Hi all,
I’m building a home networking setup based around my old Optiplex and I need a NIC to put into it.
I wanted to connect this to an AP as well and was wondering what the best one under 200 would be I was looking into the U7Pro. I also need a gig switch preferably from bestbuy I was also looking at the UI one for that.
If anyone has any recommendations please let me know!
If you want a 1gb NIC then pretty much any one will be compatible. Id recommend either a 2 or 4 port Intel NIC. They should only be like $20-40.
I like Ubiquiti, they make good stuff. But a lot of what they offer is a software package that makes configuring the network security, VLANs, firewall rules, etc very easy. You can go with a UniFi switch and AP and run the UniFi Server software either on a PC, a VM, or in a docker container. The U7 Pro XG is a better AP than the U7 Pro though, it is supposed to be built slightly better and dissipate heat more efficiently so it runs cooler. For a switch, I would recommend the Switch Ultra 60w model so it can power the AP too.
Any specific recommendations?
I don’t need a POE switch this is what I was thinking
Also there I needed 2 AP’s and there is no Ethernet connecting them need to be able to connect the Second AP to the switch and use the Ethernet from there is this possible?
The setup is Opnsense to AP1 then wireless to AP2 then to switch then to other devices and run cloud in a VM in a TrueNAS Instance.
I don’t think we’re in the gig economy any longer - folks are looking for multi-gig or above speeds.
Spending money on gig NICs and switches feels like a waste of money.
That said - if you’re looking to get a network going with minimal $$$ outlay (a laudable goal) I would consider sth like a $19 2.5gb NIC and a $64 multi-gig POE switch.
The key words to look for in a switch are:
If you’re going with a WIFI7 AP (like the U7Pro) you need 2.5gb or you risc limiting your speed by the new network gear.
Is this gear something that I recommend to go with a Unifi AP? Well, the switch is for do-it-yourselfers - you can use it as a dumb switch but need to learn (basic) networking to get the most out of it. There is no fancy Unifi gui that will take all the work away from you.
If you want to get into serious networking on the cheap I’d recommend looking for used enterprise gear. This was my gateway drug.
Stick with Unifi if all of this sounds like too much work.
All unifi access points support meshing and will work this way. They also just released a switch with a mesh uplink that may be handy if you don’t need the second AP.
Ya based on his desire to mesh uplink the 2nd AP I would definitely say the new Device Bridge Switch would be the recommended way to do the setup for maximum performance. AP wireless meshing never works out great because of performance loss by doing so. However, judging by the OPs desire to use extremely cheap hardware I highly doubt a “DBS” is in his budget.
Best Buy charging $50 for a $30 switch is robbery. You could literally get the 2.5gb switch version for that same $50 best buy is charging for the 1gb model.
But if you dont have any poe switch powering your APs, you do need a poe injector. So factor them into your costs.
an i350-AM4 would work great
Or an X710 NIC if you want to upgrade to 2.5/10gb networking speeds on your router.
Oh god this is why they say don’t do drugs lol what have you done i have to buy it now.
Is it best to get 1 2 port NIC or a 1 port nic then switch out? I thought you need 1 for WAN and one for LAN out
I just saw the black friday U6E in wall for 200 might just buy that. Can I do POE injector for power then do wireless backhaul?
I can do a price match there.
I assumed your Optiplex has one 1gb NIC. If true, you only need to add one NIC to make it two. I’d go for a 2.5gb NIC and use this for the LAN connection, use the slower NIC for the WAN connection.
A lot of people are moving away from opensense to ubiquiti. Maybe you should try the Ubiquiti server OS and give that a try. You might decide to switch to a ubiquiti gateway.
Ah ok ill have to check I thought it was slower but thats a good idea
Why are they moving also I want opnsense for control and pihole and unbound integrations.
Well i guess because you can run the pihole and unbound from a rasberry pi. I don’t use unbound myself. So i can’t really speak for that kind of integration. But i do run a pihole. I actually totally forgot about unbound and opensense.
I want to run it all on the same hardware.
Also update I saw the U6E In wall and am thinking of getting that can I power it through POE then do wireless backhaul on the second AP?
Yes, You can wireless mesh. But i don’t believe you can wireless bridge with them. You would need a bridge device to bridge. You should also look at the U7 lite.
If should get better coverage with a ceiling mount ap vs a wall mount ap. The U6 enterprise in wall seems like a very niche product. But it might work better for someone that can’t ceiling mount an AP.
What do you mean by mesh but not bridge? can mesh but not bridge I need to use the ethernet ports on the second one and use wireless.