If you were deploying all new APs today, N or AC?
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I'm going to be replacing my WAPs this summer. I'm wondering what the best direction to go is?
UAP 2.4 Ghz only Wireless N $60 (Amazon) Won't work with standard POE, requires 24 V power injector
UAP Pro Dual Band Wireless N $229 (Amazon) POE 802.3af
UAP AC Dual Band Wireless AC $280 (Amazon) POE 802.3at1/3 of our laptops support Dual Band N today (replaced summer 2014)
remaining laptops are between 3-5 years old, running windows 7 and will only be replaced upon failure (or Windows 7 retirement).None of our devices run AC today.
Also, what kind of switches do you guys like to power these and VOIP phones? Is Gb to the desktop really worth the expense over 100 Mb?
I'm updating 3 buildings worth of networking:
Building 1: 7 APs, 40 desktops/phones all need POE
Building 2: 11 APs, 50 desktops/phones all need POE
Building 3: 5 APs, 20 desktops/phones all need POE -
@Dashrender said:
Is Gb to the desktop really worth the expense over 100 Mb?
Bloody rights it is. Granted we deal with big chunks of data a lot (video).
At minimum do GB backbone for all your server room stuff.
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Depends. In Most business settings you won't see an improvement with AC, both because the applications and needs of one laptop are unlikely to be using those speeds. and the gigabit uplink from the switch is still a bottleneck once you get lots of users on a single ap.
I have the UAP AC at home, it runs hotter than the UAP Pro. I'd install the UAP Pro in most companies that have PoE switches already as most won't have PoE+.
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@Dashrender said:
Also, what kind of switches do you guys like to power these and VOIP phones? Is Gb to the desktop really worth the expense over 100 Mb?
I'd get gigabit switches. No reason not too. But in most applications if your phone limits your desktop connection to 100mbps the user will see no difference. It depends on what kind of data/how big the data is that your company is using.
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In additional to getting GB switches - I would suggest Fiber between them if possible.
If Fiber is not possible now,.. at least set the ground work for it in the future. It'll pay for itself in spades later...
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@g.jacobse said:
In additional to getting GB switches - I would suggest Fiber between them if possible.
If Fiber is not possible now,.. at least set the ground work for it in the future. It'll pay for itself in spades later...
If the switch is in the same rack there's no reason to do fiber. Do 10gb copper or use stacking cables (better option if supported).
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@thecreativeone91 said:
@g.jacobse said:
In additional to getting GB switches - I would suggest Fiber between them if possible.
If Fiber is not possible now,.. at least set the ground work for it in the future. It'll pay for itself in spades later...
If the switch is in the same rack there's no reason to do fiber. Do 10gb copper or use stacking cables (better option if supported).
Yes, however he mentioned three buildings....
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One main advantage of AC over N is that even though you may not gain the speeds of AC, you get a highly extended (as far as range) N network. The difference in range between N and AC is huge! Oh, and Gigabit to the desktops? ABSOLUTELY! Sure, you'll almost never actually utilize full gigabit, but even 200 or 300Mb/sec improves performance SIGNIFICANTLY over just Fast Ethernet.
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Depends on your needs but typically N. The cost is too much lower and almost no one has a need for AC yet. But those that do, it may be worth it.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
One main advantage of AC over N is that even though you may not gain the speeds of AC, you get a highly extended (as far as range) N network. The difference in range between N and AC is huge! Oh, and Gigabit to the desktops? ABSOLUTELY! Sure, you'll almost never actually utilize full gigabit, but even 200 or 300Mb/sec improves performance SIGNIFICANTLY over just Fast Ethernet.
Nope not true. AC has less range than N and its 256-QAM (more chance of interference)
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@g.jacobse said:
In additional to getting GB switches - I would suggest Fiber between them if possible.
If Fiber is not possible now,.. at least set the ground work for it in the future. It'll pay for itself in spades later...
What's the upside to fiber? Costs more, less flexible, easier to break, harder to work with. Unless you can't use copper, use copper.
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@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
One main advantage of AC over N is that even though you may not gain the speeds of AC, you get a highly extended (as far as range) N network. The difference in range between N and AC is huge! Oh, and Gigabit to the desktops? ABSOLUTELY! Sure, you'll almost never actually utilize full gigabit, but even 200 or 300Mb/sec improves performance SIGNIFICANTLY over just Fast Ethernet.
Nope not true. AC has less range than N and its 256-QAM (more chance of interference)
Not from what I've seen. This was one of the primary reasons I bought an AC router recently was to improve range. It made a HUGE difference.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Depends on your needs but typically N. The cost is too much lower and almost no one has a need for AC yet. But those that do, it may be worth it.
At a price differents of $50 per AC AP? Wouldn't it make sense to step on up to the newer tech? Especially if you are planning to lease the equipment for 3 - 5 years?
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@Dashrender said:
Also, what kind of switches do you guys like to power these and VOIP phones? Is Gb to the desktop really worth the expense over 100 Mb?
As of a decade ago, yes. FastEthernet violates my home line principle. Gigabit to the desktop costs almost nothing, literally.
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@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Depends on your needs but typically N. The cost is too much lower and almost no one has a need for AC yet. But those that do, it may be worth it.
At a price differents of $50 per AC AP? Wouldn't it make sense to step on up to the newer tech? Especially if you are planning to lease the equipment for 3 - 5 years?
Agreed. There are already plenty of laptops shipping with AC wifi cards installed in them. It's not the norm YET but given another year or two and it will be.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
One main advantage of AC over N is that even though you may not gain the speeds of AC, you get a highly extended (as far as range) N network. The difference in range between N and AC is huge! Oh, and Gigabit to the desktops? ABSOLUTELY! Sure, you'll almost never actually utilize full gigabit, but even 200 or 300Mb/sec improves performance SIGNIFICANTLY over just Fast Ethernet.
Nope not true. AC has less range than N and its 256-QAM (more chance of interference)
Not from what I've seen. This was one of the primary reasons I bought an AC router recently was to improve range. It made a HUGE difference.
Again. We've been over it before. That was likely the annetas. Nothing to due with AC. high met frequnices has less range. You can't change physics.
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@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
One main advantage of AC over N is that even though you may not gain the speeds of AC, you get a highly extended (as far as range) N network. The difference in range between N and AC is huge! Oh, and Gigabit to the desktops? ABSOLUTELY! Sure, you'll almost never actually utilize full gigabit, but even 200 or 300Mb/sec improves performance SIGNIFICANTLY over just Fast Ethernet.
Nope not true. AC has less range than N and its 256-QAM (more chance of interference)
Not from what I've seen. This was one of the primary reasons I bought an AC router recently was to improve range. It made a HUGE difference.
Again. We've been over it before. That was likely the annetas. Nothing to due with AC. high met frequnices has less range. You can't change physics.
AC might improve range, maybe, but to do so wouldn't it have to exist on both ends? Otherwise your AC system is using N and you are still limited by the N devices.
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@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
One main advantage of AC over N is that even though you may not gain the speeds of AC, you get a highly extended (as far as range) N network. The difference in range between N and AC is huge! Oh, and Gigabit to the desktops? ABSOLUTELY! Sure, you'll almost never actually utilize full gigabit, but even 200 or 300Mb/sec improves performance SIGNIFICANTLY over just Fast Ethernet.
Nope not true. AC has less range than N and its 256-QAM (more chance of interference)
Not from what I've seen. This was one of the primary reasons I bought an AC router recently was to improve range. It made a HUGE difference.
Again. We've been over it before. That was likely the annetas. Nothing to due with AC. high met frequnices has less range. You can't change physics.
I know AC runs on the 5GHz channel, which you are right in saying has a smaller range than the 2.4GHz channel, but less interference. It could be the antennaes but my understanding was that the 2.4GHz channel on AC routers had a stronger signal than your standard N routers.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@thecreativeone91 said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
One main advantage of AC over N is that even though you may not gain the speeds of AC, you get a highly extended (as far as range) N network. The difference in range between N and AC is huge! Oh, and Gigabit to the desktops? ABSOLUTELY! Sure, you'll almost never actually utilize full gigabit, but even 200 or 300Mb/sec improves performance SIGNIFICANTLY over just Fast Ethernet.
Nope not true. AC has less range than N and its 256-QAM (more chance of interference)
Not from what I've seen. This was one of the primary reasons I bought an AC router recently was to improve range. It made a HUGE difference.
Again. We've been over it before. That was likely the annetas. Nothing to due with AC. high met frequnices has less range. You can't change physics.
AC might improve range, maybe, but to do so wouldn't it have to exist on both ends? Otherwise your AC system is using N and you are still limited by the N devices.
Absolutely. You'd still be limited to N speeds, but you'd have a greater range physically, which means you can actually use fewer APs to cover the same amount of space. Theoretically.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
I know AC runs on the 5GHz channel, which you are right in saying has a smaller range than the 2.4GHz channel, but less interference. It could be the antennaes but my understanding was that the 2.4GHz channel on AC routers had a stronger signal than your standard N routers.
FYI these are not channels, these are bands. The 2.4GHz band has eleven standard channels inside of it.
