NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
WAX630e - Mesh Setup
Hello -
I recently purchased a WAX630e, which is sitting in the middle of my 2000 sq ft. apartment. There is a lot of concrete in the building and network traffic surrounding the area. Additionally, I have about 10 wireless Sonos devices, 5 security cameras, and other wireless clients (about 40 in total) on this network.
3 Questions:
1 - Are there certain settings from the AP that I should ensure are setup given Sonos or other parameters I described?
2 - I currently have the AP powered by AC Adaptor and it is connected directly to the AT&T Fiber Modem/Router. There is also a GS108Tv3 switch used for hardwired connections. Should I upgrade to the GS710TUP PoE++, and reroute from the AT&T Modem/Router to Switch Uplink, and then Switch to AP? Any advantages of this switch managing network traffic?
3 - Would there be a benefit to adding a 2nd AP? The only place I have hard wire connection is directly on the other side of the wall where the AP is currently located. That said, is there a way to use a 2nd AP in wireless mesh mode and place it at the far end of the apartment (on standalone AC power)? Does that create more complication, or better for the network?
Thanks to anyone who could educate me on how to build the best network for my apartment given the environmental considerations as well as the 40+ devices connecting to the AP.
3 Replies
1. Depends on if you want to isolate traffic to or from them and use different VLAN's.
2. Upgrading to a PoE capable switch will give you some advantages:
a. You only need a network plan cable to connect and power your AP's and camera's (if they are cable connected and support PoE). This also tends to give more flexibility to where they are located as you don't need separate power. This could also influence your question #3 about additional AP's if needed.b. Using PoE versus standalone AC power will have no impact to the AP's. However, if you are using PoE and you have a UPS for your switch, if you have a power cut or disruption, then your AP's will continue to operate without rebooting or loss of connectivity.
c. Having a more capable (layer 3) switch can afford you more security on your network. For example, preventing users on a specific VLAN to access the actual AP's or security cameras. If you have quite a bit of LAN traffic as well, keeping LAN traffic on the same switch will generally provide better troughputs and performance.
d. Having a separate switch managing your network also gives more freedom to switchout your router for alternatives (eg better throughput performance or VPN connectivity, etc) without it affecting your actual network configuration.
3. Additional (mesh capable) AP's generally mean you have better signal strength, which correlates to less packet loss, and therefore improved performance. However, if they are too close, then they will provide minimal benefit. Therefore, if you're over on the far side of your apartment and the signal is very weak, another AP will keep the network performance awesome.
4. 40+ devices connected to a single AP is not an issue in itself, other than the wire/connection limit between the AP and the switch. If, for example, you have a 1G connection, then all the connected devices are sharing that 1G line. Some netgear switches, for example, support 2.5G or higher network ports, and given the WAX630E has a 2.5G port means that the traffic, especially LAN, is not going to be as throttled. WAN traffic will always be limited to the speed of your router and WAN connection.
- Thank you.
Much appreciate your guidance and support.
I have gone ahead and ordered a new switch and one additional access point. I plan to connect the access point mesh with the existing access point, as hard wiring is not an easy task to accomplish.
Are there any settings in particular that would be useful for me to update either on the switch or access points as they relate to network traffic or the Sonos equipment? I am currently not using any VLANs, but open to suggestions if you think there are valuable configurations. For example, is it possible to create a separate SS ID only for the Sonos devices that operates only on one radio band ? Just curious if this would make any significant improvements.
Thanks againYou can have up to 8 different SSID's I believe. Using multiple SSID's is about managing access to your WiFi, and will have minimal impact to performance. For example, do you want a guest network that visitors can use? A separate SSID will allow you to change the password whenever you want without having to update every single other connected device, because they connect to a different SSID. VLAN usage is more about whether or not you want to separate network (WiFi and cabled) traffic away from each other, again minimal impact to performance.
NETGEAR Academy
Boost your skills with the Netgear Academy - Get trained, certified and stay ahead with the latest Netgear technology!
Join Us!
