Question regarding Unifi setup (Modem, AP and controller over wifi?)

[edwardcasbon1]

Hi all,

At home we currently use the Tenda MW6 mesh wifi system to share our internet connection around the house. It doesn't seem to be too great when roaming, and also doesn't allow separation of LAN's for different ranges (e.g. one SSID for 2.4Ghz, and another for the 5GHz band).

So, I was thinking about using Unifi to replace my Tenda setup. All seems straightforward, apart from the fact that our modem is by the front door, and the rest of the kit (switch, patch panels, home server, HTPC etc).

Can I have my modem by the front door still, with a Unifi AP connected to it, and have the controller running on a Pi in the cupboard upstairs and have another AP connected to the switch in the cupboard to provide a wired connection to the rack? In essence, something like the below:

Modem > AP1 ))) AP2 > Controller

where AP2 provides a wired connection to the rest of the network?

I know Unifi does meshing and roaming quite well, and with the Unifi AP's I can hide them quite well, rather than using the Amplifi Mesh kit.

Any suggestions, advice, info would be great.

Many thanks,
Edward

 

[Avalon]

You can have your modem wherever you want - my modem is on the ground floor and my rack is two floors up - but you need to connect it to a router, not an AP.

 

[BigT]

Yes modem to router (or all-in-one) and router to first AP all need to be wired together. I also worry when you say you can hide UniFi APs more easily. APs don’t like to be “hidden” depending on what you mean by that. Part of their perceived benefits are derived from centralised open and high placement (assuming ceiling mounted discs) and the subsequent pattern of signal distribution. They won’t help if you hinder them by hiding them as they can’t break the laws of physics.

 

[edwardcasbon1]

Thank you both. The modem is a Sky Hub (so modem, and router).

so I can have the modem/router connected to one AP, and the controller connected to a different AP (over wireless)?

How would I set it up to start with? Will the controller be able to see the first AP over a wireless connection?

Thanks,
Edward

 

[john_smith]

Assuming you have an FTTC connection you'd do it something like this if you're doing it properly.

Phone Socket > Draytek Vigor 130 Modem > Unifi USG

Phone Socket to Draytek using an RJ11 lead
Draytek to USG using an ethernet lead

USG into your switch, controller into your switch, All APs into your switch.

 

[BigT]

Assuming you're not going to replace all your kit with Drayteks and USGs and plan on sticking with the Sky hub then:

so I can have the modem/router connected to one AP, and the controller connected to a different AP (over wireless)?

Yes just one AP connected to the Skyhub is the minimum requirement. The controller, which is just a piece of software unless you plan on buying a cloud key, doesn't need to be on all the time in most deployments. But when you run it to configure stuff then it needs to be on a PC/tablet that's on the same network as the access point you want to configure. It doesn't care which AP it's connected to to be on the same network or even if it's wired in to your Skyhub.

How would I set it up to start with? Will the controller be able to see the first AP over a wireless connection?

This is from memory so there may be better ways of doing it or I might be mistaken in some detail but as I recall setting up my UAPs and the mesh I did the following:

• Controller installed on PC connected to Skyhub via cable.
• First AP connected to skyhub via cable
• Run controller, adopt AP, set site settings, set AP settings etc. (important you tick a box somewhere to allow mesh connections to this AP)
• Plug second AP into Skyhub via cable temporarily
• Adopt it as well and configure it as you require. This should need little to no configuration really as it should inherit your site settings you did in the third step
• Unplug the second AP from the Skyhub and go put it wherever it's home will be. When it powers up it should mesh to the first AP still plugged into your Sky hub and just work.
• You can stop the controller now on the PC if you want, unplug it from the Skyhub router and wonder around connected wirelessly to your APs and check all works as it should as you roam.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

This^^

Wire everything in at first to get it set up and then move it to your final placement.

AP1 to AP2 will be a huge bottleneck in the network, made sure you buy 4x4 access points to maximise throughout e.g. nanoHD, flex HD etc.

Have you considered a UDM if you are starting fresh?

What exactly is hanging off the mesh connection? A wired back hall will almost certainly sort out any issues you have with the current system.

 

[edwardcasbon1]

Other than the internet connection, everything is hanging off the mesh. All my equipment that feeds AV over IP is in a rack in a cupboard at the back of the house, and the master phone socket (no extensions) is by the front door at the front of the house with no easy/feasible way of running cable, so I have to rely on the mesh wifi to get the internet connection to the rack. I know, I know, in an ideal world it would be wired, or at least be terminated in the same location as the rack, but it isn't, and this is what I have to work with.

Thanks for all the help and info above. I'll take a look at the 4x4 AP's and price everything up.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

I’d check if the tenda system is 4x4, if it is already I doubt you’ll get any better performance short of adding more nodes and getting them closer together. A meshed 4x4 ap effectively becomes a 2x2 AP as half the bandwidth is used to connect to the main node. That’s an over simplified explanation but effectively what happens. You need the nodes to be fairly close together to get decent throughput. The more obstacles there are, the slower it will be.

If you can’t mount the APs on the ceiling you should use flex HDs. The disks are designed to be ceiling mounted and they product their signal down and out from the disk like a doughnut/mushroom. Flex HD is fully omnidirectional.

If the master socket is by the front door, can’t you run a cable externally up to the loft and then back down to your rack?

Getting a cable up the the loft means you’ll likely likely just need one AP on the landing ceiling to cover a decent sized house.

 

[edwardcasbon1]

So, can the ethernet port on the Flex HD (http://dl.ui.com/datasheets/unifi/UniFi_FlexHD_AP_DS.pdf) be used to provide data FROM the wifi, rather than TO the wifi? I.e, can the ethernet port be used to provide a wired connection to other network equipment?

Thanks,
Edward

 

[edwardcasbon1]

I’d check if the tenda system is 4x4, if it is already I doubt you’ll get any better performance short of adding more nodes and getting them closer together.

Thanks, I'll check.

If the master socket is by the front door, can’t you run a cable externally up to the loft and then back down to your rack?

No, we don't want to run a cable on the front of the house, and there really is no simple option of running it internally either

Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Thanks, I'll check.



No, we don't want to run a cable on the front of the house, and there really is no simple option of running it internally either

Thanks again for everyone's help.

I get not wanting cables going everywhere, I ran mine up behind the gutter down pipe so you can’t see it. If that’s not an option then yeh there isn’t much else you can do.

One job I do need to do is run the sat cable the previous owners installed through the loft and back down the same down pipe instead of around the outside of the house to get to the lounge on the opposite side.

 

[edwardcasbon1]

One job I do need to do is run the sat cable the previous owners installed through the loft and back down the same down pipe instead of around the outside of the house to get to the lounge on the opposite side.

Have you considered AV/IP or HDBaseT for example? Then you could have Sky box hidden away, and distributed over Cat6 to multiple locations.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Have you considered AV/IP or HDBaseT for example? Then you could have Sky box hidden away, and distributed over Cat6 to multiple locations.

I hadn't, but its only going to one location to a free sat box (live TV gets very little viewing these days) so just re-running the cable will be the easiest option. It's just one of those 'when I get round to it jobs'.