Reliable Home Network Solution for Awkward Layout

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  deme on 30/01/2024 - 15:43

  +7

  I think you've spent enough money trying stuff and failing. Just get an electrician to install some network ports and put some ubiquity APs there.

  • 

    surg3on on 30/01/2024 - 15:53

    +2

    Im going to agree here. A simple Ethernet run from teh NBN NTD to the mid point of the home will likely solve a lot of your problems. If you want to go crazy run some more from a simple switch to the highest usage items of your house such as the TV and work computer.

  • 

    NigelTufnel on 30/01/2024 - 15:57

    Yep. I think that's totally fair. But still unsure what hardware that would require.
    Would I need a new router, or do I just use the Deco X20 I currently have as my main router?

    Then if I want say 3 network ports hardwired around the house for the APs, do I need a separate network switch? The X20 only has one port free once you hook up the NBN NTD.

    • 

      deme on 30/01/2024 - 16:07

      +2

      Grab a $15 tp link switch in that case if you need it.

      Would I need a new router
      Nope.

      Can you run the deco mesh hardware in wired mode so need for mesh?

    • 

      at9 on 30/01/2024 - 18:04

      Get the ethernet ports wired in and stick with the deco for now as you can run ethernet backhaul on it. If it still isn't working well then look at the Ubiquiti gear.

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  jakeyo on 30/01/2024 - 15:57

  +1

  I have ubiquiti and the best way to get best wireless coverage around the house is by hard wired Ethernet cables run to various locations around the house

  Just a thought.. the NTD location if you just have an Ethernet port/cable run from there to the location of your choice the. You can run your network from anywhere around the house by connecting to the NTD via that Ethernet port. Your network doesn’t have to belong at the top corner of your house

  • 

    NigelTufnel on 30/01/2024 - 16:30

    Yeah, I think that's actually a pretty good short term solution. I'll run a long ethernet cable from the NTD corner into a more central location for the main router.

    But I do need to get an electrician in at some point, as there's also no powerpoint close to where I'd put it so I'll be running a long extension cord too. Luckily it's mostly behind couches…

    But I think I'll be contacting a sparky to run a bunch of network ports as well as install some powerpoints for APs.

    • 

      at9 on 30/01/2024 - 18:06

      +1

      The APs can run on POE if you do go down the Ubiquiti route so won't need PowerPoints.

  • 

    stickingly on 30/01/2024 - 17:04

    Same here. NBN terminates in garage. Have a cable from garage to pantry where I have router/firewall and switch. Have cables from pantry to a ubiquiti AP at each end of the house (and to few other devices like TV, home server etc). Been rock solid for years

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  jk82 on 30/01/2024 - 16:36

  I'd definitely get some network points in, but I'd also just get some better Deco units - you're running 45 devices (no wonder the X20 is struggling!). Either the X55's or the X75's would do a much better job handing that much throughput. Hook them up via ethernet backhaul once you've got the points installed, and you can use your existing deco's to fill out any spots in the house where reception is low (just connect those ones via wifi).

  If you get more Deco's before getting a sparky in you might find that with more nodes the mesh would be more stable anyway. I actually think three x75's would do the job without the need for extra ethernet, but depends how much you want to spend for another experiment vs a known outcome.

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  JimmyF on 30/01/2024 - 17:00

  +1

  It has been okay, but pretty flakey and some of the nodes disconnect fairly often and need a restart to get back online.
  I'm ready to be schooled.

  Get someone out to run some ethernet cabling around for you. Hard wiring the mesh access points will solve all your issues.

• 

  Untameable on 30/01/2024 - 17:33

  +1

  For Ubiquiti/Unifi I’d suggest having a small rack hung somewhere in the middle of the house maybe in a cabinet that is out of the way.

  One cable goes from the NTD to the UDM Pro SE in the rack. Then they hang approx 1 access point per floor, like the AC Pro 6, which cable back to the rack and are powered by the UDM Pro SE.

  That’s it. If you wanted to set up cameras at the same time (which is a good idea because it’s a great system and Flex 4K cameras are cheap as chips with great quality), you might add a USW 16 Pro POE switch next to the UDM Pro SE. They connect straight together with a SFP cable.

  What that lets you do is power more stuff over POE as each device has a budget and the power limit on the UDM is fairly low whereas the limit on the Pro POE can power a dozen cameras and quite a few access points and more.

  The good thing about all of this is just having everything run off POE. No need to engage electricians for any later troubleshooting.

  I wouldn’t bother with mesh. It’s good if you’re renting or have an outdoor space that needs to be connected but if you own the place get cables done once and you can enjoy that forever.

  The downsides about Unifi equipment are the consumer stuff caps out at gigabit, only now are they bringing out 2.5Gb ACs and the other 10Gb hardware is enterprise only. But hey just get the cabling done and you can probably swap the equipment yourself in a few years time when they’ve caught up and pricing goes down.

  For reference I bought the rack and Unifi gear, asked an electrician who has data cabling certification to hang the rack and cameras and access point and cable everything with an extra power point, and it cost less than a grand. I then set the software side up myself. It was very easy and no regrets.

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  trapper on 30/01/2024 - 17:58

  Run ethernet to the server, move server to a new location if necessary. Mine lives in the hallway directly below the router.

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  rumblytangara on 30/01/2024 - 18:32

  I've run Ubiquiti stuff and concluded that it's cheap-ass garbage electronics dressed up to look Apple-pretty in white plastic, with a spangly GUI. My gear was unreliable and their EOL policy is a joke compared to real enterprise manufacturers. Ever had a device that needed so much resetting that the hardware reset switch finally falls off the PCB? Welcome to Unifi.

  I'd pay for cable installs before blowing money on a full Unifi setup again. As it is, my current place hasn't been wired up, but the older Ruckus gear I moved to has been rock solid and has better support, so I'm using the APs as wireless bridges between routers/servers/etc. I've done a bit of casual testing, will drop maybe 5-10 pings over the course of eight hours.

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  NigelTufnel on 30/01/2024 - 19:24

  +2

  Thanks all. What I'm taking from all this that ethernet backhaul is the main thing. Then there are various wifi options from there. But for them to be stable, ethernet everywhere is the key.

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  Sal in SA on 30/01/2024 - 19:44

  As mention - wired - gate cabling done 1st.
  Ubiquiti stuff works fine - and is constantly getting better, as a home solution it will be more than fine.
  Once wired and have AP's fitted in various strategic ceilings with a rack and area for servers then you can start to segregate vlans (IoT in 1 - Servers in another - etc) and make routing rules as tight as you need.

  If you also WFH then don't forget to claim it all either.

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  Mechz on 30/01/2024 - 20:54

  EoP os surprisingly not bad, but depends on your electrical wiring.

  I would consider it depending on how much a sparky is going to sting you.

  My 10 year old units need a reboot once every 6 months maybe? Add to that I have one hanging off a powerboard that is also plugged into the dryer.

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  lgacb08 on 31/01/2024 - 09:15

  Ubiquiti is overkill for you. Just get an Asus router somewhere in the middle of the house and your set, if that's a worry run secondary asus router as part of their aimesh and you will have your place covered beyond the fence.
  Ive run the very old tmobile rebranded ac68u at my old place for no issue over 5 years with the number of devices on the network nearly triple yours. Then upgraded to the ax68 just because ax wifi.
  You can do a lot of things on asus for a fraction of the ubiquiti range. If your set up haven't clashed with anything other than poor reception of mesh then I doubt you'd need thousand to go into ubiquiti.

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  Widget on 09/02/2024 - 18:50

  -2

  Sorry to jump in here, but does anyone know why there's so many entries in my permissions? I wanted to 'share' a folder (win7) to the network so another laptop (win10) can view contents. I went into permissions for the folder and noticed multiple entries. Never saw these in the past when I shared any folder/drive. They even have permission to modify contents. I'm the only user of the PC. https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/269099/110428/permissi…