recommend ceiling mount access point simultaneous dual or tri band AC1900, 3200

[GregD]

I fall into the Tim Higgins / sfx2000 camp when it comes to MU-MIMO, but I thought the links below could be useful for OP:

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/li...o-products-wireless-ap-and-usb-adapter.33736/

Linksys LAPAC2600

Looks like the LAPAC2600 hasn't quite made it to retailers yet but it may tick your "must-have" boxes for less cost and complexity than Aruba or Cisco. Good luck!

 

[L&LD]

sfx2000, you're stating reasons of why MU-MIMO isn't working (today). No argument there.

I'm (trying to) see the future with AC+ routers with more than the mere 4 streams we have now. And with firmware and clients that will give us the promise (and more) of what MU-MIMO hints at today.

I don't want proof of what isn't working today (because I'm not arguing that). I'm looking for a working setup of the promise of MU.

And frankly, if it works for cellular networks today, it will work for WiFi soon enough.

 

[lifespeed]

Linksys LAPAC2600

Looks like the LAPAC2600 hasn't quite made it to retailers yet but it may tick your "must-have" boxes for less cost and complexity than Aruba or Cisco. Good luck!

Looks good, the price is better.

 

[sfx2000]

And frankly, if it works for cellular networks today, it will work for WiFi soon enough.

MU isn't new to wireless... the WAN technologies have one advantage that WiFi doesn't have - the MAC layer is scheduled and a lot more control over all the associated devices.

 

[L&LD]

MU isn't new to wireless... the WAN technologies have one advantage that WiFi doesn't have - the MAC layer is scheduled and a lot more control over all the associated devices.

sfx2000, what does it mean to have the MAC layer 'scheduled'?

 

[sfx2000]

sfx2000, what does it mean to have the MAC layer 'scheduled'?

In Wireless Wide Area Networks (2G/3G/4G), time is very tightly controlled (needs to be when one can have up to 600 clients per cell (or Cell/Sector in Qualcomm CDMA speak) - and there is a wide variety of traffic sent over the downlink (cell to handset/terminal) - from signaling (control/management) to all the different services and traffic models - and it's elastic in the demand to boot... so that's what I mean about a "scheduled" MAC layer - 802.11 is much simpler in concept...

 

[lifespeed]

Has anybody tried the Linksys Business Pro Series Wireless AC2600 Dual-Band AP yet? Down to $350, looks like a lot of bang for the buck.

 

[sfx2000]

I'm (trying to) see the future with AC+ routers with more than the mere 4 streams we have now. And with firmware and clients that will give us the promise (and more) of what MU-MIMO hints at today.

I don't want proof of what isn't working today (because I'm not arguing that). I'm looking for a working setup of the promise of MU.

It's a good point - I think going into 2017, 4*4:4 is kind of a practical limit, considering that many AC capable clients are 2*2:2 or even single stream - and there's benefit to be had within 11ac and MIMO in general...

Getting back on thread - the Linksys business AP's can be a good value, and check around for their AC1750 class - Fry's had them for a very good price.

Also, Engenius has some decent business class AP's at a good price, and there's always the Ubiquity UniFI line...

Also, if you have connections with any corporate IT folks, 1st calendar quarter is a good time of year for enterprise, so many of the vendors there have good deals... (Cisco, Aruba, etc..)