Ubiquiti Users

[gizbug]

would like to hear from users who use these AP in their houses. Currently running cat6 wiring to most of the rooms in my house and searching for a wireless AP. My R7800 is too big and bulky for my wife’s tastes so I am exploring Ubiquiti AP to mount on the ceiling.
With 2800sq ft would 1 AP be sufficient?
Also I keep reading about controllers. What exactly are those? How would I access the settings of the Ubiquiti AP after it’s installed? I know with my netgear I log into an IP address and can modify WiFi channels/etc. would it be the same procedure?

Do you feel Ubiquiti is a better option than having a mesh system from say google or netgear?

 

[mnewsham]

I live in a 3 story, 1400sq ft, and I use 2 APs.

One ubiquiti AP-AC Lite upstairs that covers the upstairs and middle floor. And my ISP provided router is in the basement and provides coverage for the basement.

I get 200-400mbps depending how far I am from an access point.

 

[mv2devnull]

2 story, 1600sq ft, concrete walls and two AP. AC Pro versions that get power via PoE from a router (ER-poe5).


Unifi Controller is software that you can install and run on various platforms. I did use Docker container of the Linux version to set up my AP's. The controller will detect AP's with broadcasts. You can connect to the controller with browser. The AP's operate just fine after initial setup without the controller.

 

[Genx87]

~1400 sq ft split level. Single AC-pro seems to do the job. If I wanted to get the best coverage would put one in my garage on the other end of the current AP. But it really doesnt need it. I will be deploying a few of these at my cabin in about a month. 6500 sq foot two story but large open areas. I expect to only need 2-3 tops. If I want to get crazy may pull Cat 6 down to the dock and put one in our shore station so we can have internet there.

I have been pretty impressed with Ubiquiti so far. I run the controller on a windows box. It is great for home. Not sure about enterprise. I think Meraki is still the go to in that space. Well that is what I am going to as I lead the refresh across our org.

 

[gizbug]

How are these APs powered once installed in ceiling ?

 

[rchunter]

3500 sq ft. 2 story. 1 uap-ac-pro covers the house fine. As far as controller software I just run a linux docker on my server.

 

[ch33zw1z]

How are these APs powered once installed in ceiling ?


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Powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE is supplied by either a PoE port on a switch, or via a PoE injector. the injector is supplied with the AP

 

[Genx87]

How are these APs powered once installed in ceiling ?


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I'm using POE switch. I think they have an AC adapter option or a POE injector.

 

[mv2devnull]

Single AC Pro definitely includes a POE injector, but the pack of three does not.

 

[gizbug]

3500 sq ft. 2 story. 1 uap-ac-pro covers the house fine. As far as controller software I just run a linux docker on my server.

I only have macs. I also have a synology NAS which might run the controller?

 

[rchunter]

I only have macs. I also have a synology NAS which might run the controller?

Macs can run the controller software. Alternately you can purchase a cloud key device and plug it in to your network.

 

[boomerang]

1800 sf single story with one AP-AC-Lite mounted centrally, high on a wall. Coverage is great for us. You access it through their controller software. Because I only have one AP, I just start the software when desired for access.

If my understanding is correct, if you have more than one AP you will either need a computer that is on 24/7 running the software or you can purchase a CloudKey as was mentioned.

I have a Synology and it will not run the controller software. It needs to run within an OS.

I can't comment on a mesh system but this is the second home I have installed an AC-Lite in conjunction with an Edgerouter X from Ubiquiti. This setup is exponentially more reliable than any router I've ever had.

 

[bbhaag]

We have a 2 story 1600 sq ft home and one AP-AC-LR located on the second floor. Coverage is good through out the house. We can stream Netflix, Amazon, Sling, Plex, ect all in hd over the wan to our Roku sticks. No brick or cinder block walls in the house but the steel siding did hinder coverage to the garage. For that I purchased an Asus range extender and located it on our breezeway which is the go between room connecting the house and garage.
I can second Boomerangs opinion about their reliability. Before the switch to Ubiquiti I was going through all in one routers every year or two. I'd have to reboot them several times a week because our wireless signal would go down. Since the switch I can go months in between reboots.

 

[kevnich2]

If you're already running cat6 wiring in your house, I would put a few extra wires in the ceiling at certain spots just in case you need them for AP's later on. Can always install one originally, then if you find weak areas, add more. Wireless placement is entirely environmental. Sq footage of your house is only one of the variables that affect it. The only way to be sure is to do a site survey or just install one or two AP's and test it out. I have 2400 sq foot and one in the middle would likely cover everything...but I like having full coverage on 5ghz in all parts of my house, so I have two installed on each corner.

Ubiquiti also makes AP's that will work wall-mounted as well that include two usable network jacks at the bottom. They're pretty handy for coverage individual rooms that have weaker signals but I prefer the ceiling mounted AP's personally.

Do yourself a favor and get a unifi POE switch, the 8 port should work fine. You can also look at getting a USG and go full stack Unifi for the entire network. Gives great DPI stats on everything happening on the network, who's doing what, etc. I've set this type of system up for several high end home client's and they love it. Typically it's 2-3 AP's, a Unifi POE switch and a USG. Total comes to around $600 but it's a network you pretty much don't have to worry about, which they all love.

 

[Kneedragger]

would like to hear from users who use these AP in their houses. Currently running cat6 wiring to most of the rooms in my house and searching for a wireless AP. My R7800 is too big and bulky for my wife’s tastes so I am exploring Ubiquiti AP to mount on the ceiling.
With 2800sq ft would 1 AP be sufficient?
Also I keep reading about controllers. What exactly are those? How would I access the settings of the Ubiquiti AP after it’s installed? I know with my netgear I log into an IP address and can modify WiFi channels/etc. would it be the same procedure?

Do you feel Ubiquiti is a better option than having a mesh system from say google or netgear?

I use two of their AP in a two story home about 2500 square feet. They are great once set up.

I don't think one will give you great coverage but every situation is different.

 

[rchunter]

Yeah I don't use a lot of wireless. I only have a couple wireless devices I use regularly. Everything else is hard wired.
I've got over 30 cat6 cables run throughout my home.

 

[ch33zw1z]

1500 sq ft ranch. I use a single uap-ac-lr. It covers the house and all the usable acre of yard with no problems

 

[sourceninja]

I used to use AC pros in my house. 1900sq ft. I had one in the basement pointed up that covered the whole house. Eventually I moved to one on the first floor and one on the second floor wall mounted. They always worked great. I've simplified my home network to just 3 orbi devices now (one in the basement, one on the second floor, and one in the garage.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

1 UAP-AC-HD in my 1200 sq.ft. 2 floor apartment covers every bit, including out into the cul de sac without issue.

 

[gizbug]

So it looks like I’m going to get 2 AP’s. One centrally locates on the upstairs level on the ceiling and one on the main floor.

Is having 2 unifi AP hds an overkill (reason I mention these is for the fast 5ghz and my 1 gigabit internet connection)?

 

[mnewsham]

So it looks like I’m going to get 2 AP’s. One centrally locates on the upstairs level on the ceiling and one on the main floor.

Is having 2 unifi AP hds an overkill (reason I mention these is for the fast 5ghz and my 1 gigabit internet connection)?

Complete overkill most likely. Most of your wirelessly connected devices will likely be unable to utilize more than 1 or 2 streams at once. MacBooks and higher end gaming or business laptops will occasionally have 3x3 or 4x4 wireless cards, but the majority of devices still use 1x1 or 2x2 cards.

If you want to really utilize gigabit speed, you should be using ethernet. Wireless devices generally don't need more than 100-200mbps anyway, my AC-AP lite manages 300mbps+ in the same room and 100-200mbps throughout the floor below. And for wifi that's more than fast enough for me.
All my desktops however have 1gbps ethernet.

 

[gizbug]

Complete overkill most likely. Most of your wirelessly connected devices will likely be unable to utilize more than 1 or 2 streams at once. MacBooks and higher end gaming or business laptops will occasionally have 3x3 or 4x4 wireless cards, but the majority of devices still use 1x1 or 2x2 cards.

If you want to really utilize gigabit speed, you should be using ethernet. Wireless devices generally don't need more than 100-200mbps anyway, my AC-AP lite manages 300mbps+ in the same room and 100-200mbps throughout the floor below. And for wifi that's more than fast enough for me.
All my desktops however have 1gbps ethernet.

Thanks. I’ll have Ethernet in each room. To ensure proper coverage what APs would you recommend for a 2700sq 1.5 story house? 2 UniFi nanoHD’s?


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[mnewsham]

Thanks. I’ll have Ethernet in each room. To ensure proper coverage what APs would you recommend for a 2700sq 1.5 story house? 2 UniFi nanoHD’s?


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It really just depends on the kind of performance you're looking for.

You could probably get by just fine with 2 or 3 AP-AC Lites at half the cost of the nanoHD’s.
The nanoHD’s support dozens and dozens of concurrent connections which most people have no use of.

 

[adairusmc]

I have had my house running on Unifi since they were first released. We are about 1400 sq. ft, two story (along with a partial basement), and I have been using three of the first gen UAP-AC (the square ones) for several years now, along with a mikrotik cloudcore router. In the last week I decided to do an overhaul, and I picked up a couple of the UAP-AC-Pro units to replace my older square ones, as well as a ubiquiti security gateway and a 60w 8 port unifi switch. It is still more than I need as far as coverage goes for the most part, but my second AC pro is installed at the back of the house so I can reach out to my shop better. Depending on placement, you will likely have no trouble with a single AC-Pro in your home. Start with one, and you can always add another later on if you need to.

If the cat6 you are running to the various rooms in the house is going to be terminated in wall jacks, you might check out the in wall versions of the access points - https://inwall.ubnt.com/

 

[boomhower]

My house is 1400sqft running one AC AP. For 2800 I'd go with two. They are dirt cheap and your already running the wires. I use a cloud key for the controller.