Question Can you daisy chain access points?

[Shopman]

I have three buildings on the property. My modem (currently DSL) is in building #1 and is connected to building #2 with Cat6 cable to a Netgear Router Model # R6400v2. From building #2 - I have Cat6 cable to building #3 connected to a Netgear Router Model# R6220 which is setup as an access point.

Near future my Service will be converted to Fiber at building #1 . From the fiber modem converter I plan to go directly into the Netgear R6400v2 router which WAS in building #2 - NOW in building #1, Then run from this Netgear router R6400v2 to building number #2 Netgear router #R6220 that was in building #3.....and hopefully install a new AP at building #3.

Question is - Can I connect an access point from building #3 to the access point in building #2 which is connected to the Router in building #1? If so...which ports should be utilized. If I cant daisy chain APs what equipment can I use to get Internet access to building #3 with out having to run a cable directly from building #1 to building #3.

Thanks !

 

[Ralston18]

Not sure that I understand the environment.

If you already have cables in place between buildings why move anything?

The network will only be as fast as the slowest component.

I suggest two diagrams:

One diagram showing the current devices and cable connections.

Then a second diagram showing the proposed devices and cable connection changes.

Photograph or scan the diagrams and post here via imgur (www.imgur.com).

There are folks here that are very knowledgeable about network topology and presenting the diagrams will be very helpful.

No need for the diagrams to be a work of art nor to any scale. However, do include distances.

Key is to be clear and consistent.

 

[Shopman]

Ok...Ill sketch up some things and post for clarity. Thanks

 

[Shopman]

Here ya go !

https://imgur.com/a/NgbLRdu

View: https://imgur.com/a/NgbLRdu

 

[Shopman]

There are two images in that post - swipe to the side to see current setup

 

[BFG-9000]

Yes you can daisy chain APs like that, keeping in mind everything on that LAN string will be limited to 1Gbit.

But it generally makes sense for your newest fastest router, with presumably the newest firmware and thus latest security updates, to be the Gateway router.

There is the performance issue--R6400v2 with 1GHz ARM CPU could rout, with stock firmware, around 700Mbps WAN-->LAN in period reviews. Given that this router is EOL and no longer receiving regular firmware updates, the newest stock firmware is now two years old. It is still supported by both FreshTomato and DD-WRT projects so can be kept current from a security perspective, but 3rd-party firmware doesn't have access to all of the hardware acceleration tricks that stock firmware can use, so runs entirely in software and this drops its routing speed to ~300Mbps at 100% CPU with no QoS enabled. If QoS is used to reduce latency (shouldn't be necessary with fiber) this drops even more to under 200Mbps.

R6220 is a little newer but slower with its 880MHz MIPs CPU is supported by OpenWRT so you could keep that current as well, security-wise.

Both would work great as APs since unless you are running VLANs, they would not be called upon to rout anything.

 

[kanewolf]

I have three buildings on the property. My modem (currently DSL) is in building #1 and is connected to building #2 with Cat6 cable to a Netgear Router Model # R6400v2. From building #2 - I have Cat6 cable to building #3 connected to a Netgear Router Model# R6220 which is setup as an access point.

Near future my Service will be converted to Fiber at building #1 . From the fiber modem converter I plan to go directly into the Netgear R6400v2 router which WAS in building #2 - NOW in building #1, Then run from this Netgear router R6400v2 to building number #2 Netgear router #R6220 that was in building #3.....and hopefully install a new AP at building #3.

Question is - Can I connect an access point from building #3 to the access point in building #2 which is connected to the Router in building #1? If so...which ports should be utilized. If I cant daisy chain APs what equipment can I use to get Internet access to building #3 with out having to run a cable directly from building #1 to building #3.

Thanks !

You can. Building 3 won't care what is in front of building 2. Obviously, building 3 connectivity is dependent on building 2 hardware. So building 2 fails and lose both 2 and 3.

 

[Shopman]

Thanks guys.....
I was speaking with a friend about this and he mentioned a product that would eliminate the different routers and make it "A single pane of glass" - meaning all three devices in the three buildings would have the same "Login ins" - so I didn't have three different logins between the buildings? ...I'm sure you guys know what he's speaking about...

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks guys.....
I was speaking with a friend about this and he mentioned a product that would eliminate the different routers and make it "A single pane of glass" - meaning all three devices in the three buildings would have the same "Login ins" - so I didn't have three different logins between the buildings? ...I'm sure you guys know what he's speaking about...

Typically with the phase "single pane of glass" and network equipment, the UniFI ecosystem is recommended -- https://www.ui.com/
I have a full UniFI network in my home.
With the hardware you have, you shouldn't have to have different WIFI logins per building. You should be able to create the same SSID and password for all buildings. You WILL have to have a unique administrative login for each building with the hardware you have.

 

[Shopman]

Thanks Kanewolf.....What UniFL equipment do you recommend for my specific setup?

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks Kanewolf.....What UniFL equipment do you recommend for my specific setup?

The basic setup is ISP -> router (they call them gateways) -> POE switch -> building 1 AP and building 2 POE switch -> building 2 AP and building 3 AP
The UCG -- https://store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/all-unifi-cloud-gateways/products/ucg-ultra would provide the gateway and management console
The POE switches could be Lite 8 -- https://store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/all-switching/products/usw-lite-8-poe
If you have normal ceilings and can mount a saucer AP then the U6 lite -- https://store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/all-wifi/products/u6-lite would be a low cost choice. If you have unconditioned space (high/low temp or humidity) then an outdoor rated unit like the Swiss Army Knife -- https://store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/all-wifi/products/uk-ultra might be better.
If you do choose something like this, then get some short (10ft) ethernet cable and setup everything. Once it is all configured THEN move to remote buildings. If it doesn't work right then you know it is a cable problem.

 

[Shopman]

OK....Thanks for the equipment list....THIS is how I read your layout

Building 1
Gateway & a POE switch

Building 2
POE Switch & AP

Building 3
POE & AP

Is that right?

 

[kanewolf]

OK....Thanks for the equipment list....THIS is how I read your layout

Building 1
Gateway & a POE switch

Building 2
POE Switch & AP

Building 3
POE & AP

Is that right?

Building 3 wouldn't have to have a POE switch. It could have just an AP, powered from building 2.

 

[Shopman]

Would I be able to connect POE Cameras to these switches? and then some type of recorder in building 1 off that POE switch?

 

[kanewolf]

Would I be able to connect POE Cameras to these switches? and then some type of recorder in building 1 off that POE switch?

Yes the switches I listed have 4 POE ports. One for the AP and 3 for other things. There are switches with more POE ports if you need that. It was not a requirement in the original post.