I wanted to go over some of our top wireless hardware picks. You'll notice a lot of Ubiquiti love. They make some of the best equipment in general let alone at the price point.
Wireless Access Point:
G/N/Overall: Ubiquiti PicoStation M2HP
AC: Ubiquiti UniFi AC
Cheap / Retro Fit: Cisco E1200 Router
Outdoor: Ubiquiti Rocket 5GHZ (or 2.4) w/ Sector Antenna (also available in 2.4)
Notes: AC is awesome, but unless you have hardware that can utilize it there isn't really any point. The PicoStation's get a little warm but their range and speed are second to none. The E1200 has the wonderful benefit of being a $15 wireless G/N. Plus you can add DD-WRT for more functionality. The E1200 is a router but you can use it as an AP with either firmware.
The Rocket Units are really great. They have excellent range and speed, but can be kinda rough to program initially. After you get them setup properly they are bullet proof. The Sector Antenna is semi-directional. If you're looking for an omni-directional solution you need this antenna (also available in 2.4).
Routers:
Wired: Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite-3
Wireless G/N: Budget New: Ubiquiti Air Router, Budget Used: Cisco WRT-610N
Wireless AC: Netgear Nighthawk AC1900
Cheap: Cisco E1200 Router
Notes: ATM nothing beats the Nighthawk... except the newer night hawk! That router is fast - very fast. You're definitely getting what you pay for as far as speed. Given the age of the units, it's still too early to see what kind of longevity they'll have. I've personally not had good luck with Netgear anything living much past the end of it's warranty but, I haven't seen any bad reviews on the Nighthawk yet.
If you're building a small high performance network: the EdgeRouter is the router for you. It is one of the fastest (if not the fastest) SMB routers out there. This little unit is wired only. I prefer that in a business / performance environment. It takes the WiFi load off the router, removes the reconfig / reboot issues, and allows better coverage placement. I'd pair this up with a couple of PicoStations and you're in the zone!
The AirRouter and the Cisco both score pretty well in the speed department and are great overall pieces of equipment without killing the budget. A huge benefit to the Cisco is the fact that DD-WRT is readily available for it and fairly easy to install. Ubiquiti's firmware is a little rough if you've never messed with it before but, they have excellent forums and support. You'll also notice the Cisco E1200 again... because seriously, it's $15.
Wireless Bridge:
Best: Ubiquiti Air Fiber
Least Expensive: Ubiquiti NanoBeam
AP/Bridge Solution: Outdoor: Ubiquiti Rocket 5GHZ (or 2.4) w/ Sector Antenna (also available in 2.4)
Notes: The Air fiber is incredible! Putting it bluntly: It goes stupid fast. It's less expensive than it's peers from other companies, but at $1500 per unit it's a little cost prohibitive - unless you need it. The NanoBeam's are really inexpensive, have amazing range, and have good WiFi speeds. If you need to have an AP in the mix you can use a pair of Rockets or a Rocket and a NanoBeam mix.
A Few Notes About 5GHZ vs 2.4GHZ:
1. You cannot mix them or their antennas.
2. 5GHZ is faster and gets less interference than 2.4GHZ.
3. 2.4GHZ usually has a bit longer range.
4. Omni-Directional Antenna's have less range than directional.
There's too many solution to include them all! If you need a custom system - contact us (Facebook, Google plus etc.) and we'll do our best to help you.
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