Wireless "Mesh" with adjustable TX Power

[KCLickatung]

I have a 3 story home (approx 3000 sq ft including basement). The main router is near the electrical cabinet in the basement. This is not an ideal location since it is next to a utility room and duct work. The signal is not strong enough to cover the back of the house. However, I want to keep my router there since I have all the other networking gear in or near the electrical panel.

My old solution was to put the router/AP in the front basement. And another AP (wired) in the back 2nd floor). This gives good coverage and decent speeds. However, the AP causes issues with Sonos and creates other issues (no guest network, poor handoffs, difficult to configure). I really want something that operates like a mesh network (seamless SSID, handoffs, simple configuration, etc).

I installed Google WiFi and it works perfectly. I had units in front basement, back basement, and middle of 2nd floor. All with wired backhaul. Got good speeds and coverage everywhere including main floor which didn't have an access point (since their is no ethernet on that floor).

Problem: The Google WiFi AP (and most routers) are too "hot". Transmit power for Google is about 600mW according to FCC docs. Most other routers and mesh units are closer to 1000mW.

I get headaches from 5GHz at those powers. I know the controversy and the science around this, so let's just assume that it is all psychosomatic. Still, I need to lower the TX power on these units, especially for 5GHz.

So far, I have just unplugged the Google point in my office on the 2nd floor. So I have 2 points in the basement. My headaches have went away. But signal is weak in the top floor.

Solution: What I really want is to set TX Power of the AP low (say 100 mW) and use multiple access points.

Unfortunately, Google WiFi doesn't let you adjust TX Power. Orbi let's you adjust TX power but only to 25% (say 250 mW). And the Orbi units will be expensive if I need multiple satellites.

Seems like Unifi AP are a good solution but:
- very complex (need to optimize channels, need to configure each AP independently)
- need controller
- would need new POE switch
- will the AP be seamless to my Sonos system?

What I really want is a simple mesh-like system but with:
- wired backhaul
- low transmit power (~18-20 dBM)

Is there any WiFi system that combines the simplicity of Google WiFi with the low TX power of Unifi?

 

[KCLickatung]

Seems like the original Plume pods is the closest solution to what I am looking for. But I will just get a few Unifi APs, since I'm not sure Plume will survive.

 

[Trip]

For granular TX control on a per-AP basis, or even better, adaptive radio management that automatically adjusts transmit power and channel # in real-time as conditions require, you're more than likely going to have to look at entry-level enterprise stuff. That said, there are products with controllers built-in, that are fairly approachable and are not really *that* much more expensive when you think about total opportunity cost of picking the right or wrong solution, yet again. I'm of course talking about the likes of Ruckus Unleashed, Aruba Instant, etc. Higher price point up front, no doubt, ($200-300 per AP for just the entry-level units) but once you experience the connection quality, handoff that actually works, etc., I think, at least for this use-case, there's a high chance you'd find it worth it. But that of course depends on how motivated you, and your checkbook, are.

TL;DR - If you're not hell-bent on AC and/or crazy bandwidth, you can grab working-pull N-class APs and controllers off eBay for a song (even solutions with controllers are not *that* hard to setup, really), and away you could go for 10x less the cost of buying new. Just a thought. If you'd like more guidance on how to go that route the smart way, PM me. Happy to lend a hand.

 

[KCLickatung]

Trip, thanks for your advice. I had already purchased the Unifi APs though. As expected, the Unifi's were a hassle to setup. The controller interface is actually pretty straightforward. The problem is that the range is very limited -- at least in certain directions. Fiddling with the controller doesn't seem to help. The only option is trial-and-error on AP placement.

The Unifi APs seem to have limited radiation patterns. I can get strong signal vertically through floors, but very limited horizontal range through walls. I might be able to get by with 3 AC Lites with perfect placement, but given available locations for ethernet I will probably need 4 or 5 APs to give me the same coverage I was getting from two Google Wifi points. Domestic routers/APs are very hot and send strong signals in all directions. You don't need to put much thought into where you put them.

 

[Trip]

Gotcha. I'm assuming you've setup the UniFi's in the correct Ubiquiti-recommended orientation(s) to maximize their broadcast blanket? I know that, for example, many OEMs recommends a horizontal orientation (ie. ceiling or desk) versus vertical (parallel with the wall), for best possible radio behavior. As far as broadcast patterns go in general, UniFi is meant for more of a corporate type environment and, depending on the model, does tend to be more planar in its coverage than most SOHO gear, which, as you've noticed, tends to be pretty omni-directional.

And not to rub salt in the wound, but this type of thing is where Ruckus excels more so than most others (in my opinion). Stuff like PD-MRC and BeamFlex are definitely more than just marketing fluff; in my experience they work, and work really well. It was more of a competitive advantage with N-class wifi, as AC has ushered in a lot of that type of stuff with the standard itself, but it still makes a difference even with AC, too. That doesn't do anything to help you now, but maybe there are some similar features in the UniFi firmware/radios that you could explore that would help you get the coverage and performance you need. Do keep us posted.