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Author Topic: Switch from router to WAP ?  (Read 28814 times)

Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #20 on: August 22, 2019, 01:57:45 PM »

For a second I was very confused and trying to figure out why Debbie wanted to start using a 20 year old mobile device data protocol.

One thing that could help would be to do a wifi spectrum scan to see if there's a lot of traffic or if there are channels that are getting too crowded. There are lots of free ones out there, netstumbler, Wifi Analyzer, etc etc. Basically like WWB but for wifi.

I'm not too familiar with the Airport line, do they have external antennas? If so you might be able to upgrade them to something with a higher gain or more directional pattern so you can roam a bit more freely.

Oh I wish - now that would be the perfect option but alas - the AE is a tiny little thing with internal antennas.
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frank kayser

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #21 on: August 22, 2019, 02:06:01 PM »

Thanks Frank. What kind of distances are you getting?


Hmmm... Interesting question. I had to go to Google maps to measure - something I never did.
Normal airport range is between 70' and 100'.  If I get it high and out of the trees, maybe 200-225' or so?  Like a cardiod mic, this APs pattern is more elliptical.
5ghz is in rare use there yet. Foliage seems to break up 5ghz more than 2.4ghz. 

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Taylor Hall

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2019, 02:24:09 PM »

Oh I wish - now that would be the perfect option but alas - the AE is a tiny little thing with internal antennas.
Barring extra antennas, height will be your next friend. Direct line of sight does wonders for weak wifi.
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Steve Litcher

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2019, 02:31:18 PM »

This was my experience as well.  For more on my Ubiquity journey you can checkout this thread:

https://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,171524.0.html

I have not yet dealt with turning off the uplink, so I'm curious to hear if Steve has done that for his setup or not?

My only other tiny con to going with the Mesh AP is that it's really designed for permanent installations so the cover for the Ethernet connection has a nice rubber seal, but it's not something that will probably survive a lot of connections.  I was thinking about using a 15' Ethernet cable semi-permanently attached to the Mesh AP, and then using a jumper to add more when I want to locate the WAP downstage for larger setups.

It's funny - I saw your thread just after I posted here and I completely empathized with your initial configuration woes!

I have not turned-off the uplink, but I'll play around with it when I configure the "touring Ubiquiti" rig.

Regarding the cover on the AP, I just leave my ethernet cable connected to the AP at all times. When I'm putting things away at the end of the day, I unscrew the two antennas and then coil the cable into my rack with the Mesh AP still attached. Works really well.

Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #24 on: August 22, 2019, 02:57:09 PM »

Barring extra antennas, height will be your next friend. Direct line of sight does wonders for weak wifi.

The signal I get isn't weak at all - I get the router up nice and high at shows. Thank goodness it is small and not too conspicuous.
It is simply the distance I am looking for.
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Rob Spence

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #25 on: August 22, 2019, 03:26:48 PM »

My concern with range extenders would be any added latency. It is a repeater after all so it has to receive the data , then retransmit it, then do the same with the acknowledgement.
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #26 on: August 22, 2019, 04:26:25 PM »

My concern with range extenders would be any added latency. It is a repeater after all so it has to receive the data , then retransmit it, then do the same with the acknowledgement.

Good point Rob. I wonder if some are better than others -  I can afford a little latency for remote mixing but not so much with my  wireless light control.
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dave briar

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #27 on: August 22, 2019, 04:39:13 PM »

I was like you Debbie a few months ago. For years I’d just set an old consumer-grade router on top of the mixer case stage side and never had a problem.  If it ain’t broke...well, you know.  But then I thought it wise to at least exert due diligence and get an antenna/AP up above everyone’s heads to maintain line of sight at bigger events and so added a Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR (long range/flying saucer form factor) using the old router as a switch/DHCP server. It works great too. Someday I’ll probably replace the old router with a Ubiquiti Edge router as it has POE lan ports which would allow me to remove the POE injector I had to add and presently have zip-tied inside my rack case but it works well as is.

That said, my takeaway from a thread I started a few months ago was that while maintaining line-of-sight is certainly helpful the vulnerability in larger crowds likely comes more from probe requests and broadcast storms swamping the CPU and internal processing of the router/AP. To that end I turned off the 2.4 GHz radios in both the old router and the AP.  I mean I don’t use them so why load the processors down with unnecessary tasks.  Best of luck in your quest!
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #28 on: August 22, 2019, 05:29:06 PM »

I was like you Debbie a few months ago. For years I’d just set an old consumer-grade router on top of the mixer case stage side and never had a problem.  If it ain’t broke...well, you know.  But then I thought it wise to at least exert due diligence and get an antenna/AP up above everyone’s heads to maintain line of sight at bigger events and so added a Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR (long range/flying saucer form factor) using the old router as a switch/DHCP server. It works great too. Someday I’ll probably replace the old router with a Ubiquiti Edge router as it has POE lan ports which would allow me to remove the POE injector I had to add and presently have zip-tied inside my rack case but it works well as is.

That said, my takeaway from a thread I started a few months ago was that while maintaining line-of-sight is certainly helpful the vulnerability in larger crowds likely comes more from probe requests and broadcast storms swamping the CPU and internal processing of the router/AP. To that end I turned off the 2.4 GHz radios in both the old router and the AP.  I mean I don’t use them so why load the processors down with unnecessary tasks.  Best of luck in your quest!

Thanks Dave ... I only access 5g in the Express and get that thing as high as I can. I have never had the connection problems some others have. As soon as 2.4g became a little iffy as time went on, I immediately switched auto 5g nd haven't had a problem since.
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A young child says to his mother, "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to be a musician." She replies, "Well honey, you know you can't do both."

John L Nobile

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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #29 on: August 22, 2019, 05:37:46 PM »

Do you use a hidden SSID? Not only is it more secure but it keeps the roomful of phones from trying to connect to your AP.

5ghz is less congested but has shorter range and is affected more by obstructions. I use a hidden SSID at 2.4 ghz.
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Re: Switch from router to WAP ?
« Reply #29 on: August 22, 2019, 05:37:46 PM »


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