Question Best WAP (Access Point)

[digitalgriffin]

I'm trying to create a single central WAP for my home that is highly reliable. My Netgear X2S R7800 is resetting about 3x a day now. I can't have that as my wife has clients dependent upon that WiFi.

I know I should drop cable and hardwire it. But that isn't an option for me right now.

Currently
So router backbone/firewall is: pfSense
Maximum WiFi distance: 50 feet.
Maximum WiFi walls: 2

Wants:
WiFi 6E.
WiFi 5 to reach 50 Feet @ 400Mbps

I see the following being commonly picked for small reliable SOHO

1. Rukus Unleashed
2. Ubquiti AP U6 Enterprise
3. Aruba 650 Series.

Opinions?

 

[kanewolf]

I'm trying to create a single central WAP for my home that is highly reliable. My Netgear X2S R7800 is resetting about 3x a day now. I can't have that as my wife has clients dependent upon that WiFi.

I know I should drop cable and hardwire it. But that isn't an option for me right now.

Currently
So router backbone/firewall is: pfSense
Maximum WiFi distance: 50 feet.
Maximum WiFi walls: 2

Wants:
WiFi 6E.
WiFi 5 to reach 50 Feet @ 400Mbps

I see the following being common for small reliable SOHO

1. Rukus Unleashed
2. Ubquiti AP U6 Enterprise
3. Aruba 650 Series.

Opinions?

Trying to blast a WIFI signal through walls and other obstructions doesn't work. The client device has much lower transmit power. So it may be able to receive a signal but it can't transmit back.
You are much better off with multiple less expensive WIFI sources closer to your client devices. Then a wired backbone to your primary router. That could be ethernet or MoCA.

 

[COLGeek]

How many clients are dependent on this network?

 

[digitalgriffin]

How many clients are dependent on this network?

For the 5Ghz channel? No more than 5. (All the laptops, and my dev machine running over a work VPN)
For the 2.4GHz channel? About 10

I have a dedicated subnet 2.4Ghz channel for smart devices.

 

[COLGeek]

One of my former employees just installed these in her large home and coverage is excellent:

Amazon.com

I use one of these to expand my Ubiquiti Dream Machine to the second floor of a 100 y/o brick and plaster house with excellent coverage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W3QKDRT/

To get coverage into my basement of the same house: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TLT65WM/

Kanewolf is correct, more devices will help better than a single device.

 

[digitalgriffin]

Trying to blast a WIFI signal through walls and other obstructions doesn't work. The client device has much lower transmit power. So it may be able to receive a signal but it can't transmit back.
You are much better off with multiple less expensive WIFI sources closer to your client devices. Then a wired backbone to your primary router. That could be ethernet or MoCA.

Problem isn't signal strength. I measured the weakest client from the furthest location. -30dB is where it sits.

The problem is the AP radio keeps resetting, then all clients drop.

 

[kanewolf]

Problem isn't signal strength. I measured the weakest client from the furthest location. -30dB is where it sits.

The problem is the AP radio keeps resetting, then all clients drop.

I have UniFI hardware, so I have no issue recommending them.

 

[palladin9479]

What you want is a WIFI system that allows for child units to extend the SID across multiple units. I'm using the Verizon G1100 AC1750 with two wired child extenders in different parts of the house. As long as your extenders are on the same subnet as the WAP you should be able to configure them to be part of the same Wireless network. Ubiquiti makes a series of products, notably the U6 Lite, that is marvelous for this problem.