Ubiquiti UniFi Controller (3.2.1) - Initial Setup and Installation (video)

Need help setting up your Ubiquiti UniFi AP?  John is back (this time without Meeka) to show a quick walkthrough of setup and installation of a UniFi AP on the controller using UniFi version 3.2.1.

John shows where to download the software and the simple installation process including how to find the AP on the controller and set up a guest network in a less than five minute video.  He used a Mac Mini for our walkthrough.

If you have any questions at all or just want to say hi, post them in the comments either here or on the YouTube page.  Don't forget to subscribe to CopperWiFi.com on YouTube!

Cisco Meraki Announces New MS Switch Features

Cisco Meraki has announced several new features for their MS line of switches.  All of the new features are available for the MS320 and MS420 families of switches and some are available for the MS220 family.  The new features will come to existing customers via the upcoming summer firmware update.  We'll go over them briefly in this blog post.

New Features 

New functionality for all of Cisco Meraki's MS switches include:

• IPv4 Access Control Lists (ACLs)
• IPv6 visibility and tracking

New functionality for the MS320 and MS420 switch families include:

• Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) dynamic routing
• Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) support
• DHCP server

Redundancy and Availability

The need for increased uptime has lead to the demand for warm failover options.  VRRP support enables MS320 and MS420 switches to make use of a warm spare.  Basically, if a switch goes offline for some reason, the VRRP can seamlessly route traffic through the spare switch, minimizing network downtime.

Both switches will handle layer 2 traffic during normal operation with the primary switch handling layer 3 traffic.  The switches will share a virtual IP address so that if the primary has a disruption and the change is made to the spare switch, other devices on the network will not need to change addresses as the spare takes over the layer 3 responsibilities.

OSPF dynamic routing and DHCP service address other potential network failures.  OSPF dynamic routing ensures that the network can re-route traffic around a blocked pathway when possible.  DHCP service can address the failure of an existing DHCP server.

Large Deployments and Distributed Sites

As we continue to add complexity to our networks to accommodate the ever expanding numbers and types of devices we need to serve, we have new security and management needs.

Support for IPv4 Access Control Lists is now available on all of Cisco Meraki's MS switches.  This allows the switch to filter and control traffic on the network without a separate firewall.  The switch will now be able to:

• Prevent communication between hosts on different network subnets
• Restrict access to internal resources by clients on a guest network
• Prevent Internet access for certain hosts
• Ensure that only clients using proper protocols and ports have access to internal servers
• Prevent use of undesirable protocols and services

If you would like more information about Cisco Meraki MS switches, you can visit us at CopperWiFi.com.

Spotlight - Cisco Meraki MR34 (video)

For our second video blog, John and Meeka return to spotlight the Cisco Meraki MR34.  We're excited to get one of these in the office and try it out in our Proof of Concept Lab.  Before we can turn it on, we have to unpack it, which gives us our first blog about this device.

The MR34 is Cisco Meraki's first (and at this point, only) 802.11ac access point.  The big news is that the MR34 has three radios, a 5GHz and a 2.4GHz radio as well as a dedicated radio for dual-band WIPS (wireless intrusion prevention system) and spectrum analysis.  All three radios function concurrently for uninterrupted security and client service.

As with all Cisco Meraki access points, the MR34 is managed from the cloud, eliminating the need for wireless controllers.

Tech Specs

• One 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n radio, One 5GHz 802.11a/n/ac radio, One dedicated WIPS & spectrum analysis radio
• Max data rate: 1.75Gbps
• 3x3 MIMO in both operating bands
• Fully functional using 802.3at PoE power or DC adapter
• Reduced functionality using 802.3af PoE power
• One Ethernet port
• One LED indicator

In The Box

Included with the MR34 is all of the mounting hardware.  Including all the hardware is consistent with Meraki's ease-of-use principle, eliminating the need to track down additional mounting kits.  The MR34 can be mounted on a wall or the T-rail frame of a drop ceiling.

Also included is a handy foam holder for all the small bits and tools.  There's even a bubble level on the mounting plate.

The only other thing in the box is a pamphlet of regulatory compliance information.  Meaning, there is not an included power supply.  We elected to go with Meraki's 802.3at PoE injector.  There is also a 12v 1.5amp A/C adapter available.  Cisco Meraki no longer sells the 802.3af PoE injector.  The MR34 can run on 802.3af PoE but with limited functionality.

That's all for this time.  Keep watching this blog and our YouTube channel for more on the MR34 as well as more network equipment available from CopperWiFi.com.

Spotlight - Ubiquiti UniFi AP AC (video)

You may have noticed that we haven’t been posting any new blogs for the past few weeks.  No, we’re not going away and we certainly haven’t material to write about.  Quite the opposite, actually.  We’ve taken some time off from writing to get our video blogs up and going.

Our first video blog is a showcase for the Ubiquiti UniFi AP AC.  Our goal for this one was to make an "unboxing" video with a little more meat. I think we've accomplished that.  In addition to seeing what's in the box, you'll learn a little about the AP AC and you'll meet John and his dog Meeka.

Ubiquiti has a built it’s customer base by offering high-performance wireless gear with market disruptive pricing.  The AP AC is no exception.  This unit offers gigabit wifi (802.11ac) in an access point priced at only $299.

Tech Specs

• 802.11a/b/g/n/ac radio
• Operating band: 2.4GHz, 5GHz
• Max throughput: 1300Mbps in 5GHz, 450Mbps in 2.4GHz
• 3x3 MIMO in both operating bands
• Up to 4 BSSIDs per radio
• Advanced traffic management, including:
• Per-User Rate Limiting
• Guest Traffic Isolation
• 2 Ethernet ports - both ports accept PoE to power the unit or bridging
• Front LED provisioning ring

In The Box

Included with the AP AC are a few useful bits that many other, higher priced manufacturers leave out.  Ubiquiti includes a passive 48V, 0.5A Gigabit PoE injector as a power supply.  Many manufacturers don’t include a power supply at all.  PoE is the only power option on the AP AC, it does not have a plug for an AC adapter.  It also supports PoE (802.3af) and PoE+ (802.3at) from a PoE switch.

They also include the hardware to mount the AP AC to the wall or a drop ceiling panel.  Some in our office have wondered about the wisdom of mounting an AP to the ceiling panel rather than directly to the T-rail.  The AP AC weighs in at only 1lb 1oz so there shouldn’t be any problem with a sagging ceiling tile. If you're worried about cutting holes in the panels, the hole doesn't have to be any larger than the one you'd cut for a T-rail mount.

Easily The Best For The Price

Let’s be honest, it’s the only thing for the price.  $299 for an 802.11ac access point?  It’s true.  Other manufacturers have recently released 11ac APs that are priced lower in an attempt to make the switch to 11ac a little more palatable for those with tighter IT budgets. Those APs are all nearly double the AP AC’s price.  And if you want 3x3 MIMO, like the AP AC, get ready for triple the price.

The UniFi 3.0 software can be downloaded here and installed on a number of different operating systems, OS X, Windows Vista, 7, or 8. More on the controller software in upcoming videos and blog posts.

Keep an eye on this blog for more info about our video blogs. Go subscribe to the CopperWiFi.com YouTube channel! If you have any questions about the material covered, feel free to post them in the comments section.

Meru Releases System Director v6.1-1

This week Meru Networks announced the release of System Director v6.1-1.  No big surprises here, just general feature enhancements.  Although there is one thing that caught my attention.  More about that later.

Feature Enhancements

• TxBF Support for AP832/AP822 - Transmit Beamforming is now supported on the AP832 and AP833, Meru’s two higher end 802.11ac access points.  TxBF improves performance for medium range clients
• AP822 Support
• Mesh Support for AP433
• Dynamic VLAN Support for AP433 & AP1020 in Bridge Mode - Allows VLAN tag assignments done dynamically through RADIUS server messages when the AP is in bridge mode.
• DFS on AP433 - Dynamic Frequency Selection is now supported.  The 433 series of APs is now able to switch it’s radio to another channel when needed.
• HeartBleed Vulnerability - Includes a fix to resolve the vulnerability issue resulting from the Heartbleed Bug.  

In my opinion, I’m a little surprised that Meru would release a security patch in this way.  I don’t have any insider knowledge of the process, but it seems to me that they waited for a scheduled update to release their HeartBleed fix.  I know HeartBleed turned out to be a smaller problem than the media initially made it out to be but I feel like this could have happened a little sooner.

At any rate, the affected Meru System Director versions are 6.0-x and 6.1-0-3.  Earlier versions are not vulnerable.  If you are running an affected version, you should upgrade to v6.1-1 as soon as possible.

You can find update software at Meru's support site.

Ubiquiti: Simple, Fast, Enterprise Wireless

In searching for an Enterprise wireless solution there are a number of factors to consider.  Some may be looking for security features, others best coverage for high-density clients and everyone wants to know how to handle people that bring their own devices (BYOD).  Each manufacturer brings a lot of features, software and custom reporting to the table.

Say you just need a couple APs (or many more) to create a single wireless network and don't really care about advanced features, support or even next day replacement in case of a failure?  If this sounds like you, I'd suggest taking a hard look at Ubiquiti Unifi.  Being a solution provider as well as a reseller, our company can tell when a customer is just looking for basic features and will probably never log into the controller to see whats going on.  In these cases we almost always look at Unifi.

So what are you getting with a Unifi system?
- Low cost wireless APs
- A line up of products to meet client density and placement demands (Indoor/Outdoor)
- A company that keeps up with the latest developments.  802.11ac
- Support is based on a community of users.  community.ubnt.com
- No recurring licensing costs
- Basic features that will get you by.

What are you not getting?
- Support.  If you are going to need help configuring your system and possibly integrating it into other systems on site you may want to look at another manufacturer.
- Replacement.  Say an AP stops working.  Either have one on hand (probably a good idea) or just buy another one and wait for it to get in.
- Native integration for other systems.

One thing to consider is treating your wireless as an extension of the LAN (we hope you are already doing this).  Some customers who take this approach are finding they can purchase an enterprise router/gateway and VLAN group policies directly to a wireless SSID.  Essentially bridging all traffic and allowing the router to handle the heavy lifting for AAA services.  In the near future, I will be creating a post about mixing a Meraki MX60 and Ubiquiti Unifi 802.11ac to handle a number of policy based authentication types.

Cisco Meraki Changes PoE Injectors

Have you noticed a price increase on Cisco Meraki PoE injectors?  Cisco Meraki has discontinued their 802.3af PoE injector (POE-INJ-3-US) in favor of it's new 802.3at injector.  The end-of-sale announcement states that they would continue to sell the 802.3af injector until May 31, 2014 or when stock runs out, whichever comes first.  According to a Cisco Meraki rep I spoke to, they had several large orders for the old PoE injectors just after the announcement and it was out-of-stock in mid April.



The replacement injector is the new Cisco Meraki 802.3at model (MA-INJ-4-US). The tech specs are fairly similar with the key difference that the maximum output power of the unit is 30 watts now rather than 19.6 watts.  The new device is functionally equivalent to the old.

However, probably most important to note is the price jump.  The list price of $149 is $50 more than the old injector.  Something to keep in mind if you are upgrading a large network or on a budget.