6 ms·

No, TP-Link's Omada controller can be run locally, I do that at home and at my parents' house. It is not cloud-connected unless you turn that on. Runs surprisin

No, TP-Link's Omada controller can be run locally, I do that at home and at my parents' house. It is not cloud-connected unless you turn that on. Runs surprisingly well on a Raspberry Pi 2, actually. I've got a setup similar to what you're asking for. The TP-Link APs (AC1750, AC1350 and AC1200) support PoE, they're in a wireless mesh, support roaming, and all configuration is handled with one interface, no cloud involved. Just make sure that what you're ordering says it supports Omada. They still ship a lot of SMB gear that doesn't, but all the basics are there now.

IgorPartola 6y ago
How is the experience otherwise? Roaming? Throughput? Reliability? I generally like their hardware.
- jackweirdy 6y ago
  Great without it. The major improvement I noticed with it, is 802.11k & v (faster handoff). Without those, it takes a little longer for the device to switch APs at the borders of their coverage. Mostly imperceptible, but the longer handoff times can be enough to kill a phone call over iPhone WiFi calling
- agurk 6y ago
  I run a similar setup with a bunch of EAP-225 APs controlled by a local instance of their Omada software (running on x64 rather that on ARM). I've been very happy with roaming/throughput/reliability generally. The EAP-225 is 2x2, which they don't readily announce. Their newer and more expensive units are available as 4x4. That being said they're so cheap, I've been happy just to throw more onto the network. For the software to manage them it uses some kind of multicast identification scheme to find new APs. If you're on a different subnet then it won't be able to automatically see them. They have a tool to connect to the AP and give it the management server IP, but that's Windows only. The other option (that I went for) is just to create a management VLAN (good practice anyway) that the controller and APs live on. This is specifically supported by the APs.
- Scramblejams 6y ago
  Only been using it for a few months but it's been good. I moved the config I mentioned above (the three APs) to my parents' house and they haven't had any problems. Throughput in their case is a little limited but that's expected with the installation (no ethernet and a lotta walls). Hasn't needed a reboot or anything. I just started using an EAP660 HD[1] at home a week ago, so far so good. Haven't topped out the speeds yet because nothing in my house can take advantage, but I have some AX200 cards coming. I understand there's a throughput bug at the moment that's going to be solved in a future firmware fix[0], but my clients don't go fast enough to hit that yet. TP-Link seems to very actively update their firmware for the pieces I've been using, FWIW. So I've been pretty happy with it so far. Roaming has been fine, though in one case I think I had non-optimally located a couple of APs because my Linux laptop kept rapid-fire flapping between two of them. I believe that's a client-side problem, though. I did try a Cisco 240AC and its wifi performance was rock solid. The management interface is non-cloud, and I believe covers the whole network, but it lives inside the AP itself, which I don't love. The management UI is buggy and they seem slow to push bugfixes, and when I added a 142ACM to extend my network it started going flaky -- I had to do a factory reset/reconfigure of the 240AC to resolve it, then it happened again a few weeks later -- so I'm gonna flip my Cisco stuff on eBay. :-( [0] https://hwp.media/articles/review_and_test_of_the_tp_link_eap_660hd_wi_fi_6_access_point/ https://hwp.media/articles/review_and_test_of_the_tp_link_ea... [1] Tip if you adopt one of these in Omada: You need to give Omada the EAP660's password (default "admin"/"admin") for it to successfully adopt. The other APs never required a password to adopt, so it was a little confusing until the internet came to the rescue.
  - IgorPartola 6y ago
    SOLD! Thank you.
    - Scramblejams 6y ago
      Good luck! If you think of it, post a reply back here letting me know how it goes.
- laurentdc 6y ago
  For what it's worth, we've been running about 15 TP-Link EAP225 in a warehouse without any hiccups so far. Most importantly they don't randomly die or lose the controller pairing like some low end Ubiquiti units tried in the past. The only quirk is that on Windows Server you have to configure the service manually, but it's no big deal. [0] [0] https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/2915/ https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/2915/
- fangorn 6y ago
  I bought 3 EAP330s and TP-Link deprecated them after a year or so. No more firmware upgrades for their (then) top "enterprise" access points. Rumour says they weren't happy with the chipset, so decided to abandon them altogether (just this model, cheaper ones were on different chipsets and support was available for longer). Last time I checked there was no OpenWRT support of any kind. They did hang when I had port aggregation enabled and seemed to run rather hot. But feature-wise and non-trunked-networking-wise they were fine, supported what I was looking for, no cloud, I didn't even use the controller, you can just manage them "the old school" way. But don't count on years of support.
- Melkman 6y ago
  I also have a TP-Link Omada setup. For layer2 networking with switches and AP's it's fine. Cost effective, reasonably stable, acceptable performance and features that are regularly used are all there. The layer-3 stuff however is still early days and I can't recommend getting the secure gateway at this time. No IPv6 support. Depends strictly on an internet uplink configuration for default route to which all traffic is then NATted. Can't change that. No real security features, no packet inspection etc. The routing features really feel like an alpha version. They are working on it and have a roadmap to a more workable layer-3 solution. So maybe in the future the will be as nice as the Ubiquity solution. Cloud is not needed but possible. You can get an OC-200 controller for not much money that fills the role of single pane configuration webinterface. The software for that controller can also be downloaded for Linux on PC or ARM if you want to use your own hardware. Also the network keeps running if the controller is down.
  - Scramblejams 6y ago
    Do you know if you can opt out of the cloud connection on the OC-200?
    - scheme271 6y ago
      If you login to the OC200, it's under settings > cloud access. It should be off by default. Or you can login to the cloud interface and forget the OC200 under actions.
      - Scramblejams 6y ago
        Thanks!
TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
Are you concerned that TP-Link is a Chinese company? Could your data be exfiltrated back to China?
- Scramblejams 6y ago
  As a US citizen, I would love for there to be a reasonably-priced US-made alternative. I guess Netgear could be one[0], but their Insight management system is cloud-only, isn't it? Happy to be corrected. I think I'd rather take an ostensibly-offline controller from China than a cloud-enabled one from the US, though I'm not really happy with those options. :-( Are there some good options I missed? Would like to hear about them, if there are any. [0] I expect their hardware is made in China, even if their controller may not be.
  - TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
    Seems like an opportunity for router software with great UI and management on linux or pi to excel. then run it on anything.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- caeril 6y ago
  edit: Oops, disregard, I've violated HN hivemind statutes, despite being completely factually correct! What I meant to say is that US law enforcement, and in particular the FBI, are 100% perfect in every way. Nobody has EVER used lawful request overreach to ruin the lives of innocent people. Praise be to J. Edgar Hoover!
  - dylan604 6y ago
    It's a sad commentary on how low the bar has been lowered. "No, you're system isn't secure, but the people that can access it can't really do you bodily harm" is not really the level I would hope we are trying to acheive.

IgorPartola 6y ago

How is the experience otherwise? Roaming? Throughput? Reliability? I generally like their hardware.

jackweirdy 6y ago
Great without it. The major improvement I noticed with it, is 802.11k & v (faster handoff). Without those, it takes a little longer for the device to switch APs at the borders of their coverage. Mostly imperceptible, but the longer handoff times can be enough to kill a phone call over iPhone WiFi calling
agurk 6y ago
I run a similar setup with a bunch of EAP-225 APs controlled by a local instance of their Omada software (running on x64 rather that on ARM). I've been very happy with roaming/throughput/reliability generally. The EAP-225 is 2x2, which they don't readily announce. Their newer and more expensive units are available as 4x4. That being said they're so cheap, I've been happy just to throw more onto the network. For the software to manage them it uses some kind of multicast identification scheme to find new APs. If you're on a different subnet then it won't be able to automatically see them. They have a tool to connect to the AP and give it the management server IP, but that's Windows only. The other option (that I went for) is just to create a management VLAN (good practice anyway) that the controller and APs live on. This is specifically supported by the APs.
Scramblejams 6y ago
Only been using it for a few months but it's been good. I moved the config I mentioned above (the three APs) to my parents' house and they haven't had any problems. Throughput in their case is a little limited but that's expected with the installation (no ethernet and a lotta walls). Hasn't needed a reboot or anything. I just started using an EAP660 HD[1] at home a week ago, so far so good. Haven't topped out the speeds yet because nothing in my house can take advantage, but I have some AX200 cards coming. I understand there's a throughput bug at the moment that's going to be solved in a future firmware fix[0], but my clients don't go fast enough to hit that yet. TP-Link seems to very actively update their firmware for the pieces I've been using, FWIW. So I've been pretty happy with it so far. Roaming has been fine, though in one case I think I had non-optimally located a couple of APs because my Linux laptop kept rapid-fire flapping between two of them. I believe that's a client-side problem, though. I did try a Cisco 240AC and its wifi performance was rock solid. The management interface is non-cloud, and I believe covers the whole network, but it lives inside the AP itself, which I don't love. The management UI is buggy and they seem slow to push bugfixes, and when I added a 142ACM to extend my network it started going flaky -- I had to do a factory reset/reconfigure of the 240AC to resolve it, then it happened again a few weeks later -- so I'm gonna flip my Cisco stuff on eBay. :-( [0] https://hwp.media/articles/review_and_test_of_the_tp_link_eap_660hd_wi_fi_6_access_point/ https://hwp.media/articles/review_and_test_of_the_tp_link_ea... [1] Tip if you adopt one of these in Omada: You need to give Omada the EAP660's password (default "admin"/"admin") for it to successfully adopt. The other APs never required a password to adopt, so it was a little confusing until the internet came to the rescue.
- IgorPartola 6y ago
  SOLD! Thank you.
  - Scramblejams 6y ago
    Good luck! If you think of it, post a reply back here letting me know how it goes.
laurentdc 6y ago
For what it's worth, we've been running about 15 TP-Link EAP225 in a warehouse without any hiccups so far. Most importantly they don't randomly die or lose the controller pairing like some low end Ubiquiti units tried in the past. The only quirk is that on Windows Server you have to configure the service manually, but it's no big deal. [0] [0] https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/2915/ https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/2915/
fangorn 6y ago
I bought 3 EAP330s and TP-Link deprecated them after a year or so. No more firmware upgrades for their (then) top "enterprise" access points. Rumour says they weren't happy with the chipset, so decided to abandon them altogether (just this model, cheaper ones were on different chipsets and support was available for longer). Last time I checked there was no OpenWRT support of any kind. They did hang when I had port aggregation enabled and seemed to run rather hot. But feature-wise and non-trunked-networking-wise they were fine, supported what I was looking for, no cloud, I didn't even use the controller, you can just manage them "the old school" way. But don't count on years of support.
Melkman 6y ago
I also have a TP-Link Omada setup. For layer2 networking with switches and AP's it's fine. Cost effective, reasonably stable, acceptable performance and features that are regularly used are all there. The layer-3 stuff however is still early days and I can't recommend getting the secure gateway at this time. No IPv6 support. Depends strictly on an internet uplink configuration for default route to which all traffic is then NATted. Can't change that. No real security features, no packet inspection etc. The routing features really feel like an alpha version. They are working on it and have a roadmap to a more workable layer-3 solution. So maybe in the future the will be as nice as the Ubiquity solution. Cloud is not needed but possible. You can get an OC-200 controller for not much money that fills the role of single pane configuration webinterface. The software for that controller can also be downloaded for Linux on PC or ARM if you want to use your own hardware. Also the network keeps running if the controller is down.
- Scramblejams 6y ago
  Do you know if you can opt out of the cloud connection on the OC-200?
  - scheme271 6y ago
    If you login to the OC200, it's under settings > cloud access. It should be off by default. Or you can login to the cloud interface and forget the OC200 under actions.
    - Scramblejams 6y ago
      Thanks!

TedDoesntTalk 6y ago

Are you concerned that TP-Link is a Chinese company? Could your data be exfiltrated back to China?

Scramblejams 6y ago
As a US citizen, I would love for there to be a reasonably-priced US-made alternative. I guess Netgear could be one[0], but their Insight management system is cloud-only, isn't it? Happy to be corrected. I think I'd rather take an ostensibly-offline controller from China than a cloud-enabled one from the US, though I'm not really happy with those options. :-( Are there some good options I missed? Would like to hear about them, if there are any. [0] I expect their hardware is made in China, even if their controller may not be.
- TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
  Seems like an opportunity for router software with great UI and management on linux or pi to excel. then run it on anything.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
caeril 6y ago
edit: Oops, disregard, I've violated HN hivemind statutes, despite being completely factually correct! What I meant to say is that US law enforcement, and in particular the FBI, are 100% perfect in every way. Nobody has EVER used lawful request overreach to ruin the lives of innocent people. Praise be to J. Edgar Hoover!
- dylan604 6y ago
  It's a sad commentary on how low the bar has been lowered. "No, you're system isn't secure, but the people that can access it can't really do you bodily harm" is not really the level I would hope we are trying to acheive.