Aruba Instant On AP22 802.11ax 2x2 WiFi Access Point | UK Model | Power Source not Included (R4W02A)

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If you’re considering a new Instant On network, I have no issues recommending the AP22 over the AP11. I didn’t test the higher spatial stream AP12 or AP15, but those will have similar advantages that the AC-HD or U6-LR has. More spatial streams mean better multi-client performance, and usually better beamforming. The AP12 or AP15 should be better than the AP22 for high-density networks and in some scenarios, but I can’t say for sure. When their Wi-Fi 6 replacements arrive I’ll definitely be testing those. Beyond Wi-Fi 6, there’s also the promise of Wi-Fi 6E on the horizon, which is a more meaningful upgrade than the 10-20% speed improvement you can expect from upgrading from a good Wi-Fi 5 AP. Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are only relevant when you have clients that support them. Wi-Fi 6E devices are just starting to roll out in 2021, and it will be a while until it’s common for most home users. The first few tests cover an ideal scenario, with a nearby client on a clean channel. In typical use you’ll see less throughput. This is a test of the APs capability in an ideal scenario, and how much data they can deliver to a single client.

The range difference between the AP22 and the U6-LR is big enough that it could be the difference between needing one or two APs to cover an area. In some situations one U6-LR is better, in others one or two AP22s may be better. It’s hard to make general conclusions. Every customer has different environment. They might want to authenticate with the ISP’s PPPoE server and provide static IP to the APs. Next-Generation 802.11AX WI-FI Features Overview That said, I don’t think there’s a big rush to upgrade to a Wi-Fi 6 network. For most networks the performance the AP11 offers is enough, and deploying a few of those would cover most typical home or small business network needs. If you want the extra performance, you’ll have to spend almost twice as much to step up to the AP22. If you need or want LAN ports, the AP11D is the only option. consumption, extending the battery life of clients. Multiuser, Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) When further away, you can also see the impact of beamforming from the AC-HD and U6-LR. They are able to compensate by directing transmissions towards the distant client, and the U6-LR performed the best at the furthest location. This is where the U6-LR shows it’s biggest advantage over the AP22. The U6-LR’s high transmit power and beamforming allow it to reach further than the AP22, U6-Lite, or any of the other models I tested. A few extra dBm is enough to allow the U6-LR to effectively cover a larger area, or punch through one more wall.If you’re setting up a new network, a Wi-Fi 6 network is your best option. Wi-Fi 6 delivers consistently fast speeds and strong signals when many devices are competing for bandwidth at the same time. It also allows for power conservation, so device batteries last longer. UniFi software offers more features and is more flexible, but it is also buggier. Sometimes the bugs are harmless, sometimes they are funny, but they are almost always there. If you can deal with them and don’t mind doing a little research before installing an update, UniFi is a unique and flexible ecosystem. UniFi routers are generally basic and miss some important features, but UniFi switches and APs match up well against Instant On. Instant On doesn’t have anything like UniFi Protect, Access, or Talk. AP Recommendations Bosch AP22U Wiper Blade - Single provides a clearer, smoother and quieter wiping performance than conventional wiper blades. Features built in aerodynamic spoiler and new technological tensioned metal strip for precise uniform distribution of pressure along the wiping edge. This helps to keep the blade closer to the windscreen, ensuring clear vision at high speeds and reduced wind noise.

If all you want is the basics, the Aruba Instant On portal and mobile app offer just enough. The software isn’t remarkable, but it’s competent, and a step up from what typical consumer network equipment offers. If you want more look at UniFi, Aruba’s enterprise equipment, or another vendor. Router Mode Small businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Aruba Instant On has right-sized solutions for a range of small business environments, such as: If you’re considering a new Instant On network, I have no issues recommending the AP22. The AP12 or AP15 should be better for high-density networks, but I still think the AP22 is the best overall. When the Wi-Fi 6 replacements for the AP12 and AP15 arrive, I’ll be testing those. I’m also excited to test out the UniFi U6-Pro, which is currently in early access. UniFi offers more in-depth settings and statistics, but has more software instability and bugs. If you’re not familiar with Ubiquiti’s software standards, lets just say they aren’t enterprise grade. Aruba has an edge when it comes to offering a hassle-free experience, but RF nerds like me always want more knobs to tweak. The Instant On portal and mobile app do an OK job at exposing the basic settings you need, but I would like to see the software mature and expand the number of settings offered. If you want more settings from your Aruba APs, consider one of the enterprise-level Instant APs instead. You’ll also have to consider licenses and possibly an Aruba WLAN controller. Wiper Blade Edge with Wear Resistance - Assure a long operational life and efficient wiping action, removing even the tiniest micro-dropsI couldn’t get my MacBook Pro to associate to a 40 MHz channel on any of these APs, so I excluded those results from this test. I believe Apple uses the “ fat channel intolerant” setting on their devices. As always, 5 GHz is the best option for speed, and 40 MHz channels on 2.4 GHz should be avoided in most situations.

When it comes to management, there’s no real difference between using the app and the web portal. Both present the same simple dashboard, with four panes showing your available and active networks, the number of connected clients, total data transferred over the past 24 hours and an equipment inventory. The most interesting comparison for Instant On APs is the AP22 vs the AP12 and AP15. I was disappointed in the performance of the AP12 and AP15 when using wider channels. The charts above only capture single-client tests, which is not the best way to show the AP12 and AP15’s strengths. Still, they weren’t able to match up against the (much more expensive) AC-HD. I wouldn’t generally recommend the AP12 or AP15 unless you’re deploying them in a dense area with a lot of devices.Of these six access points, the AP22 is the only one that supports Wi-Fi 6 on it’s 2.4 GHz radio. The Wi-Fi 5 standard only applied to the 5 GHz band, and the U6-Lite and U6-LR both stayed with older 2.4 GHz radios that support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n). The results are as you’d expect, and it’s not a very close competition.

I expected the 3x3 AP12, 4x4 AP15, and 3x3 AC-Pro to perform better here. Their high end performance was less than I expected, and the AC-Pro actually achieved the worst 80 MHz result of the group. At smaller channel widths, these APs leverage the additional spatial stream well. At 80 MHz, they can’t compete with the U6-LR and AC-HD.Of these nine access points, the AP22 is the only one that supports Wi-Fi 6 on it’s 2.4 GHz radio. The Wi-Fi 5 standard only applied to the 5 GHz band, and the U6-Lite and U6-LR both stayed with older 2.4 GHz radios that support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n). The results are as you’d expect, and it’s not a very close competition. First, I tested all of the APs on 2.4 GHz, trying both 20 MHz and 40 MHz channels. I don’t recommend using 40 MHz channels in the 2.4 GHz band, due to them overlapping with over 80% of the already-crowded spectrum. There’s only one non-overlapping 40 MHz channel in North America, and the rest of the world only has two. Like 160 MHz channels in 5 GHz, there’s just not enough available frequency for them to be reliably used in most situations. I ran all of my tests with multiple TCP streams, and occasionally reversed the direction as a point of comparison. These tests ran for 60 seconds, so a typical client command would look like: iperf3 -c 172.25.10.5 -P 8 -R -t 60