TP-link is reportedly being investigated over national security concerns linked to vulnerabilities in its very popular routers.
“just”
That’s not an option for most people. They’re either not savvy enough to manage everything at that level or don’t care to and they will likely spend more money doing it this way.
Why not? They have a super user-friendly “Quick Set” UI that’s literally one screen with:
- WAN port and IP
- LAN network (subnet)
- VPN (optional)
WiFi is a little more complicated since it’s a separate unit, but Ubiquitis instructions are extremely straightforward if you use their app (single AP only) or their cloud management service.
I’m no IT pro, and I got it set up quickly. I’ve since added a bunch more to my setup and learned a ton, but basic setup is pretty approachable. If you know enough to understand the issues in the article, you’ll be 100% fine.
Now consider your average parent or grandparent and tell me that they’ll be 100% fine on their own and actually want to do this. Most would not. Often-times, the marketing itself is enough to scare these folks off of that kind of tech. They worry about things you probably don’t and don’t generally want to worry. Hell, even the fact that you’d have to purchase two completely separate items to get what you can currently purchase in a single unit is enough to not get many of them to do it.
I’m talking to the average Lemmy user, who could certainly set this up for themselves or their parents/grandparents. If they run some cable, it can be a much better setup than any consumer grade router, but it’ll still be competitive if you just leave it on the floor like a regular router (I do).
They actually made a great suggestion with mikrotik…granted I come from a networking background but those can be as simple as you want or as complex as you need. Their products are resilient and prices are a chefs kiss for what you get. Now if they had recommended just some juniper or cisco gear I’d agree with you but mikrotik makes great products at great prices.
Exactly. They have three interface options:
- Quick Set - similar to most residential routers
- Web Fig (what I use) - access to more features, closer to OpenWRT
- Terminal - what pros use
If you only have one Ubiquiti AP, you can use their app (simple) and if you have more, you can use their cloud SW. I use their local SW because I like control, but it’s not for everyone (need to maintain a Mongo DB).
Total cost is about $200 ($70-80 for a decent router, $100 for an AP), but you could probably go down to $150 if you’re okay with more basic gear.
Is there actually anything to maintain with the mongoDB for ubiquiti network controller? I set it up using a script on a VM, adopted my APs, shut down the VM and promptly forgot about it. I still have the image to spin up whenever, but I was under the impression it wasn’t necessary.
And yet, grandpa or that weird uncle everyone has could just pop onto amazon and buy a normal tp-link router on sale right now for all of about $40 that has wifi built in.
Anyone who’s tech-savvy should put themselves into the shoes of their non-tech-savvy parents or grandparents in a situation where they don’t have you around to help. That’s who the main audience is; not someone willing to go even slightly down into the stack with this idea.
