Is the firmware in newer TP-Link routers any less of a security nightmare than the old ones? I have a lust for beam forming, and have my eye on the AX1500 or AX3000 WiFi 6 units.

I own 3 of their Archer C7 AC1750 802.11ac stationed around the house as APs, flashed with DD-WRT for security and tweak-ability.

No DD-WRT, Open WRT, or Tomato is available for the new ones though, and that's the only thing holding me back.

#cososec
#cosotech

@voltronic

not an answer to your actual question...but I switched away from TP-Link APs a few years ago and have been using EnGenius stuff since and been pretty happy with em...

@opie
Thanks. Not a brand I was familiar with. They look like they are a direct competitor with Ubiquity.

Is there a particular model you recommend? I need coverage for two floors, about 2500 sq ft total. Right now I need the 3 APs for full 5 GHz coverage, but I'm thinking with beam forming I could knock that back to 1, or 2 at most. Been trying to keep it under $100 or so per AP, as I only have a handful of WiFi devices.

@opie
Well, it looks like I'd need a new switch or standalone PoE injector for any of their ax hardware. The 4x4 11ax unit is the one that I think could cover my whole house, but it's quite a bit more than I want to spend just to be future proof.

I don't even own any ax devices yet, nor do I have a gigabit connection. Just gear lusting.

I might spend the money on a 43-inch TV for my main workstation instead.

@voltronic

the model I'm considering is the EAP1250 which is $85 on their site...it's not ax, it's af...but def comes with an AC adapter for regular ole wall juice...no PoE required

@opie
I definitely did not see that one. Looks like it has beam forming too, which is what I really was after.

Thank you; I'm marking this for future purchase.

@voltronic

yeah, ya gotta scroll a bit to see the regular "EnSky" vs "EnSky Pro" models...I was specifically looking for the EAP1250, as it's kinda the new generation of what I have now

@opie
I see that Amazon carries these too, for a bit cheaper. A few reviewers there had some setup / config issues, but I suppose that's to be expected.

@voltronic

they have a zillion config options, so they're def not "plug n play" but that's why I use them

for example, I have 6 SSIDs here each mapped to a VLAN tag riding an 802.1q trunk to the firewall...most plug n play APs don't support features like that

@opie
6 SSIDs? Surely this is at work and not your home network, right?

I have 4, but that's just 2.4 and 5 main plus two more for guest.

@voltronic

oops...only 5...6 *would* be overkill...😁

internal
phone
cast
work
guest

all use station isolation except internal and cast

it is 10 if I have to count both 2.4 & 5Ghz

MarahNet is...robust...?

🤔

@opie
That's a lot. I don't have the need for all that isolation, though I understand why it's safer. I don't understand the need for all those SSIDs though. Couldn't you accomplish the same thing with IP filtering and different VLANs & DMZs?