Support NeoGAF

[Septimus Prime]

Might as well bump this because I'll be going past a Best Buy and I could use some advice before I make a decision. I could also jump for the X4S. Help?

If you want 802.11ac, you're probably better off with the Nighthawk, but there's really no way to tell until you try it and see how badly your signal attenuates. The regular Amplifi only does 802.11n on its mesh points.

EDIT: It's been a few days, though, so I assume you already bought one of them. How's it working out?

I finally heard back from Ubiquiti regarding the RMA request, and I can't say I'm impressed. They expect me to ship everything back, not just the defective mesh point, and do so at my expense. They then claim it'll take several weeks to process the RMA before it gets "processed." Heaven knows when I'd actually see a replacement.

I've asked for a full refund, which is disappointing because I like what I've seen of the product. I just expect a company to stand behind what they sell.

Damn, that's super disappointing to hear. I ordered mine through Newegg, so if something goes wrong, I'll probably just try to return it through them.

 

[Cryst]

Just chiming in to say that I also had an Amplifi HD pre-ordered and recently set it up. House layout prevented running Cat. 5e everywhere easily. It's very much designed for a non-power user; mostly set it and forget it. Didn't run into a mesh point unit problem like Lady Gaia did, but super disappointed to hear about that kind of RMA process.

Previously had a Netgear Nighthawk X4 r7500v2 that had constant drops on both 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz bands, despite my devices being 1-2 ft away for testing purposes. Seems like the X4S and higher models are more reliable and still supported, but I didn't want to give Netgear more money to try and test that out after my bad experience with the X4. Lots of people seem to like the Nighthawks, so my experience may have been a fluke.

Overall, the Amplifi HD has been a solid experience for the week that I have been using it. By default, it has band steering turned on so you just have one SSID for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. No QoS features from what I can see, but port forwarding can be configured. Doesn't appear to have a web interface to control (only for setup, if you don't have the app). Setup was easy with little configuration needed. Mesh points take up a single receptacle outlet but that seems typical of other mesh systems. The HD is probably overkill for a simple home network, but there aren't a lot of reviews or impressions of the base package or the LR package with which to compare.

 

[Lady Gaia]

Ubiquiti responded to my complaint with an offer to get me a shipping label so I don't have to pay to return the product. I haven't heard anything further, but at least that's progress. I get the impression their RMA process isn't really geared toward consumers and sincerely hope they'll get their act together.

 

[Lady Gaia]

... and I'm delighted to say that instead of sending me a shipping label, Ubiquiti simply shipped a replacement for the defective mesh point base. I'm not sure trolling your customers is the wisest approach, but I'm delighted to have a fully functional WiFi mesh system up and running without additional hassle. It's fast, it's easy to manage, and it's great to be able to see at a glance where our bandwidth is going.

 

[Septimus Prime]

... and I'm delighted to say that instead of sending me a shipping label, Ubiquiti simply shipped a replacement for the defective mesh point base. I'm not sure trolling your customers is the wisest approach, but I'm delighted to have a fully functional WiFi mesh system up and running without additional hassle. It's fast, it's easy to manage, and it's great to be able to see at a glance where our bandwidth is going.

That's pretty awesome!

I was actually just about to bump this thread to complain that Ubiquiti (I had to cancel my Newegg order, since it wouldn't ship til December) actually shipped my Amplifi HD. They just never told me, and their order tracking page sucks. Tracking it on FedEx, it looks like it'll be here tomorrow, though! Can't wait!

 

[Septimus Prime]

It's here!

I'm definitely getting the Apple packaging vibe everyone was talking about.

 

[Lady Gaia]

It's here!

Congratulations! I trust everything will work fine out of the box and you'll enjoy the very polished experience they've put together.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Welp, I told my wife the price, and she's mad at me now.

Coverage is great so far, though, at least. Is there no way to change the DNS setting in it?

 

[Lady Gaia]

Is there no way to change the DNS setting in it?

There is. From the Overview tab click on the base station image, select Internet, and you should be able to tap in the DNS fields and type new values in. DHCP clients will see the base station as their DNS relay but the Amplifi base station will use the settings provided.

Most of the interesting settings are similarly tucked away.

 

[Septimus Prime]

There is. From the Overview tab click on the base station image, select Internet, and you should be able to tap in the DNS fields and type new values in. DHCP clients will see the base station as their DNS relay but the Amplifi base station will use the settings provided.

Most of the interesting settings are similarly tucked away.

Thanks. Oddly enough, when I try to switch it to Google DNS and hit the check mark, it confirms the change, but then it changes back to the original DNS when I go back into the settings menu.

EDIT: Hmm...looks like it did set it, but only for Static mode. DHCP doesn't change.

 

[Septimus Prime]

So, I'm kind of annoyed that the AmpliFi HD doesn't support WPS. I couldn't find it, so I emailed support, and they confirmed that it's not supported at all. So now I can't setup my printer.

 

[Lady Gaia]

EDIT: Hmm...looks like it did set it, but only for Static mode. DHCP doesn't change.

I'm not sure what you mean. DHCP will hand out the local IP address of the Amiplifi base station which will perform local caching and should redirect to the specified DNS server. Not directly configuring devices on your network with the external DNS makes it easier to update if there's a problem without waiting for all the client devices to renew their DHCP lease (and you can benefit from a quick local round trip for commonly used domain names.)

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

So, I'm kind of annoyed that the AmpliFi HD doesn't support WPS. I couldn't find it, so I emailed support, and they confirmed that it's not supported at all. So now I can't setup my printer.

WPS is fundamentally broken from a security perspective, so I'm not surprised they don't support it. Apple doesn't either.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I'm not sure what you mean. DHCP will hand out the local IP address of the Amiplifi base station which will perform local caching and should redirect to the specified DNS server. Not directly configuring devices on your network with the external DNS makes it easier to update if there's a problem without waiting for all the client devices to renew their DHCP lease (and you can benefit from a quick local round trip for commonly used domain names.)

If you try to set the DNS manually while in DHCP mode, whatever changes you make will revert to whatever DNS settings were there prior to the change. BUT if you then touch the drop menu and select Static mode, whatever changes you made will be there. Not a super big deal but kind of annoying.

Really annoying is that it doesn't support WPS and has no web interface.

WPS is fundamentally broken from a security perspective, so I'm not surprised they don't support it. Apple doesn't either.

Yeah, but it breaks functionality for some wireless printers.

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

Yeah, but it breaks functionality for some wireless printers.

That's a bummer. Are you positive it doesn't have a manual way of configuring WiFi? It can't be managed via IP if you hardware it and lease it an IP?

No firmware updates?

 

[Septimus Prime]

That's a bummer. Are you positive it doesn't have a manual way of configuring WiFi? It can't be managed via IP if you hardware it and lease it an IP?

No firmware updates?

Thanks. I actually found a way to do it, but it's stupid. I have to download and use this specific software from HP. But whatever. Done!

 

[Saren is Bad]

Bumping this because I'm thinking about getting a system. Is there a consensus Best pick? Thinking the Orbi

 

[strikeselect]

I bought the Google WiFi 3 pack sometime in January and it's been amazing. Stronger signal, faster speeds and I'm able to run a guest network alongside the main network with zero headaches. Can't recommend it enough. Has solved practically all my wifi issues.

 

[Brandson]

Bumping this because I'm thinking about getting a system. Is there a consensus Best pick? Thinking the Orbi

I bit the bullet and bought Orbi router + 1 satellite pack just after Christmas when it became available in Canada, partly due to Google not selling their routers up here. For me it works as advertised. On initial setup it took the satellite a few minutes to find the router, establish a connection, and update its firmware. I was getting a little nervous with how long that took, but I didn't have to intervene and from there it has had 100% uptime with zero intervention required from me.

I have a long, narrow house and this solved my wifi problems completely. I put the router in my networking closet in the basement (near the rear of my house), and the satellite in my kitchen on the main floor, fairly centrally located front-to-back. There are no dropouts walking all over the house, and signal strength is full bars everywhere. Latency between this and my previous wifi is night and day. All bedrooms are good, as is the garage, and previously my most problematic area: my front porch where I have a Ring Pro doorbell that always struggled for wifi signal pre-Orbi. It is so nice to not have to worry about any of this cutting out any more.

In my experience, Orbi is somehow way more seamless, faster, and reliable than having multiple wifi access points connected through wired ethernet, despite the mesh connection between satellite and router. I like that it still has a browser-accessible settings page too, even if it's not as full-featured as what I had with Tomato firmware on my previous router. Many other mesh setups can only be configured with a mobile app (a negative for me), and it's not like those apps have Tomato or DD-WRT-level settings anyway.

One knock against Orbi is that if you have a really spread out house and want a second satellite, my understanding is that the satellites can't mesh with each other. They each connect directly to the router. So if you have a router at one end of your house, you can't presently benefit from the signal hopping across a satellite to reach a satellite very far away. I believe Netgear is working on firmware to allow that, but it isn't implemented yet the last I checked.

If that isn't a factor for you, I can totally recommend Orbi without reservation. It even looks good on the counter in my modern kitchen. For the foreseeable future, whenever I'm asked for a wifi recommendation, this will be it.

 

[br3wnor]

Question for anyone who has Google Wifi.

Right now I have a Verizon Fios modem/router combo. I have a 2 floor 1800 square foot house but currently only use the bottom floor. As of now, I have my router set up in the living room and a wall separates it from my bedroom. At night, when I try to play my PS4 on my Vita via remote play, I run into some problems from the bedroom. It works but I'll have periods of pretty extreme lag.

If I get just one of the Google Wifi hubs, can I expect my coverage to be that much better as to be worth $120? If a Fios router is having issues, is the Google Wifi that much stronger?

I have a $50 BB gift card so this would only run me about $80 which is why I'm seriously considering it.

 

[hwalker84]

I cannot stress how good Ubiquiti's stuff is. I did an enterprise level wireless solution in our two building's for like $1500. I can walk between both buildings and all floors without a signal drop.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I would totally buy the Amplifi when I'm ready but those antenna's are just really off putting. I also have Cat6 in all the areas where I'd be putting base stations and from a quick glance i can't tell for sure if they support that or not.

I'd just buy the Unifi products but i also don't want to deal with having to run a Wireless Lan Controller or getting a POE switch.

 

[cwmartin]

I invested in a two hub google wifi system and I cannot recommend it enough. My house is a two story 1950s era house, with around 900-1000 sq ft first floor, and 500 or so sq ft upstairs.

My router/modem is in the bottom floor where the TV/living room is and the coverage was fine. Since my wiring is 1950s era, my powerline connection from my living room on the 1st floor to the second floor wasn't acceptable for what I was doing upstairs on my PC.

Insert google wifi mesh as my replacement router, with the upstairs hub acting as an access point for my PC (wired) and the performance is literally night and day. 25 MBPS was my max with powerline, and immediately jumped to 90-100 stable with the new setup.

It's also easier to configure, change any settings, and flexible enough if you suddenly need to change something.

It's literally plug and play as well so you can't even mess it up. 100% recommend.

 

[cwmartin]

Question for anyone who has Google Wifi.

Right now I have a Verizon Fios modem/router combo. I have a 2 floor 1800 square foot house but currently only use the bottom floor. As of now, I have my router set up in the living room and a wall separates it from my bedroom. At night, when I try to play my PS4 on my Vita via remote play, I run into some problems from the bedroom. It works but I'll have periods of pretty extreme lag.

If I get just one of the Google Wifi hubs, can I expect my coverage to be that much better as to be worth $120? If a Fios router is having issues, is the Google Wifi that much stronger?

I have a $50 BB gift card so this would only run me about $80 which is why I'm seriously considering it.

IMO, one google hub is going to be the same as having any modern wifi router. The google system will shine, and you'll notice improvement if you plan to implement additional hubs.

 

[Laevateinn]

Question for anyone who has Google Wifi.

Right now I have a Verizon Fios modem/router combo. I have a 2 floor 1800 square foot house but currently only use the bottom floor. As of now, I have my router set up in the living room and a wall separates it from my bedroom. At night, when I try to play my PS4 on my Vita via remote play, I run into some problems from the bedroom. It works but I'll have periods of pretty extreme lag.

If I get just one of the Google Wifi hubs, can I expect my coverage to be that much better as to be worth $120? If a Fios router is having issues, is the Google Wifi that much stronger?

I have a $50 BB gift card so this would only run me about $80 which is why I'm seriously considering it.

I have a Google Wifi 3-pack in an 1800 sqft apartment. I don't think one would work but all three together is a life saver. I used to have trouble getting internet more than a room away but now I have no problem at all. Having just one probably won't do much more than having any other kind of router.

 

[br3wnor]

Ah ok, thanks for the advice. It's tempting to have one of these in my bedroom but it's really for the sole purpose of remote play on my Vita and $300 is a bit rich for that. Once we remodel and move the bedroom upstairs I'll definitely look into this.

 

[Dead Prince]

ordered the orbi (base + 1 satellite). the router we had didn't work well with the house layout were in. so hopefully works well.

 

[Juice]

I tried Google Wifi 3-pack and my max internet speeds dropped from 500mbps to 140mbps versus an Apple AEBS. Definitely trading speed for coverage.

Most people's ISPs are slower so they don't notice that I guess. I was super frustrated

Edit: another shitty thing about google wifi is you can't force a 5ghz only network and devices kept picking 2.4. That's probably enough to explain the speed variation

 

[mackattk]

ordered the orbi (base + 1 satellite). the router we had didn't work well with the house layout were in. so hopefully works well.

I heard nothing but good things about the orbi. You should be happy with it.

 

[Schlep]

Initially I ordered the TP-Link Deco M5. What a piece of garbage. After fighting with it for almost 2 hours just to have all 3 APs connected at the same time, I found that you cannot do ethernet backhaul to each AP. Using it with 1 point connected to ethernet, speeds were in the 50-100mbps range on the satellite APs and about 185 right next to the main AP. It's the first thing I've returned to Amazon in my life.

Ordered the Orbi through Prime Now and had it set up and running in about 30 minutes. Right next to the main AP I'm getting about 450mbps. In the deepest, dankest part of the house I'm getting 250-300mbps. Problem solved.

Side note: Netgear has said they are working on the option to ethernet backhaul the satellite AP. Given speedtest.net is already 250mbps at its worst, I'm not sure it would really add anything, but it's nice to have the option.

 

[jrcbandit]

Orbi has been a great experience and huge upgrade for my garage area, but now Samsung is being Samsung. The latest Samsung S8 update by Verizon (and I assume other carriers) has a major bug. I have to have the S8 on the guest network or else I get disconnects when it switches to the satellite... Wish I had never accepted the update as I don't think there is any easy way to rollback.

 

[clav]

Has anyone benched their network regarding bufferbloat protection for mesh networks?

I've yet to test a setup since products are so expensive. I read many do not.

 

[captive]

I cannot stress how good Ubiquiti's stuff is. I did an enterprise level wireless solution in our two building's for like $1500. I can walk between both buildings and all floors without a signal drop.

I did ubiquiti enterprise stuff for my house. A 24 port POE switch was 300 bucks, I paid more than that for consumer routers. Have the WAP and going to get another WAP and 48 port switch probably. Cover the whole house and outdoor areas with ease.

 

[Dead Prince]

anyone own an orbi update the latest firmware getting spotty connection? i tried to revert back to an older firmware but after awhile it goes back to the latest one.
It cut my upload speed down to a 1/3rd as well

 

[entremet]

I love Eero. I was a early adopter tho and they are cheaper options now.