# Configuring my Ubiquiti NanoBeam 5 GHz, 16 dBi airMAX (NBE-5AC-16)



## farmerjohn1324

It is plugged in. The power is on. It has ethernet cables going from the cable modem to the Ethernet port and another cable from the port to the device.

The instructions say to type in https://192.168.1.20/ in a browser. When I do this, it says "connection timed out."

The Internet is working because I am non it right now. There is also a cable going from the modem to my computer.

Did I do the wiring wrong?


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## Geoff

First just so you are aware, Ubiquity devices aren't consumer devices, they require a lot of configuration.  Is the device you are trying to use to connect to the NanoBeam on the same subnet?  I'd take a read here: https://www.ubnt.com/download/airmax-ac/nanobeam-ac


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## voyagerfan99

You're probably not on the same network. Open a command prompt and type ipconfig to figure out what your computer's IP address is. If it's different than the IP address Ubiquiti specifies, then you need to direct connect to the nanobeam and give yourself a static IP address (such as 192.168.1.25 subnet 255.255.255.0) and then change the IP address of the nanobeam to match the IP of your network.

I have a feeling you'll be way over your head on this and you should have a wireless specialist come set up your new network.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> You're probably not on the same network. Open a command prompt and type ipconfig to figure out what your computer's IP address is. If it's different than the IP address Ubiquiti specifies, then you need to direct connect to the nanobeam and give yourself a static IP address (such as 192.168.1.25 subnet 255.255.255.0) and then change the IP address of the nanobeam to match the IP of your network.
> 
> I have a feeling you'll be way over your head on this and you should have a wireless specialist come set up your new network.



I can always try. According to ipconfig, my IP addresses are: 

IPv4 Address: 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1

Unless corrected, I will go with the assumption that the top one is the IP address (192.168.0.2)I'm looking for.


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## farmerjohn1324

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I can always try. According to ipconfig, my IP addresses are:
> 
> IPv4 Address: 192.168.0.2
> Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
> Default Gateway: 192.168.0.1
> 
> Unless corrected, I will go with the assumption that the top one is the IP address (192.168.0.2)I'm looking for.



How's this?


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## voyagerfan99

Leave the gateway blank. You just need the IP address and subnet.

Once you can connect and log into the nanobeam, change the IP address of the nanobeam to something on the 192.168.0.x network.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> Leave the gateway blank. You just need the IP address and subnet.
> 
> Once you can connect and log into the nanobeam, change the IP address of the nanobeam to something on the 192.168.0.x network.



When I change the IP addresses like this with the Ubiquiti product attached, it gives me the following two screens when I type in https:// followed by the two IP addresses I tried...

To get back on the Internet, I plug the cable modem back in and it does not work because the IP addresses have been changed, so I have to click "choose automatically" on the IPv4 screen to get it to work.


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## voyagerfan99

Use internet explorer, not Firefox. And you only need to go to the 192.168.1.20 address. 192.168.1.25 isn't gonna do anything.

You'll see that warning about the connection being insecure. That's normal. Just click the ignore button so you can log in.


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## Geoff

When you navigate to 192.168.1.20, click advanced and show anyways.  It's because you're using HTTPS without a signed certificate.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> Use internet explorer, not Firefox. And you only need to go to the 192.168.1.20 address. 192.168.1.25 isn't gonna do anything.
> 
> You'll see that warning about the connection being insecure. That's normal. Just click the ignore button so you can log in.



I got the the nanobeam Configuration page. Made a username and password.

So where am I at now with trying to cast my cable modem out to this whole RV park?

I can't get on the Internet with the nanobeam plugged in. I have to plug the cable modem back in directly and change the IP addresses back to "automatic."

What should I do next?


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## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> So where am I at now with trying to cast my cable modem out to this whole RV park?
> What should I do next?


Not buy stuff that you don't know about.

The antenna that came with that is meant for point to point bridge deployments.  Take a look at the hplane and eplane graphs here:
https://dl.ubnt.com/datasheets/NanoBeam_ac/NanoBeam_ac_DS.pdf


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> What should I do next?


Get someone else to install this for you because you don't understand what you're doing.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> Get someone else to install this for you because you don't understand what you're doing.



Do I need any other hardware? This is what the salesperson told me to get on the phone. All I have is this...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lggz2r91dtlm7rc/Ubiquiti.jpg?dl=0

Can you at least point me in the right direction of why this is not working? Even a few sentences?


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Do I need any other hardware? This is what the salesperson told me to get on the phone. All I have is this...
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/lggz2r91dtlm7rc/Ubiquiti.jpg?dl=0
> 
> Can you at least point me in the right direction of why this is not working? Even a few sentences?


You need to set it up with a static IP address that matches your network topology. You then plug it back into your router and continue configuring it.

However this device is useless for you because you need more than just a nanobeam to accomplish what you want. You need a second Nanobeam to receive the signal. The second Nanobeam would be connected to a switch on the same network, which would then connect to several access points, in order to give your trailer park the wireless coverage you are looking for.

You should have spoken with a reputable company that could plan this out for you as far as purchasing the necessary hardware. They could have also sent you in the direction of a reputable contractor to install and configure it.

Give these people a call. I've dealt with them in the past. Their contact information is on the bottom of the page.
http://www.doubleradius.com/


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## Geoff

The Nanobeam is a point to point device.  As I told you in your other thread where you asked about getting WiFi to devices far away, I told you something like this device would be used to reach that far end point, but you'd need a wireless access point plugged into the second Nanobeam to provide an omni-directional signal to the nearby users.  You aren't going to find a device that can cover a long range in addition to being omni-directional.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> The Nanobeam is a point to point device.  As I told you in your other thread where you asked about getting WiFi to devices far away, I told you something like this device would be used to reach that far end point, but you'd need a wireless access point plugged into the second Nanobeam to provide an omni-directional signal to the nearby users.  You aren't going to find a device that can cover a long range in addition to being omni-directional.



Okay well that salesmen didn't know what he was talking about, then. He said this is all I would need.

(probably just trying to make a sale)...



voyagerfan99 said:


> You need to set it up with a static IP address that matches your network topology. You then plug it back into your router and continue configuring it.
> 
> However this device is useless for you because you need more than just a nanobeam to accomplish what you want. You need a second Nanobeam to receive the signal. The second Nanobeam would be connected to a switch on the same network, which would then connect to several access points, in order to give your trailer park the wireless coverage you are looking for.
> 
> You should have spoken with a reputable company that could plan this out for you as far as purchasing the necessary hardware. They could have also sent you in the direction of a reputable contractor to install and configure it.
> 
> Give these people a call. I've dealt with them in the past. Their contact information is on the bottom of the page.
> http://www.doubleradius.com/



Thanks. I will call that company.


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## farmerjohn1324

I have a question, though.... I have been to small motels that had wireless Internet to every room. They did not have any fancy Ubiquiti stuff. I'm assuming all they had was one router in their office. Why can't I do this?

I currently have this, and it's a Belkin that does the job, just not far enough. Isn't there something I can get that's just like the Belkin router I have... but will extend just a little bit further?

I don't understand the difference between a router and an access point. Can someone tell me?


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## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I have a question, though.... I have been to small motels that had wireless Internet to every room. They did not have any fancy Ubiquiti stuff. I'm assuming all they had was one router in their office. Why can't I do this?
> 
> I currently have this, and it's a Belkin that does the job, just not far enough. Isn't there something I can get that's just like the Belkin router I have... but will extend just a little bit further?
> 
> I don't understand the difference between a router and an access point. Can someone tell me?


Where did you come to the conclusion that motels only have one access point in the office, and what manufacture it was?  Most hotels have access points in the hallways every few rooms staggered per floor.  One access point only has so much range due to FCC power and antenna restrictions, even if you managed to boost this on your access point, the clients still transmit at very low power.

The simplest way is to run ethernet or fiber to multiple access points spread out that provide wireless coverage to the large area you need.  Even if you did manage to get one device to cover the entire area, once you get more than say a dozen or two of users streaming, it will severely bog the wireless network down making it unusable.  You need more access points on different channels to provide that kind of capacity.

A wireless router is your typical Linksys, Belkin, Netgear, etc. device that you find in stores like Best Buy that you connect your modem to, and it provides wired and wireless access.  An access point has a single ethernet port and is plugged into your existing network and only provides wireless access to your wired network.  With an access point, you need existing device(s) providing DHCP and routing.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> Where did you come to the conclusion that motels only have one access point in the office, and what manufacture it was?  Most hotels have access points in the hallways every few rooms staggered per floor.  One access point only has so much range due to FCC power and antenna restrictions, even if you managed to boost this on your access point, the clients still transmit at very low power.
> 
> The simplest way is to run ethernet or fiber to multiple access spread out that provide wireless coverage to the large area you need.  Even if you did manage to get one device to cover the entire area, once you get more than say a dozen or two of users streaming, it will severely bog the wireless network down making it unusable.  You need more access points on different channels to provide that kind of capacity.
> 
> A wireless router is your typical Linksys, Belkin, Netgear, etc. device that you find in stores like Best Buy that you connect your modem to, and it provides wired and wireless access.  An access point has a single ethernet port and is plugged into your existing network and only provides wireless access to your wired network.  With an access point, you need existing device(s) providing DHCP and routing.



Is the NBE-5AC-16 I just bought an access point? Should it be wired to my cable modem or to a router?

In a hotel, are the access points all wired to a modem or router (if so, which?)?

Do the access points in a hotel look similar to the NBE-5AC-16 I have?

PS: Have you seen Nick Burns Your Companies Computer Guy on SNL? I don't even watch TV and I'm not a fan of Jimmy Fallon usually... but that is FUNNY!!!

"MOVE!!!!"


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## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> In a hotel, are the access points all wired to a modem or router (if so, which?)?


Usually a switch and may or may not tie into a wireless controller.


farmerjohn1324 said:


> Do the access points in a hotel look similar to the NBE-5AC-16 I have?


Not really, for hotel access you usually want broad coverage so would roll with omnidirectional antennas and similar.  Occasionally there are patch type of antennas at the end of hallways that provide a more directional gain for those corridors.  You'll also have multiple quantities of AP.

A lot of run down type of hotels have some crappy consumer router, but you can't get coverage after a few rooms.

In your specific use case something like the UAP-AC-Lite would probably be a better suit.


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## farmerjohn1324

beers said:


> Usually a switch and may or may not tie into a wireless controller.
> 
> Not really, for hotel access you usually want broad coverage so would roll with omnidirectional antennas and similar.  Occasionally there are patch type of antennas at the end of hallways that provide a more directional gain for those corridors.  You'll also have multiple quantities of AP.
> 
> A lot of run down type of hotels have some crappy consumer router, but you can't get coverage after a few rooms.
> 
> In your specific use case something like the UAP-AC-Lite would probably be a better suit.



Is the piece of hardware that I have considered to be an access point? If not, what is it?

And in hotels, this switch connects to the modem, right?


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## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Is the NBE-5AC-16 I just bought an access point? Should it be wired to my cable modem or to a router?
> 
> In a hotel, are the access points all wired to a modem or router (if so, which?)?
> 
> Do the access points in a hotel look similar to the NBE-5AC-16 I have?


That access point, or most for that matter, won't work plugged directly into a modem unless that modem also does routing and DHCP.  There needs to be a router between the modem and access point.

Ideally, hotels, businesses, etc. use access points that connect to a switch, which has a wireless controller to manage them.

They look somewhat similar, but yours is a directional access point meant for point-to-point connections.  Most hotels would use omnidirectional antennas.



> Is the piece of hardware that I have considered to be an access point? If not, what is it?
> 
> And in hotels, this switch connects to the modem, right?


Yes it's considered an access point, but it's not designed to be a client-serving access point.

To over-simplify things, it would go modem > router > switch > access point(s), controller, clients, etc.

One common use for the access point you bought is if you are trying to get network connectivity to a remote building, where you'd connect the remote building to a switch, where you could connect hard wired clients or install an additional access point to serve wireless clients in that area.  Think of it as a low-cost wireless backhaul solution instead of running ethernet/fiber.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> That access point, or most for that matter, won't work plugged directly into a modem unless that modem also does routing and DHCP.  There needs to be a router between the modem and access point.
> 
> Ideally, hotels, businesses, etc. use access points that connect to a switch, which has a wireless controller to manage them.
> 
> They look somewhat similar, but yours is a directional access point meant for point-to-point connections.  Most hotels would use omnidirectional antennas.
> 
> 
> Yes it's considered an access point, but it's not designed to be a client-serving access point.
> 
> To over-simplify things, it would go modem > router > switch > access point(s), controller, clients, etc.
> 
> One common use for the access point you bought is if you are trying to get network connectivity to a remote building, where you'd connect the remote building to a switch, where you could connect hard wired clients or install an additional access point to serve wireless clients in that area.  Think of it as a low-cost wireless backhaul solution instead of running ethernet/fiber.



I have a trailer park with 9 buildings on the property. 8 rental units and one office/maintenance shed.

Is this going to require putting hardware in their houses? Or anywhere outside of the locked maintenance shed?


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## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I have a trailer park with 9 buildings on the property. 8 rental units and one office/maintenance shed.
> 
> Is this going to require putting hardware in their houses? Or anywhere outside of the locked maintenance shed?



A best case scenario would be mounting outdoor APs on masts near each building or building group.  You can backhaul the traffic via buried UTP or fiber and into a switch upstream to a multihomed router with its own dedicated connections.  Ideally you'd implement some degree of redundancy.

If you wanted to provide wifi service I'd probably engage a contractor who has some experience in this area as you're effectively becoming an ISP for these residents.


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## farmerjohn1324

beers said:


> A best case scenario would be mounting outdoor APs on masts near each building or building group.  You can backhaul the traffic via buried UTP or fiber and into a switch upstream to a multihomed router with its own dedicated connections.  Ideally you'd implement some degree of redundancy.
> 
> If you wanted to provide wifi service I'd probably engage a contractor who has some experience in this area as you're effectively becoming an ISP for these residents.



I will probably end up calling a contractor, but I would like to know what hardware I would need.

Why wouldn't this one access point be enough? According to the Ubiquiti website, it has a range of 10+ km (?!?!?!? that can't be right)....

https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/nanobeam-ac/

How many computers would be able to plug into this access point?


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## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> it has a range of 10+ km


You seem to be really caught up on these figures.

This would be for the point to point link, with high gain antennas on each.  When you directionalize an antenna, you give up the omnidirectional coverage for an extremely narrow beam that's only suitable for a 'backhaul' or point to point type of link like Geoff was suggesting.


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I will probably end up calling a contractor, but I would like to know what hardware I would need.
> 
> Why wouldn't this one access point be enough? According to the Ubiquiti website, it has a range of 10+ km (?!?!?!? that can't be right)....
> 
> https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/nanobeam-ac/
> 
> How many computers would be able to plug into this access point?


Listen to me, because I've said this and you don't seem to get it.

YOU DID NOT BUY AN ACCESS POINT!

The Nanobeam is for a point to point connection ONLY! YOU NEED OTHER EQUIPMENT (a switch and access points) TO MAKE THE SIGNAL USABLE!


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## farmerjohn1324

beers said:


> You seem to be really caught up on these figures.
> 
> This would be for the point to point link, with high gain antennas on each.  When you directionalize an antenna, you give up the omnidirectional coverage for an extremely narrow beam that's only suitable for a 'backhaul' or point to point type of link like Geoff was suggesting.



Then why did he just tell me I bought an access point? That's why I asked.

So just because the routers at Best Buy don't reach 180 feet in all directions, I have to buy all this fancy equipment and there's no way around it?

What is the access point for this nanobeam called? And what is their range, and thus how many do I need?


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## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> So just because the routers at Best Buy don't reach 180 feet in all directions,


They probably do, but you cheaped out and bought a crap belkin.


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Then why did he just tell me I bought an access point?


He lied.


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## farmerjohn1324

beers said:


> They probably do, but you cheaped out and bought a crap belkin.



I just went to Best Buy and they said the longest reaching router they have is 6,000 square feet.

I need 180 feet in one direction, but since routers are omnidirectional, that means I need about 102,000 square feet. I could use extenders if I need to, but they wouldn't be secured, and it's not good practice to leave tenants with access to valuable things. I would prefer to keep everything behind the locked door of my office/maintenance shed.


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I just went to Best Buy and they said the longest reaching router they have is 5,000 square feet. That can't be right because they have range extenders that reach further than that.
> 
> I need 180 feet in one direction, but since routers are omnidirectional, that means I need about 102,000 square feet. I could use extenders if I need to, but they wouldn't be secured, and it's not good practice to leave tenants with access to valuable things. I would prefer to keep everything behind the locked door of my office/maintenance shed.


You'd also get lots of speed degradation over all the hops you'd make.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> You'd also get lots of speed degradation over all the hops you'd make.



Okay so that's not the thing to do. Do they make routers that reach 102,000 square feet? Or is using something like Ubiquiti my only option?

By the way, what is the name for the piece of hardware that is called a "nanobeam?" It's not an access point, it's not a router. What is it? "Nanobeam" is the brand name, I'm assuming.

http://www.ampedwireless.com/products/rta2600.html

Here is the most expensive product of a brand called "Amped Wireless." It says "High Power," with no specifics as to square feet.


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> By the way, what is the name for the piece of hardware that is called a "nanobeam?"


The nanobeam is what you bought already. It's used for Point to Point connections.

Are you reading anything we're saying?



farmerjohn1324 said:


> Or is using something like Ubiquiti my only option?


Ubiquiti or run cable.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> The nanobeam is what you bought already. It's used for Point to Point connections.
> 
> Are you reading anything we're saying?
> 
> 
> Ubiquiti or run cable.



I know the nanobeam is what I bought. I'm asking if "nanobeam" is the brand name for something.

Like "Xerox" is brand name for "copy machine." Is "Nanobeam" the brand name for something? A term for this piece of hardware.


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## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> A term for this piece of hardware.


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## Geoff

You are really in over your head here.  The NanoBeam you bought is a point-to-point device designed to connect to a second NanoBeam that are pointed at each other with nothing in between.  If you have two of these with a clear line of sight, you could get up to 10Km in a lab environment.  This will be reduced based on weather and so forth.  If you pointed this at a trailer, the signal would become unusable at distances as there is now no longer clear line of sight.

You will not find a single omnidirectional access point that will cover an entire trailer park, especially if people will be inside the trailers surrounded by metal, construction, furniture, trees outside, etc.  Best case is you have pole-mounted access points every couple hundred feet, connected via ethernet/fiber.  Depending on the layout of the park, you could use directional sector antennas or omnidirectional antennas for best RF performance.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> You are really in over your head here.  The NanoBeam you bought is a point-to-point device designed to connect to a second NanoBeam that are pointed at each other with nothing in between.  If you have two of these with a clear line of sight, you could get up to 10Km in a lab environment.  This will be reduced based on weather and so forth.  If you pointed this at a trailer, the signal would become unusable at distances as there is now no longer clear line of sight.
> 
> You will not find a single omnidirectional access point that will cover an entire trailer park, especially if people will be inside the trailers surrounded by metal, construction, furniture, trees outside, etc.  Best case is you have pole-mounted access points every couple hundred feet, connected via ethernet/fiber.  Depending on the layout of the park, you could use directional sector antennas or omnidirectional antennas for best RF performance.



I agree that I am in over my head as far as installation and configuration, but I think I could understand what hardware I need to buy.

Should I plan on using the Nanobeam that I bought, or do I need new hardware altogether, and how much of it?

And is any of this hardware safe to put outside because I really don't want to put things in their trailers if I can avoid it. I wouldn't mind putting a little range extender in each unit if that would help and if they could just plug it into an outlet.

So this nanobeam is meant to point to another nanobeam, which would be wired to a computer?

Here are the park dimensions. What is my best configuration for hardware? Red is the cable modem in the office. Green is the laundry room, blue are the 8 trailers.



beers said:


> A best case scenario would be mounting outdoor APs on masts near each building or building group.  You can backhaul the traffic via buried UTP or fiber and into a switch upstream to a multihomed router with its own dedicated connections.  Ideally you'd implement some degree of redundancy.
> 
> If you wanted to provide wifi service I'd probably engage a contractor who has some experience in this area as you're effectively becoming an ISP for these residents.



Is this agreed that this is what I should do?

I'm not sure my cable Internet provider would be very happy with this, as their commercial plan was a lot more expensive.


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## johnb35

Another thing you need to find out is if you have a data cap on your account.   If you go over your amount of data they are giving you then you'll pay overages.  But I do agree that you'll need to setup access points near each trailer.  You need to consult with networking people in your area on the best way to accomplish this.


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## Laquer Head

farmerjohn1324 said:


> ...Here is the most expensive product of a brand called "Amped Wireless." It says "High Power," with no specifics as to square feet...



I think this is part of the problem, correct me if I'm wrong but you strike as the type of consumer that assumes most expensive = BEST 

I'd do what many others are saying, consult a professional and stop the madness now!!


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> So this nanobeam is meant to point to another nanobeam, which would be wired to a computer?


NO! WILL YOU FREAKING READ WHAT I'VE POSTED IN THE REST OF THIS THREAD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?

It goes from one nanobeam (connected to your main router in the house) and goes to a second nanobeam. The second nanobeam goes into a switch. If you plug into that switch you will then have internet access to the switch. So you therefore get AP's to connect to the switch and mount those to the trailers.

The Nanobeams are weatherproof. You'd alsop get outdoor AP's which would also be weatherproof.

However in the end because your trailers are so spread out and the area is so large, you'd probably wind up buying way more than just another nanobeam and some outdoor AP's.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> However in the end because your trailers are so spread out and the area is so large, you'd probably wind up buying way more than just another nanobeam and some outdoor AP's.



Okay I get it.

What more might I have to buy?

I hope my ISP doesn't have a problem with me doing this. I have no problem with spending some to equip the park.

Are these things hurricane proof?

What is the model number of the access points I should buy?


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## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Okay I get it.
> 
> What more might I have to buy?
> 
> I hope my ISP doesn't have a problem with me doing this. I have no problem with spending some to equip the park.
> 
> Are these things hurricane proof?
> 
> What is the model number of the access points I should buy?


Of the many problems you have, the office is located in the corner.  As we've said before, the NanoBeam is directional, so you'd need either multiple of these or you'd need to run ethernet/fiber directly to the AP's (bypassing the need for NanoBeams in the first place).  Think of the NanoBeam as a replacement for ethernet/fiber, so you'd likely need a pair of these for every AP you plan to install if you spread them out across the park.  The model AP's that you need really are the least of your concerns right now.  There's no point in looking at what AP's to buy if you don't know how you are going to get cabling to that AP.  Ethernet with a PoE switch would be easiest, but they have a 100M limit so that could pose a problem with some of the far runs.  You'd then need to either run the cabling on utility poles if available, or bury them.  Then you need to find a spot to mount the AP's.

Your ISP may not have a problem with the setup, but with many users on the network if you go over a cap that they may have in place, you could potentially get charged overages.  You need to find out if you have a data cap on your current plan.

Hurricane proof?  Pretty sure if a hurricane comes through your trailer park, having wireless access is the least of your concerns as far as repairs go.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> Of the many problems you have, the office is located in the corner.  As we've said before, the NanoBeam is directional, so you'd need either multiple of these or you'd need to run ethernet/fiber directly to the AP's (bypassing the need for NanoBeams in the first place).  Think of the NanoBeam as a replacement for ethernet/fiber, so you'd likely need a pair of these for every AP you plan to install if you spread them out across the park.  The model AP's that you need really are the least of your concerns right now.  There's no point in looking at what AP's to buy if you don't know how you are going to get cabling to that AP.  Ethernet with a PoE switch would be easiest, but they have a 100M limit so that could pose a problem with some of the far runs.  You'd then need to either run the cabling on utility poles if available, or bury them.  Then you need to find a spot to mount the AP's.
> 
> Your ISP may not have a problem with the setup, but with many users on the network if you go over a cap that they may have in place, you could potentially get charged overages.  You need to find out if you have a data cap on your current plan.
> 
> Hurricane proof?  Pretty sure if a hurricane comes through your trailer park, having wireless access is the least of your concerns as far as repairs go.



I will do direct wiring to Access Points.

100 meters is 328 feet. Why would that be an issue if the furthest trailer is 180 feet?

I think I could ask at this point what are the best Access Points to buy. I would want the ones with the largest range... but is there a limit to how many people can be on them at once?


----------



## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I will do direct wiring to Access Points.
> 
> 100 meters is 328 feet. Why would that be an issue if the furthest trailer is 180 feet?
> 
> I think I could ask at this point what are the best Access Points to buy. I would want the ones with the largest range... but is there a limit to how many people can be on them at once?


Depends if you can go directly to the point where you will install it, or you have to follow existing wiring which takes a round-about way to get there.  

For your setup, you don't want an AP with the largest range.  Otherwise, they will be causing co-channel interference with each other.  

How are you going to install these?  If they will be outdoors your options are more limited.  Do you plan to mount them on poles?


----------



## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> Depends if you can go directly to the point where you will install it, or you have to follow existing wiring which takes a round-about way to get there.
> 
> For your setup, you don't want an AP with the largest range.  Otherwise, they will be causing co-channel interference with each other.
> 
> How are you going to install these?  If they will be outdoors your options are more limited.  Do you plan to mount them on poles?



I can have wires go underground if I need to. That's not big deal.

I think I will probably put them on the outside of trailers. I also have a laundromat that I could put a "lightning rod" looking thing on (a pole extended far in the air).

I have many places to mount them. I now need to figure out what are the ranges of the available products and how many I will need.

If a certain trailer is in the range of two access points, will that cause them not to be able to get Internet?

My other questions is: What are all these Access Points wired to? Are they all connected to a switch that connects to the cable modem?

https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/ says that their access points have a range of 122m at the lowest, so couldn't I just put one on the outside of the shed? 55m is the furthest distance to any trailer.


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## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I can have wires go underground if I need to. That's not big deal.
> 
> I think I will probably put them on the outside of trailers. I also have a laundromat that I could put a "lightning rod" looking thing on (a pole extended far in the air).
> 
> I have many places to mount them. I now need to figure out what are the ranges of the available products and how many I will need.
> 
> If a certain trailer is in the range of two access points, will that cause them not to be able to get Internet?
> 
> My other questions is: What are all these Access Points wired to? Are they all connected to a switch that connects to the cable modem?
> 
> https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/ says that their access points have a range of 122m at the lowest, so couldn't I just put one on the outside of the shed? 55m is the furthest distance to any trailer.


They can be in range of two access points, as long as they are on different channels.  If they see multiple access points on the same SSID and on the same channel at similar signal levels, it can cause issues, hence why you don't necessarily want to run these at full power for the longest range.

They would be wired to a PoE switch, which would then be connected to your router.  If you use Ubiquity AP's, you will also want to have a server connected to that switch to manage them.  The router would then be connected to the modem.

That range is in wide open areas.  Once you add in obstructions like trees, buildings, furniture, etc. it becomes a lot less.  Other factors include neighboring APs, noise from appliances like microwaves, etc.  You'd want to plan for 5GHz coverage, which is a lot less than 122m with obstructions.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> They can be in range of two access points, as long as they are on different channels.  If they see multiple access points on the same SSID and on the same channel at similar signal levels, it can cause issues, hence why you don't necessarily want to run these at full power for the longest range.
> 
> They would be wired to a PoE switch, which would then be connected to your router.  If you use Ubiquity AP's, you will also want to have a server connected to that switch to manage them.  The router would then be connected to the modem.
> 
> That range is in wide open areas.  Once you add in obstructions like trees, buildings, furniture, etc. it becomes a lot less.  Other factors include neighboring APs, noise from appliances like microwaves, etc.  You'd want to plan for 5GHz coverage, which is a lot less than 122m with obstructions.



These Access Points are omnidirectional, right? All I need is 55m.

Why is it necessary to have a server?

Of the models on this site, https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/ , which would you buy? I would want to get the cheapest one and I think 122m would work because I only need 55m.


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## voyagerfan99

You don't need to install the control panel on a server, but you will need a workstation or a small manage unit to manage them all.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> You don't need to install the control panel on a server, but you will need a workstation or a small manage unit to manage them all.



To manage "what" all? At this point, I'm trying to do this with one Access Point. I see no reason I shouldn't be able to reach 55m on something that has a maximum laboratory range of 122m. Am I right in thinking this?

And when you say "server," are you talking about software like Apache, or another piece of hardware? Would Apache work?


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## johnb35

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Of the models on this site, https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap/ , which would you buy?



Those are indoor access points.  These are outdoor access points.

https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-outdoor/


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## voyagerfan99

I give up trying to explain anything to you.


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## farmerjohn1324

johnb35 said:


> Those are indoor access points.  These are outdoor access points.
> 
> https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-outdoor/



Okay, but at this point, I'm not sure that I need anything to be outdoors. I'm hoping to put one in my office, which is 55m away from the furthest place it needs to reach. The lowest range is 122m in perfect conditions, so even with some walls and microwaves in the way, one 122m indoor Access Point should reach 55m, right?

I know that the salesperson will tell me "yes," either way, so I can't really rely on them...

At this point, I'm trying to decide which Access Point to buy. Do I need one with two frequencies? If so, why?


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## beers

voyagerfan99 said:


> I give up trying to explain anything to you.



^ that.


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## farmerjohn1324

beers said:


> ^ that.



What are you talking about? I now know that I need to buy an Access Point instead of the Nanobeam that they told me to buy. I know about 100x more than I did when I started this post.

Do you think a single indoor 122m Access Point would work to cover 55m, since it wouldn't be ideal conditions? I could just put one Access Point in my office, right?

Why would this work or not work?


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## Geoff

John, you aren't listening to anything we say.  As I've told you numerous times, the 122M advertised range is in a wide open area with no obstructions.  If you have the AP in your office, it's going to be surrounded by the walls of your office, possible some trees or other things between the office and the trailers, and then the trailers themselves.  The clients inside the trailers won't be able to reliably connect their devices to that AP.  Besides, if people use smartphones or tablets, they are much weaker than laptops.

How many total clients do you expect there to be connected here?


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> John, you aren't listening to anything we say.  As I've told you numerous times, the 122M advertised range is in a wide open area with no obstructions.  If you have the AP in your office, it's going to be surrounded by the walls of your office, possible some trees or other things between the office and the trailers, and then the trailers themselves.  The clients inside the trailers won't be able to reliably connect their devices to that AP.  Besides, if people use smartphones or tablets, they are much weaker than laptops.
> 
> How many total clients do you expect there to be connected here?



As much as 8 at a time. If they are using their smartphones, then they wouldn't be on my network anyway.

I know the 122m is in ideal conditions, but even with all those obstructions, would it still be able to go 55m? That's only 45% of it's maximum range.

Either way, would you agree that getting an Access Point for the "office" would be a starting point? At the very least, it would be able to reach the trailer that's 15m away from the office.

(If I wasn't listening, I wouldn't even know what Ubiquiti was in the first place... maybe it just takes a while for my vocabulary to catch up).


----------



## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> As much as 8 at a time. If they are using their smartphones, then they wouldn't be on my network anyway.
> 
> I know the 122m is in ideal conditions, but even with all those obstructions, would it still be able to go 55m? That's only 45% of it's maximum range.
> 
> Either way, would you agree that getting an Access Point for the "office" would be a starting point? At the very least, it would be able to reach the trailer that's 15m away from the office.
> 
> (If I wasn't listening, I wouldn't even know what Ubiquiti was in the first place... maybe it just takes a while for my vocabulary to catch up).


How many trailers are there, and how many people on average are in each trailer?  You may know your residents best, but the rule of thumb is 2-3 devices per person for a worst case scenario when planning your network.  Why wouldn't they use smartphones on your network?  Those are likely to be the most common devices used on your network, as nearly everyone has one these days, along with a tablet and/or laptop.

Without knowing the exact material of the walls and obstructions I can't say for sure if you could reach those distances, but I highly doubt it.  You do not want to have clients anywhere near the fringe area anyways, as it's going to cause lots of disconnects and association problems, as well as slow speeds.  Remember, when clients are connected at a slow data rate due to poor signal, it causes slow downs for everyone.

Since you seem pretty fixed on this, I'd say get a Ubiquity UAP-LR (long range), and mount it in the window facing the trailers for a best shot at getting it to work.  It will likely work out in the open, but I highly doubt it would work inside all the trailers.


----------



## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> How many trailers are there, and how many people on average are in each trailer?  You may know your residents best, but the rule of thumb is 2-3 devices per person for a worst case scenario when planning your network.  Why wouldn't they use smartphones on your network?  Those are likely to be the most common devices used on your network, as nearly everyone has one these days, along with a tablet and/or laptop.



8 trailers. Average of 2.2 people per trailer. When you say 2-3 devices, do you mean the people will be using 2-3 devices at once, or do you mean that I need 2-3 Ubiquiti products per person? If they used their smartphones (as some of them already do), it would use Verizon's network. That's how my phone works.



Geoff said:


> Without knowing the exact material of the walls and obstructions I can't say for sure if you could reach those distances, but I highly doubt it.  You do not want to have clients anywhere near the fringe area anyways, as it's going to cause lots of disconnects and association problems, as well as slow speeds.  Remember, when clients are connected at a slow data rate due to poor signal, it causes slow downs for everyone.



Most of the trailers have a metal exterior.



Geoff said:


> Since you seem pretty fixed on this, I'd say get a Ubiquity UAP-LR (long range), and mount it in the window facing the trailers for a best shot at getting it to work.  It will likely work out in the open, but I highly doubt it would work inside all the trailers.



How would I get a signal inside the trailers?


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## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> 8 trailers. Average of 2.2 people per trailer. When you say 2-3 devices, do you mean the people will be using 2-3 devices at once, or do you mean that I need 2-3 Ubiquiti products per person? If they used their smartphones (as some of them already do), it would use Verizon's network. That's how my phone works.
> 
> 
> 
> Most of the trailers have a metal exterior.
> 
> 
> 
> How would I get a signal inside the trailers?


When planning a wireless network you determine how many people would be present at peak times, use the 2-3 device estimate per person, and then you usually use a percentage of that to determine the day-to-day traffic.  So if you figure 2 devices per person, with 2 people per trailer, that's 32 potential devices.  I'm not sure what sort of percentage you'd use in this exact scenario, but it's good to look at the worst case scenario to plan for capacity in your network.

Yes smartphones can use mobile data, but most people do not have unlimited data, and connect to WiFi whenever possible.  If there is WiFi, they will connect their phones to it.  Mobile devices are the primary use on residential and educational wireless networks.

Metal is a bad material to try and get wireless through.

It could work if you have an AP mounted next to a trailer, such as every other or every 2 trailers you mount an AP on a pole of some sorts.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> When planning a wireless network you determine how many people would be present at peak times, use the 2-3 device estimate per person, and then you usually use a percentage of that to determine the day-to-day traffic.  So if you figure 2 devices per person, with 2 people per trailer, that's 32 potential devices.  I'm not sure what sort of percentage you'd use in this exact scenario, but it's good to look at the worst case scenario to plan for capacity in your network.
> 
> Yes smartphones can use mobile data, but most people do not have unlimited data, and connect to WiFi whenever possible.  If there is WiFi, they will connect their phones to it.  Mobile devices are the primary use on residential and educational wireless networks.
> 
> Metal is a bad material to try and get wireless through.
> 
> It could work if you have an AP mounted next to a trailer, such as every other or every 2 trailers you mount an AP on a pole of some sorts.



Okay.

I will start with that one long-range AP and go from there.


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## farmerjohn1324

2-3 devices person? I could see 2, but what is 3? If every person in the whole park was on their laptop and phone at the same time, that is 2 per person. But how could a person be on 3 devices at once? Just saying....


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> 2-3 devices person? I could see 2, but what is 3? If every person in the whole park was on their laptop and phone at the same time, that is 2 per person. But how could a person be on 3 devices at once? Just saying....


Phone laptop and tablet.


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## farmerjohn1324

http://www.4netonline.com/ws/produc...-802-11-b-g-n-links-up-to-600-ft-export-only/

Can anyone tell me what type of switch I need to buy along with this on the 4netonline.com site?

Is that it as far as hardware goes?

Someone mentioned a "server,"....

I don't know as much about computers as you guys, but the only definition of "server," that I currently know is software (like Apache).

Also, when I search the 4netonline.com site for "server," nothing comes up.


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## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> 2-3 devices person? I could see 2, but what is 3?


Phone, laptop, tablet, PC or spare pc, gaming console, smart TV, the list goes on and even multiples above.

I think it will be more worthwhile for each resident to manage their own WAN connection in this scenario if you can't even envision usage scenarios.


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Someone mentioned a "server,"....


I already told you this.

To control the Ubiquiti access points, there is a piece of software that needs to run on a system (in a corporate environment it would be installed on a server, but any workstation on the network will work). Either that or you use one of the Ubiquiti management nodes that connects to the internet and allows you to manage the AP's from the cloud.


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## Laquer Head

This thread needs its own section.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> I already told you this.
> 
> To control the Ubiquiti access points, there is a piece of software that needs to run on a system (in a corporate environment it would be installed on a server, but any workstation on the network will work). Either that or you use one of the Ubiquiti management nodes that connects to the internet and allows you to manage the AP's from the cloud.



Okay, so I can run this software on the computer that is in the maintenance shed. Perfect! I was just confused as to whether a "server" was a piece of hardware in this case, which I'm glad it's not.

I know more about computers than you guys give me credit for. I know how a processor works with all the transistors and that RAM chips are capacitors, to keep it simple.


----------



## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Okay, so I can run this software on the computer that is in the maintenance shed. Perfect! I was just confused as to whether a "server" was a piece of hardware in this case, which I'm glad it's not.
> 
> I know more about computers than you guys give me credit for. I know how a processor works with all the transistors and that RAM chips are capacitors, to keep it simple.


Correct it's not extra hardware that you need, you just install software on any PC that has access to that network, for you to setup, configure, and to manage it.


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## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> Correct it's not extra hardware that you need, you just install software on any PC that has access to that network, for you to setup, configure, and to manage it.



Do they provide this software for free?


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## voyagerfan99

farmerjohn1324 said:


> Do they provide this software for free?


Yes. That is one of the positives of Ubiquiti. Their controller is not a hundreds or thousands of dollars piece of hardware like Maeru or Meraki.


----------



## beers

voyagerfan99 said:


> or Meraki.


I didn't know they had a hardware controller 

Although the licensing fees are generally pretty high.


----------



## voyagerfan99

beers said:


> I didn't know they had a hardware controller


Point being Ubiquiti is cheaper than Meraki


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## Geoff

voyagerfan99 said:


> Yes. That is one of the positives of Ubiquiti. Their controller is not a hundreds or thousands of dollars piece of hardware like Maeru or Meraki.


Most other manufacturers use either hardware controllers, or VM controllers, not just a simply software package 

John, if you went with Aruba, Meru, Cisco, Ruckus, or one of the many other wireless vendors you'd be paying thousands of dollars for the controller, and hundreds in annual license fees.


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## farmerjohn1324

What kind of switch should I buy to go with my UAP-LR.


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## Geoff

I'd recommend going with a Ubiquity EdgeRouter, you'd connect your modem to it and your APs.  Of course the setup in configuring the router is a lot more work than your classic Netgear consumer router.

https://www.ubnt.com/edgemax/edgerouter-poe/


----------



## farmerjohn1324

So, in total all the hardware I need to buy is.... the UAP-LR (which I already bought), then a switch to connect it to, and the EdgeRouter?

Why would this EdgeRouter work and the Belkin not work?


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## voyagerfan99

You did NOT buy a UAP-LR. You bought a Nanobeam!

Also you'd use an EdgeRouter because it's a PoE router. Whatever belkin POS you'd buy would require you to use a PoE injector.


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## farmerjohn1324

voyagerfan99 said:


> You did NOT buy a UAP-LR. You bought a Nanobeam!
> 
> Also you'd use an EdgeRouter because it's a PoE router. Whatever belkin POS you'd buy would require you to use a PoE injector.



I just bought a UAP-LR yesterday.

Is there a "switch" that I would need or is it just the UAP-LR and the EdgeRouter?

Wasn't there some software you were telling me about? Where do I get that from?


----------



## Geoff

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I just bought a UAP-LR yesterday.
> 
> Is there a "switch" that I would need or is it just the UAP-LR and the EdgeRouter?
> 
> Wasn't there some software you were telling me about? Where do I get that from?


The UAP-LR comes with a PoE injector, since it doesn't come with a power adapter.  The AP itself only plugs into an ethernet cable.

The reason for suggesting the EdgeRouter was because they have a PoE model which would let you connect multiple APs without the need for an injector, and it has a much more robust feature set.  The belkin would work as well, you'd just need to use the injector (included), and you'd have much more limited expand-ability and routing functions.


----------



## farmerjohn1324

Geoff said:


> The UAP-LR comes with a PoE injector, since it doesn't come with a power adapter.  The AP itself only plugs into an ethernet cable.
> 
> The reason for suggesting the EdgeRouter was because they have a PoE model which would let you connect multiple APs without the need for an injector, and it has a much more robust feature set.  The belkin would work as well, you'd just need to use the injector (included), and you'd have much more limited expand-ability and routing functions.



I'll just wait to get my UAP-LR in the mail and see where I'm at.

Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to figure it out myself.

But if not, I really appreciate that you guys have been so willing to help me.


----------



## farmerjohn1324

Okay I got my UAP-LR.... I am at downloads.ubnt.com/unifi but can't find the download link.

Can anyone else find it?


----------



## voyagerfan99

Expand UniFi AP LC and download the controller software.

Please note you must have java installed.


----------



## farmerjohn1324

I downloaded the controller software and this box comes up... when I click on the box... it says "insecure connection,"....

Also, when I try to connect to the Internet using this Ubiquiti Access Point using a different computer... I don't see anything for it on the Wireless Network List... what should the network be called?


----------



## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> when I click on the box... it says "insecure connection,"....



It uses a self-signed certificate



farmerjohn1324 said:


> I don't see anything for it on the Wireless Network List... what should the network be called?



This is what you set up in the aforementioned controller software.


----------



## farmerjohn1324

beers said:


> It uses a self-signed certificate
> 
> 
> 
> This is what you set up in the aforementioned controller software.



All it gives me is that one little box... I don't see anything to allow me to "set it up,"...


----------



## voyagerfan99

Use chrome or IE and tell it to proceed anyway.


----------



## beers

farmerjohn1324 said:


> All it gives me is that one little box... I don't see anything to allow me to "set it up,"...


Click advanced, and then proceed anyway


----------



## voyagerfan99

beers said:


> Click advanced, and then proceed anyway



He's using Firefox. With Firefox you need to add an exception. Which is why I told him to use Chrome or IE.


----------

