Recommend me a new 'whole house' router/wifi setup please

[Buttery Ken]

Hi All

Inbound connection from ISP is FTTP at 700/100Mbps. I have probably around 30 WiFi devices (2.4/5ghz), your typical Alexa devices, phones, tablets etc. I also have about 20 devices that I want to keep on wired connections (1Gbps).

I currently have:

- ISP-provided router in the lounge - also providing WiFi
- Netgear 48-port switch in the cabinet under the stairs (linked to the router via ethernet)

My target is:

- new firewall/router that can be rack-mounted ideally. WAN port needs to be ethernet.
- wifi (wifi6 ideally?) access points x 3 (ideally ceiling-mounted and PoE)
- 24/48 port switch to go in the cabinet (with SFP ports and PoE)
- 8 port switch with SFP and PoE (for 1 x WiFi AP) (this will go in the garden office and connect via fibre back to the switch in the cabinet)
- we already have ethernet-connected HIK CCTV and alarm system, so don't need any fancy 'gateways' that have built in NVR

Is the go-to answer Ubiquiti? I've already got experience with Unifi kit and quite like their management interface so would be happy with that.

I did consider 2.5G internally but none of our traffic is between nodes inside the network, it's all inward/outward Internet traffic.

I've currently got Cat5e throughout the house but unfortunately I keep getting drops from 1Gbps to 100Mbps on the uplink between the router and switch, and I suspect the cable is crap. So, as part of renovations starting in May we'll replace with Cat6/7 or whatever is suitable.

Thanks all

[Greedydog]

I don't know if they have kit matching all your requirements but I went with Omada as a slightly cheaper alternative to Ubiquiti. Perhaps take a look and see if that meets your needs?

[GuyW]

Ubiquiti all day long for this.

Dream Machine Pro for your firewall & routing if it 'needs' to be rackmounted, if not I'd highly recommend the new Cloud Gateway Ultra and put it on a 1U shelf or elsewhere in the cabinet.
USW-48-POE or USW-24-POE - 24/48 port switch
USW-Pro-8-PoE - 8 port POE switch for outbuilding

Depending on coverage required any of the U6 APs. The U6+ is exceptionally good value.

[GuyW]

Also, no need for Cat 7. 6 will be more than ample. Even 6a is overkill for residential. Just use proper cabling from a decent manufacturer, avoid CCA spec like the plague!

Assumptions on the Gateway Ultra and a 48 over 24 port switch, this is the damage for the kit. Again assuming non business and non trade pricing.
Also not including any patch cables or SFP cables etc.

[Buttery Ken]

Greedydog said:

I don't know if they have kit matching all your requirements but I went with Omada as a slightly cheaper alternative to Ubiquiti. Perhaps take a look and see if that meets your needs?

Just having a look at their lineup now. All of our smart-plugs are TP-Link and they've been rock-solid so far.

Thanks

GuyW said:

Ubiquiti all day long for this.

Dream Machine Pro for your firewall & routing if it 'needs' to be rackmounted, if not I'd highly recommend the new Cloud Gateway Ultra and put it on a 1U shelf or elsewhere in the cabinet.
USW-48-POE or USW-24-POE - 24/48 port switch
USW-Pro-8-PoE - 8 port POE switch for outbuilding

Depending on coverage required any of the U6 APs. The U6+ is exceptionally good value.

This is pretty much the kit-list I put together a few weeks back, other than the Cloud Gateway Ultra. That does look a little bit 'lite' compared to the Dream Machine Pro.

Thanks

[GuyW]

Buttery Ken said:

This is pretty much the kit-list I put together a few weeks back, other than the Cloud Gateway Ultra. That does look a little bit 'lite' compared to the Dream Machine Pro.

Thanks

If you're not going to use the 'protect' part of Ubiquiti (cameras, security etc.) it's just as powerful and with under a 1Gb circuit you're not going to be even pushing the Ultra. The Ultra is still equipped with a quad core processor (same as the D.M Pro) and 3GB Ram. It's rated to handle 30 ubiquiti devices, 300 clients and still giving 500Mbps over VPN. 1/3 of the price as well!

Doesn't quite look as good as a Dream Machine Pro in a rack, I'll grant you.

[randlemarcus]

Quick caveat for both the OP and GuyW - the warranty on the Unifi stuff is only a year through a reseller, vs two direct. Doesn't help if the Ubiquiti store is out of stock, but worth bearing in mind.

[Captain_Morgan]

Look at tp-link Omada options, they offer UDM pro type devices, or routers, switches, ap’s & a sw or hw controller.

Often 20-40% cheaper than equivalent unif systems.

[GuyW]

randlemarcus said:

Quick caveat for both the OP and GuyW - the warranty on the Unifi stuff is only a year through a reseller, vs two direct. Doesn't help if the Ubiquiti store is out of stock, but worth bearing in mind.

I think that’s changed recently, I have a feeling as of 1st Jan this year. 2 years is standard now regardless of purchase source.

Kit I’ve purchased from broadbandbuyer this month states 2 years.

[Buttery Ken]

Kit now ordered!



Plus the 8-port Ubiquiti US-8-150W to go in the garden office. The two fibre cables are to run between that and the 48-port in the house!

Exciting!

[thebraketester]

Did you need all those POE slots? Seems excessive.

[Buttery Ken]

thebraketester said:

Did you need all those POE slots? Seems excessive.

Possibly a bit excessive but I'm trying to future proof. 32 ports on day one, but 3 x new AP's and possibly an outdoor one. Our current CCTV isn't PoE but a future one might be etc

[megaphone]

Have you considered how much power all this will consume?

Two POE switches seems excessive, as is a UDM-Pro.

Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 30th April 10:06

[Shiv_P]

Why not just get regular POE switches instead of Ubiquiti ones?

[Buttery Ken]

megaphone said:

Have you considered how much power all this will consume?

Two POE switches seems excessive, as is a UDM-Pro.

Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 30th April 10:06

Not really considered the power consumption, no. But I can't see this using considerably more power than what I currently run (ISP router, Netgear 48-port switch, PoE injectors etc).

I'll be having a WiFi AP (and potentially a camera) in the garden office, which is where the 8-port switch is going, so need PoE in there too.

[Buttery Ken]

Just to close this off, all my kit is now up and running and it's lovely.

I've also had an issue for two years where my uplink from router to switch kept dropping to 100Mbps rather than 1Gbps. I'd tried all four sockets near the router (in the lounge) and all had the same problem. The problem persisted with the new kit, so i've ran a new temporary ethernet cable between the router and switch and all is good with the world again.

My cabinet will be moving to the garage soon, and I have run fibre from there to the garden office to link the two switches.

I've also invested in a couple of Unifi cameras to replace the existing HIK kit we have, but will keep the HIK alarm system





Thanks everyone for the advice!

[dxg]

Unifi is a slippery slope. Ask me how I know.

Stick an SSD in the drive bay of the UDM and be amazed at the speed at which you can scrub through the CCTV in protect.

The animal / car / person / line crossing detections are great on the non-AI cameras (i.e. the (comparatively) sensibly priced ones).