How many Unifi APs for this setup?

[YeOldeStonecat]

How did you have the APs physicall oriented when you tested? Laying on a desktop facing up? Or...up on the ceiling...facing down, proper.
You can go into the devices in the controller...look around the settings, there a drop down menu for TX power...you can crank it up.

 

[Big Jim]

How did you have the APs physicall oriented when you tested? Laying on a desktop facing up? Or...up on the ceiling...facing down, proper.
You can go into the devices in the controller...look around the settings, there a drop down menu for TX power...you can crank it up.

lying face up on a desk in "test orientation"

good to know about the tx power setting as I did have a quick look for something like that but didn't see anything obvious I'll have another poke around

EDIT, found the Tx setting, it was set to auto, anyway to easily work out what power the device sets itself to on auto mode ?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

The wireless signal radiates out the AP in a giant bagel/ring shape. If the AP is laying on a surface upside down...the wireless signal is going upwards and outwards. So if you're ground level, or below it...you're in a weaker signal area.
They are meant to be placed on ceilings, above clients, facing down.

 

[Big Jim]

good to know.
I was planning on fitting 2 units with their backs to each other and connecting them wirelessly, fitting them to the ceiling instead of the outside wall (on the inside) might actually be better then.

Cheers Stonecat

 

[Big Jim]

It was a week ago now but all went well, the 1 remote AP had a signal strength of around 40%.
Software was a doddle to work with once you understood it.

for future reference is it possible to daisy chain APs wirelessly?
and if so how many times can you bounce the wifi signal reliably ?

 

[Big Jim]

That's exactly what the UniFi system is designed for - it's not just an Access Point, it's a Wireless Distribution System.

The Ubiquiti Website has case studies using literally thousands of these devices strung together to cover huge sites with hardly any physical wiring anywhere (apart from power). Amazing technology, and astonishingly cheap.

on a normal wireless bridge I am led to believe that throughput is halved with every "hop" I assume this is not the case with the ubiquiti system ?

A while ago I asked on here about a similar type of setup for a bigger site, I spoke to someone locally who has more experience with enterprise grade equipment and he couldn't rate cisco meraqui kit highly enough. I couldn't find any prices online but did find a forum or 2 that compared them to the ubiquiti and I got the impression that whilst it was better kit it was costly in comparison.
Any opinions or experience ?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

on a normal wireless bridge I am led to believe that throughput is halved with every "hop" I assume this is not the case with the ubiquiti system ?

A while ago I asked on here about a similar type of setup for a bigger site, I spoke to someone locally who has more experience with enterprise grade equipment and he couldn't rate cisco meraqui kit highly enough. I couldn't find any prices online but did find a forum or 2 that compared them to the ubiquiti and I got the impression that whilst it was better kit it was costly in comparison.
Any opinions or experience ?

You are correct ..normally with single channel APs...every hop will cut throughput in 1/2. Each additional client will further do so.
On some dual radio models..they can use 1 radio for backhaul and the other for AP mode...to diminish that performance drop.

Meraki is definitely good too. A lot of here got free "demo" units about...2 years ago I think? Cisco was doing a big promotion for Meraki...you signed up and watched a webinar, and they shipped you a free Meraki AP. I still have mine somewhere around here..on a shelf. I used it at home...compared it to my residential gear and Ubiquiti gear. I used it at the office here...same thing. At home, I found the distance wasn't enough. For throughput and load...I don't have enough to swamp anything I have...so I don't know if the Meraki can handle a higher load than the Ubiquiti.
Feature wise...Unifi does all we can ask of it. I've had experience with earlier high end Cisco APs...as well as HP ProCurve APs on an HP Controller module. So I'm familiar with "enterprise needs" for wireless.
IMO, Ubiquiti delivers! Why pay 3 or 4 or 6 or 10 times the price...for the same features, performance, and ultimately...just a name?

 

[marley1]

YeOlde is right. Standardize on this system for clients. Host a cloud controller and be done.