Finally Sick of UBNT. Need AP -Without- Corp. Network

[Quantum`]

<rant>I am finally fed up with Ubiquiti's requirement that
a) You MUST use their proprietary control software, which will not install on RHEL so I have to keep a Windows VM; and
b) Now they MANDATE that you connect everything to UBNT's corporate servers.

Well, what are they up to, doing that? My business is none of their business.

I have a Lexmark scanner which has wifi... but it only knows WPS for setup. I get to either push a button on my router for automatic setup, or enter a PIN. But my router is a CentOS virtual machine, and my wifi AP is a Unifi AC Pro.

Well I thought, maybe there's a setting in the AP which will cooperate with WPS, so I installed Windows in a VM and installed UBNT Control. And it does -see- the AP... but will NOT adopt it. No reasons. No solutions. No logs evident. It just will not adopt.

Then I remembered I had this problem with it several years ago with an AP Pro. So that's it, I've had it with UBNT. I have very important documents which I must get scanned today and I'm going to have to go pay Office Depot to do it.
</rant>

I am hoping that here in the 21st Century we now have an advanced AP which actually has a web interface and does not require the teat of the Mothership in order to function.

I've been reading good things about TP Link for a long time, and find that they're at the top of the list here, but otherwise know little about them. Can anyone advise?

Are there any other good APs to look at which have their own web setup and do na-ha-hot ping the whole LAN on port 10001 a thousand times a second?

My other preferences are to not pollute the airwaves, by using 5GHz, beam-steering, and especially mesh networking.

 

[MichaelCG]

1.) a scanner that only supports WPS only sound to be more of the weak link here
2.) UNiFi needs zero access to the mothership to function
3.) UniFi does not require a controller to be functional...the app on a mobile phone can do most basic configuration
4.) I have heard people here chiming in that the Omada line from TP-Link is good but I have no idea on details and if it also requires a controller.


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[L&LD]

I don't have the same warm feelings for TP-Link as you seem to have. I don't see them offering anything worth-while for the price.

@Trip and @coxhaus will have some good input here I'm sure, but one thing is for sure, don't buy another system that requires a (functioning) remote server to function for you.

An upgrade of your scanner could be in order here too.

Do you really need anything at this level? Is this for a home setup? Not second-guessing here, just curious.

 

[Quantum`]

1.) a scanner that only supports WPS only sound to be more of the weak link here

It's what I have to hand. As Rumsfeld said, "You don't fight with the army you -want-, you fight with the army you -have-."

2.) UNiFi needs zero access to the mothership to function

You must be running an old version of Control.

3.) UniFi does not require a controller to be functional...the app on a mobile phone can do most basic configuration

Band-aid for a gaping wound.

 

[Quantum`]

I don't have the same warm feelings for TP-Link as you seem to have. I don't see them offering anything worth-while for the price.

Noted, thanks. I know nothing about them.

Personally I don't trust DLink or Linksys.

High regard for Netgear's commercial products, but betting they require their 'cloud' control.

Do you really need anything at this level? Is this for a home setup? Not second-guessing here, just curious.

Do not -want- 'cloud' control. Very security-minded.

 

[L&LD]

I too being security-minded am very happy with RMerlin supported router with amtm and the available scripts (please see my signature for the ones I use) for home use.

When asking about 'at this level', I mean do you think that maybe a 'consumer' router may fit your needs?

Again, is this for a home or 'other' situation?

 

[Quantum`]

Not impressed with routers. My router VM is specifically configured for my purposes and I have complete control. Almost all appliance routers have been compromised at one point or another, whereas a general OS like CentOS has lots of security attention, aside from my own.

 

[L&LD]

Fair enough.

Myself, I prefer hardware vs. a virtual machine. I can control the hardware easier. If I'm connected to the 'net, possibly anyone can control the VM.

 

[coxhaus]

My Cisco small business wireless APs the WAp581 have a GUI and are pretty simple to setup. The controller software is built-in and they support VLANs.

I have heard good things about Ubiquiti's hardware but it does seem to be confusing as to what works with what.

 

[Quantum`]

The Netgear Nighthawk MK62 (MR60) seems to have quite good reviews overall.

Only thing is I can not find anywhere whether it's PoE. G**gle is baffled. The WAN port does have a yellow line under it, but the specs look like somebody had a stroke before writing them.

It's not Netgear Commercial, which I really like, but these days it seems Commercial is way behind. (Or else wifi6 isn't really ready yet)

 

[Trip]

@Quantum` - Distilling down exactly you're looking for, so far I've got:
- Directly web-configurable
- Local-only controller option
- 5Ghz-only option
- Mesh-capable

Anything else in particular before getting to suggestions?

 

[Quantum`]

Not sure what a local-only controller option is, but it doesn't need to have a 5GHz only option, although it must have 5GHz.

I find that there is now 6GHz, but that often devices claim two 6GHz protocols but don't actually have them. (OFDM?) Maybe 6GHz is like 802.11n was, in the beginning -- several disparate implementations, none of which were compatible.

I'm sure that 6GHz will have a harder time with walls than 5GHz does, but maybe there is new encoding which helps compensate, or maybe higher power?

All I need is an AP. If a good option comes as only a router that's Ok, as long as it has an AP mode. Don't trust appliance routers an inch.

PoE is pretty much necessary, although with the Nighthawk MK62 I could put the router in the basement with the big switch, and the slave on the main floor.

 

[coxhaus]

@Quantum` - Distilling down exactly you're looking for, so far I've got:
- Directly web-configurable
- Local-only controller option
- 5Ghz-only option
- Mesh-capable

Anything else in particular before getting to suggestions?

Trip I am not sure where you get mesh as he specifically states on the last sentence no mesh. The Cisco WAP581 now kind of does mesh as you can run 4 wireless APs but I think using wire is better.

 

[Quantum`]

Trip understood me right; I could have said it better. I do want 5GHz, beam-steering, and especially mesh networking.

The WAP581 looks good, but I strongly suspicion it mandates their sneaky cloud-based connexion. What're they sniffing around my sh*t for anyway?

 

[coxhaus]

<rant>
My other preferences are to not pollute the airwaves, by using 5GHz, beam-steering, and especially mesh networking.

That seems like to me you don't want mesh networking.

 

[netwrks]

Ubiquiti, started collecting data on their devices, some time ago, which has an opt in/out option. I've opted in. They have also started data collection on the Edgemax line, routers and switches with an opt in/out option.
Other than that, you can run a controller locally, as I have been doing for the last 3 or so years. Ubiquiti does not make you go to the cloud.

You are correct, there is no WPS support on Unifi equipment. Asus or Netgear probably has that..

 

[MichaelCG]

I need to go check my proxy and firewall to confirm what my controller has been up to, but pretty sure nothing is actually required for cloud to be a functional system. To note, my controller is on the latest stable release.

Also...you are security conscious but using a device that requires WPS? By requiring WPS you pretty much automatically exclude the majority of Enterprise and SoHO equipment. WPS is consumer feature set.


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[Quantum`]

The current control software -requires- you to log into UBNT. I tried it. I'm not stupid.

I don't require WPS. I hate WPS. The scanner I have only does WPS. This is the only scanner I have to hand, and I needed a scanner today.

Bottom line is I am fed up with UBNT. That's why I'm asking here. I'm not having their system any more. I have actual work to do. I shouldn't have to set up a Windows VM for the privilege to log in to -their- servers in order to set up this AP. I am sure they're going in the direction they think they need to, but it's away from my constituency.

What is with the questioning of my situation and motives and concerns? I'll just research elsewhere and come up with my own answers. In fairness, I usually do ask questions that nobody knows the answers to.

 

[Trip]

@Quantum' - WPS will typically not be available on purpose-built APs. Any possibility of connecting the scanner to a network-enabled host via USB, then dispatching/fetching scans over the network that way?

For APs, I would look again at Cisco WAP, also Grandstream GWN and in the enterprise space, Ruckus Unleashed if you have the budget.

Cisco WAP - Offers layer-2 "clustering" via CDP/LLDP and PtP config sharing. Still need to be admin'd locally for certain config items. They offer Umbrella and/or Find-IT integration, but both are completely optional -- no cloud connections required.

Grandstream GWN - A younger product, but has local web and embedded-controller, fully-centralized control plane and cloud control is completely opt-in. Willie Howe reviews it favorably on YouTube.

Ruckus Unleashed - Enterprise code base, complete control plane, working multi-layer mesh and proprietary beam-forming and interference mitigation (PD-MRC/BeamFlex). Offers cloud registration during setup, but you can opt out and managed only locally.

TL;DR - I think you're going to find most of the AP products you look at are cloud-connectable, in some form or another, even if they're opt-out by default.

 

[coxhaus]

Cisco has pulled WPS from it's wireless also with their latest firmware update. It is so hackable that you might as well run without security.

The Cisco WAP581 wireless small business APs do not use cloud computing. Cisco uses FindIT as their monitoring software. If you want to do remote monitoring you use a probe not a cloud.
Google Cisco FindIT. The basic version is free.