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WAC730 Home Office Setup

huc
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WAC730 Home Office Setup

I'm looking for some pre-sales confirmation on a configuration for my home office. Looking to upgrade from an EX7300 WiFi extender (set to One Name WiFI network) to a WAC730. I'm specifically wanting to confirm that the WAC730 can be setup to behave like the EX7300 in so far as supporting a 'one name' network configuration as WiFi calling is critical as it's required due to poor cell coverage 

 

My configuration/flow would be/is:

Internet Cable Modem/Gateway <--hard wire --> NetGear R8500 * <--hard wire --> Netgear JGS524PE Switch <--hard wire PoE --> NEW **WAC730 (((-- WiFi 5G /2.4 --))) assorted wireless clients ranging from laptops to mobile devices

 

*  R8500 provides all DHCP and related router services and primary 5g & 2.4 wifi networks) 

** this is essentially replacing the EX7300 which uses the same SSID and Encryption settings as the R8500 to get the current mesh network to work. However, it should be be faster given it's not using WiFi as back haul to the R8500 and out to the internet, provide better range/coverage, along with other performance benefits

 

Typical Use Scenario is to achieve seamless roaming:

  • User connected to 5G on Netgear R8500
  • Moves out of R8500. WiFi range
  • Seamlessly Autoswitches to the WAC730 WiFi 
    • WAC730 is essentially using Ethernet as a back haul to JGS524PE <-> R8500 <-> Internet Gateway

Is what I'm describing doable? Given what I've read in the WAC730 user guide it seems practical. However, I'm a bit unclear if I need to set that unit up as a Repeater to make the seamless wifi roaming work. There are other related performance benefits of the WAC730 that I'd be exploiting but the above is the best way I can think of describing how I'm wanting the basic setup to work

 

I hope that makes a bit of sense - thanks for any brain waves on the subject!

Model: WAC730|3x3 Wireless-AC Access Points
Message 1 of 3

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nmhTester
NETGEAR Expert

Re: WAC730 Home Office Setup

Short answer:

Yes, what you want is doable.

Modem==Router===PoE Switch===AP(s).

your above idea will work. You will be able to use the same SSID name and have seemlessroaming for clients.

========================================================

Couple of more things you may consider.

Having the same SSID is the very first step. but roaming according to 802.11 protocol is driven by the wireless clients. The network can help wireless clients roam better with protocols like 802.11r and OKC that help in fast-roaming (that means less or no packet loss when the client moved from one access point to another, while seamless roams means no user intervention, but there could be few seconds glitches in traffic/packets)

 

 

Here are some of your options: all of them should work. you can choose based on your needs.

 

1)Router==PoeSwitch==WAC730;

configure the same SSID. seamless roaming works as a basic level. roams are 100% driven by wireless clients.  sometimes you may see a few seconds of glitches at roam time.

(run WAC730 in access point mode.)

 

2) Router===PoE Switch and a couple of WAC730s

(turn off router's radio on the router and use APs in Ensemble mode) This works better as now 2 WAC730 talks to each other on the wired side and will assist clients to roam faster.

 

3) Router=== PoE+ Switch===WAC540

or

Router and 2 of WAC540. (turn off router's WiFi and allow WAC540s to be your wifi radios)

(WAC540 is our newest TriBand AP. This has 4x4 802.11AC Wave 2 radios and 2 5Ghz radios)

(Note: you if do not want to upgrade your switch from PoE to PoE+, you can buy WAC540 with power adaptor) Do check out WAC540+power adaptor.

Options 1 and 3, 2 and 4 are same. but WAC540 is 4x4 AP, while WAC730 is 3x3 AP.

but since WAC540 has extra radios, it needs more power. PoE switch will not have enough juice to power it on. small PoE+ switch or Injector or Power adpator will be needed.

 

4) OrbiPro s have dedicated wireless backhaul. check out SRK60 kit too.

Cheers.

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Message 2 of 3

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nmhTester
NETGEAR Expert

Re: WAC730 Home Office Setup

Short answer:

Yes, what you want is doable.

Modem==Router===PoE Switch===AP(s).

your above idea will work. You will be able to use the same SSID name and have seemlessroaming for clients.

========================================================

Couple of more things you may consider.

Having the same SSID is the very first step. but roaming according to 802.11 protocol is driven by the wireless clients. The network can help wireless clients roam better with protocols like 802.11r and OKC that help in fast-roaming (that means less or no packet loss when the client moved from one access point to another, while seamless roams means no user intervention, but there could be few seconds glitches in traffic/packets)

 

 

Here are some of your options: all of them should work. you can choose based on your needs.

 

1)Router==PoeSwitch==WAC730;

configure the same SSID. seamless roaming works as a basic level. roams are 100% driven by wireless clients.  sometimes you may see a few seconds of glitches at roam time.

(run WAC730 in access point mode.)

 

2) Router===PoE Switch and a couple of WAC730s

(turn off router's radio on the router and use APs in Ensemble mode) This works better as now 2 WAC730 talks to each other on the wired side and will assist clients to roam faster.

 

3) Router=== PoE+ Switch===WAC540

or

Router and 2 of WAC540. (turn off router's WiFi and allow WAC540s to be your wifi radios)

(WAC540 is our newest TriBand AP. This has 4x4 802.11AC Wave 2 radios and 2 5Ghz radios)

(Note: you if do not want to upgrade your switch from PoE to PoE+, you can buy WAC540 with power adaptor) Do check out WAC540+power adaptor.

Options 1 and 3, 2 and 4 are same. but WAC540 is 4x4 AP, while WAC730 is 3x3 AP.

but since WAC540 has extra radios, it needs more power. PoE switch will not have enough juice to power it on. small PoE+ switch or Injector or Power adpator will be needed.

 

4) OrbiPro s have dedicated wireless backhaul. check out SRK60 kit too.

Cheers.

Message 2 of 3
huc
Aspirant
Aspirant

Re: WAC730 Home Office Setup

Thanks!

That makes perfect sense and the tip on reducing lag time when switching is greatly appreciated!

Message 3 of 3
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