Setting Up Ubiquiti WiFi Access Points

Ubiquiti WiFi Access Points.

A friend has asked me about WiFi Access Points for a thick walled house. Ubiquiti comes to mind, but what is the way to set them up?

Looking at Broadband Buyer, there seems to be options where you have a "Cloud Key" or other means of accessing via a licence (if I have understood correctly).

I believe that there are other ways of setting up, say a couple of Ubquiti WiFi APs with a software utility on a network connected pc which does not have to be on 24/7

Grateful for any pointers.

Many thanks!

You generally use a controller to set up the access points as the access points have no web interface for configuration. The controller can be downloaded for free as software for Windows, Mac and Linux or you can buy a hardware cloud key.

You don't need to run the controller in most domestic installations except to configure the access points. Once they're configured, the controller can be switched off and only started again when something needs to be changed.

Very few of the sites I have set up have a controller running continuously - and only two have a cloud key so it's very unlikely that one would be needed in this situation.

You can also set-up access points using the mobile app but I've never done this so can't comment on how easy it is.

There are no ongoing licence or other costs whichever way you set things up unless you have an external third party running a controller on a subscription basis.

Most of the wi-fi installations I do these days are in properties with thick walls and I use Ubiquiti equipment but Ubiquiti doesn't have a magical ability to penetrate thick walls better than any other wi-fi equipment. It still needs hardwiring back to the router to be effective.

Edited by caffn8me (Fri 01-Nov-19 20:17:12)

Thanks Sarah.

It is the reference to "hardware cloud key" which has had me puzzled. I had ideas of it being a key in the sense of an Product Key similar to that required to activate Windows etc.

I will download the controller and see what it looks like etc.

Thanks again.

Cheers!

The cloud key is just a tiny linux computer in a box with an ethernet connector and a power input (which isn't used if the ethernet connection has 802.3af PoE).

It comes in three models and I think you can ignore it completely. All it does is run the same controller that you can download

The controller is very good. If you have any questions, just ask.

PS - Broadbandbuyer offers a hosted cloud controller service where they run the controller remotely and ship the access points preconfigured. There's no charge for this for the first three years.

You can choose this option and change to a local controller at a later stage if you want. Using their service does mean that the access points will constantly be sending data back to the remote controller over the internet. That's one reason I prefer to configure things locally.

There is an Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR. They are not to expensive and I was thinking of mounting one on the ceiling of my house landing. Do you have any experience of them? Are the 802.11k and 802.11r features likely to work with a Zyxel router which also has these wifi features?

I've got three of the AC-LRs and one AC-mesh. Far prefer the AC-LRs and regretted the AC-mesh... The LRs seem to have a much stronger singnal, however I still needed three to cover the house well and there's still one weak spot in the garage!

Re. roaming between access points, can't comment on different manufacturers and roaming between them but can't imagine it'd be a problem. Roaming between the Ubiquiti access is relatively seamless.

And on the software subject, I'm running unifi-controller on a Ubuntu 18.04 box 24/7 for the stats but if you don't want the stats, just boot the app up on a laptop as and when you want to change settings.

The UAP-AC-LR is excellent and I've used it on a number of sites. It's the access point I use for site wi-fi surveys and is also the standard access point across the main site I work at and home. I really can't comment on roaming between the Zyxel and the UAP-AC-LR as there are all sorts of variables at work and roaming is really controlled by the client.

If you have fast roaming enabled in the Unifi controller it seems to work well on the current firmware with modern clients. Some people experience issues with older devices when this is enabled. I can walk around during a VoIP call with a recent Apple client and have no dropped connection across several access points. Without fast roaming enabled, the client drops the connection for about three to four seconds when roaming between access points.

You can almost certainly do a lot more configuration on the Ubiquiti access point's wi-fi parameters than you can on the Zyxel but you won't necessarily need to stray too far from a basic setup. The more 'advanced features' you use, the more likely you are to break something.

One thing you need to consider is whether the absolute fastest speed possible is important. Ubiquiti access points are optimized for stable connections to multiple clients rather than fastest performance to a single client so they're often not as fast as cheaper domestic access points.

I manage mine (and set them up) with the mobile app. Mostly to see if it could be done. There is however a chicken and egg problem that most mobile devices are wifi only and well you need functioning wifi to set it up. I used a usb on the go adaptor and a usb ethernet dongle from my laptop to solve that issue. However it works well in my experience, though I only have the one access point in the house.

My favorite is the AC-LR, and they work well with the Edgerouter X SFP which can power them directly with 24V passive POE.

I can also highly recommend the wifiman app on android devices from Ubiquiti too. Its completely free no need for a Ubiquiti device etc. to work

One of the suppliers in America who makes lots of videos of UB gear suggests the LR specific model is a marketing gimmick and that it has little point over the Lite and something they rarely use. He says only to bother with Lite and if not enough move to Pro.

Have you tried the Lite and how did you find it compared to the LP.?

YouTube Channel = Cross Talk Solutions.
Added video link: Ubiquiti AP Video Comparison

Edited by gary333 (Sun 03-Nov-19 09:41:45)

In reply to a post by caffn8me:

One thing you need to consider is whether the absolute fastest speed possible is important. Ubiquiti access points are optimized for stable connections to multiple clients rather than fastest performance to a single client so they're often not as fast as cheaper domestic access points.

That is an interesting point. I only have a handful of Wifi devices, not a class full of kids with mobile phones. I have the original Gigaclear G10 product. If speed tests don't show 500Mbps up and down I think the connection is not working as well as it might!

Then again a ceiling mount using PoE would be quite convenient.

In reply to a post by gary333:

One of the suppliers in America who makes lots of videos of UB gear suggests the LR specific model is a marketing gimmick and that it has little point over the Lite and something they rarely use. He says only to bother with Lite and if not enough move to Pro.

Have you tried the Lite and how did you find it compared to the LP.?

The UAP-AC-LR isn't entirely a marketing gimmick. Apart from anything else, it has a higher data rate on 2.4GHz than the UAP-AC-Lite due to being 3x3 MIMO rather than 2x2 MIMO. It also has a higher transmit power in both bands. For the small extra cost over the Lite it's the one I'll continue to use.

Yeah and IMHO thats rubbish. The lite is 2x2 and the LR is 3x3 antennas. If thats a gimmick then I am a banana

Thanks Sarah

Called to see my friend this afternoon. Currently there is neither broadband or ceilings present, so an ideal time to run some CAT6 before building works move on.

To start things moving, have ordered an Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR

Now the question, if we power up the UAP-AC-LR but without connecting it to a network, will it transmit its SSID? If so with the aid of an iPad or phone we can play with positioning it to see if one AC-LR is sufficient or he needs more. (As I mentioned it is thick wall construction)

Many thanks.

Cheers!

It will broadcast its SSID happily provided that 'Site' settings in the controller don't have the "Enable connectivity monitor and wireless uplink" box ticked.

Rather than attaching nothing, I'd strongly recommend that you have a laptop with a gigabit ethernet port connected to the access point. You can then run the controller on the laptop and test actual wi-fi performance. You could also use something like a Raspberry Pi to do this. For wi-fi surveys I now use a Raspberry Pi 4 running a controller as this has gigabit ethernet.

With the access point connected to a controller launch the Unifi network app on the iPad/iPhone and log into the controller from the mobile device. Click the 'More' link at the bottom right of the screen and you'll see a section of Utilities on the left hand menu. Choose Wi-Fi Throughput Test and you can select between upload and download tests. You can also do this on Android.

Good luck!

Thanks Sarah

Hopefully will try this later this week. Must try and avoid stepping into a bucket of plaster.....

Cheers!

Things have moved on since November and what with continuing building works, running SWA CAT6 to the building (which will become a holiday let) and COVID-19; progress has been slow.

At that time I used my Win7 computer to run Controller 5.12.22 to set passwords etc and find the best location. The single Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR giving 100% internal coverage and also into an outdoor patio area. This without connection to the internet.

Yesterday was switch-on day and as expected 100% WiFi at a good speed - the property is some distance from the cabinet for FTTC, so 23 Mbps is better than we expected.

Now the problem…

My friend now has a Win10 pc and yesterday downloaded UniFi Network Controller 5.13.32 for Windows. This required Java to be installed and I was a little concerned when during this that there seemed to be an end of life(?) for Java of December 2020.
With Java and Controller installed, tried to use Controller.

UniFi Controller opened with "Launch a Browser to Manage the Network" button. Tried using the same Username & Password for Log-In as in November. But got incorrect password…

Tried a few times - same result.

What I don't think helped was that my friends Win10 pc has both Chrome and Edge installed and during the installing of Controller, came across a reference to Edge not being supported by the Controller? (Or did I read that elsewhere?)

Outcome was that we could not get in.

So not sure what to try next?

Cheers!

Well done on managing to get things working despite the lockdown.

When you first install a controller on a computer you're asked to set up an account that the controller will use as the super admin. Presumably he set an account up on the Windows 10 PC as part of this process unless he restored a backup containing the site. If he didn;t restire a backup (see below) he'll need to log in using the credentials he set up for his controller, not the ones you previously set up on your laptop.

If you took a backup of the site on your laptop and restored it on his it may not have transferred admin users across to a new controller so you end up with a controller you can't log in to.

Get him to delete the Unifi data on his controller and reinstall the software so that he has a clean controller he can log into without any devices. Once he can log in to the controller on his Windows 10 PC you can migrate from your controller to his following the destructions at https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002869188-U...

If that doesn't work, he needs to get back to a clean controller which he can log into and set up the site from scratch with the wireless network SSIDs and passwords. You then ssh into the access point using the username and which you can find on your controller by selecting Site > Device Authentication

Once logged into the access point you issue the command;

set-inform http://<IP address of his PC>:8080/inform

then it's a question of adopting it on his controller. It should show up as pending adoption. It will lose all its device settings (channel, transmit power etc) and need to be configured again when you do this so migration is the better bet if you can get that to work.

I'm a bit all over the place today (just back from meeting an electrician who will be putting in ethernet for another Unifi installation nowhere near Wombledon) so you may get a quicker response if the suggestion above doesn't work from the forums at https://community.ui.com/

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

You can use the UniFi app on a phone/tablet to manage the device. It's what I do. For simple one or two access point installs the controller software is a bit over the top (though great for planning access point locations) IMHO. The phone/tablet just has to be on the same network as the access points.

You can even set them up initially using the UniFi app if you use a USB on the Go adaptor in combination with a USB ethernet adaptor, or have other WiFi you can use.

I would also recommend the WiFiman app from Ubiquiti too.

I am thinking of the best option for my friend here. Not having much luck with his Win10 laptop, is there a version of Controller for an iPad? I have looked on my iPad's App Store and I can see UniFi Network. Is this the app he needs, or are there others?

I think I will need a click by click approach....

Cheers!

In reply to a post by Ancient_Mariner:

I am thinking of the best option for my friend here. Not having much luck with his Win10 laptop, is there a version of Controller for an iPad? I have looked on my iPad's App Store and I can see UniFi Network. Is this the app he needs, or are there others?

I think I will need a click by click approach....

Cheers!

Well that's the name of it on the Google Play Store. I don't use Apple products. It has become a bit less friendly over time for stand alone devices but still very usable and certainly easier than maintaining the UniFi app on your machine. Just updated the firmware on my UniFi AC-LR for example.

It expects you to connect to a controller, but just click on the account at the bottom (at least on Android), there is no need to log on, then select standalone devices and it searches the network for them.

Looking at it if the access point is not attached to the ceiling you can scan the QR code on the back to do the setup from the app.

In reply to a post by jabuzzard:

In reply to a post by Ancient_Mariner:

I am thinking of the best option for my friend here. Not having much luck with his Win10 laptop, is there a version of Controller for an iPad? I have looked on my iPad's App Store and I can see UniFi Network. Is this the app he needs, or are there others?

I think I will need a click by click approach....

Cheers!

Well that's the name of it on the Google Play Store. I don't use Apple products. It has become a bit less friendly over time for stand alone devices but still very usable and certainly easier than maintaining the UniFi app on your machine. Just updated the firmware on my UniFi AC-LR for example.

It expects you to connect to a controller, but just click on the account at the bottom (at least on Android), there is no need to log on, then select standalone devices and it searches the network for them.

Looking at it if the access point is not attached to the ceiling you can scan the QR code on the back to do the setup from the app.

Thanks for that.

Sounds good and has given me a few more options.
At least there is no panic rush. Currently awaiting electricity to be connected to the external property, so a case of using extension leads.

There is also the other option of doing a back to factory settings and starting again if we have difficulties with access etc.

Cheers!

In reply to a post by Ancient_Mariner:

I am thinking of the best option for my friend here. Not having much luck with his Win10 laptop, is there a version of Controller for an iPad? I have looked on my iPad's App Store and I can see UniFi Network. Is this the app he needs, or are there others?

I think I will need a click by click approach....

Cheers!

You can configure a controller with the apple/google apps, but you can't use a phone/ipad as a controller.

I'm pretty much all-in on ubiquti, it's awesome having perfect wifi coverage anywhere in the house and halfway to the shops lol

https://imgur.com/unGUE95

You need some sort of controller, be it in the house or outside, be it a cloud key or UDM device or a PC or Raspberry Pi.