Recent content by Trip

@matt_pl - Glad you found the content useful. Quite frankly, that's the way something we rely on so heavily should work -- more like a carrier-grade appliance and less like a toy. Happy for you, and for your well being, via satisfaction of the wife as well. ;)

I don't blame you. If you're willing to get your hands a little dirty, how putting you favorite firewall distro (pfSense, OpenWRT, etc) onto one of these little guys: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PHHXN9V/?tag=snbforums-20 You could then direct-wire to your Asus APs, or perhaps put in a managed...

@ryanoly - Welcome to SNB. Residential/SMB integrator here (I have a fair amount of this type of content on SNB, searchable via my username). Here's how I'd approach this: Rather than sink $1100 more down the consumer mesh rabbit hole, I'd take $100-200 to shore up your on-premise ethernet...

It's been a while since I was last on the forums, so I figured a good return would be bringing up a newer option for those looking for a novice-friendly, reliable wired router that can keep the internet congestion-free at up to full duplex 1Gb -- Evenroute's $399 IQRouter Pro (link): The Pro...

By "core", I meant your root-most switch, closest to the internet (ie. directly cable to your router/firewall). In the proposed setup, that would actually be the built-in switch on the TL-ER router itself, but discretely it would be the TL-SG2428P, into which you'd want to directly home-run as...

@Tech Junky - Your proposed setup is certainly an option as well. Not sure how much @walkabout wants to get into DIY'ing his own x86-based firewall, but more CPU firepower for your dollar can definitely be had that way, for sure. And Zyxel is also a nice option for SMB-grade, centralized wifi...

@walkabout - Very welcome. Regarding the network controller, TP-Link uses the same discrete approach as Ubiquiti UniFi, offloading it entirely to a standalone install, which must be reachable from management subnet of all controlled devices [router, switch(es) and AP(s)]. The controller can be...

@walkabout - You're on the right track. Considering your goals, budget and the current supply chain constraints, I'd recommend a full TP-Link Omada stack of managed components (ie. all VLAN-capable, which is what you need for proper network segregation), including an Omada router/firewall, which...

@Alpha 007 - I've been eyeing this thread since the mention from @thiggins. Since it appears you're still troubleshooting the current setup, I won't interject suggestions for other gear yet, but should you fail to get anywhere with the Cisco WAP's, feel free to @ mention me and I'll jump back in.

@KCL - Scott, an NGFW box with an integrated PoE switch, let alone one with more than 4-5 PoE ports, is a rare bird, and a dying one at that. IMHO, your best option is the outgoing (but still available) Fortinet FortiGate 80E-POE or 81E-POE, with 12 total PoE+ ports (datasheet here). They're...

@unmesh - There a whole lot of variables at play here, so on the surface level it's hard to say whether it's your topology, configuration, environment or device(s) causing the bulk of the issue. Anecdotally, I do have multiple sites with R600's and various gen iPotato's roaming just fine. As...

@GrumpyGent - For something with a decent GUI and CAKE support via SQM package, I'd suggest OpenWRT. Luci is a fairly easy GUI once you get used to it, and there's a decent amount of how-to material on YouTube and elsewhere at this point. For something commercially supported that's even easier...

@macster2075 - Regarding injectors and switches, I would opt for gigabit across the board, as the cost difference is typically minimal for 10x the performance ceiling per port and much lower obsolescence factor. As for structured cable, I tend to opt for domestic-made, verified...

@Tony Mathews - If you've got the skill and are comfortable separating wireless duty to a dedicated AP, checkout the Mikrotik RB5009 (if you can find one in stock...). Combine that with the S+RJ10 adapter module and you'll have 2.5Gb full-duplex WAN-LAN link speed with two 2.5GbE ports.

@KCL - Welcome. As @ColinTaylor suggested, presuming this is for an actual business, and not just two in-home "offices", I would move beyond consumer products and put in SMB (or higher) grade gear. The differences may not be that apparent at first glance, but in a nutshell you'll get a more...