Need a new WIFI system for my home.

[C4 BEAR]

Hello all,

 

I currently have a Ruckus Zone Director 1100 and 8 AP's in my home. I have had this system for a long time. It used to be fantastic, but as FIOS has offered faster speeds (which I got) the wifi doesn't seem to be able to take advantage of those speeds.

 

I have noticed that even thought I have 1 gig up and 1 gig down internet service...I only get these speeds on my hard-wired devices. My iPhones only get about 200-250 up and down.

 

I read all about these new MESH systems and WIFI 6 that are supposed to be so great, but then I hear that you shouldn't use those with Control4.

 

Can anyone shed some light on a good system that would cover my home (5,200 SF) and hopefully the back and front yards with reliable FAST internet that a dumb consumer can install? 

 

 

Thank you in advance,

 

Frank

[msgreenf]

I would sick w ruckus and go to the 850s or 950s. 

[Andrew luecke]

Don't worry about mesh. If you have everything hard wired, that's better than relying on mesh (even mesh based products work better hardwired).. And, the reality is, many products support wireless uplinks anyway these days (they just don't advertise it, because in a high-end environment, you really only want it as backup). Mesh is just normal wireless with more wireless interference, less reliability (if relied upon) and more latency. Also, if your house is single story in particular and/or the Rack is near a outside wall, its often very possible to run additional ethernet wires. 

I agree with Mitch, if you already have Ruckus and are happy to pay, stick to that.. You can also use Access Networks too (which is also ruckus, but supplied by SnapAV). 

 

[Jeff W]

Quick questions, what was the previous AP models you had?  What iPhone models do you have?

I agree, stick with Ruckus.  If you upgrade the AP's you'll most likely need to perform an upgrade on the ZD 1100.  You may need a service contract to do so if you don't already have one.  

 

[chopedogg88]

Agreed, stick with Ruckus and update to 650s (or better, but those are pretty damn good).  Switch to unleashed and get rid of the zone director.  I'm a Ruckus dealer, would be happy to sell, configure, and ship them to you and all you have to do is plug them in to the network cables where your existing APs are.  

Avoid mesh networks unless you don't have wiring in your house (which obviously you do, otherwise your current setup wouldn't work).

Also realize that with wifi, the further you are from the access point, the slower your speeds will be, so run your speed test when standing right next to an AP in order to determine best case scenario.

Edited August 20, 2022 by chopedogg88

[C4 BEAR]

2 hours ago, Jeff W said:

Quick questions, what was the previous AP models you had?  What iPhone models do you have?

I agree, stick with Ruckus.  If you upgrade the AP's you'll most likely need to perform an upgrade on the ZD 1100.  You may need a service contract to do so if you don't already have one.  

 

I have some Zf7372 and  some zf7363. I have an iPhone 12 and a few iPads. 

[Andrew luecke]

2 minutes ago, C4 BEAR said:

I have some Zf7372 and  some zf7363. I have an iPhone 12 and a few iPads. 

LOl.. I remember those

[C4 BEAR]

1 hour ago, chopedogg88 said:

Agreed, stick with Ruckus and update to 650s (or better, but those are pretty damn good).  Switch to unleashed and get rid of the zone director.  I'm a Ruckus dealer, would be happy to sell, configure, and ship them to you and all you have to do is plug them in to the network cables where your existing APs are.  

Avoid mesh networks unless you don't have wiring in your house (which obviously you do, otherwise your current setup would work).

Also realize that with wifi, the further you are from the access point, the slower your speeds will be, so run your speed test when standing right next to an AP in order to determine best case scenario.

Can you give me a price to do this? I have 8 AP's now...but I am not sure if I need that many. I want full coverage everywhere inside my home...but I have a lot of outdoor living space as well, so I need the area around my house covered. They are all plugged in to POE switches.

[chopedogg88]

Sure - PM me and we can setup a call to discuss.

[wnpublic]

You could also get UniFi and pay like 1/5th (1/10th?) of the Ruckus cost. 

[lippavisual]

37 minutes ago, wnpublic said:

You could also get UniFi and pay like 1/5th (1/10th?) of the Ruckus cost. 

And deal with the aggravation that it’s Unifi, no thanks.  I love this argument of price.  That age old adage is still true to this day, “you get what you pay for”.

[wnpublic]

40 minutes ago, lippavisual said:

And deal with the aggravation that it’s Unifi, no thanks.  I love this argument of price.  That age old adage is still true to this day, “you get what you pay for”.

The other old adages about suckers being born every minute, and fools and their money being soon parted, seem to have equal applicability here.  I’m guessing the ruckus margin is really good?

[Control4Savant]

59 minutes ago, lippavisual said:

And deal with the aggravation that it’s Unifi, no thanks.  I love this argument of price.  That age old adage is still true to this day, “you get what you pay for”.

What a typical and total load of BS. Theres a reason you see Ubiquity everywhere. Theres a reason is always sold out. The dealer I cant make money on it so its crap sales pitch is always amusing. 

[chopedogg88]

No, actually there is very little margin on Ruckus equipment.  I use both Ruckus and Unifi, they are both good...Unifi sells a range of products for different markets, most people buy their entry level stuff which is great for the price but doesn't have the same specs as Ruckus, so typically you need more access points to get the same coverage as what one Ruckus AP will give.  Unifi does sell expensive APs as well, which are more geared toward commercial installations (like Ruckus).

[chopedogg88]

https://store.ui.com/

All of their APs are In Stock...

[chopedogg88]

And BTW Ruckus R650's are basically impossible to get right now, I only know of one supplier who has a handful in stock currently.

[chopedogg88]

I have a 5000 sq.ft house and I have full coverage with one Ruckus R610 AP (centrally located)...and that's not even wifi 6.  Their wifi 6 stuff provides even better coverage.  I used to have 3 Unifi AP Pros.

[Control4Savant]

3 minutes ago, chopedogg88 said:

I have a 5000 sq.ft house and I have full coverage with one Ruckus R610 AP (centrally located)...and that's not even wifi 6.  Their wifi 6 stuff provides even better coverage.  I used to have 3 Unifi AP Pros.

1 AP in a 5000sqft house is poor design and impossible to keep consistent max speed. 

[chopedogg88]

My guess is, you have never used Ruckus.  I hadn't either until I worked on a project with a guy who all he does is setup wifi networks for large homes and corporate environments.  I get consistent 500+ download speeds even in the farthest spot from my Ruckus AP, so that is plenty fast for me.  Granted, my house is 3 stories stacked on top of each other...this may not work for houses that are more spread out. 

I still use Unifi for most of my installs where budget is a concern, but for my clients that are willing to pay for the best, I install Ruckus.

[C4 User]

Thank you @chopedogg88 and so many others that add valuable feedback to this forum. I long ago learned that one gets what they pay for. And rarely does consumer grade stuff compare to top quality stuff. The reality is most consumers simply cannot tell the difference and they don’t know what they don’t know. 

[lippavisual]

1 hour ago, wnpublic said:

The other old adages about suckers being born every minute, and fools and their money being soon parted, seem to have equal applicability here.  I’m guessing the ruckus margin is really good?

Once again you stick your nose in something you know nothing about.

[Control4Savant]

21 minutes ago, chopedogg88 said:

My guess is, you have never used Ruckus.  I hadn't either until I worked on a project with a guy who all he does is setup wifi networks for large homes and corporate environments.  I get consistent 500+ download speeds even in the farthest spot from my Ruckus AP, so that is plenty fast for me.  Granted, my house is 3 stories stacked on top of each other...this may not work for houses that are more spread out. 

I still use Unifi for most of my installs where budget is a concern, but for my clients that are willing to pay for the best, I install Ruckus.

Iv used it in abundance..going back over a decade. There is no argument for it in any resi or small/medium sized commercial setting. If you think having a single AP is good practice…well…

[lippavisual]

51 minutes ago, Control4Savant said:

What a typical and total load of BS. Theres a reason you see Ubiquity everywhere. Theres a reason is always sold out. The dealer I cant make money on it so its crap sales pitch is always amusing. 

Clueless. I can make money on both brands. Honestly, I can make more with UniFi.  But that’s not the point.  The point is Ruckus is set and forget.

How many wireless VoIP systems do you install?  I’m guessing none because you certainly wouldn’t be using UniFi dolt.

[wnpublic]

6 minutes ago, lippavisual said:

Once again you stick your nose in something you know nothing about.

Yes, better if everyone just keeps overpaying you… I bet you sold a lot of Monster cable back in the day. “You get what you pay for.”

[lippavisual]

Nope try again troll.