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Author Topic: Best router for crowded WiFi areas  (Read 12699 times)

Jeremy Young

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2017, 08:05:09 PM »

I've had good experiences with my Netgear R7000 as well.  Running 5ghz only, hidden SSID, etc etc like everyone else is saying.

I run an iLive idr32, but even if i don't have a FOH location i'll still bring my R72 surface and wire it up at the stage box.  I just don't trust tablets, especially around drunk people. Forget WiFi dropouts, I'm actually more concerned about dropping the iPad and trying to mix on a cracked screen for the rest of the gig, lol. 

In a pinch i could finish the gig on a wired laptop or midi controller as well if i needed, but I have both R72 and T112 surrface options in my inventory and i always bring at least one so i haven't needed to do something like that yet.
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Tim Weaver

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #11 on: September 01, 2017, 09:39:27 PM »

The sooner you realize that the X32 is just another computer on a network the better off you'll be. Design your network for a hostile RF environment. Have a WAP that works outside of the "noise". Have a 100 foot ethernet cable you can run out to FOH and plug in a laptop.


For that matter, have a device with an Ethernet port. Those are starting to dissappear.
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Tim Woodworth

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2017, 06:03:47 PM »

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Tim Woodworth
Intellasound Productions
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Ronnie Amighetti

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #13 on: September 12, 2017, 04:24:48 AM »

Hi all, my first post here on PSW. Used to be a member many centuries ago.

A friend who works with X32 and M32 a lot (just like me) swears by this:

https://www.thomann.de/it/nowsonic_stage_router.htm

I've been using various models and it always comes a time when I have issues stayin' connected to my network. Last week I used the up mentioned one and it worked flawlessly all night long. My two cents.
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Kevin_Tisdall

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2017, 10:42:56 AM »

I am using an X-32 rack, iPad controlled.  Last night the band played a gig at an outdoor venue in a city's downtown area.  The list of WiFi sources was seemingly endless.  I was experiencing an occasional hiccup but then at one point later in the evening I lost connection altogether.  Tried restarting things, changing to an extender, etc. and there were still major connection problems, even standing 10 feet from the router.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a router that can overcome such issues?  The heade guy from the sound company that was there recommended this one:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-ac3100-dual-band-wi-fi-router-black/4465000.p?skuId=4465000

Thing is, I would hate to spend that kind of money only to have the same issues.

Any suggestions on this?  Thanks


Lots of good advice already.   I have been using Apple Airport Extreme 6th Gen with only 5ghz enabled.  I don't advertise the ssid and have it password protected.   Works for me.  I bought them used for around $60 each (one for a backup).

--Kevin
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Steve Litcher

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #15 on: September 12, 2017, 11:35:05 AM »

Count me in as a very happy Airport Express user. We have two (one for back-up), and have (knock on wood) never had any issues, even at events with nearly 2000 people.

That said, the Ubiquiti gear has me curious... placed an order over the weekend and it should be here later today.

Scott Holtzman

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2017, 01:54:49 PM »

Hi all, my first post here on PSW. Used to be a member many centuries ago.

A friend who works with X32 and M32 a lot (just like me) swears by this:

https://www.thomann.de/it/nowsonic_stage_router.htm

I've been using various models and it always comes a time when I have issues stayin' connected to my network. Last week I used the up mentioned one and it worked flawlessly all night long. My two cents.

I can't see why that would work any better or worse than any other radio.  I do like the form factor but I don't like that it forces the antenna to be at the fixed height in the back.

Having the AP (you don't need, or want, a router) on a run of protected network cable let's you get it up on anything from a MIC or lighting stand to up in the catwalks or flown on a the truss (have to be nice  to the LD).

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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

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Kevin Maxwell

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #17 on: September 13, 2017, 11:32:21 AM »

I can't see why that would work any better or worse than any other radio.  I do like the form factor but I don't like that it forces the antenna to be at the fixed height in the back.

Having the AP (you don't need, or want, a router) on a run of protected network cable let's you get it up on anything from a MIC or lighting stand to up in the catwalks or flown on a the truss (have to be nice  to the LD).

Scott, what do you think about restricting the access by also putting the MAC address of the tablet or phone in the AP? I am sure there is a proper way to refer to this restriction. Would it be MAC address filtering? I looked it up in my Networking for Dummies book.
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Steve Litcher

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #18 on: September 13, 2017, 02:11:56 PM »

Ubiquiti gear arrived today, and just configured it.

Observations:
- Documentation leaves much to be desired; it lacks clarity around the order of setting-up and configuring items
- The gear is slow to reboot, initialize, "adopt" (Ubiquiti term)
- Required many reboots of the switch
- Localhost application vs CloudKey - man, that was a little confusing... still is odd
- Doesn't appear to have MAC filtering/blacklisting unless you "block" a client that's actively on your network
- Entire process was wonky, overall. Had to factory reset devices several times before they would "take" the configs we wanted to use. Seems to be common... several of the online tutorials showed people having to reset/reboot along the way when things didn't work as they should've
- Chrome plug-in required to find Cloud Key
- Pricey... The WAP, Switch, and CloudKey came in at over $400
- How do you rackmount the switch?? I can't find a kit that'll work with a 19" rack

+ Management panel and insights are pretty cool
+ Much more control over WAP channels/output

So... given the initial experience, I'm hard-pressed to say if this is an improvement over the Airport Express/Netgear swtich solution. Going to try this at a gig this weekend; AE/Netgear will be along as back-up.


If anyone is interested in the Ubiquiti solution, here's what we bought:

Unifi Switch8 150W switch
Unifi AP Pro wireless access point
Cloud Key management device

If this all works out, and time allows, I'm going to create a "set-up for dummies" video and blog post.

Frederik Rosenkjær

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Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #19 on: September 16, 2017, 02:08:26 AM »

Scott, what do you think about restricting the access by also putting the MAC address of the tablet or phone in the AP? I am sure there is a proper way to refer to this restriction. Would it be MAC address filtering? I looked it up in my Networking for Dummies book.

While I'm not Scott I've been using this method instead of password protection for a few years now with Ubiquiti APs. It works perfectly but I have to say I'm strongly considering going back to passwords - it's a total PITA to have enter mac addresses every time you need to connect some new device, which, for me at least, has turned out to be every so often.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Best router for crowded WiFi areas
« Reply #19 on: September 16, 2017, 02:08:26 AM »


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