Wireless AP questions

I am currently looking at upgrading my home network and looking for advice sense I have no real network expertise.
I currently have three wireless AP of random make and I would like to replace with a system that I can manage centrally. After I would like to add a pf-sense router and create three separate LAN’s, one for family, one for myself, and one for IOT/camera type stuff ( to Limit access to internet)
1)I have read a bit about the Ubiquiti Unifi system but wonder if there are other systems available.
2)If I went with the Ubiguiti Unifi system I am not sure what I would need to make a complete system without going overboard.

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Unifi really locks you down to needing the Unifi ecosystem

Enterprise APs support PoE and VLANS. 0 point hand off is nice, its the roaming spec so if you walk away from an AP the backend sees this and picks you up on the next one along the way, full 0 point can do so without loss of established connections.

i use the TP links EAP245 for home and work. haven’t had an issue

Welcome to the forums!

I have a “Unifi system” at my house, router, switch and four APs. I run the manager in a docker container on my home server.

They don’t force you to buy all Ubiquiti equipment, but you get a more complete view of your network if you do.

Their camera system is managed through a separate management program, you can also run under Docker or buy one of their DVRs. I don’t run their cameras, no need at this point.

Regarding @kenkoda comment; t hey all lock you down so to speak… Use the Unifi software, or the TP Link software, or some other brands. If your pockets are nearly bottomles Aruba Airwave that can multiple brands of access points from a single interface. That’s heavy duty high end Enterprise stuff.

i moved away from Unifi as they required that i buy software/hardware to use an already running AD for RADIUS.

Currently in my home network I have switched to pfsense, and have converted my old tomato and dd-wrt routers into access points. I’ve also played with Ubiquity access points on a pfsense network with no issues like the “lock in” that others speak of. If not using the routing function, I think that it’s fairly easy in today’s market to just find a reliable access point or router, if it supports dd-wrt or tomato especially, and just tack it on with no issues. You’ll find a lot of really strong opinions of those that work in enterprise, but for a home network, there really are a lot of great options.

If you want a thing to manage centrally your network, unifi is not a bad choice.

A UDM + a couple of uap nano hd, or uap flexhd is kind of a default well performing home combo these days, and technically probably all you need. (No need for pfSense) The udm will be your router, a vlan capable switch, and will run your controller software.

The unifi controller is a web server/web ui to centrally manage the access points and switches and routers, and those unifi devices pull their configuration from the controller. Some people run it in docker, or on raspberry pis or buy unifi cloud keys; I run mine in a VM at a cloud provider (small VM - so free) and my cheap unifi ap ac lite APs pull their configuration from the cloud. It’s just some Java with mongodb for storage - not sure it would run on a pi zero with a USB ethernet dongle, it might

The Unifi management app is free, by the way. The only thing to optionally pay for is a cloudkey which is just an SBC preloaded with the software.