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Access Point with many connections
What is the best Access Point that does not require a subscription, supports 2.4/5ghz, POE, no security and most importantly that provides several hundred connections?
Depends what you expect these hundreds of wireless clients can and will do. Times of one terminal session, one web browser sessions are long time gone. Today, a single wireless client (unless all being some simplistic IoT) does require a lot of resources.
Netgear current top of the line WAX630 tri-radio on the classic bands (1x 2.4 GHz, 2x 5 GHz) supports IEEE 802.11ax, twelve (4+4+4) streams of WiFi 6, and tri-band concurrent operation at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz low band, and 5 GHz high band. The combined throughput is 6000 Mbps: 1200 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, 2400 Mbps at 5 GHz low band, and 2400 Mbps at 5 GHz high band. This allows to support max 200 client associations per radio, this makes up a max of 600 concurrent connected active clients.
The even better (depending on the intended usage) WAX630E supports IEEE 802.11ax, eight (2+4+2) streams of WiFi, and tri-band concurrent operation at 2.4 GHz (2 streams), 5 GHz (4 streams), and 6 GHz (2 streams). The combined throughput is 7800 Mbps:
600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, 4800 Mbps at 5 GHz, and 1200 Mbps at 6 GHz. The 5 GHz and 6 GHz radios support 160 MHz bandwidth. It does offer max 128 clients for the 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz radios each, for the 5 GHz radio max 200 clients. This makes up a max of 456 concurrent connected active clients.The security modes do not have a major impact. Even in "open" environments, I would suggest offering plain open as well as Enhanced Open (OWE). And of course you might need some SSID and VLAN for the management, administration, with WPA3 ...
Limiting factor is always value and cost. Of course, for much higher prices, one could specify higher specs. Some specialized hardware vendors offer multi-radio AP for large scale deployments with a high number of clients with a four digit $$$$ price tag each. You still have to provide the multi-link PoE++, 5 GbE or even 10 GbE.
Keep in mind APs in this class require power and bandwidth. Here we talk of PoE++ (60 W), and either one 2.5 GbE or a bonded pair of two 1 GbE ports. So it's by far not just the cost of the single access point. Reality proofs that multiple APs can offer a better service, seamless roaming over the network, installed in different positions, even if we have to cover mini- or micro-cells.
Such systems have a total cost beyond of the single AP only. Switches, power, bandwidth (LAN and Internet). Of course, you can manage a single AP or a small number of APs individually using the local Web UI. And you seriously question on the cloud management, talking of max 17 USD per year for an Insight Pro license (if ordered in small quantities)?
Does this help?
5 Replies
Depends what you expect these hundreds of wireless clients can and will do. Times of one terminal session, one web browser sessions are long time gone. Today, a single wireless client (unless all being some simplistic IoT) does require a lot of resources.
Netgear current top of the line WAX630 tri-radio on the classic bands (1x 2.4 GHz, 2x 5 GHz) supports IEEE 802.11ax, twelve (4+4+4) streams of WiFi 6, and tri-band concurrent operation at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz low band, and 5 GHz high band. The combined throughput is 6000 Mbps: 1200 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, 2400 Mbps at 5 GHz low band, and 2400 Mbps at 5 GHz high band. This allows to support max 200 client associations per radio, this makes up a max of 600 concurrent connected active clients.
The even better (depending on the intended usage) WAX630E supports IEEE 802.11ax, eight (2+4+2) streams of WiFi, and tri-band concurrent operation at 2.4 GHz (2 streams), 5 GHz (4 streams), and 6 GHz (2 streams). The combined throughput is 7800 Mbps:
600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, 4800 Mbps at 5 GHz, and 1200 Mbps at 6 GHz. The 5 GHz and 6 GHz radios support 160 MHz bandwidth. It does offer max 128 clients for the 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz radios each, for the 5 GHz radio max 200 clients. This makes up a max of 456 concurrent connected active clients.The security modes do not have a major impact. Even in "open" environments, I would suggest offering plain open as well as Enhanced Open (OWE). And of course you might need some SSID and VLAN for the management, administration, with WPA3 ...
Limiting factor is always value and cost. Of course, for much higher prices, one could specify higher specs. Some specialized hardware vendors offer multi-radio AP for large scale deployments with a high number of clients with a four digit $$$$ price tag each. You still have to provide the multi-link PoE++, 5 GbE or even 10 GbE.
Keep in mind APs in this class require power and bandwidth. Here we talk of PoE++ (60 W), and either one 2.5 GbE or a bonded pair of two 1 GbE ports. So it's by far not just the cost of the single access point. Reality proofs that multiple APs can offer a better service, seamless roaming over the network, installed in different positions, even if we have to cover mini- or micro-cells.
Such systems have a total cost beyond of the single AP only. Switches, power, bandwidth (LAN and Internet). Of course, you can manage a single AP or a small number of APs individually using the local Web UI. And you seriously question on the cloud management, talking of max 17 USD per year for an Insight Pro license (if ordered in small quantities)?
Does this help?
This helps a great deal. Just one last question, does Netgear Require the Insight subscription with this product?
Thank you for your time to give me a great explanation.
The reason that I ask, is that our controller doesn't permit purchases with renewal or monthly fees without upper management approval. I was quoted 299.00 per year by Netgear.
Thank you.
- What was offered in hardware terms so the annual cost came up to almost 300 USD? Reason asking is that you asked for one AP only
Yes, I just need to replace one of our Nighthawk 10's in a room with 3 existing AP, total of 7 AP through out the concrete buildings. Want to move up to something better. Spoke with Netgear and got quote of almost $300 for one unit for 2 years. We have multiple wireless subnets. One is public to the Internet on secure interface of a NG Firewall and the other is a secured wireless on a separate interface on the NG Firewall. The secured is not able to reach the Internet. So I am looking for a replacement that would work in either situation. I monitor the usage on the public wireless interface and it is never above 30mb on busy times of day. The reason I don't need a subscription is we want to set and forget. We only monitor our Firewalls for usage and threats by interface and Advanced Threat Protection in the cloud for internal devices not on wireless. Hope this is a better explanation of our needs.
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