System Design Help for New Home (Yamaha, Ubiquiti, nVidia)

[ejn1]

49 minutes ago, TundraSonic said:

I would classify your network as on the larger side for UDMP networks and is similar to what we have in our home. If you've avoided the problems that we and others have experienced then you've perhaps lucked out.  I agree regarding the UDMP value - at least if we'd not experienced so many issues.

I agree also that for many people the UDMP and other UI stuff works out well. There are always going to be problems - the issue is how widespread. UI appear to be crossing over the acceptable to unacceptable line for how many problems there are, how many people are affected by them and how long they take to get rectified. 

How frequently do you upgrade firmware?  

What is your plan for a UDMP hardware failure? 

I upgrade firmware routinely as I'm also adding new devices like phone, new cameras etc.   I try though now to stay away from beta releases if I can because a home setup really is not the right environment.   Plus when you are beta firmware, they are pushing updates very frequently which is another inconvenience. 

If the UDMP fails, I will plus a couple of critical devices into my ATT gateway (even use the ATT gateway wifi if needed) until a new device arrives overnight.    I do have an edgerouter lite and a Mikrotik switch/router also that I can use in a pinch but have never needed.   

 

[Control4Savant]

1 hour ago, skippman said:

So what is the recommended alternative? I'm not personally familiar with anything in the pro-sumer arena that offers the same feature set at the same price point as the Ubiquti. I'm not saying such a thing doesn't exist, only that I'm not personally aware of it. I'm open to alternatives. My system designer is really pushing for me to use Araknis Networks equipment. I suspect his motivation for that is two fold in that it's owned by Snap AV (who he's a partner with) and their OvrC management software is obviously geared more towards being controlled by an external integrater than by a local network administrator. I've been opposed to them because speed wise they seem to be lagging behind in that they offer no WiFi 6 based AP's and I'm not looking to mix and match equipment this time around. I want everything controllable by one stack/interface.

I under no circumstances would suggest Araknis for any networking unless you are looking for managed bottom dollar solution.  I mostly use enterprise/ prosumer Netgear at this point... but as a pro I have access to their Cloud management system for no extra cost. 

As a long time and avid Ubiquity user... I agree with both. I don't agree with Tundra about the UDM but I do agree that Ubiquity has gone through a bit of a rough phase the last year or so. Part of Ubiquitys deal has always been active patches/updates etc. and so I have always instilled the perviously mentioned method of waiting on anything thats not a critical update. I generally do that with most tech.  They ARE changing things.. and some of that has caused actual problems. There is a lingering fear that they will move to a lic. system and there has been frustrations with some of the forced Cloud server integration.  

 TP-Link Omada is the "new"  Ubiquity replacement that some of the "fan boys" as someone mentioned...are leaving for. It's very new and certainly missing a lot...not sure I have much of an opinion otherwise. 

 

[eggzlot]

What’s the rush to update firmware that isn’t critical?  I have a mikrotik and it gets a few updates a year but I’ll wait months until I log in to do something then maybe I’ll update.  Same with my Unifi APs. Never update ASAP.  Heck even C4 I got any OS update 2-3 weeks and the major upgrades over a month before I bite the bullet

Guess I’d rather spend a buck or two and buy something more stable than buy 2 devices so I have instant backup because of corrupt updates.  Yet oddly the Tik router is cheaper than you the Unifi router. 
 

am I missing something?  If it’s stable and it works and it’s not a security firmware thing then why mess with it? 

[ejn1]

23 minutes ago, eggzlot said:

What’s the rush to update firmware that isn’t critical?  I have a mikrotik and it gets a few updates a year but I’ll wait months until I log in to do something then maybe I’ll update.  Same with my Unifi APs. Never update ASAP.  Heck even C4 I got any OS update 2-3 weeks and the major upgrades over a month before I bite the bullet

Guess I’d rather spend a buck or two and buy something more stable than buy 2 devices so I have instant backup because of corrupt updates.  Yet oddly the Tik router is cheaper than you the Unifi router. 
 

am I missing something?  If it’s stable and it works and it’s not a security firmware thing then why mess with it? 

No rush.   Just unifi actually releases new features often so not just your typical bug fix many times.   But you are right,  probably shouldnt rush them.   Same with c4 updates

[TundraSonic]

55 minutes ago, eggzlot said:

What’s the rush to update firmware that isn’t critical? ... If it’s stable and it works and it’s not a security firmware thing then why mess with it? 

Agree. For me fixing a security hole is #1, fixing a critical bug is #2 and gaining a needed capability is #3.  On my home network I only recently did any updates after 13 months and that was not to the latest and greatest but to several month old known stable versions (UDMP to 1.9.1).

However, it can also be a pain to get too far behind as the jump can be problematic.

 

[skippman]

I work for a major telecomm company. Standard policy is we don't update firmware on devices unless there's a zero day exploit or a security issue. This leaves us running typically several firmware versions behind in some of our equipment but when you're talking 100,000's of users being potentially impacted by one Juniper device going down we don't take chances. This is why I tend not to jump on the firmware update bandwagon unless it's mission critical.

To be honest I won't use most of what Control4 can do. I don't want intercoms. I don't need home lighting control (yet). I don't need it to drive any Smart Locks on my doors. What I really need it for is to give me rock solid control over my home theater devices and to stay out of the way of the rest of the networks TCP/IP traffic.

Cisco would be an excellent choice if it was anywhere NEAR in my budget. Right now I'm using a kludged together network of a Netgear Nighthawk WiFi6 router and a Dell Power Connect layer 3 switch. It meets pretty much all my needs. It's kind of a pain to administrate as everything has to be configured independently and I don't have total WiFi coverage in the house but it's near as makes no difference. Our new house will be twice as large and two stories so WiFi coverage is important to me.

I looked into EnGenius but they don't seem to offer a router product which rules them out.

I looked into Mikrotik. They currently don't have a WiFi 6 AP on the market and everything I'm reading says that's not about to change anytime soon. Do I NEED WiFi 6 right now? No. But I don't want to spend the money on 2 or 3 802.11AC APs only to want to come back and replace them again in a couple years. I'd rather buy once and cry once.

As for Araknis, I very much got the opinion from them that they're almost specifically designed for remote administration and media distribution. It's not that surprising given they're owned by Snap. I want my networking gear to come from a networking company, not a company that also makes HDMI switches and home theater equipment. I also don't like how you almost can't shut off the remote access.

So for right now it looks like I'm probably going to stick with the Ubiquiti stuff and hope against hope that they can get their... stuff together soon. I will absolutely be shutting off any cloud based administration. It's local or nothing for me.
 

[msgreenf]

5 hours ago, skippman said:

I also don't like how you almost can't shut off the remote access.

What do you mean you can't shut it off? Where did you read that? If you never register them in OVrC there is no remote admin. 

[Control4Savant]

10 hours ago, skippman said:

I work for a major telecomm company. Standard policy is we don't update firmware on devices unless there's a zero day exploit or a security issue. This leaves us running typically several firmware versions behind in some of our equipment but when you're talking 100,000's of users being potentially impacted by one Juniper device going down we don't take chances. This is why I tend not to jump on the firmware update bandwagon unless it's mission critical.

To be honest I won't use most of what Control4 can do. I don't want intercoms. I don't need home lighting control (yet). I don't need it to drive any Smart Locks on my doors. What I really need it for is to give me rock solid control over my home theater devices and to stay out of the way of the rest of the networks TCP/IP traffic.

Cisco would be an excellent choice if it was anywhere NEAR in my budget. Right now I'm using a kludged together network of a Netgear Nighthawk WiFi6 router and a Dell Power Connect layer 3 switch. It meets pretty much all my needs. It's kind of a pain to administrate as everything has to be configured independently and I don't have total WiFi coverage in the house but it's near as makes no difference. Our new house will be twice as large and two stories so WiFi coverage is important to me.

I looked into EnGenius but they don't seem to offer a router product which rules them out.

I looked into Mikrotik. They currently don't have a WiFi 6 AP on the market and everything I'm reading says that's not about to change anytime soon. Do I NEED WiFi 6 right now? No. But I don't want to spend the money on 2 or 3 802.11AC APs only to want to come back and replace them again in a couple years. I'd rather buy once and cry once.

As for Araknis, I very much got the opinion from them that they're almost specifically designed for remote administration and media distribution. It's not that surprising given they're owned by Snap. I want my networking gear to come from a networking company, not a company that also makes HDMI switches and home theater equipment. I also don't like how you almost can't shut off the remote access.

So for right now it looks like I'm probably going to stick with the Ubiquiti stuff and hope against hope that they can get their... stuff together soon. I will absolutely be shutting off any cloud based administration. It's local or nothing for me.
 

Araknis was designed to be inexpensive but it is a network brand. MOIP and OVRC are just Snap features. Snap also owns Pakedge (which was a high end network brand) and now owns Access Networks (which is full enterprise) so the fact that they offer control and media solutions in 2021 when our industry is neck deep in IT requirements should be expected.

and in 2021... the last thing Control4 offers thats better than most is a universal remote. 

[skippman]

41 minutes ago, Control4Savant said:

Araknis was designed to be inexpensive but it is a network brand. MOIP and OVRC are just Snap features. Snap also owns Pakedge (which was a high end network brand) and now owns Access Networks (which is full enterprise) so the fact that they offer control and media solutions in 2021 when our industry is neck deep in IT requirements should be expected.

and in 2021... the last thing Control4 offers thats better than most is a universal remote. 

Honestly, the ONLY reason I'm going Control4 is that Logitech terminated the Harmony brand. I need a way to control three separate island systems that are all colocated on one rack in a wiring closet. This seemed the best way to do it. Since I have the functionality baked in to Control4 I figured I might as well network in my thermostats and garage door opener as I didn't have smart versions of those yet in the new house.

[lippavisual]

MikroTik hAP AC v2 for ~$90.  Set it up and forget about it.  Can download phone app if needed.  Plenty of YouTube videos to show you how to configure anything you’d want.

For WiFi, go Ruckus Unleashed and then again, set it up and forget about it.

Not sure why everyone is talking about all these updates for this and that.  I, if at all, update my network maybe once a year.  Really for any required security patches.

UBNT is a child’s toy.  Basically, created to make anyone “feel” like they’re a network engineer.  Edge switches are about the only thing solid that they make and what I usually use.

 

[ejn1]

I was counting the minutes until that post    Took longer than i thought!