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Do I need open unifi or is a simple router okay for my setup? (self.networking)

submitted 3 months ago by ApplyingAutomation to c/[email protected]

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I'm moving into a new apt and the ISP is trying to rent a router at $20/mo, so I'd like to get my own router.

I'm considering setting up opnsense for the router & TP link Omega for the AP & Switch.

But this feels a bit overkill for an apt. Should I just get a all in one router instead? What are the pros and cons?

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Pros:

You get your hands dirty
You learn a lot
You have total control of everything

Cons:

It takes a lot of time to do anything the first time
You're always going to be tweaking something
Things are going to break at random times when it's inconvenient

No matter what you do, have an extra cheap open WRT router you can throw in when something breaks.

I for one like unifi, I would recommend their dedicated router product rather than an all-in-one device. You can always run there management software in a docker container when you need it

[–] Nogami 2 points 3 months ago

Well said. I run a mikrotik router for my main network and use unifi APs throughout my house. Took a lot of tinkering to set up and I learned a lot. Very flexible but more expensive and much harder to learn than a simple all in one setup.