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AXIS point

udiudi Posts: 107
in AMX Technical Discussion
I want to use an IPad and IPod for the AMX controler.
Can someone tell me which AXIS point is recomended for them???
thanks.

Comments

  • ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    Wireless Access Point or (WAP)

    I'd recommend a Cisco or Ruckus. I'd also HIGHLY recommend using a managed wireless system. iPads are notoriously flaky when it comes to wireless. A managed WAP system does a wonderful job of actively keeping those devices online.

    Runkus's system is pretty cost effective. Zone Drector 1000 or 3000

    Cisco's is much more expensive but pretty bullet-proof.
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    I agree with Eric plus many of our dealers swear by Sonic Wall and PACKEDGE.

    By the way, my iPad is rock solid with great range on my current home nasty cheapo not-recommended Netgear $30 router. So notorious as they might be, your mileage is almost sure to vary.
  • TurnipTruckTurnipTruck Posts: 1,485
    Ruckus or PakEdge work quite well. I use the AMX WAP250G with no complaints except that it seems to have a shorter usable range than most.

    SonicWall seems to be the most universally-hated product line amongst IT types inside and outside of the control system world. I would avoid it.
  • the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    Our goto network setup is a Sonicwall TZ200 firewall and an AMX/Ruckus Zone Director and matching access points.

    I have not had good luck with the built in wireless on the sonicwall TZ series firewalls, but everything else has been rock solid. What is so hated about Sonicwall?

    I have used pakedge a couple of times and have not been impressed with them for their price point. For really inexpensive (read not AMX jobs) the Engenius stuff has been pretty nice with good range and fast throughput.

    I have been meaning to order an Ubiquiti Picostation for the low end price points. I have heard they have great range and are very reliable.
  • rfletcherrfletcher Posts: 217
    the8thst wrote: »
    Our goto network setup is a Sonicwall TZ200 firewall and an AMX/Ruckus Zone Director and matching access points.

    I have not had good luck with the built in wireless on the sonicwall TZ series firewalls, but everything else has been rock solid. What is so hated about Sonicwall?

    I have used pakedge a couple of times and have not been impressed with them for their price point. For really inexpensive (read not AMX jobs) the Engenius stuff has been pretty nice with good range and fast throughput.

    I have been meaning to order an Ubiquiti Picostation for the low end price points. I have heard they have great range and are very reliable.


    I'm curious as to this too as I've not had any serious problems with the one we use in the office.
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    TurnipTruck wrote: »
    SonicWall seems to be the most universally-hated product line amongst IT types inside and outside of the control system world. I would avoid it.
    Our pro IT guy, Microsoft, Cisco, Sonic Wall, and other certified, and who travels to speak at small business IT conventions around the US and Canada, had a great laugh at that quote.
  • ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    ... here we go ...
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    Just sayin' there's a range of opinion.

    "Same story, different version. And all are true." - Diadoma in 'Pirates of the Carribean - Dead Man's Chest'
  • Joe HebertJoe Hebert Posts: 2,159
    ericmedley wrote: »
    iPads are notoriously flaky when it comes to wireless.
    Really? Is that the general consensus? I find the exact opposite to be true.
  • ryanwwryanww Posts: 196
    I have been using a bunch of stuff from a company called Ubiquiti networks. (www.ubnt.com). Very high quality stuff and very inexpensive. Plus they make products that are scalable, and their new product Unifi is a very cost effective centrally managed enterprise solution. Still fairly new, but they are getting the bugs out of it.

    Another high quality product is Mikrotek. They make some really powerful gear too.
  • udiudi Posts: 107
    Access Points

    Thank all for your recommendations.
    I am looking for solution to residentialand & houses.
    I believe the average wifi products: Netgear, Linksys, Dlink and etc… will do the work,
    But I am looking stability.
    What products and models would you recommend to use sized penthouse apartment of 300 square meters?
  • TurnipTruckTurnipTruck Posts: 1,485
    udi wrote: »
    Thank all for your recommendations.
    I am looking for solution to residentialand & houses.
    I believe the average wifi products: Netgear, Linksys, Dlink and etc… will do the work,
    But I am looking stability.
    What products and models would you recommend to use sized penthouse apartment of 300 square meters?

    I have a Netgear WGR619v9 router/WAP at my house. I think it was under $50 and it's been up and running for at least two years without any problems whatsoever. I am quite sure it would work for your apartment. You just won't be able to create VLANs, VPNs, and do more advanced firewall stuff that comes with more advanced routers.

    It seems to me that I have less problems with the el cheapo stuff than I have had with the more expensive "Good Stuff."
  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Posts: 502
    Sonicwall suffers from having many key parameters tucked away in strange menus and this makes setup tricky if you don't work with the product often. It is capable, but not always intuitive.

    We now use Watchguard xtm products, HP procurve switches and waps
  • viningvining Posts: 4,368
    udi wrote: »
    Thank all for your recommendations.
    I am looking for solution to residentialand & houses.
    I believe the average wifi products: Netgear, Linksys, Dlink and etc… will do the work,
    But I am looking stability.
    What products and models would you recommend to use sized penthouse apartment of 300 square meters?
    Yeah, I think the most important part of wi-fi installations is placement in relationship to your primary usage areas and the location of the next access point in relation to to the 1st, 2nd etc. Try to locate an AP as near the primary TP/s locations, try to avoid placing access points so that a TP (in normal use location) fall in between to APs, again try to get al close as possible to the prime locations. Then spacing you channels properly (1,6, 11) and if you need to repeat channels do so carefully with consideration of other previously used channels. Use a wi-spy to look for interference and try to avoid them. Get rid of 2.4ghz phones if possible but if you can't make sure cell stations or phone stations aren't near the AP or the TP.

    If you're doing voip on TPs you nead a managed system to handle the handoffs or you'll have dropped calls while walking/talking so Cisco, Rukus, etc are needed. I still on ocassion use Linksys WAP54g (mostly past tense) which are hated by most here but I really don't have problems with them. On occassion they will lock up but that's the price you pay to get a job with in budget and I can't say that the better APs don't on occasion either, it's rare regardless. If it's a choice between a good access points and a VPN router I'll go the way of the VPN router. If it's a choice between good access point and remote power management I'll go for the remote power management and then be able to remotely reboot my APs.

    As far as the Penthouse apartment goes how many APs are needed depends on where your wireless TPs will be, where you can stick APs and what types of wall construction you're dealing with. If the walls are just sheetrock on metal studs that's not a big problem but if they are concrete or tiled then that is. If you have access to the apartment do a site survey with any off the shelf AP using wi-spy.
  • the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    Jimweir192 wrote: »
    Sonicwall suffers from having many key parameters tucked away in strange menus and this makes setup tricky if you don't work with the product often. It is capable, but not always intuitive.

    We now use Watchguard xtm products, HP procurve switches and waps

    Watchgaurd looked interesting when I looked into it, but the company already had a few Sonicwalls in the field so I stuck with that.

    How are the ProCurve WAPs working out for you? We used them for awhile, but I was never impressed with their range and we could never get 5200s to be very reliable with them.

    I have 3 or 4 MSM310 indoor Procurve waps that we replaced with Ruckus systems that I will sell to you for cheap. Send me a PM if you're interested.
  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Posts: 502
    Yeah the hp WAPs were rubbish, but we tried them again last year and got good results- haven't used them for a while with 5200's so we'll see soon

    The unifi units look very interesting, no h/w manager needed. I've just ordered 3 to test out
  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Posts: 502
    the8thst wrote: »

    I have 3 or 4 MSM310 indoor Procurve waps that we replaced with Ruckus systems that I will sell to you for cheap. Send me a PM if you're interested.

    not for me thanks :-)
  • the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    Jimweir192 wrote: »
    Yeah the hp WAPs were rubbish, but we tried them again last year and got good results- haven't used them for a while with 5200's so we'll see soon

    The unifi units look very interesting, no h/w manager needed. I've just ordered 3 to test out

    Keep in mind that the Unifi system needs a computer on the network 24/7 to run the software that would normally be handled by a hardware controller.

    Take a look at http://www.aerohive.com/ if you are truly looking for a managed wireless system without needing a controller.
  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Posts: 502
    Have you used either system?

    Always like testing these things before needing or wanting to use in anger.
  • the8thstthe8thst Posts: 470
    Jimweir192 wrote: »
    Have you used either system?

    Always like testing these things before needing or wanting to use in anger.

    I have not tested either one.

    I spent some time researching managed wireless systems a while ago when we were having all of the problems with the HP WAPs. My short list included Ruckus and Aerohive. Ubiquiti would have been on the list if they had a hardware piece to run the manager software. That was just as AMX announced the partnership with Ruckus (which was at the top of my list), so I stopped looking and just started using the AMX branded Ruckus products.

    I think Ubiquiti is researching some small form factor ATOM based components to use so they can offer a controller for the UniFi access points. The forums on their website are pretty active and have a lot of good information.

    All-in-all I have been very happy with the performance and stability of the AMX/Ruckus systems. I just have to decided on a budget system with 1 or 2 inexpensive access points (probably Ubiquiti PicoStation).
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