Best Wifi for Home & Small Business 2019

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The demand for the latest Wifi Technologies is booming. In 2019 we have some great offerings and the companies offering have increased. Even Amazon has gotten into the game with the acquisition of Eero.

While last year we focused on SMB and the Home users market with basic off the shelf routers from Linksys, Netgear, Asus, and others, this year we focus more on more complex offerings such as Ubiquity Networks and Mesh Wireless Network systems.

Last year we gave Asus routers our top pick for best SOHO and home wireless router for 2018. Well, times change fast in Tech. Last month Asus suffered backlash after it was found that the Asus Live Update Software was pushing Malware out. So we feel it is time for everyone who is serious about Security and Performance to step up their game.

While last year’s winner was replaced with the Asus RT-AC2900, these are still solid routers for an entry level SOHO or home. They can utilize AIMesh from Asus to allow you to create a mesh network with two or more of these routers. The Asus router comes in at second place this year.

We are going with Ubiquity Networks as our top pick in 2019. The reasons are simple:

Price and Manageability

The needs of consumers are getting more complex and users are asking about how to separate (subnet) their networks for security reasons. There is also the need for more robust WiFi solutions that offer PoE (power over ethernet) for more flexibility in installations. And IPS (intrusion prevention systems) are a great addition for enhanced security.

For an entry level router in 2019 the Ubiquiti Networks UniFi Security Gateway (USG) comes in at approx. $ 130.

For a complete solution you need to combine that with a Wireless Access Point (AP) like the UAP-AC-PRO for approx. $ 149.

Combine that with their basic UniFi Cloud Key for $ 109 and you have a complete Wifi system that provides you with centralized management, IDS (Intrusion Detection System), IPS (Intrusion Prevention System), and a great Dashboard.

In smaller networks one of the things my client ask for is more visibility to what is happening on their network. This is where the Unifi Dashboard excels.

The image above is just a basic starter Dashboard. We can show you more detail later. But what about Security? What if your Router/Firewall Dashboard could give you some useful statistics on just about anything. What if it could warn you about Malware on your phone sending information outside of your control?

Here is a basic diagram of a Ubiquiti Networks Unifi Network.

Starter Network with Ubiquity Networks gear

Clients view of the Unifi Dashboard from Ubiquity Networks

The Ubiquiti Networks is one of our favorite for smaller installations even though this type of system has Enterprise features it fits well into smaller installs that require increased visibility and the ability to implement more advanced features like PoE, VLANs, and VPN. Although we found using an OpenVPN client lacking as a feature it does have LT2P and a Beta feature that uses OpenVPN for Site to Site VPN.

With a Wireless Network system like this there is even more detail to discuss. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive analysis of the UniFi system by Ubiquity Networks, our Top Pick for 2019.

Even in the simplest networks we encourage everyone to diagram your Network. For questions on implementation, or remote or on-site support of your Ubiquiti Networks UniFi System Call # 408-475-3282 (408-475-DATA) or e-mail support @ offthegridit.com

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