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Mesh for home use

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WB5YDA
Mesh for home use
I want to setup a mesh for my home. I was familiar with it back my Hamnet days, but now want to setup with Ubiquiti devices. Can you reccomend  inexpensive devices to do that with?
nc8q
nc8q's picture
setup a mesh for my home.
Please better define 'inexpensive'. I can recommend inexpensive indoor devices that are not Ubiquiti. I do not recommend any indoor Ubiquiti devices. The Nanostation loco M devices are outdoor rated and inexpensive. My #1 inexpensive indoor rated device is the Mikrotik hAP AC lite. My #2,3,4 inexpensive indoor rated device is all of the GL iNet devices listed on the Supported Devices page. https://www.arednmesh.org/content/supported-platform-matrix If you are building a mesh for your 'home', I do not see a need for outdoor rated (example Ubuquiti) devices. Chuck
WB5YDA
Thanks for posting. We use
Thanks for posting. We use the NANO Station AC1000 (2 units) for Field Day linking logging stations, they work great.
K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
Mikrotik hAP AC Lite is a

Mikrotik hAP AC Lite is a great device for this.

  • 1 WAN port (PoE input)
  • 1 DTDLink port
  • 3 LAN ports
  • 2Ghz Mesh radio
  • 5Ghz radio for local WiFi access
  • USB port to optionally power additional devices (like a RaspberryPi), controllable via AREDN
  • PoE passthru port controllable via AREDN
  • 64MB RAM
  • About $55 each
(AREDN is not necessarily the best choice to build out a home mesh network.   AREDN's intended purpose is long(er) range emergency data networks.)
 
WB5YDA
I agree with Emergency use,

I agree with Emergency use, but in the flatlands, tree plentiful SE Texas, you will have to beg, borrow, or steal sites to configure line of site.

Thanks for your comments.

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
I hear ya on the trees.  I'm
I hear ya on the trees.  I'm almost your neighbor.   In The Woodlands near Conroe here.
AA7AU
AA7AU's picture
Swiss Army Knife has one more blade? Wow!

I love my little MikroTik and have praised it at every opportunity possible. However, I never knew this feature was enabled on AREDN:
- USB port to optionally power additional devices (like a RaspberryPi), controllable via AREDN

I don't have immediate access to mine right now but do have a couple questions:
- how long has this feature been available?
- are there any reliable specs on max power draw from that USB? Of course, it likely depends on quality of input power, but it needs to be a solid 5V or more for a Pi, and for a 3B s/b 2.4A and for a 3B+ perhaps 3.0A (not that they ever actually use that much power ,,, but that's another tome).

Thanks,
- Don - AA7AU

K5DLQ
K5DLQ's picture
It was added in 3.19.3.0
It was added in 3.19.3.0 under the Advanced Configuration page.
K6CCC
K6CCC's picture
USB port = 1 Amp
According to the Mikrotik product page for the hAP ac lite, the USB port can supply up to 1 Amp.
https://mikrotik.com/product/RB952Ui-5ac2nD
About 2/3 of the way down the page.
AJ6GZ
Pwr
Also note that the USB power does cycle a couple times when the hAP reboots, but still usuable to control some things if aware of the behavior.

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