LollerAgent Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 It's a proven platform that is much cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 I would suggest the USG rather the ER as it is all visible and controllable through the Unifi Controller software that is very good for managing your network. And then you can add Unifi switches as needed as well and see everything through the Unifi dashboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 13 minutes ago, LollerAgent said: It's a proven platform that is much cheaper. Wow. Just did some poking around on Amazon and now I'm torn. Looks like I could get a brand new Ubiquiti gear for about that same cost as what I was looking to pay for the used Pakedge gear. Is the Ubiquiti gear really hard to configure? I read through the manual for the Pakedge RE-2 and Wk-1 and it felt pretty simple to me. I'm not an IT pro, but I'm pretty comfortable around networking gear. You think I would find the Ubiquity setup pretty straightforward? Is the Ubiquiti gear at least as reliable as the Pakedge gear? Can you confirm that these are the two items you are referring to: Ubiquiti UniFi UAP AC PRO 2.4GHz/5GHz, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2xGbE, support PoE+ Ubiquiti Edgerouter Lite ERLITE-3 Desktop Router Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 23 hours ago, zaphod said: I would suggest the USG rather the ER as it is all visible and controllable through the Unifi Controller software that is very good for managing your network. And then you can add Unifi switches as needed as well and see everything through the Unifi dashboard. Can you clarify... what are the 4 ports on the USG? Obviously 1 port to plug in my cable modem. Can I then use 1 port for an access point, 1 port for my NAS, and one port for my Hue bridge? Also, are the ports PoE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 What are your thoughts on the Ubiquiti Cloud Key device? I’m not entirely clear what it does... worth the extra $75 for my modest setup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mujtaba.khokhar Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 I use unifi for all my jobs and it’s great once you know how to properly set it up, ive never had any complaints from customers and not had a single call back, many of my sites haven’t had access points or routers rebooted for over 6 months (proof attached) I usually use a raspberry pi for the cloud controller, and also install ssh and vnc and VPN server on there too if I ever need access to the site. For router I usually use MikroTik, and switches usually a unifi switch with poe just incase it’s ever needed. I have however used the USG PRO and the edge router lite on a few occasions and they are both great routers, the added benefit of the USG is that you’ll see it in unifi and be able to manage it from there with the edge grear there is UNMS but it’s beta at the moment and not cross platform compatiable Access Points - unifi AC pros do me well. one tip, when you have your access points setup, make sure you do an RSSI scan per AP to get an idea of what channel you need to be on, manually set your transmit power and channel do not leave them on auto. The unifi app is also a god send Hope this helps you. Muj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pounce Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 The CloudKey is great. I recommend it. To compare with a typical consumer router get the following: CloudKey (brains and remote admin allowing cross platform management without a client install) https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-cloud-key/ USG (router and firewall) https://www.ubnt.com/unifi-routing/usg/ AP Lite (access point) https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-lite/ Those three things make up the basic system. You will end up with better coverage, performance and functionality for around the same price as a better consumer unit. If you don't have a POE switch you can get a simple passive POE injector for a low price on Amazon to power the CloudKey and AP. The access point can come with a POE injector depending on product code. CloudKey does not come with an injector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 I’m convinced. Ubiquiti it is. I’ve cancelled my pakedge bids on eBay with the exception of the 8 port PoE switch which I already won for $60, and which will still come in handy. I plan to do the Cloud Key device too. The only question now is which access points to get? On the lower level, the only wireless devices are my iPad and android phone used for C4 control. So, the Lite model should be fine. On the main floor however, I have a Surface Book laptop (WiFi) which I frequently use to transfer large files my NAS (gigabit hardwired), PLUS a smart TV that my kids are constantly using to stream Netflix, PLUS I’m hoping range will extend about 50’ out onto my patio to reach my Bluesound speaker. So, is there any benefit in jumping up to a LR or Pro model access point here? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prabeau Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Like I said Using Lite good all three floors Besides you can add as many as you want very easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pounce Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 hour ago, prabeau said: Using Lite good all three floors Same here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LollerAgent Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Lite is fine for 90% of the applications. Start with them. The real difference between the Lite and the Pro is that the Pro supports 3x3 MIMO while the Lite is 2x2. You really need to have clients that can use 3x3 to take advantage. There is a new "Nano HD" WAP that is the same size of the Pro and is 4x4, but it's not shipping yet, and it's more expensive than both the Lite and PRO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 If you have a server that is own 24x7 then IMHO you don't need the CloudKey. I have the Ubiquiti controller software running in a container on my unRAID NAS - I used to have it running on Windows and it works fine there as well while the PC is running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 15 hours ago, LollerAgent said: It's a proven platform that is much cheaper. And it's currently on Control4's do not use list. That's not all-telling by any means, but something to consider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pounce Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 And its a shame Control4 hasn't fixed that yet I'd wager there would be no problems if no vlans are present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 3 hours ago, Cyknight said: And it's currently on Control4's do not use list. That's not all-telling by any means, but something to consider Well now, that’s a little disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 Is there any benefit to using a Ubiquiti switch vs. another brand of switch? Their switches don’t seem to be nearly as competitively priced as their router and access points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 4 hours ago, zaphod said: If you have a server that is own 24x7 then IMHO you don't need the CloudKey. I have the Ubiquiti controller software running in a container on my unRAID NAS - I used to have it running on Windows and it works fine there as well while the PC is running. The only thing I have running 24x7 is a QNAP NAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msgreenf Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 26 minutes ago, elee532 said: Is there any benefit to using a Ubiquiti switch vs. another brand of switch? Their switches don’t seem to be nearly as competitively priced as their router and access points. Single management software Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pounce Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 2 hours ago, elee532 said: Is there any benefit to using a Ubiquiti switch vs. another brand of switch? Their switches don’t seem to be nearly as competitively priced as their router and access points. What do you have for a switch today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 hour ago, msgreenf said: Single management software That makes sense. Pardon the amateur question, but what kind of management is necessary for a switch in a modest home setup like mine? Now that I think about, didn’t I see somewhere that C4 recommendation is for unmanaged switches? In addition to the USG, APs, and Cloud Key, I also ordered this Ubiquity US-8 switch just in case. Plus, I’m also the proud new owner of this Pakedge S8P4 unmanaged switch. So, I’ve got options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 4 minutes ago, Pounce said: What do you have for a switch today? I’ve got about half of my devices plugged into the ports on my Asus router and the other half plugged into a $29 gigabit switch I picked up at Office Depot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pounce Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 minute ago, elee532 said: I’ve got about half of my devices plugged into the ports on my Asus router and the other half plugged into a $29 gigabit switch I picked up at Office Depot. Gotcha. How many ports total are you using today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 Just now, Pounce said: Gotcha. How many ports total are you using today? I’ve got devices on two floors currently. HDHomeRun, Phillips Hue Bridge, and QNAP NAS plugged into the router on the first floor. Nvidia Shield, Denon receiver, C4 EA1, OPPO Bluray, and Windows PC running Roon plugged into that $29 switch in the basement media room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 I have unmanged switches as well and it works fine, but with the Unifi Controller software I would be able to see more about what each client is using. I can see all of that now with my wireless clients as the Unifi WAPs have that info, but I get much less info about my wired connections. It doesn't really matter but it is nice to have. Here is what I see in my controller software - I see 0 LAN active devices as I don't have any Unifi switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elee532 Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 This is pretty cool. Glad now that I ordered that Ubiquiti US-8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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