Re: Meraki

[Warren Bailey <wbailey () satelliteintelligencegroup com>]

Read the unifi forums (I was pretty active there when I was testing unifi controller beta).

If that doesn't cure your fanboy feelings, you are doomed.


Sent from my Mobile Device.


-------- Original message --------
From: Ray Soucy <rps () maine edu>
Date: 11/22/2013 3:37 AM (GMT-09:00)
To: Seth Mos <seth.mos () dds nl>
Cc: NANOG <nanog () nanog org>
Subject: Re: Meraki


FWIW, I picked up a UniFi 3-pack of APs and built up a controller VM using
Ubuntu Server LTS and the beta multi-site controller code over the past
week.

I'm very impressed so far, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of
Cisco setup, sure, but I'm pretty shocked at the level of functionality
here and the ease of having APs use an off-site controller (they all phone
home over TCP so no VPN or port forwarding is required).

I'm interested in UniFi mainly for remote Libraries that don't have any IT
staff but need a little more than a router from Best Buy.

Also of interest is the EdgeMAX line.  I also got the EdgeRouter LITE for
testing this past week after finding out it runs a fork of Vyatta (EdgeOS)
and is developed by former Vyatta employees.  For a sub- $100 device ...
very impressive.

Pricing just popped up for the new EdgeRouter PRO last night and I was
pretty blown away:

$360

For a device with 2 SFP ports, and 2M PPS.  That is music to my ears since
we do a lot of dark fiber around the state even for smaller locations.  I'm
pretty excited to get one of these and see how they perform.

I wish I would have bothered looking at Ubiquiti sooner, really.  I'm a
little embarrassed to admit I initially wrote them off because the prices
were so low, but the more I look into these guys the more I like them.

I feel like I'm at the risk for becoming a UBNT fanboy.  Does anyone have
any qualified horror stories about EdgeMAX or UniFi?  Everything I've been
able to find has been for nonsense configurations like complaining about
trying to to OSPF over WiFi ... Who does that?






On Fri, Nov 22, 2013 at 1:34 AM, Seth Mos <seth.mos () dds nl> wrote:

> Op 22 nov 2013, om 06:37 heeft Jay Ashworth het volgende geschreven:
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > Anecdote:
> >
> > My local IHOP finally managed to get Wifi internet access in the
> restaurant.
> > For reasons unknown to me, it's a Meraki box, backhauled *over T-mobile*.
> >
> > That's just as unpleasant as you'd think it would be, And More!
> >
> > Both the wifi and 3G (yes, 3G) boxes lock up on a fairly regular basis,
> > requiring a power cycle, which, generally, they'll only do because I've
> > been eating there for 20 years, and they trust me when I ask them to.
> >
> > I can't say whether this provides any illumination on the rest of their
> > product line, but...
>
> To compound matters, i'd go as far as to say that any wireless solution on
> 2.4Ghz isn't really a wireless solution. It's just not feasible anymore in
> 2013, there is just *so much* interference from everything using the
> unlicensed 2.4Ghz band that it's own success is it's greatest downfall.
>
> Reliable wireless isn't (to use the famous war quote "friendly fire isn't")
>
> For whatever reasons, whomever I talk to they all tell me that <ISP here>
> sucks, and if I ask further if they are using the wireless thingamabob that
> the ISP shipped them, they says yes. So, that's about right then.
>
> I've been using a PCengines.ch Alix router for years now (AMD Geode, x86,
> 256MB ram, CF) with a cable modem in bridge mode with seperate dual band
> access points in the places where I need them (living room, attic office)
> and I can't say that my experiences with the <ISP here> mesh with theirs.
>
> Anyhow, if you are going to deploy wireless, make sure to use dual band,
> and name the 2.4Ghz SSID "internet" and the 5Ghz SSID "faster-internet".
> You'll see people having a heck of a better time. Social engineering works
> :)
>
> When we chose the Ubiquity wireless kit we could deploy twice as many APs
> for the same price of one of the other APs. This effectively means we have
> a very dense wireless network that covers the entire building, and lot's of
> kit that can actually see and use the 5Ghz band.
>
> Setup was super easy, I added a unifi DNS name that points to my unifi
> controller host and I get a email that a new AP is ready to be put into
> service. Having a local management host instead of some cloud was a hard
> requirement. I also like that I can just "apt-get update; apt-get upgrade"
> the software. By using DNS remote deployment was super easy too, send the
> unit off and let them plug it in, it then comes onto the network and
> registers itself.
>
> I believe every current Apple iDevice currently supports the 5Ghz band,
> and all the Dell gear we purchase also comes ordered with it. Heck, even my
> 2011 Sony Xperia T has 5Ghz wireless now, as do the current Samsung Galaxy
> S3, S4
>
> Best regards,
>
> Seth



--
Ray Patrick Soucy
Network Engineer
University of Maine System

T: 207-561-3526
F: 207-561-3531

MaineREN, Maine's Research and Education Network
www.maineren.net<http://www.maineren.net>