Just Ordered an E600... looking forward to testing

After my last couple interactions with Brocade... all I can say is... HURRY UP CAMBIUM!!!

Here we are in August... Is the e600 in the wild and ready for testing?

(Had to make due with wAP ACs from Mikrotik to hit a budget last week.)

I only have the e501S and e410 in stock so far.

Garrett

Another month down... anything shipping?

They should be shipping soon. Once they leave China lead time is 4 weeks.

The E501s, E500, and E410 are in stock! 

Garrett

When I checked with indonesia distributor they didn't have product for E600. The un*f* has been launch their high density product.

Hi Spring,

i just have receve 2 E600 for some test. I have to repalce apple airport AC (no longer product) connected to pfsense. I'm not a specialist and have to make some work on it. The advantage of apple (even if I do not share their approach for a few year). It's because I know him, and we must recognize that although he has little option, he works well for my use.

The installation was rather simple, and we know that a good effort was made on the software, and I have indisputably many more options and services. But I have not noticed a noticeable improvement in the range, or the quality of the signal.

Although I waited to have the E600 for a better range to reduce the number of terminal, for the moment it seems not to be too possible, but I'm still in the testing phase.

probably I would do a try with a ruckus R710. I am well aware that the price has nothing to do, but I would like to realize by myself the difference in scope. (Knowing that my need is not too much on the number of connected, but on the scope).

If one of you has already made this type of comparison, in advance of your opinion.
A good evening.

Been so long… I forgot to check if this actually shipped.

Yes! Plenty of inventory on the shelf. Contact me if you are interested in placing an order.

Garrett

gkellner@cticonnect.com

The hardware was so late I completely forgot about this brand.

Guess I need to start looking into this again.

I don’t think you’ll regret it, in my humble opinion cnPilot gives you more bang for your buck than anything else.

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Finally got a e410 on Friday Afternoon.

As I have never been a fan of all these "Its All In The Cloud" services... I am struggling with a few things. Just not used to "thinking" that way when I look for something.

But the first thing that stood out when I swaped a e410 for a UniF--K UAP AC Pro. Several devices on the network did not "get back on". I have put in 9 different APs from multiple manufactures, all with the same SSID and Password... this is the first time this happened.

Also... at point blank range... the basic throughput speed tests were as low as I was seeing with Mikrotik APs. To date... Mikrotik WAPs have shown to be "feature rich and performance blah..."  of all the units I have gone through.

In the cnPilot Software

I can't seem to find schedulers.

I can't seem to find a way to have AP groups per site with radio features and the same SSID.

There is no straight replacement for DPSK/Private-PSK.

etc

etc

I will throw some more time at it this weekend... but i would have really liked to have seen 866 on a speedtest like I saw with Ruckus. Rather than the 185 I saw with the e410. Which matches the Mikrotik wAP AC. And is LOWER than the 290 I have with the wAP AC2 and cAP AC. Well below the 400M on the UAP AC Pro.

Hi Springs,

I think I might be able to help with a few of your questions and queries.

You can set scheduled access by going to:"WLANs" - (select specific WLAN) - "Access Control" - "Scheduled Access".

For AP Groups with different radio settings, you just need to create multiple AP groups, go to: "Configuration" - "Radio" from there you can change various radio settings. Each of your different AP groups can have the same "WLAN" assigned to each group giving you the same IP.

DPSK is a Ruckus patented technology so Cambium can't use it.

Regarding throughput I'd be interested to know know you configured your speed test for both the Ruckus AP and the Cambium AP. I've personally done some simple tests between a Ruckus R500 and Cambium E410. I found that throughputs where similar but Ruckus did have the edge on coverage. Using Ruckus SpeedFlex I was able to get 380Mbps on a 1x1 802.11ac android device from an E410.

Also as a note Cambium does allow you to run cnMaestro on your own server (similar to how virtual SmartZone works with Ruckus) and AutoPilot from Cambium is a similar concept to Ruckus Unleashed. But the industry in general it seems is pushing more towards cloud controllers everyday so like it or not I think you'll have to give in eventually.

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I trash UniF--k at every install I walk into.

The inability to pass a schedule beyond 12AM is a fatal flaw in UniF--k.

A bar usually is open after 12 and often till 1 or 2 AM.

A schedule need to allow a network to be "On" from 11AM Friday Untill 2AM Saturday Morning. Then shut off and come back on at 11AM Saturday. UniF--k can't do this... So I use that as a sales point AGAINST.

DPSK is a "Ruckus Thing". But I can duplicate it in Mikrotik using Access Control List. And I mean Duplicate. I removed my ZoneDirector and copied the DPSK list into Mikrotik Caps-Man access list. The clients moved over to the Mikrotik WAPs without any other work. This was a big deal... So much so that I am being pressed to put per device passwords on all installs. I used to only be able to do that in Ruckus... Private PSK in Mikrotik "Works the same at the client level". The difference... In Ruckus I download the keys from the Controller then assign the clients a key. The first connection now owns the key. In Mikrotik... I have to tie the MAC to the key. 

The trade off... In TIK I can assign a MAC a key. In Ruckus... I can't. So say you have two sites... In TIK... Copy the ACL at one site to the other... And that private key works at both sites. In Ruckus... I am paying for a backup controller and tying them together. At ~$1200 in hardware plus needing to interconnect the 2 Ruckus Sites and license.

Problem I needed to solve Friday...

Ruckus WiFi In a gym, set up by a guy who shouldn't even do a home router.

I will skip all the basic S--t that was wrong and get to a major point.

6 Dual Band APs across 2 floors. The WLANs (SSIDs) need to be all across the entire gym. 3 radios need to have 2.4 turned off all together. 1 WLAN/SSID needs to shut off when they are closed.

So I need a schedule on the SSID for time.

Then i need 2 AP groups.

Group one has all 4SSIDs across both radios.

Group two has all 4SSIDs across 5.8 only.

Ruckus or Tik... No problem.

As I am new to Cambium... I am trying to duplicate this.

As for the throuput problems...

I have a set SSID. Set encryption. Set password. Set channels. Set location.

Then I connect all the same devices and run the test from the EXACT SAME SPOT WITH THE EXACT SAME DEVICES SEVERAL TIMES.

As for being "anti cloud management"... That's not the case at all.

I have however seen mutlpile times "Manufactures that TRY TO, hide there lousy performance by touting their cloud management."

You can replicate this setup with Cambium, 2 AP groups and within the settings I mentioned on my earlier post you can schedule the time on a per SSID basis.

Or you could even have 1 AP group and just use the device override to disable 2.4Ghz on 3 specific APs. Giving you one less group to manage.

If it would help I'd be happy to provide a step by step guide on how to do this?

Regarding your throughput are you able to tell us a little more about your test environment:

  • What tool are you using to measure throughput?
  • What client device are you using?
  • How many SSIDs are on the AP?
  • Are any other clients are connected to the AP?
  • Is there any other interfearacne (from a nabouring AP for example)
  • What cannel width are you using?
  • Are you testing TCP or UDP?

 I understand what you're saying regarding the Private-PSK, I don't think Cambium has this feature, you could always request it here though: http://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/Ideas/ct-p/Ideas

Selecting the AP and cutting off the radio would be SO MUCH EASIER. I missed that about standalone APs or using other manufactures. But i accepted thats how a ZoneDirector wants to do it. Caps-Man is SO MUCH MORE GRANULAR... but the APs are not in the same league.

Where in a site do I set schedules for an SSID? (edit)

Found it under access control. APPEARS TO SUFFER FROM THE SAME PROBLEM AS UNIF--K. For the going past midnight or 2 times in a day.

Answers about the throughput measurements...

1. SpeedTest.net / Mlabs / speedof.me / ISP provided test (Fios/RCN)/ Iperf / Speedflex

2. Android Pixel XL, Windows Aspire V15 AC-MU, etc

3. 2 SSIDs in the standard when I do this.

4. There better be atleast 20... as thats how I run the test.

5. Absolutely... There are around 45 Rouge APs at any given time at my 2 test locations.

6. 80 Mhz on channel 36 is the channel I have been using for the last couple of months and the one I set the APs on.

7. Either Or or Both depending on what tool I am using at the time.

I would recommend testing with iperf or speedflex (which is basically iperf), in these others tests your ISP is possibly the bottleneck.

Also when using multiple SSID's and having 45 other rogue access points is going to affect you WLANs performance. Please see here for more information http://www.revolutionwifi.net/revolutionwifi/p/ssid-overhead-calculator.html but as an example if there are 4 other APs transmitting on the same channel then your overhead will be 25.80%.

Another point about all of those rogue APs is that you're probably going to struggle to get the required SNR ratio to transmit at 866Mbps. Your required SNR would have to be a whopping 37dBm+, again more information here: https://www.wlanpros.com/mcs-index-charts/

And lastly as Wi-Fi is a shared medium having 20 client connected will have a performance impact on your WLAN.

Don't get me wrong, you can absolutely use your E410 in this environment but expecting to see speeds of 866Mbps is not realistic.

The ISP is always tested hardwired first. I have Gig connections at all 3 locations. Rarely do any of them show Gig to external servers... But they will show Gig speeds to their own servers via hard wire. So that is done first then I beat up on the wireless.

I am located in the DC area and build networks for commerical sites, that are going to see this sort of "radio encroachment".

The 20 units "sitting around" on the radio, is part of the test. I added this as a requirement after years of seeing UniF--k units buckle under these conditions. Completely unacceptable for our installs and we saw it out of UniF--k all the way through the UAP AC units. The AC Lite were the first ones, (From UniF--k) we could get to carry 30 clients without really going in the crapper.

When I type 45 encroaching APs... this is across both bands.

Right now at the test site... standing point blank... the signal level is -40dbm at point blank range on channel 36. A quick channel scan shows that this channel is pretty clean thanks to neighboring access points being chased off this channel.

I am not pulling numbers out of thin air...
I am not looking at perfect/ideal situations.
I am putting the Cambium in the same situations I put the other manufactures in.

So far it's radio performance is "equaling" our lower cost solution. As the Cambium rep I talked to mentioned that Ruckus is all about the beam forming... I expect the Cambium to work like the other solutions that have similar hardware designs.

Which is what I am seeing.

Moving forward:
Test site one will be using the AP for the next week as an AP.

The next week it goes to the office for more clinical tests.

After that I will try using it at home. My home site is INTENTIONALLY DIFFICULT. I live in a community where homes are really close together and the walls are pretty thin. BUT, The FiOS node for my block sits in my front yard. So I get first bite at that apple.

I really appreciate your willingness to help... And I am just "asking about what I am seeing."

But all jokes aside... The E410 is going to have to better the cAP AC2 as a straight up radio. As that is the current "well you wanna go cheap... You are going to have to have to accept lesser performance" solution we are currently considering.