I have had the chance to try out the new E430H. Thank you to Cambium for sending me this AP for review.
Those already familiar with the cnPilot range, will be familiar with the E430W. I have already reviewed the E430W, here is a link: https://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/cnPilot-E-Series-Enterprise-APs/E430W-first-impressions/m-p/87520 I won't cover the details of the E430W in depth here, as this has already been discussed in my previous review.
OK so back to the item in question the E430H, one might guess that these access points were going to be similar just looking at the name. You would be right, very similar in fact.
When I first received the AP I naturally started to compare this to my E430W. Both of these access points are dual band 802.11ac wave 2 access points with a 2x2 antenna array. Both have an integrated switch, with the same number of ports and both with a single PoE out port. Both are using the same chipset the Qualcomm IPQ4019 and both have the same amount of RAM.
However there are a few things that are different, here are the differences I was able to find:
- New case design - Design is always subject to personal opinion but I personally prefer the newer design, it feels more clean and compact (image below shows E430H on the left and E430W on the right).
- Added Heat sink on the back of the AP - I've not personally had any problems with overheating but I know that use of the PoE out port does naturally generate some heat. I'm sure in hotter climates that may be of concern to some, the heat sink can only help to alleviate concerns some might have.
- Increased gain in 2.4Ghz, 5Ghz and Bluetooth antennas - For me this is the most welcome change, you really can notice the difference in coverage with the larger antennas.
So why make such a similar product? I think the answer is that Cambium are having a big push into the hospitality sector. They've recently launched their Hospitality Promotion, new marketing materials all around this vertical and of course these access points. They were clearly able to improve on the E430W and did so by creating the E430H.
I don't really think of this as a new product launch, more of a new and improved version of the E430, a Gen 2 E430 if you will.
I haven't seen any pricing yet for this new AP but I would guess the same price will be similar and once stock has filtered through the channel I'll be recommending the E430H over the E430W.