Thank you!! I was able to use Design Center to optimize my AP locations. Planning on installing next week and will also be using your VLAN video to setup my network. Thanks again!
I had a good experience with using this design tool, it showed me where to put them both on the first floor and second floor. Including garage and outdoor mesh. Following the Ethernet blue print program.
Great Video. when you paint the walls and define it the material, did you take in consideration the wall's width. Here some of this walls are 6" thick. In this case did you round the wall or just trace the single line over the wall?
There really isn’t a perfect way to account for that, but if I have thicker interior walls that I feel will hurt my signal, sometimes I’ll use the exterior walls for those. If you’re referring to exterior walls that are that thick, I would just assume that the signal won’t be quite as strong. I’m not sure how accurate it would be if you doubled up the lines to be honest. This is really just meant to be a rough guide.
Cool tool. I hope Ubiquiti develops it further to address coverage from adjacent floors. I would also think that AP orientation would make a difference (horizontal/ceiling mounting vs vertical/wall mounting). Looks like a great start though.
Great video series and so helpful. Do you have tips and content relative to determining which equipment to buy from their generated list vs. what could be sourced elsewhere as you suggested (e.g. unmanaged switch).
Thanks. My only tip on that is to make sure you look at the power of your switch to make sure it will cover your needs. I don't typically setup networks like that, but I do know that other unmanaged switches (say from Netgear) are much cheaper. If you don't need to do VLANs that could be a good way to go. But if you want to do VLANing in your home, then an unmanaged switch will not work for that. It really depends on your needs/wants...
Nice demo! I have a single story house with a vaulted ceiling in the main area, and 9ft ceilings most everywhere else. There is a vaulted section in the master bedroom and one other bedrooms. I assume I'd just select 9ft ceilings for everywhere? Would that have a big effect on the accuracy? Thanks!
Your videos are great and are helping me as we design our new home's network system. Three questions: Does the Design Center take into account floor bleed through, ie. could we expect to get a good signal on the ground floor from a second floor installed AP? If I use a 8 foot ceiling in the Design Center, but will actually mount the AP higher, will my coverage likely increase or decrease? I have a sloped ceiling where most of the ceiling is 8 feet, but there is a sloped ceiling where I will actually mount the AP at about 12 feet. Could a ceiling unit be mounted on a wall to broadcast farther in an open space? I am wondering if I could use a ceiling unit rated for outdoor use on an exterior wall to cover a large back yard with gazebo that will be about 150 feet from the house. Thanks again for all the videos you have done.
Design center does not take in account floor bleed... It doesn't have any way to do this in its current state. You will get bleed through from one floor to the next. That is why I take a sort of Staggered deployment for my builds... If you watch my video (From 4 APs to 1AP), I turn off 3 of my 4 APs and take readings around my house... might help you with determine your locations... 150' is pretty far. I would imagine you would get signal there, but not great speeds. I have used the AC Mesh Pro outdoors when signal is needed farther away. They seem to be pretty powerful.
Does Design Center take in consideration the 4 signal levels that you can set for each AP (High, Medium, Low & Auto)? I'd like to see the coverage difference with each setting. For instance, if we have two APs inside, set to Auto and two more (Front Yard & Backyard) set to High, how would that look on the coverage map, instead of all four set to Auto? What is setting that is being assumed in your video? Thanks.
That is a good point. I typically leave my APs on Auto for these types of setups and only fine-tune the settings if I have issues. I think Unifi does a pretty good job with it auto settings so I typically recommend starting there and adjusting if necessary.
Where I have a closet and vaulted ceiling, can the access point be mounted on a wall such as above the closet since it would not be seen or does it really need to go on ceiling?
APs can be mounted on walls... (even the ceiling style APs like the U6 Pro or like APs) They do not need to be mounted on the ceiling. Vaulted areas definately add complication when it comes to planning your coverage... I'm with you, I wouldn't put an AP on that either... I would elect to go with a wall mounted option.
Thank you!! I was able to use Design Center to optimize my AP locations. Planning on installing next week and will also be using your VLAN video to setup my network. Thanks again!
Awesome. So glad it helped. Good luck with your project!!!
I had a good experience with using this design tool, it showed me where to put them both on the first floor and second floor. Including garage and outdoor mesh. Following the Ethernet blue print program.
Thanks for sharing!
Great Video. when you paint the walls and define it the material, did you take in consideration the wall's width. Here some of this walls are 6" thick. In this case did you round the wall or just trace the single line over the wall?
There really isn’t a perfect way to account for that, but if I have thicker interior walls that I feel will hurt my signal, sometimes I’ll use the exterior walls for those.
If you’re referring to exterior walls that are that thick, I would just assume that the signal won’t be quite as strong. I’m not sure how accurate it would be if you doubled up the lines to be honest. This is really just meant to be a rough guide.
Cool tool. I hope Ubiquiti develops it further to address coverage from adjacent floors. I would also think that AP orientation would make a difference (horizontal/ceiling mounting vs vertical/wall mounting). Looks like a great start though.
I gave it a try and see that access point orientation is supported. Nice.
I agree. There is work to do, but its still a nice planning tool!
Nice video!
Thanks! Dries!!!
Great video series and so helpful. Do you have tips and content relative to determining which equipment to buy from their generated list vs. what could be sourced elsewhere as you suggested (e.g. unmanaged switch).
Thanks. My only tip on that is to make sure you look at the power of your switch to make sure it will cover your needs. I don't typically setup networks like that, but I do know that other unmanaged switches (say from Netgear) are much cheaper. If you don't need to do VLANs that could be a good way to go. But if you want to do VLANing in your home, then an unmanaged switch will not work for that. It really depends on your needs/wants...
Excellent video. Just starting to plan out a ubiquity install and this video was right on time. Question: how many devices use 6 GHz?
Just 3 total. U7 Pro, U6 Enterprise for Ceiling mounted options and U6 In-Wall Enterprise for a wall mounted option...
Nice demo! I have a single story house with a vaulted ceiling in the main area, and 9ft ceilings most everywhere else. There is a vaulted section in the master bedroom and one other bedrooms. I assume I'd just select 9ft ceilings for everywhere? Would that have a big effect on the accuracy? Thanks!
Yes. 9’ should work fine for that I would think. Should still remain accurate.
Your videos are great and are helping me as we design our new home's network system. Three questions: Does the Design Center take into account floor bleed through, ie. could we expect to get a good signal on the ground floor from a second floor installed AP? If I use a 8 foot ceiling in the Design Center, but will actually mount the AP higher, will my coverage likely increase or decrease? I have a sloped ceiling where most of the ceiling is 8 feet, but there is a sloped ceiling where I will actually mount the AP at about 12 feet. Could a ceiling unit be mounted on a wall to broadcast farther in an open space? I am wondering if I could use a ceiling unit rated for outdoor use on an exterior wall to cover a large back yard with gazebo that will be about 150 feet from the house. Thanks again for all the videos you have done.
Design center does not take in account floor bleed... It doesn't have any way to do this in its current state. You will get bleed through from one floor to the next. That is why I take a sort of Staggered deployment for my builds... If you watch my video (From 4 APs to 1AP), I turn off 3 of my 4 APs and take readings around my house... might help you with determine your locations... 150' is pretty far. I would imagine you would get signal there, but not great speeds. I have used the AC Mesh Pro outdoors when signal is needed farther away. They seem to be pretty powerful.
Does Design Center take in consideration the 4 signal levels that you can set for each AP (High, Medium, Low & Auto)? I'd like to see the coverage difference with each setting. For instance, if we have two APs inside, set to Auto and two more (Front Yard & Backyard) set to High, how would that look on the coverage map, instead of all four set to Auto? What is setting that is being assumed in your video? Thanks.
That is a good point. I typically leave my APs on Auto for these types of setups and only fine-tune the settings if I have issues. I think Unifi does a pretty good job with it auto settings so I typically recommend starting there and adjusting if necessary.
Where I have a closet and vaulted ceiling, can the access point be mounted on a wall such as above the closet since it would not be seen or does it really need to go on ceiling?
APs can be mounted on walls... (even the ceiling style APs like the U6 Pro or like APs) They do not need to be mounted on the ceiling. Vaulted areas definately add complication when it comes to planning your coverage... I'm with you, I wouldn't put an AP on that either... I would elect to go with a wall mounted option.