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Those of this list with a check mark on secondary eth port would all suit.
Again, there are other manufacturers with nice offerings; I just happen to be happy with Ubiquiti.
Check out the UniFi products
I believe the "dream machine" works as a controller and recording device, so look at the prices + look at which cameras you want and you'll get an idea of the cost.
So your best bet is probably Unifi. Relatively cheap and the management is as easy as it gets. They have gotten a lot of flack for getting hacked earlier this year but that more or less affected the cloud side of the controller which you can disable. I still recommend their APs in basic setups and they have been pretty solid for me.
I use the Unifi security cameras myself, and love 'em. There's an app for your phone, you can remote to them w/ a laptop, it will auto detect humans in the frame and alert as you request, etc. The days of recording time just depend on how many cameras you have and how big an NVR HD you put in.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi think this is their updated page with a chart at the bottom.
I settled for the sub $200 models vs the $350 HD. Wifi design is shifting to smaller cell size so more APs and my area 2.4Ghz channels are crowded so I don’t think a 4x4 2.4Ghz would be helpful.
While I still have your attention, if you want all-in-one -- have a look at Ubiquiti Dream Machine (without the "Pro" suffix). Its a (very fast; as in can run non-hardware accelerated processing much faster than traditional Cavium/MIPS based devices) router&firewall, UniFi controller, 4-port Switch, and Wave-2 4x4 access point crammed in one ~~box~~ cylinder. https://unifi-network.ui.com/dreammachine.
It might suit you better. I personally prefer one device for one job for expandability and flexibility (and I run USG4, Switch, 2 access points, and controller all separately); but UDM may work just fine for you. Another thing to consider, while USG and EdgeRouters are built are running edgeOS which is based on fork from Vyatta the UDM and UDM pro run a new UniFiOS. Just a point to consider.
And lastly, the killer feature here that brought me to Ubiquiti N years ago is SmartQueues implementation - it's an SQM implementation (HTB + fq_codel) to combat buffer bloat. It's ridiculously effective, and unless you have gigabit internet you will be blow away at the difference in internet (latency, voip, etc) it makes
And then /r/Ubiquiti
https://unifi-network.ui.com/video-security
This stuff is SUPER easy to set up and should give you very close to the requirements you are looking for. If you already have cat5 runs and are familiar with POE, this should be like plug and play for you.
> The concept of connecting wired AP to a router and getting them to work together seems very difficult. Are there systems that do this for you?
Yes, there are systems to do this for you.
Most of these are targeted at business users, some (e.g. Ubiquiti's UniFi, TP-link's Deco) are more affordable than others (e.g. Ruckus, Aruba)
Keep in mind that Mesh is a half-half-duplex system. You're going to have significant lag and latency issues with ANY mesh system as compared to a traditional wired AP type system.
Do you NEED to run mesh because you can't wire up any APs to give you better coverage?
> and only reliable internet in the same room as the router.
This tells me you're probably not a good candidate for Mesh. If your devices can't connect to the router, why would the Mesh nodes do any better? ...They won't.
Bottom line is that when your nodes aren't connected back to the router by their own ethernet cable, you introduce a significant performance drop. If you do anything that involves streaming data, like gaming or video conferencing, Mesh will work, but you'll likely suffer for it.
Most people here will suggest two product lines:
If you HAVE to use Mesh, then Amplifi by Ubiquiti is the hands down best in terms of hardware quality, reliability and functionality. Simple to set up, comprehensive in its capability.
If however, you can distribute a couple wired APs around the house, Unifi by Ubiquiti is a great choice. They're a "Pro-sumer" grade network gear maker. They're good enough for small-medium businesses, but priced and easy enough to use to be comparable to the best consumer-grade hardware.
Well you have a few of choices range extenders being the lowest. The best option would be to switch to a better Wifi ecosystem like a Ubiquiti Unifi system which can be built out to accommodate ANY configuration that exists. It is the best but most expensive option.
Second a Mesh router system with wireless branch devices. Ubiquiti has a couple of options here but so does Google, Netgear, etc.
I use these for home, and elsewhere. https://unifi-network.ui.com/video-security
I went with the G4 Pro (4k) and their cloudkey gen 2 NVR - it doesn't touch "the cloud" unless you want it to, and mine's all recording on the LAN.
Pretty simple in concept, relatively expensive in execution. Need a 10Gbps capable switch at each location instead of the ones you have and then 10Gbps cables routed between each location. Staying with Ui, you'd be in the "pro" switching line. https://unifi-network.ui.com/switching#compare
Star topology would give you more actual throughput in the current config rather than that Theater switch port potentially being overloaded to the living room with all of the upstream stuff coming into it.
What bottlenecks have you actually proven out that needs 10Gbps at this point?
Is everything just going to the internet (which that would be the real bottleneck) or doing large LAN based transfers/streaming?
Agreed. Even the best wireless mesh networks don't provide the same stability and performance of even a simple wired network. There's no way the wireless signal is going to reliable get from the basement all the way up to the second floor.
You don't have to turn your home into a data center, even a $50 USD unmanaged POE switch and a Wifi access point on each floor will work fantastic.
Consider running a plenum rated Cat6a in the HVAC ducting or even better in the return air vents to the upper floors. Must be plenum rated - there's a difference!
Then a Ubiquiti AP for either ceiling mount or their new wall mount which works great on the wall about the same height as a regular power outlet. This way you can run a Cat6a line up the return air vent and out of the wall at knee level - and it will look professionally installed.
Agreed. Ubiquiti USG for a straightforward, stable dual WAN setup.
Set it up for High Availability/Failover or load balancing.
What's your budget?
However first thing would be to address the network cabling issue. Cat 3 to Cat 5 - this is bad, I'm mean really bad. Don't spend any money on new equipment until you resolve this first.
Repurposing telephone lines is not a good idea as this is typically not ethernet type cable.
It's not as fun as buying new bits and pieces, however pulling in new Cat6a is probably the best and cheapest upgrade.
A typical install would be to run new, plenum rated Cat6a in the ducting (return air vents even better) and come out in the wall about 2 feet above the floor with an Ubiquiti In Wall AP.
I've done several of these installs before and they look and perform great.
A Ubiquiti or Arubu Instant On system would work great here.
You can run plenum rated Cat6a to each floor through any air ducts (if you have them) and connect a AP for each floor/area. Leave the ISP supplied modem and Ubiquiti USG router in the box that you showed in your picture
Ubiquiti makes a access point that installs on the wall - which you can put about 2 feet about the floor and works great. They're POE so you can power them from the switch itself - no extra wiring needed and they have multiple ethernet ports on the bottom of the AP so you can plug in any wired devices directly to the AP - no need for extra switches.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi
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The bad news here is that you're going to have to learn a little bit of networking, however there's lot of resources available to help.
Check out Willie Howe and/or Crosstalk Solutions YouTube channels for lots of good advice and comments.
A Ubiquiti or Arubu Instant On system would work great here.
You can run plenum rated Cat6a to each floor through any air ducts (if you have them) and connect a AP for each floor/area. Leave the VM supplied modem and Ubiquiti USG router in a mechanical room on the lowest level or wherever your external internet comes into the home.
Ubiquiti makes a access point that installs on the wall - which you can put about 2 feet about the floor and works great. They're POE so you can power them from the switch itself - no extra wiring needed and they have multiple ethernet ports on the bottom of the AP so you can plug in any wired devices directly to the AP - no need for extra switches.
Agreed with the comment below - turn off the ATT Wi-Fi - it's just adding cluttering up the local Wi-Fi spectrum at this point and get a wired access point and put it in general area of where your Wi-Fi devices are. It will make a world of difference.
For a cheap, wrong, but functional way to do it, start with Unifi Access.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/door-access
It's POE, it works ok-ish, and you get a smart controller that can handle the door, deal with networking, has an app, and can take an input if you hook it up as a "push button".
You will need an electrified power transfer hinge, an appropriate and legal power supply, and a door and lock like this.
> Unless UI is gonna make keystone patch panels you would at least need ears on those.
and
> Yeah but unless you buy their keystone unit you're gonna have ears on that one.
Right... It is their picture, so of course they are going to use their products.
They don't have a larger picture on their site yet, but it is pretty clear from this small one that the rack mount ears are separate from the actual keystone plate, so could be put in one of those 'no tool' racks... (though it certainly isn't my preference)
https://unifi-network.ui.com/static/media/UniFi-Patch-Panel.aa4cbc32.png
There are home wifi routers that allow you to set limits on youtube and other streaming download websites at the source. Limiting them to a custom 5MBS max each person. (Ui.com) but the best family practice I use is education. Instruct the kids to change youtube to 480 instead of auto . Shut off smart tv;s when not in use., Dont allow game updates or uploads to streams until after 11 PM/ and set smart tvs to a lower video quality.
25MB home with 3 boys, two active smart TV's, 5 active PC's , and 3 cell phones. I feel ya. it can be managed
I'll recommend Ubiquity networking equipment for outdoor WiFi. https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi It's not cheep but certainly cheeper than $500+ for each dish and $100 a month for subscriptions. 3 dish installs is going to set you back about $1500 up front and $3000+ for subscriptsons every year.
As a side note, to my understanding Starlink is not for commercial use at this time. I suspect they will have a commercial version after we get out of the beta period. They may even offer a solution for your situation, it's worth asking them. So if you are renting out the cabins that might be a violation of the Starlink contract and you could get shutdown.
My most recent routers were a Linksys WRT3200ACM and VZ-provided Actiontec, with a bunch of other stuff over the years before that. The UDMP and NanoHD AP run circles around them, with zero downtime since it went live a few months ago. Also, it's really frickin' fun to ~~play with~~ admin;)
We have 2 adults WFH and 3 teens doing remote learning on a 400/400 Fios connection (tests at 520+) and NO ONE complains, at least not about bandwidth. It's plugged directly into VZ'z ONT. Depending on the AP that you buy, it's a little or a lot more than your price range but it can really expand to meet future needs.
Ok awesome, yeah Im wondering what your thoughts are on https://unifi-network.ui.com/dreammachine im thinking about going this route with some AP's because I have fiber internet now and the soho router is just not cutting it.
Aside from the solutions that have been offered here, I want to make sure know that Ubiquiti is offering a discount for anyone that replaces the Unifi Video NVR with a new UNVR: https://unifi-network.ui.com/camera-security/replace-your-old-nvr
Just my 2 cents, Get a decent PoE switch (UniFi) and cable all the cameras. If you use windows, check out Blue Iris. If you use Mac, check out Security Spy. Both can run over HTTPS, but you will need a port forward from your router to the NVR/PC. If you don’t want to do it yourself, checkout the UniFi offering: https://unifi-network.ui.com/camera-security but you will be locked into buying their cameras.
Not sure if you have tried this or not, but you could try the UniFi network planner.
https://unifi-planner.ui.com/#/
I used it to give me a general sense of what I needed when I set mine up.
I have 3 story home with an unfinished basement and my APs are located on the top floor and basement and my coverage is excellent. So you may not even need to run to your 1st floor.
Additionally, if you don’t want to snake wire through your ceiling for a ceiling mounted access point, there are other options (https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi). For instance there is an in wall AP (Model: UAP-IW-HD) and a WiFi extender (Model: UAP-BeaconHD) or you could mount the AP on your wall.
Sorry if I sound like a commercial but I believe in the Ubiquiti gear.
The UniFi Redundant Power System looks nice, but the only thing it would do for me (right now) is provide backup if an internal power supply failed. Because the RPS still needs to be plugged in to an actual UPS/battery backup. And for $400, I can just plug the UDM-P and a Switch Lite into the exact same battery backup. So I’m thinking one UPS/battery backup to start, and working from there.
As much as I’d love to put backup power all over the house, it’s actually our first house, and we have a long list of necessary things (furniture) and unnecessary things (smart blinds) that we both want first. 😁
(Although, the RPS Pro and the Mission Critical switch sure look interesting).
Here is the like to the discount code verification page. https://unifi-network.ui.com/camera-security/replace-your-old-nvr Looks like all you need to get the discount is verify the MAC address of an existing UVC-NVR or UAS-XG. I just completed this and got the discount on a single UNVR. The discount only applies to the UNVR and not any add-ons liked hard drives. Also they have free 2 day shipping for orders over $100 now (not sure if this is always the case but I thought it was a nice add on.)
I'll second u/NinjaAmbush suggestion with the exception of suggesting using Ubuiquiti's UniFi network. We do something similar - not so much disable as our router doesn't even have it but we have 3 UniFi AP-Pros plugged into our switches and get DHCP/DNS from our DC. In your case, your NetGear will handle that - just disable the WiFi on the NetGear and let the UniFi handle WiFi including your guest network.
I've never used the Aruba setup u/NinjaAmbush mentions but I didn't find the UniFi overly burdensome to set up. Here's the product page:
Slightly off topic... If you look at the Unifi access store page there’s a short video where they showcase a doorbell feature. Go to https://unifi-network.ui.com/door-access and scroll to the doorbell section. Not sure if they will do the same for protect, but it looks like they are working on this.
Ubiquiti Networks has business class routers that are reasonably easy to set up https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi
For more security, set up a hardware based firewall to separate the WiFi hotspot from your business network
If I had whole home Ethernet, I wouldn't get an Orbi system at all. I'd get a Ubiquiti UniFi system.
Their subs:
Is this an electrical contractor? They generally do a shitty job with CATx cabling. I would do it myself, but that is just me. Plan out where you want all of this terminated internally or they will put it where they want. Thik of a data closet where you can put all of your data equipment. I would get none of those camera options. I would get something like Ubiquiti POE cameras with an NVR
As mentioned in other comments, you can turn off the wifi on your nighthawk (you can keep it for wired routing) and pick up some commercial type AP's and plug them in to your ethernet wherever you want.
I like these Ubiquiti products. You could add some of the Nano's, or the inwall ones go right on the wall jacks that you already have. I have a couple Unifi AP-Pro's in our place and they're pretty bomber too.
All these AP's have the same controller software and are configured from a single interface. You can set a single SSID and all your devices will simply associate with the closest AP.
This page says the NanoHD requires af and the In-Wall requires at.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi
But elsewhere it says it will run with af or at, so you should expect the In-wall may run, but not pass PoE to any other device plugged into the In-Wall
> https://unifi-network.ui.com/video-secur
OP, don't do it. I have many hundreds of dollars in the UI Video ecosystem only to get abandoned by UI. Crappy company with zero product support, you have been warned.
Look into BlueIris, it will let you use hundreds of ONVIF compliant cameras suited to your use case. UI cameras are overpriced and have dated features. Check out the IPCamTalk forum for advice on what to use.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi
You will need at least one AP per level. The type depends on where you can locate it. Dish style for ceilings, shooting down or on a wall shooting away from the wall ...both in a hemispheric pattern. FlexHD radiates like a donut around the unit. Good for a central location on a horizontal surface. I like to keep my APs out in the open as much as possible so as to maximize their coverage. The FlexHD is outdoor rated.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi
You will need at least one AP per level. The type depends on where you can locate it. Dish style for ceilings, shooting down or on a wall shooting away from the wall ...both in a hemispheric pattern. FlexHD radiates like a donut around the unit. Good for a central location on a horizontal surface. I like to keep my APs out in the open as much as possible so as to maximize their coverage. The FlexHD is outdoor rated.
It's not so much the product as the pattern of behavior. There was hope that the new generation of UniFi would show a Ubiquiti that took things more seriously but that doesn't seem to be the case and this is just another example.
The 16-XG and everything in that generation is being phased out. This is the first aggregation switch for the new generation of UniFi switching which are the only switches they promote here:
https://unifi-network.ui.com/switching
(the USW-LEAF is oversized for what their target market is and I suspect it will quickly disappear due to low demand leaving those customers SOL)
If they want people to stop complaining it's easy:
- Release a roadmap that shows all the offerings for this generation so people know what is coming and when to expect it.
- Publish an EOL policy and commit to supporting products for X years before pulling it and leaving customers on their own.
- Don't call yourself an enterprise networking company when your offerings can barely scale to an SMB network.
Honestly the only real issue here is that RPS should be baseline and they didn't even do that. It would have been nice to see this closer to 12 or 16 ports but if they at least had RPS it would show that they have put some thought into it. Even if the price were $200 more just for that. In terms of RPS the move toward an RPS solution instead of just redundant hot-swappable PSUs was a huge blunder but too late to fix for this generation. If you invest in an RPS required for other UniFi hardware you should be able to leverage it for something as critical as an aggregation switch.
TLDR Another half-baked opportunistic product bloating their portfolio while not addressing the real product gaps they have. They have an identity crisis.
If you are going to do it yourself, use Ubiquiti Protect with their UNVR... it supports RAID if you need it. Everything is plug and play and you will get auto updates to the NVR and Camera. You can purchase direct from them as well. Just pick the cameras you need, 4k, etc..
https://unifi-network.ui.com/video-security
Axis is great but you really need to go through an installer... And if you don't, you will likely need to at some point when you have issues. You do not get auto updates, and it is not plug and play.
If you can hold out I would just wait for a Wi-Fi 6 8x8 MU-MIMO AP to come out.
If you can't wait the UAP-AC-PRO is a solid AP and since you'll likely be looking to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) at some point in the next year or two I would just go with that being the cheaper option vs. the newer Nano HD. If you don't plan on upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 for 3 or 4 years then go with the Nano HD since the AC PRO will likely be announced EOL soon (they don't even show it in the comparison chart at https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi )
Wi-Fi has been a moving target for years now but 802.11ax is a bit of a game changer. It's just speculation but I think we'll find that Wi-Fi 6 has a pretty long useful life as it's approaching levels of bandwidth where wireless is no longer the primary bottleneck for most people.
I don't know what else you have on your network but it sounds like you're making a lot of assumptions and no way to actually tell for sure what is happening. Without you listing all of your devices I would highly recommend moving to something that has proper management abilities that can give you this information very easily. I personally use Ubiquiti products in my home. The USG gives me reports on all devices and the wireless network too because I use their WAP's. If I needed mesh it could do that too. I've run a USG, Ubiquiti 24 port PoE switch, Ubiquiti AP AC Pro WAP and 6x 1080p Ubiquiti security cameras for the last 6 years without a single problem with bandwidth or coverage.
Not an advert, just a very pleased customer of many years. You don't need to take this as advice, just a discretion of my own person experience.
Take a look at the section called "Know more about your network than ever before": https://unifi-network.ui.com/
Unifi Unifi Unifi best wifi equipment around if you are willing to invest the money and a bit of time to get it all setup.
They have some really nice APs you can place around your house and if your house is cabled up invest in a PoE switch and run them all from that.
For an all in one there is the dream machine, check it supports PPPoE VLAN tagging of you are on Etisalat.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/dreammachine
If you want to go all out and you have the ability to mount APs properly look at the roof mounted APs and a PoE switch.
so for the devices like the google mesh stuff, or the Unifi UAP-AC-M ( though I think they recently updated their lines info is here https://unifi-network.ui.com/wi-fi
They have two options for uplink ( getting the internet signal for them to broadcast ). You can wire all the Access Points up directly to a switch or you can use their (usually) built in extra antenna who's sole purpose it is to receive a signal from another antenna and have the uplink be wireless, which is what meshing is.
in the case of the unifi stuff, you would take a cable from your router, and put it into the first access point, then you'd tell the next access point to connect to the first access point for it's signal.
I've never used the google stuff, but I assume it's similar.
If you buy Ubiquiti APs you can view neat little stats about the RF environment through their management interface. I got tired of dealing with high end consumer routers and their crap so I went for small enterprise sized APs. It’s pricey but rock solid so far.
Hey have a demo controller. It should take you to an AP. If you click on the wrench icon in the panel from the right you should be able to see the RF environment. The left most icon on that same panel will have a channel utilization field.
I would look into the Unifi range as one great option if you already have Ethernet around.
https://unifi-network.ui.com/#
You will need to install software on a computer to set them up initially but after that it does it's own thing.
I wanted to do something similar a couple of years back and got one of the current ones at the time and found I didn't need a second or third because it's range covered my entire small house and grounds.
Fiber all around. From ISP to your house and then all internal cabling.
If you want something in a normal price range, fiber from ISP to house then run cat-6,7 or 8 ethernet internally.
Equipment choice for router, switch and access points will vary as some people have brand preference and there are many different product categories and lines.
Ubiquiti Unifi (https://unifi-network.ui.com/) products are currently pretty popular in r/homenetworking and r/homelab