WiFi 7 APs: help me decide between EAP783 and the U7 Pro Max

[Aqualung]

Which one would you choose for a WiFi AP between:

• UniFi's U7 Pro Max, or
• TP-Link's EAP783?

Isn't the 2.5GbE port a bottleneck for the U7 Pro Max?

 

[microchip]

I'd go with the TP-Link, it most likely also cheaper than the UniFi. Yes, the 2.5 Gbps is a bottleneck

 

[tgl]

In discussions on the UI community forums, there's fairly widespread opinion that the U7 series is not yet ready for prime time. The firmware is still a little buggy and there are ugly compromises in the hardware design. (Do you really want an AP with a fan in it?)

I know nothing of TP-Link's offerings, so won't opine on whether they have comparable issues. But personally I'd wait a year or so more before buying any WiFi 7 gear. You'll be paying through the nose for first-generation, possibly beta-quality stuff.

 

[Tech9]

This monster EAP783 with all 4x4 radios, 10GbE ports and PoE++ will need monster priced 10GbE switch with PoE++ ports connected to monster firewall with 10GbE capable hardware inside... and then may do monster speed test to a Wi-Fi 7 phone. The most expensive speed test ever.

 

[Tech Junky]

ECW526/$250 2*2 10GE
ECW536/$450 4*4 10GE

 

[tgl]

You forgot the 10GbE internet service.

 

[Tech9]

You forgot the 10GbE internet service.

I'm assuming 10GbE NAS is already there as well as Wi-Fi 7 capable phone... with MLO support.

 

[tgl]

I'm assuming 10GbE NAS is already there as well as Wi-Fi 7 capable phone... with MLO support.

Ah. Yeah, a use-case that's mostly local traffic could perhaps exceed what you can shove through a 2.5G ethernet port. But then you don't need the monster router, just monster switch and super-duper NAS.

 

[Tech9]

Monster firewall with 10GbE ports for "futureproofing" has to be there. You never know what promotion your ISP will attack you with.

 

[Aqualung]

So methinks the EAP783 + this instead of the ASUS GT-BE98 PRO, what say you? Yes, will need a 10G PoE++ injector ($100), plus a bunch of SPF-to-Ethernet transceivers. All in all, comparable(?) cost, though very likely better LAN speeds in the former scenario, right? Or not?

 

[Tech9]

If you need single AP better go with consumer All-In-One router.

I also would not recommend jumping on early and overpriced Wi-Fi 7 products.

 

[tgl]

I'm confused by that combination. Why would you buy a router with built-in wifi that you're not going to use? Also, if you're buying an Omada AP, seems like you want to stick with that product line and get an Omada router.

 

[Aqualung]

I'm confused by that combination. Why would you buy a router with built-in wifi that you're not going to use? Also, if you're buying an Omada AP, seems like you want to stick with that product line and get an Omada router.

The choice is between the ASUS wireless router on the one hand, and the combination EAP783 + https://mikrotik.com/product/ccr2004_1g_12s_2xs#fndtn-specifications on the other. Which one would be better?

 

[Tech9]

Which one would be better?

Better for what purpose? They are different products for different target market.

 

[tgl]

The choice is between the ASUS wireless router on the one hand, and the combination EAP783 + https://mikrotik.com/product/ccr2004_1g_12s_2xs#fndtn-specifications on the other. Which one would be better?

As I said, I don't understand why that particular router makes sense to pair with an EAP783. Something like an Omada ER8411 seems like a better fit, and cheaper too. You'd already have to buy into the Omada ecosystem to use the EAP783.

Don't have an opinion on whether the ASUS is a better choice for your use-case, because you haven't said anything about what your use-case is. So far it sounds like you're just chasing spec-sheet numbers. If you've got money to burn, sure, chase away.

 

[Aqualung]

As I said, I don't understand why that particular router makes sense to pair with an EAP783. Something like an Omada ER8411 seems like a better fit, and cheaper too. You'd already have to buy into the Omada ecosystem to use the EAP783.

Router needs at least 2x10Gbps LAN ports, and ideally one 10Gbps WAN port, but I could settle for a 2.5Gbps WAN if need be. The Omada wired router does not have that, the Mikrotik does. As for my ultimate purpose, I need something that does the same things (qualitatively speaking) but better than the ASUS GT-BE98 PRO, for comparable amounts of money: better/faster LAN switching, better WiFi throughput.

 

[Tech9]

The Omada wired router does not have that.

Omada VPN Router with 10G Ports

ER8411 supports 10GE connections on both WAN and LAN ports and multiple VPN protocols and high-security, high-performance VPN capabilities, making employees’ remote connections to their main offices as secure as if they were in the main office.

www.tp-link.com

 

[Aqualung]

Omada VPN Router with 10G Ports

ER8411 supports 10GE connections on both WAN and LAN ports and multiple VPN protocols and high-security, high-performance VPN capabilities, making employees’ remote connections to their main offices as secure as if they were in the main office.

www.tp-link.com

I have been looking long and hard at that one for the past month. I need at least two (ideally three or four) 10GbE LAN ports, and one 2.5GbE or better WAN. The Omada does not have that.

 

[tgl]

As for my ultimate purpose, I need something that does the same things (qualitatively speaking) but better than the ASUS GT-BE98 PRO, for comparable amounts of money: better/faster LAN switching, better WiFi throughput.

This is not a use-case. What's the current and foreseen speed of your internet service? How many wifi clients have you got, of what types (which ones even need high speed)? What wired network clients are there? Do you expect a lot of traffic between the wired and wifi machines, or is it all traffic out to the internet?

The reason I'm pushing back so hard is that it's not clear to me that the BE98 is even a sensible baseline purchase for what you need. For one thing, it's got dual 6GHz radios of which one is said to be for backhaul, implying that you may be wasting your money unless you're planning to buy at least two and use them in a mesh. (And, for someone as speed-obsessed as you seem to be, why would you even consider a mesh rather than wired backhaul?) Possibly both of those radios can be client-facing, but you're still wasting money unless you have a ton of 6GHz-capable clients, either right now or in the immediate future. BTW, don't forget that 6GHz wifi is pretty short-range stuff, like "same room".

Taking a step back, it's just really hard to believe that you have a use-case where you actually need this much bandwidth; and if you actually do, you probably should not be considering consumer wifi gear, great specs or no.

 

[Tech9]

The Omada does not have that.

Because your network idea for this speed is wrong. My business networks run 10GbE uplinks, 2.5GbE wired connections and pfSense appliances as Internet gateways only. If you want 10GbE network you better run it on a switch, not on a router/firewall. There is no such 10GbE All-In-One device for business because it's not needed. There are some 2.5GbE devices of this kind with integrated switches and controllers for small networks.

This integrated router as an example, but it has limitations:

Omada 3-in-1 Gigabit VPN Router

ER7212PC is TP-Link's first 3-in-1 box supporting router, controller ability, and PoE+ output functions simultaneously with 110W PoE budget. It can centrally manage up to 2 switches, and 10 EAPs with compact and fanless design. With dual-core CPU, ER7212PC is equipped with 4× WAN ports and...

www.tp-link.com