#Intro
Few years back I didn’t know much about IT but I come across a few YouTube channels (Lawrence System, NetworkChuck and RaidOwl to name a few) that mentioned the importance of firewall and network understanding in general to create a more secure network environment.
Because I cant learn if I don’t experience myself, I ordered a Netgate 2100 and tried to configure it. The firewall was supposed to work in conjunction with the ASUS all in one machine repurposed it as access point only.
As anybody can imagine, even after watching those gentleman configuring the system, Pfsense never worked properly, especially in regards to vlans and rules.
But at least I still had Internet access for all the device (workstation, nas, tablet and couple of phones) although still under the same Vlan network.
To that, I told myself that was still better than before and I would have fixed it at some point in the near future…
Couple of years later I was finally incentivised to learn how to fix the issue as the Asus used for access point stopped working.
It was still under warranty and I shipped it back; where after more than a month they ended up sending me a refund. In the main time I had to reuse the ISP router as access point.
It actually ended up as a good thing in the end, as while I was waiting, I start researching hardware and software that I could deploy for my network set up.
The search concluded when I finally decided to pair my existent Netgate 2100 with Unify switches and access point.
#Preparing for the installation/Hardware choice
Before choosing which Unify device, I had first to figure out if there was a way to reach the living room with Ethernet cables.
As, till now, the only hardwired room was the storage, which is where the ISP enter the apartment.
Thankfully, after removing few spotlight in the ceiling, I was able to see that the plasterboard was fixed to an aluminium skeleton at around 30cm from the main concrete ceiling of the building.
Whit that established, whit the help of a cable puller I managed to run a couple Ethernet cable across the corridor and reached a spot right above the workstation.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to pass the cable vertically on the wall and I decided to fit the an access point there and let the other cable run down against the wall. Not the most pleasing solution for the eye but it’s almost all hidden behind other things anyway.
My set up ended up with the following:
– 1x Netgate 2100 (old)
– 1x Unify Lite 8 POE Switch (new)
– 1x Unify Flex Switch (new)
– 1x Unify U6+ Access point (new)
– 5x Ethernet Cable (4 Cat5e, 1 Cat7)
And here my reasoning:
– Netgate 2100: That was long time ago, it fitted my budget and had already pfsense installed. The Netgate 1100 was too small and slow and the 3100 wasn’t in stock.
If I didn’t have one today I will probably opt for the new 4200 as I can have all the benefit of the 1Gb fibre connection.
– Unifi Lite 8 POE: I needed some POE ports for the access point and the other switch plus some extra port just in case. Also the price it’s good.
– Unifi FLEX: here is were I spent most of the time deciding between Flex, Flex mini and the Flex 10Gbe.
I end up discarding the Flex 10Gbe because although I could connect now NAS and Workstation at 10Gb, the in lan in Port is still 1Gb, and for the money I rather wait for a full 10gbs switch.
The Flex mini, although was very cheap, it has no POE outlet. Also was only available in a bundle of 3, which end up to be a similar price of the Flex for less use case.
At the end, since I needed only one, I went with the Unify Flex, keeping in mind if I upgrade it with a full 10Gb, I will still be able to use it inside or outside connect up to two POE device and two standard one.
– Unifi U6+: Great wifi6 ceiling access point for the price which is capable to cover the all flat.
– Cables: I had already 3x 1m Cat5e and 1x 10m Cat5e at home so I only bought a 15m Cat7 cable. Because the max speed of this set up is 1Gb, I didn’t need Cat7, but since wasn’t easy running the cable across the apartment I decided for a cable that can manage 10Gb/s speed.
Yes, I could have bought two Cat7 so also the access point had a 10Gb cable but I can’t see myself have the need to go over 1Gb on WI-FI anytime soon.
Basically the network is set up like this: from the Netgate 2100 machine, a lan cable (Cat5e) goes from Port OPT1 to Port 8 of the Unify Lite 8 POE managed switch (both in the Storage room).
From the LITE 8 switch, 2 cable are running above the plasterboard ceiling:
one (Cat5e) from Port 1 POE will connect to the Unify U6+ access point for Wi-Fi connection,
and the second cable (Cat7) from Port 2 POE to the Port 1 on Unify Flex switch so I can connect workstation, NAS with the space for another couple of device if needed (in the Living Room).
#Conclusion
I forgot to mention that I will run the Unify Network Controller on my computer for now to manage the Unify devices.
Whit that said, I know is a small network connection but I learn a lot between on the hardware side: from connection, cable management till discovering what some device can and can’t do.
Next one will discuss the software side of things, which wasn’t that smooth.