Router/Mesh Network Recommendation

Discussion in 'Computer Audiophile: Software, Configs, Tools' started by Colgin, Jun 13, 2020.

  1. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I would put a nice router on the basement, which then would feed to a switch w PoE support (Power over Ethernet), which would then feed a bunch of EAP225s (powered and data feed through the cat5) onto the various rooms around the house and life would be awesome.
     
  2. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    The ISP box has a wireless router built-in which is ok and what I'm currently using, but it's weak at the furthest corner of the house. The current switch is an HPE 1820 (that I, uh, borrowed from surplus at work), but I don't think it has PoE.

    I have a couple old routers that I was thinking I could reuse, but maybe they're all too old to be useful now (is there even a compatibility thing to worry about?).

    Is there a webpage you can point me to that's a decent primer on setting this sort of thing up? I just keep finding pages that talk about it but not how to actually do it. I'm reasonably adept with computers, but noobish with networking.

    Is this the product you're talking about? https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-Wireless-Supports-EAP225-V3/dp/B0781YXFBT
     
  3. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Yup. That was the product. I would buy that because it is inexpensive, well regarded and seems to do the job.

    However. If you you already have old routers. I would definitively reuse those and forget about the EAP225s.

    What do you have for old routers?

    Edit: Those 1820 switches look pretty darn pro. And some do support PoE. But again, if you already have some routers around I would look into re-using those first. I can actually set my old Asus N router as an access point. But unlike you, I don't have cat-5 around the house. If I did, I would not bothered with an extender. Mesh would be out of my mind.
     
  4. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    @Armaegis, you made me think a bit more.

    I may not have Cat5 all over. But I do have Coax. Maybe I should investigate MoCA a bit more.
     
  5. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    Mesh is what you do when you don't have a bunch of Cat5e (I am assuming you meant Cat5e and not just Cat5) prewired. Mesh at home is the halfassed fix to no wiring, what you have prewired is optimal.

    All those cables should go to a central point in the house (you indicate the basement) You already have a switch there... the other ends can have the occasional wireless point attached, and bingo, you have full house wifi coverage.

    Added:

    If you walk around a lot with a Windows laptop, the OS doesn't seem smart enough to really pick up on the stronger APs.

    I was testing this last night with iperf, the laptop would stay connected to the original AP even if I walked as far away as possible and stood next to another AP. Windows was dumb enough to stay with the original AP even though the signal go so weak that throughput was dropping down to single digit Mbps from the original 200-300Mbps figures.

    Control Panel -> Networks - Change Adaptor Settings -> Right Click Wifi Adaptor -> Properties -> Configure -> Advanced Tab -> Roaming Aggressiveness -> Select Medium-High or High.

    Default settings might work better with clients and WAPs that support some roaming/handoff standard (802.3k/v/r?) but I haven't looked into this. Too obscure and too complicated to both with :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
  6. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    LOL! Cat-5, Cat-5e, Cat-6... Who of you pussies have played around with real men Cat-7 :)

    @JustAnotherRando is right. If the house is wired, definitively use that. And re-using old routers is also more than valid. Even an old and beat up N router can provide significant throughput on short distances.
     
  7. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Dude. This is awesome. I feel most everyone has that problem. Including me. I'm going to try that right now.

    It's not just Windows. My iPhone has the same issue.
     
  8. Armaegis

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    I have an old D-Link DIR-655. Probably 10 years old at this point.

    I got the 1820 switch from work. It's HP's enterprise grade stuff with better warranties. I think it even has a level of access to do networking witchery that is completely beyond me.

    Oh hmm, I did not even know MoCA was a thing. I know a couple people that might find that useful.
     
  9. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    If it is Cat5e you can run gig on it. I do wifi for a vocation, but if you have cable already I would totally use that.
     
  10. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I have a very old MoCA 1.0 adapter pair which I bought about 10 years ago. I may use that again myself w my old ASUS and get another access point in the front of the house.

    It is by today's standards a bit slow. But I know if works.

    If I remember correctly you can run a gig on Cat5. On Cat5e you can run 10G up to about 50 meters.
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2020
  11. Metro

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    Cat5 maximum speed is 100 Mbps
    Cat5e and Cat6 are 1G
    Cat6e is 10G

    I was surprised to discover that the cable rating really does matter, even for a short run. I needed to move my router further from the cable modem and replaced the 5 ft cable with an old 10 ft cable I had lying around. It turned out to be a Cat5 cable and the speed dropped from 900 Mbps to 90 Mbps. I bought a Cat6 cable and the speed went back up to 900 Mbps.
     
  12. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    As far as I can tell, the only difference between 5 and 5e is how tightly the wire pairs are twisted for crosstalk reduction. I guess those twists are really important.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Probably a shitty PHY (modem) on you system.

    When I was working at Solarflare (now part of Marvell), over 15 years ago, were able to get 10G over 50 meters with Cat5e. And 100 meters using Cat6 (or was it Cat6a, don't remember). I'm not in that sector anymore.

    You don't know how important crosstalk reduction is here. Specially near end.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2020
  14. Kernel Kurtz

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    It's also important to stay within the 100m maximum run spec. I worked in a place a few years ago that had a 400ft run for a trunk and there were lots of continuously incrementing CRC errors on the ports. Not surprisingly performance was poor for all the users on that switch

    Also, counterfeit cable is a thing. Seen a couple places get burned by that over the years as well.
     
  15. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    100 meters max for 10G is about right for Cat6a (assuming a good PHY). But 1G should do better than that. But again, it depends on the PHY. Many are shit (maybe).

    There is also Cat7 and that can get you a bit more distance. But it's pricey. Cable manufacturers used to come to Solarflare to qualify their cables using our PHY for 10G. Belden came I believe. I honestly don't know, specially now, but it seems Belden was good.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2020
  16. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Anecdotally the HP Office Connect (Small Business) stuff is a lower level than Enterprise grade. The older ProCurve and the current HPE (Enterprise) switches are more robust. But, in the end whatever works.
     
  17. SineDave

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    I use a lot of solarflare 10GbE NICs :).

    What most bothers me is people using 10GBaseT but not using shielded cable. Seriously???

    My home switches are overkill (Cisco 3850 and Juniper EX2300) but for most folks, I recommend grabbing a solid midline Cisco 10 port switch that will work out of the box and deliver reliable PoE for access points also: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/suppo...10-port-gigabit-poe-managed-switch/model.html

    https://www.neweggbusiness.com/Prod... Systems, Inc.-_-9SIV0UU87M1589&source=region
     
  18. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    LOL yeah a 3850 is kind of pricey for a home switch. Do you have a wiring closet? I tried using a 3750 in my home office but it was way too noisy. Have a 2960-S now and it is much more bearable.
     
  19. SineDave

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    I have a closet in an upstairs bedroom where the cable all home runs to. That's where I keep my switches, firewall (Fortigate 60E) and NAS (60TB QNAP). I did swap out the fans in my switches for a lower noise version (Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX), so it's really not even audible in the bedroom.
     
  20. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I believe Cat6e (edit: Cat6a) is shielded. Cat7 even more shielded.

    For short haul, I don't think it's a big deal.

    LOL! Seems you guys have a central office for a home.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2020

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