Re: Ubiquity AmpliFi HD
Posted: 2023-12-21 10:21
Some experience with Ubiquiti Amplifi HD WiFi router could be helpful if someone wants to set up the same or similar network. Regardless of the excellent change in the audio stream, the network is unstable and cannot keep up with AVM in some discipline.
However, the first setup is exemplary simple. Figure 1 shows the configuration.
.
.
There were no problems during the first three weeks until very short drops in volume drew attention. They kept occurring randomly and sporadically, so the first step was of course to check the WiFi signals between the routers. The routes were shown as perfect. Nevertheless, even after a restart, the interruptions remained, increased with subsequent crashes.
I noticed that the amplifiers were active at 2.4 GHz. Surprising, since AVM consistently outputs the first WiFi route in the 5GHz network between 590 and 650Mb/s and, on the other hand, only 4 devices are transmitting, while almost 20 appear in the 2.4GHz network. The first attempt to switch the middle router to 5GHz failed. After booting it was back to 2.4Ghz. Only when the last router was set to 5GHz could the middle one suddenly also use this frequency band.
In between, the amplifiers automatically switch to 2.4GHz. No reason can be seen. The Fritzbox logs show nothing unusual that could explain this. Unfortunately the Amplifi don't have any logs and I can't read the service data.
Another behavior is the last router logging into the first.
.
.
If the last router is logged in to the first one, it stays there. That's not my understanding of mesh. It can only be changed by restarting (picture shows work in progress) with the hope that the middle one (about 8m away in the same room) will be recognized.
For a long time I thought the 5GHz network connected the routers, but I don't understand why both nearby routers switch to the 2.4GHz network at some point.
It is not possible to use a dedicated channel in the amplifiers in the 5GHz network, they are simply not selectable, but rather 'long range' and 'short range' with starting points. Whatever that means, it is not possible to choose a free channel. I once managed to set a different channel without auto, which simply didn't work. So back to auto and the router selects the most occupied channels in both networks. Stone Age!
I used the second AVM repeater in between to check the stability, but the network is stable and sets itself up automatically, and above all it regularly looks for less occupied channels and switches.
The Amplifi network is currently stable, but no one is allowed to ask why. I don't know the answer to that, but maybe it was the 30 cm change in location of the middle router. Who knows what to say when they show perfect signal levels consistently and in the event of an error.
My next attempt will be to take the first amplifier out of the network and feed the middle amplifier directly from the Fritzbox. If there is no qualitative difference to be heard in the music, the next step will be to remove the middle amplifier and use two AVM WiFi signal routes.
However, the first setup is exemplary simple. Figure 1 shows the configuration.
.
.
There were no problems during the first three weeks until very short drops in volume drew attention. They kept occurring randomly and sporadically, so the first step was of course to check the WiFi signals between the routers. The routes were shown as perfect. Nevertheless, even after a restart, the interruptions remained, increased with subsequent crashes.
I noticed that the amplifiers were active at 2.4 GHz. Surprising, since AVM consistently outputs the first WiFi route in the 5GHz network between 590 and 650Mb/s and, on the other hand, only 4 devices are transmitting, while almost 20 appear in the 2.4GHz network. The first attempt to switch the middle router to 5GHz failed. After booting it was back to 2.4Ghz. Only when the last router was set to 5GHz could the middle one suddenly also use this frequency band.
In between, the amplifiers automatically switch to 2.4GHz. No reason can be seen. The Fritzbox logs show nothing unusual that could explain this. Unfortunately the Amplifi don't have any logs and I can't read the service data.
Another behavior is the last router logging into the first.
.
.
If the last router is logged in to the first one, it stays there. That's not my understanding of mesh. It can only be changed by restarting (picture shows work in progress) with the hope that the middle one (about 8m away in the same room) will be recognized.
For a long time I thought the 5GHz network connected the routers, but I don't understand why both nearby routers switch to the 2.4GHz network at some point.
It is not possible to use a dedicated channel in the amplifiers in the 5GHz network, they are simply not selectable, but rather 'long range' and 'short range' with starting points. Whatever that means, it is not possible to choose a free channel. I once managed to set a different channel without auto, which simply didn't work. So back to auto and the router selects the most occupied channels in both networks. Stone Age!
I used the second AVM repeater in between to check the stability, but the network is stable and sets itself up automatically, and above all it regularly looks for less occupied channels and switches.
The Amplifi network is currently stable, but no one is allowed to ask why. I don't know the answer to that, but maybe it was the 30 cm change in location of the middle router. Who knows what to say when they show perfect signal levels consistently and in the event of an error.
My next attempt will be to take the first amplifier out of the network and feed the middle amplifier directly from the Fritzbox. If there is no qualitative difference to be heard in the music, the next step will be to remove the middle amplifier and use two AVM WiFi signal routes.