UniFi Mesh - less compromise
This essay is the next in a series of stories about updates of perhaps the most successful Ubiquiti product line - access points of the UniFi family (earlier we wrote about both the start of the line and its fruitful development ). Laconic design, ease of setup, even for people who are not familiar with IT, low price - these are the postulates that UniFi relies on for years. Of course, for simplicity, you have to pay gaps in the functionality of the devices, but with each update of the line, the functionality is getting closer to the market leaders, without losing any control or operation convenience or price. Under the cut - new additions to the old familiar UniFi, making it even tastier (again).
Before we talk about the new products themselves, we need to remember that with the UniFi label you can already plug into your wireless network and in which use cases these points will be used.
Considering the first generation of UniFi, built on 802.11n standard solutions, is already meaningless - yes, these points can still be bought, and they are already very cheap, like the population of aliexpress, but at the very end of 2016, the throughput capabilities of 802.11n points are not at all interesting to the user . 802.11ac continues its expansion at full speed, more and more mobile devices (even in the middle price range) acquire the appropriate adapters, and absolutely do not want to build a network on already outdated equipment. On the other hand, it is definitely still early to consider solutions of the 802.11ac “second wave” (the official name, by the way - Wave 2!) In the next few years: the materiel is still expensive, the client devices that allow to use the entire handicap of TD capacity increased by MU-MIMO , the cat cried (and it will not stop crying for another couple of years even in the camp of the flagships of famous mobile brands), and laying down a budget for something that might be useful in five years, is very adventurous. Based on all of the above, the most fashionable in the spring-summer 2017 season is 802.11ac wave1, and the main stake is on it.
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Since we started with a digression, it is worth considering another question that we often hear from customers who are going to build a new wireless client access network: “Is it worth it now to choose 802.11ac in general? Even realizing that all new gadgets are coming out with 802.11ac, 90% of all potential subscribers still have only 802.11n onboard and the situation will not change dramatically in the next 1-2 years? ”
In general, the question certainly makes sense from the point of view of a zealous business executive who does not buy what he does not use. There is also a small catch here, which is not so unequivocal. Every new wireless chipset is getting better - every new generation of wireless adapters is better at doing what it is designed for. Even within the same standard (for example, 802.11n), the gain is concentrated not only in greater bandwidth (which, in general, it is clear - what can be a greater channel speed in the same standard?), But also in less obvious parameters .
802.11ac is more demanding of the signal-to-noise ratio than its predecessors, which is associated with more complex modulations used, and since this ratio can be improved (naturally, in the same and not the most disgusting radio conditions), first of all, by increasing the sensitivity of the receiver, the manufacturers did a lot work in this direction when creating 802.11ac devices. Yes, the maximum achievable channel speed of the 802.11n standard remains the same, and the “old” clients will not surpass it, but under the same radio conditions the “new” access point will provide a greater coverage area in which this maximum channel speed will be available, respectively by increasing the capacity of one TD in the network. You might argue: this is all true for the 5 GHz band, in which (and only in) 802.11ac appeared and gradually replaced 802.11n, and in the most densely populated, narrow and problematic 2.4 GHz band, nothing new appeared and will appear. True, however, the percentage of client devices supporting 5 GHz is growing steadily, and even in home networks, users are increasingly installing dual-band home routers - is it worth building a network less flexible than an ordinary user would like to see in their own apartment?
Be that as it may, the current (second in line) generation of TD UniFi was planned as an inexpensive way to build the most up-to-date network without unnecessary trouble. In the previous article about UniFi, we recorded all UniFi points supporting 802.11ac operation - until recently these were four access points, of which only one could be considered more or less suitable for working outside the premises (and this was officially formulated at the “For rooms with high humidity, for example, for warehouses - the main thing is that rain does not rain down from the top”). In this circumstance, there was a significant obstacle to building customer access networks: in fact, such as providing high-speed Wi-Fi café with a summer terrace, if the points are all exclusively “indorny”, and the radius in which customers will work without problems at maximum channel speed 802.11ac, much less than the same 802.11n? Well, now this niche by the manufacturer has been successfully closed by new models - UniFi AC Mesh and AC Mesh PRO access points.
The value of these models is difficult to overestimate - they are already right now, at the moment they are needed to build a single, centrally controlled fast wireless network where this network should go outside the building. But not only the moisture-proof case of the points is of interest - anyone who tried to build a so-called “radio network” on the UniFi equipment, has already noted the word “Mesh” in the title. Let's delve a little into this question and its retrospective.
By itself, the term mesh is rather loosely interpreted by manufacturers, but in general, this means the ability to build transport for the access point not by wire, but by "air" - that is, the point is not connected via Ethernet cable, but uses its own radio adapters to communicate with their "colleagues" and transfer client data further. It is this nuance that was in previous versions of UniFi a small “pitfall”. Mesh, unfortunately, is absolutely not standardized - that is, to advertise points to support Mesh-topologies, it is not necessary to test them for compatibility with points from other vendors, to provide a certain set of functions and capabilities of wireless connections between points. TD UniFi supported a wireless connection between network elements, but in a very limited mode - no more than one “hop” (wireless transition) between points. One can understand why this restriction was partly introduced: each hop increases the time it takes for the traffic to go through the channel to the client, and since the radio is quite capricious and inconstant, jitter grows after delays and, for example, voice transmissions a few hopes radio is disastrous. Do not forget that on a radio with one transmitter per mesh range, in any case, it will be simplex, which means that any hop will divide the maximum bandwidth of the traffic through a point at least in half. But it’s not always that a wireless network is built for the sake of voice, and, however seditious it may sound, exceptional performance is not always required of the network - sometimes it’s just non-zero.
New UniFi access points finally support the so-called multi-hop mesh connections - when the transport by radio goes not only to the last one in the TD chain, but also to the previous ones. Thus, now for remote or extended open areas that require wireless coverage, it is not necessary to pull the cable to the access points: if the bandwidth and traffic latency requirements are not critical, it is possible, for example, on some conditional path to the gazebo in the far the corner of the garden to organize a full-fledged access to the Wi-Fi network of a "garland" of new AC Mesh or Mesh PRO. Unfortunately, nothing can be said about the (self) organization of routes through these same mesh links - the manufacturer maintains a mysterious silence.
Briefly, the main characteristics of the new TD are summarized in the table:
Immediately striking is the possibility of installing on the AC Mesh model antennas of any KU and directivity through standard RP-SMA connectors - finally, you can make a full-fledged sector for connecting customers in crowded places at high channel speeds! Mesh PRO in this case is not so flexible (according to our estimates, the antenna pattern is about 60-90 degrees), however, it provides, firstly, work in two bands at once, and secondly, it has a second Ethernet port for more flexible network planning.
It’s too early to say anything about the actual performance of the new points - quite recently the points started their way to distributors, and we look forward to them at our table for tests. Much more interesting is the multi-hop mesh functionality - will it become available immediately for the entire UniFi line, including the already existing points (after all, not only “on the street” you sometimes have to jump over the section where the cable cannot be laid)? The manufacturer has neither confirmed nor refuted the information on this issue. Anyway, now the new and most popular product line of Ubiquiti has received the necessary expansion, which completely fills the entire range of low-cost AP junction cases, and building networks on UniFi has become even more convenient and less compromising.
Before we talk about the new products themselves, we need to remember that with the UniFi label you can already plug into your wireless network and in which use cases these points will be used.
Considering the first generation of UniFi, built on 802.11n standard solutions, is already meaningless - yes, these points can still be bought, and they are already very cheap, like the population of aliexpress, but at the very end of 2016, the throughput capabilities of 802.11n points are not at all interesting to the user . 802.11ac continues its expansion at full speed, more and more mobile devices (even in the middle price range) acquire the appropriate adapters, and absolutely do not want to build a network on already outdated equipment. On the other hand, it is definitely still early to consider solutions of the 802.11ac “second wave” (the official name, by the way - Wave 2!) In the next few years: the materiel is still expensive, the client devices that allow to use the entire handicap of TD capacity increased by MU-MIMO , the cat cried (and it will not stop crying for another couple of years even in the camp of the flagships of famous mobile brands), and laying down a budget for something that might be useful in five years, is very adventurous. Based on all of the above, the most fashionable in the spring-summer 2017 season is 802.11ac wave1, and the main stake is on it.
')
Since we started with a digression, it is worth considering another question that we often hear from customers who are going to build a new wireless client access network: “Is it worth it now to choose 802.11ac in general? Even realizing that all new gadgets are coming out with 802.11ac, 90% of all potential subscribers still have only 802.11n onboard and the situation will not change dramatically in the next 1-2 years? ”
In general, the question certainly makes sense from the point of view of a zealous business executive who does not buy what he does not use. There is also a small catch here, which is not so unequivocal. Every new wireless chipset is getting better - every new generation of wireless adapters is better at doing what it is designed for. Even within the same standard (for example, 802.11n), the gain is concentrated not only in greater bandwidth (which, in general, it is clear - what can be a greater channel speed in the same standard?), But also in less obvious parameters .
802.11ac is more demanding of the signal-to-noise ratio than its predecessors, which is associated with more complex modulations used, and since this ratio can be improved (naturally, in the same and not the most disgusting radio conditions), first of all, by increasing the sensitivity of the receiver, the manufacturers did a lot work in this direction when creating 802.11ac devices. Yes, the maximum achievable channel speed of the 802.11n standard remains the same, and the “old” clients will not surpass it, but under the same radio conditions the “new” access point will provide a greater coverage area in which this maximum channel speed will be available, respectively by increasing the capacity of one TD in the network. You might argue: this is all true for the 5 GHz band, in which (and only in) 802.11ac appeared and gradually replaced 802.11n, and in the most densely populated, narrow and problematic 2.4 GHz band, nothing new appeared and will appear. True, however, the percentage of client devices supporting 5 GHz is growing steadily, and even in home networks, users are increasingly installing dual-band home routers - is it worth building a network less flexible than an ordinary user would like to see in their own apartment?
Be that as it may, the current (second in line) generation of TD UniFi was planned as an inexpensive way to build the most up-to-date network without unnecessary trouble. In the previous article about UniFi, we recorded all UniFi points supporting 802.11ac operation - until recently these were four access points, of which only one could be considered more or less suitable for working outside the premises (and this was officially formulated at the “For rooms with high humidity, for example, for warehouses - the main thing is that rain does not rain down from the top”). In this circumstance, there was a significant obstacle to building customer access networks: in fact, such as providing high-speed Wi-Fi café with a summer terrace, if the points are all exclusively “indorny”, and the radius in which customers will work without problems at maximum channel speed 802.11ac, much less than the same 802.11n? Well, now this niche by the manufacturer has been successfully closed by new models - UniFi AC Mesh and AC Mesh PRO access points.
The value of these models is difficult to overestimate - they are already right now, at the moment they are needed to build a single, centrally controlled fast wireless network where this network should go outside the building. But not only the moisture-proof case of the points is of interest - anyone who tried to build a so-called “radio network” on the UniFi equipment, has already noted the word “Mesh” in the title. Let's delve a little into this question and its retrospective.
What is MESH? When is it useful, and when is it harmful?
By itself, the term mesh is rather loosely interpreted by manufacturers, but in general, this means the ability to build transport for the access point not by wire, but by "air" - that is, the point is not connected via Ethernet cable, but uses its own radio adapters to communicate with their "colleagues" and transfer client data further. It is this nuance that was in previous versions of UniFi a small “pitfall”. Mesh, unfortunately, is absolutely not standardized - that is, to advertise points to support Mesh-topologies, it is not necessary to test them for compatibility with points from other vendors, to provide a certain set of functions and capabilities of wireless connections between points. TD UniFi supported a wireless connection between network elements, but in a very limited mode - no more than one “hop” (wireless transition) between points. One can understand why this restriction was partly introduced: each hop increases the time it takes for the traffic to go through the channel to the client, and since the radio is quite capricious and inconstant, jitter grows after delays and, for example, voice transmissions a few hopes radio is disastrous. Do not forget that on a radio with one transmitter per mesh range, in any case, it will be simplex, which means that any hop will divide the maximum bandwidth of the traffic through a point at least in half. But it’s not always that a wireless network is built for the sake of voice, and, however seditious it may sound, exceptional performance is not always required of the network - sometimes it’s just non-zero.
New UniFi access points finally support the so-called multi-hop mesh connections - when the transport by radio goes not only to the last one in the TD chain, but also to the previous ones. Thus, now for remote or extended open areas that require wireless coverage, it is not necessary to pull the cable to the access points: if the bandwidth and traffic latency requirements are not critical, it is possible, for example, on some conditional path to the gazebo in the far the corner of the garden to organize a full-fledged access to the Wi-Fi network of a "garland" of new AC Mesh or Mesh PRO. Unfortunately, nothing can be said about the (self) organization of routes through these same mesh links - the manufacturer maintains a mysterious silence.
Briefly, the main characteristics of the new TD are summarized in the table:
UniFi AC Mesh  | Unifi AC Mesh PRO  | |
|---|---|---|
| Dual band operation | Yes | Yes |
| Antenna formula | 2x2: 2 | 3x3: 3 |
| 2.4 GHz maximum link speed | 300 MB / s | 450 Mbps |
| Maximum channel speed of 5 GHz | 867 Mbps | 1300 Mbps |
| Second Ethernet port | Not | Yes |
| KU antennas | Complete 3 dBi for 2.4 GHz and 4 dBi for 5 GHz
Any compatible antennas can be connected via RP-SMA connectors. | Built-in 8 dBi panel for both bands |
| Price | $ 105 | $ 209 |
Immediately striking is the possibility of installing on the AC Mesh model antennas of any KU and directivity through standard RP-SMA connectors - finally, you can make a full-fledged sector for connecting customers in crowded places at high channel speeds! Mesh PRO in this case is not so flexible (according to our estimates, the antenna pattern is about 60-90 degrees), however, it provides, firstly, work in two bands at once, and secondly, it has a second Ethernet port for more flexible network planning.
It’s too early to say anything about the actual performance of the new points - quite recently the points started their way to distributors, and we look forward to them at our table for tests. Much more interesting is the multi-hop mesh functionality - will it become available immediately for the entire UniFi line, including the already existing points (after all, not only “on the street” you sometimes have to jump over the section where the cable cannot be laid)? The manufacturer has neither confirmed nor refuted the information on this issue. Anyway, now the new and most popular product line of Ubiquiti has received the necessary expansion, which completely fills the entire range of low-cost AP junction cases, and building networks on UniFi has become even more convenient and less compromising.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/317966/
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