5 AP for business use

[erkdahl]

Router and AP for business use?

Hi,
We need to cover about 600 square meters of office area with a good wireless signal.
We want to put up 5 wireless AccessPoints.
We need to split the Wireless into multiple networks, 4 different networks with different SSID would do.
The internet input is fiber 20 Mbits. If it is possible, we would like to configure the amount of Mbits internett each Wireless can use. For example wireless-network 1 should have access to 5/5 internett. wireless-network2 should have 10/10 etc.

Also some sort of firewall is needed.

Is it possible to get all this in an easy to setup WiFi router? And then buy 5 of these and configure one as a router with firewall and 4 as AccessPoints?

If so which one?

Thanks for your help!

 

[fistv]

Hi,
We need to cover about 600 square meters of office area with a good wireless signal.
We want to put up 5 wireless AccessPoints.
We need to split the Wireless into multiple networks, 4 different networks with different SSID would do.
The internet input is fiber 20 Mbits. If it is possible, we would like to configure the amount of Mbits internett each Wireless can use. For example wireless-network 1 should have access to 5/5 internett. wireless-network2 should have 10/10 etc.

Also some sort of firewall is needed.

Is it possible to get all this in an easy to setup WiFi router? And then buy 5 of these and configure one as a router with firewall and 4 as AccessPoints?

If so which one?

Thanks for your help!

Business use, big qualifier. My suggestion, Cisco 891W, 4 Cisco SAP 1600E access points. Buy the POE daughter card for the 891W router, that will power the 4 access points over ethernet on ports 0-3 on the router. I'm counting the 5th access point as the built in one on the 891W which is what the W is for, you can also get the 891 as non wireless in which case you will need a 5th 1600E, the SAP in 1600E means it's a Stand Alone access Point and does not need a controller, controller based AP's from cisco are labeled CAP or Controller Access Points. Based on your questions I also would suggest you get a cisco person in there to do the configuration. My suggestion is probably the most expensive, I have seen one of these access points handle in excess of 50 users each and I have over 75 per day connected to one of my 891W's wireless, the 891 also has a firewall, does DHCP, VLAN, etc. It will do multiple DHCP, you can setup DHCP per VLAN if you want, handy for your guest network to only give them internet access.

 

[azazel1024]

I'd go business/enterprise gear.

That said, yes, some consumer routers can do this. A lot of the medium/higher end consumer routers have relatively effective bandwidth control. Though I don't know that any of a "maximum total access point" bandwidth control. Deffinitely per client control.

One issue, are the different SSIDs different per AP? Or are you looking at 4 different SSIDs on each AP? If the later, I am not aware of any consumer router with stock firmware that supports more than two SSIDs (regular and guest, but you can setup guest with full privelages).

Also if doing different SSIDs, your devices will not roam between the access points unless you have an AP with AP initiated roaming/hand-off. So you'll have to do manual SSID selection as you move clients around.

 

[abailey]

You may want to hire someone to do the job if you are not real familiar with wireless and routing. There are many things to consider with the wireless, like channel overlap, coverage, N+1, etc. If you are familiar with these things, personally I would use Ubiquiti equipment. Their Unifi AP's can have 4 SSID's and support VLANs. I would use the Edgerouter Lite or Edgerouter Pro as your router, depending on your needs.

 

[Trip]

I'd echo business gear as a general starter. That said, this may be better handled by a local IT contact who could assess your needs in the flesh. It might save you a fair bit of cost up front, over time, or both. Just a though, before bounding right ahead with suggestions.

 

[stevech]

Hire a good pro.
Too much at risk, in security.

 

[erkdahl]

Thanks for all your replies!

Not much is needed for security, since they have no servers or no important hardware inside their network.
All the WiFi should do is to provide internett access to their Macs (all running macs). And maybe a printer or two.

Someone local has suggested to buy 5 of these:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H...211n-dual-radio-enterprise-wi-fi-access-point

Do you think thats a good idea?

 

[stevech]

Oh, so this business has no customer data, no private company data?

 

[Cloud200]

Thanks for all your replies!

Not much is needed for security, since they have no servers or no important hardware inside their network.
All the WiFi should do is to provide internett access to their Macs (all running macs). And maybe a printer or two.

Someone local has suggested to buy 5 of these:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H...211n-dual-radio-enterprise-wi-fi-access-point

Do you think thats a good idea?

In a word.
No.

Get something you can manage from a single console.
Get something that supports 5ghz as well as 2.4ghz
Get something that can be powered by POE


Non-exhaustive examples:
Ubiquiti Unifi pro
Cisco SMB line models 371,561
Zyxel NWA3560-N
Engenius Neutron line (switch + access points)

 

[sfx2000]

In a word.
No.

Get something you can manage from a single console.
Get something that supports 5ghz as well as 2.4ghz
Get something that can be powered by POE


Non-exhaustive examples:
Ubiquiti Unifi pro
Cisco SMB line models 371,561
Zyxel NWA3560-N
Engenius Neutron line (switch + access points)

Airports - can centrally manage via OS X server ($30 download from the App store)

Airports - support 2.4 and 5Ghz just fine

Airports - cannot be powered via POE

That being said - I don't think Airport's are the right choice here - for a small scale solution, I would look at Aerohive or Cisco/Meraki, you'd be surprised how this fits this particular use case...

sfx

 

[Cloud200]

Airports - can centrally manage via OS X server ($30 download from the App store)

Airports - support 2.4 and 5Ghz just fine

Airports - cannot be powered via POE

That being said - I don't think Airport's are the right choice here - for a small scale solution, I would look at Aerohive or Cisco/Meraki, you'd be surprised how this fits this particular use case...

sfx

I have set up both Aerohive and Meraki. (Although i personally prefer Meraki)
I will have to agree with you 100% that they fit the reqs of the OP perfectly.
Just remember that the cost of 1 AP is about 5x that of Ubiquiti and has a required annual subscription that if not paid will render the AP into a paperweight.

 

[rtfm]

Another WiFi project

I am on a similar quest for a client.

• Upscale 4-story house, ~ 3500ft^2
• Outside to also cover porch.
• Low traffic
• Central monitoring from a Mac or Linux box, no tablets.
• 2-3 clients such as printers besides laptops/tablets.

My aim is no repeaters; something more to give grief. All AP's will be fed with CAT5, some via a MOCA bridge.

One issue is the garage-mounted outdoor unit -- for now I will need to use a {gag} powerline Ethernet pair, but I aim for slit-trenching glass in.

I have looked at UniFi, Aruba, Aerobee, ZyXEL. etc. Aruba has yet to get back to me. Aerohive seems to be wedded to their controlling it [i.e. "it's in the Clould..."] as a lock in. I told their salesguy "Edwin Snowden would love it" and he said "Who is that??"

So I'm looking deeper at UniFi.

• Q1 UAP-AC Outdoor
• Q4 UniFi AP-AC, one per floor.
• Q2 {client printserver - can I reuse an Airport?}
• Outside AP w/directional antenna to monitoring point.

Profound Wisdom Sought from the Brane Trust here.