Buying advice: TP-Link EAP225 AccessPoint (without Omada) works with Asus router?

[DiliMe]

Folks,
I'm looking to buy a TP-Link EAP225 Outdoor to extend the wifi range for an Asus AC66U-B1. My concern is that I see it listed under Omada family of products.
It will be connected from Asus AC66U-B1 wired via PoE switch Cisco SF302-08P (which currently have VLANs configured for CCTV cameras).
1) Simply as an AP, the EAP225 works without an Omada controller?
2) Optionally, in the near-future I'm looking to tweak my setup and add VLANs on Asus AC66U-B1 (via robocgf) and integrate via VLAN trunks to Cisco switch over to the TP-Link EAP-225. Do you think this setup will work without an Omada Controller?

Best regards!

 

[DiliMe]

Folks,
I'm looking to buy a TP-Link EAP225 Outdoor to extend the wifi range for an Asus AC66U-B1. My concern is that I see it listed under Omada family of products.
It will be connected from Asus AC66U-B1 wired via PoE switch Cisco SF302-08P (which currently have VLANs configured for CCTV cameras).
1) Simply as an AP, the EAP225 works without an Omada controller?
2) Optionally, in the near-future I'm looking to tweak my setup and add VLANs on Asus AC66U-B1 (via robocgf) and integrate via VLAN trunks to Cisco switch over to the TP-Link EAP-225. Do you think this setup will work without an Omada Controller?

Best regards!

Actually I have found the response to Q1) on TP-Link's FAQ section:

Common questions about TP-Link EAP device when it’s used in home network

Common questions about TP-Link EAP device when it’s used in home network

www.tp-link.com

"

1. Can I connect EAP to another non-TP-Link router?

Yes you can. The EAP is an access point, it can be connected to any router to improve the wireless coverage.

1. Do I need to install the Controller software or purchase a hardware Controller to set up my EAP?

Generally speaking, you can simply configure each EAP individually for basic functionality without installing or purchasing the Omada Controller. But if you need to configure the network with some advanced features such as Mesh, Reboot Schedule, Fast Roaming, and so on. Omada Controller will be required.
"

 

[DiliMe]

Folks,
I'm looking to buy a TP-Link EAP225 Outdoor to extend the wifi range for an Asus AC66U-B1. My concern is that I see it listed under Omada family of products.
It will be connected from Asus AC66U-B1 wired via PoE switch Cisco SF302-08P (which currently have VLANs configured for CCTV cameras).
1) Simply as an AP, the EAP225 works without an Omada controller?
2) Optionally, in the near-future I'm looking to tweak my setup and add VLANs on Asus AC66U-B1 (via robocgf) and integrate via VLAN trunks to Cisco switch over to the TP-Link EAP-225. Do you think this setup will work without an Omada Controller?

Best regards!

Q2) Related to having multiple SSIDs associated with equivalent VLANs, this is a 802.1q standard and it looks that needs to be configured from a Omada Controller.
Now the next question comes: Do I need to have the Omada Controller powered all the time, or only during the reboot of the EAP?
My concern is as I don't need the functionality of a controller for home-use and I don't need to have a controller powered up 24/7.

 

[coxhaus]

The Cisco SF302-08P switch is a slow 10/100 switch which is EOL. You might want to look for something more modern.

 

[Tech Junky]

@Tech9 loves Omada and can probably give you the 101 on this.

 

[Tech9]

TP-Link EAP225 Outdoor

I never had the Outdoor version of EAP225, but I expect it to be the same like ceiling mount EAP225. The AP has it's own Web GUI and can be configured as stand alone AP. No Omada Controller software is needed in this case. If it is used though, extra features are available.

 

[DiliMe]

The Cisco SF302-08P switch is a slow 10/100 switch which is EOL. You might want to look for something more modern.

Yea that’s correct, but I already own this switch from about 6 years for the cctv cameras.
I will upgrade it sometime in the next years after having working the setup of the VLANs trunks between the Asus router to the outdoor TP-Link EAP.

The outdoor EAP will be used by the irrigation IoT controller + 2 mobile phones in the garden area for casual web browsing or Youtube, so I think 100 Mbps uplink connection should be enough for the following 1-2 years. I am more concerned about security (though VLANs for guests and IoT devices) than speed.

My mindset is to use IT devices for minimum 7-10 years until upgrading it.

 

[DiliMe]

I never had the Outdoor version of EAP225, but I expect it to be the same like ceiling mount EAP225. The AP has it's own Web GUI and can be configured as stand alone AP. No Omada Controller software is needed in this case. If it is used though, extra features are available.

Thank you!

For VLANs do you think I will have to have the Omada Controller powered on during the reboot of the EAP?

 

[coxhaus]

Yea that’s correct, but I already own this switch from about 6 years for the cctv cameras.
I will upgrade it sometime in the next years after having working the setup of the VLANs trunks between the Asus router to the outdoor TP-Link EAP.

The outdoor EAP will be used by the irrigation IoT controller + 2 mobile phones in the garden area for casual web browsing or Youtube, so I think 100 Mbps uplink connection should be enough for the following 1-2 years. I am more concerned about security (though VLANs for guests and IoT devices) than speed.

My mindset is to use IT devices for minimum 7-10 years until upgrading it.

That switch is too old and slow. I would not run it. There are plenty of faster switches out there new and used.

You are running an ASUS AC router and yet you run this old switch. I don't get it.

 

[Tech9]

For VLANs do you think I will have to have the Omada Controller powered on during the reboot of the EAP?

As far as I remember - no. You can set SSID to VLAN in APs GUI. It will keep the settings on reboot.

 

[DiliMe]

That switch is too old and slow. I would not run it. There are plenty of faster switches out there new and used.

You are running an ASUS AC router and yet you run this old switch. I don't get it.

In that switch I already have connected 4 x IP-Cams (@2MPx) (10/100 FE ports) powered over PoE and also a Qnap NAS as NVR which is connected on one of the Gigabit ports of the switch.
As long as the IP-Cams are 10/100, I don't need Gigabit ports for them. I know that 2MPx is outdated in 2022, but I plan upgrading them in couple of years, most probably I will upgrade the switch in the same time.
Now the throughput from all 4 IP-Cams to the NAS never goes above 35-40 Mbps.
The Cisco SF302 is rated at 5,6Gbps switching performance which is more than enough and the CPU never goes above 10%.

I know the TP-Link EAP225 will be very limited being connected on 10/100 uplink, but for the moment is OK. I plan using for at least 10 years, when it will be connected to a Gigabit uplink.

 

[coxhaus]

I would not use any networking equipment rated at 10/100 and I don't. I have thrown it all out and bought new. The slowest devices in my network are 1 gig and I am thinking about 2.5 gig and the future. You can pick up a 1 gig switch so cheap nowadays.

Your low switching capacity at 64 byte packets is 4.17 gig so using just your 2 gig ports could put you close to the limit based on packet size. This is one of the slowest Cisco small business switches they made. Your Cisco SF-302-8P switch is really old technology. It is older than 10 years. The Cisco announcement for EOL was in year 2014. This is really old.