunner]

Used Ruckus R500/R510 from eBay with Unleashed on it might also be a decent choice. Their antenna design is pretty solid. Thread here: https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/ruckus-wireless-as-an-unifi-alternative.26384/

 

[Overlandr]

Used Ruckus R500/R510 from eBay with Unleashed on it might also be a decent choice. Their antenna design is pretty solid. Thread here: https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/ruckus-wireless-as-an-unifi-alternative.26384/

Ruckus seems pretty good, but even second hand are still a bit out of my price range I think.

 

[LodeRunner]

Here's one for under $60, but you'll need to also grab a PoE injector, but those aren't pricey: Ruckus Zoneflex R500 Dualband Wireless Access Point 190801045284 | eBay

The Rx00 series are AC Wave 1; the Rx10 and Rx20 (I think) are all AC Wave 2. You can make a free account at Ruckus and download the correct Unleashed firmware for a given AP; you don't have to buy one with it already loaded.

Video by a Ruckus engineer about the process:

 

[Overlandr]

From what I can see, there are a lot of the Ruckus APs in America, but not many over here so they are more expensive. Also, the 802.11ac is a bit out of my budget with even the R310 unfortunately. Thank you for the help though.

 

[LodeRunner]

Ah, gotcha, yeah shipping across an ocean changes things. Best of luck then. UniFi is usually OK; I have a pair of AC-Pros that are mostly fine, but they are not good at rejecting interference from my neighbors who have access points that are always on high-power.

 

[blinkenlights]

For anyone who does not need to ship across an ocean, Ruckus access points are a fantastic choice. I've used enterprise wireless gear from Cisco, D-Link, and Orinoco in the past.. none compares to my current Ruckus R720, in terms of performance and ease of setup. I'm using one AP to completely cover a large house and still grab signal outside in the yard.

 

[Overlandr]

The Orinoco seems to need a request for a quote and do you have any recommendations between any of them. At the moment, I am looking at some D-Link stuff such as the DAP-2620 which looks appealing. It also has Wave 2 MU-MIMO from what I gather is good? The only Cisco AP within my budget has been the WAP125 AC900, but they don't have much else at a similar price and don't want to be boxed in with their products. Are there any other companies that make APs? My current list of interests is TP-link, D-Link and Ubiquiti.

 

[blinkenlights]

The Orinoco seems to need a request for a quote and do you have any recommendations between any of them. At the moment, I am looking at some D-Link stuff such as the DAP-2620 which looks appealing. It also has Wave 2 MU-MIMO from what I gather is good? The only Cisco AP within my budget has been the WAP125 AC900, but they don't have much else at a similar price and don't want to be boxed in with their products. Are there any other companies that make APs? My current list of interests is TP-link, D-Link and Ubiquiti.

Wave 2 MU-MIMO is good, yes. You may think it's not worth it with a handful of smartphones and tablets today, but just wait until you have dozens or hundreds of "connected" gadgets in your house.

The manufacturers you listed are solid. They installed Aruba at work - another good choice. I think I would explore Ubiquiti before the others you listed, though. The AP I used prior to the Ruckus was from D-Link: DAP‑2690 - Wireless N Simutaneous Dual-Band PoE Access Point

It was not "bad" by any stretch, but signal loss while moving around was a real thing.

 

[Overlandr]

Aruba looks good, but has a limited selection. Also, do you think it was the slow beamforming on that D-Link AP

 

[blinkenlights]

Aruba looks good, but has a limited selection. Also, do you think it was the slow beamforming on that D-Link AP

Entirely possible. I have no personal experience with these, but Ruckus has some very decently priced Wave 2 compatible APs in the same form factor as that D-Link, like the H510: Indoor Wi-Fi Access Points | CommScope I've seen those for less than $100 new in box on eBay and I think direct pricing is something like $275 now.

I am personally happy with Ruckus compared to other Wi-Fi gear going back to the original 900MHz units in industrial plants, but don't take just my word for it https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/6uqvu2/_/dlv7dmx

 

[blinkenlights]

I do not recall you mentioning exactly where you are, but here are brand new H510's for 125 in London: Brand New Ruckus Unleashed H510 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi AP and Switch | eBay

(I have no comment on the seller "Fertility Options"... might be totally legit, with 100% and 505 stars, but what a name!)

 

[Overlandr]

Yeah, that does seem like a good price and that is an interesting name. I think my budget for the garden wifi about £100 with ethernet, but it could be worth the extra.