Many home users overlook the effectiveness of their home Wi-Fi setup, especially if they have a family that demands loads of bandwidth throughput for streaming, downloading, or gaming.
I came across this access point hardware from Duxbury that is aimed at small businesses and home users looking for a more comprehensive wireless networking solution.
Unlike the Wi-Fi router you get with your home fibre installation, the HPE Aruba AP11 is a Wi-Fi 5-enabled, dedicated access point that connects directly to your router and manages Wi-Fi for you.
Considering that the AP11 can be used in a home or small business, I was dreading a complicated setup process. In reality, this was one of the easiest networking products I’ve ever managed. You can sail through the setup process using the Aruba Instant On app, and for the geeks among us, the web-based portal may still be the preferred method to configure your Aruba AP11.
Depending on the size of your coverage area, you may need a couple of these access points around your property or business. The AP11 is an indoor unit, but you can add the outdoor version, AP17, to your network if you’d like to mount an access point outside. I loved the fact that the Aruba AP hardware can use mesh networks to communicate with each other if you cannot hardwire each unit to your network.
The Aruba series also features a cloud-based managed system that lets you check in on your network or manage it from anywhere.
For home users, your confirmation options are pretty standard, and you can easily set up guest networks or give priority access to some apps or users. What’s most interesting is the level of detail you can view about the traffic on your network and prioritise certain traffic types over others. You can even block certain content types outright.
To restrict the usage of certain content types, HPE Aruba has created application (content) categories that let you disable any of the content types with the click of a button. This includes categories like Malicious and Risk, Adult Content, Explicit Content, Shopping, politics and many more. It even has a tab to disable gaming on the network, just don’t tell anyone, we don’t want to give them ideas. The idea behind this is to create networks that allow you to control the content on those networks for customer or home use.
Unlike most access points I’ve used, the Aruba AP11 is very user-friendly, and these settings are easy to configure. Comprehensive documentation is also available to help you should you get stuck.
For small business owners, this Access Point also unlocks the ability to provide free or paid-for Wi-Fi access, and you can strictly manage network and internet usage if needed.
In terms of power and range, the Aruba AP11 has plenty to offer impressive coverage, but it depends on where you place it and what the coverage area looks like. In open environments like an office, you’ll see far better reach per access point than at home, where rooms are smaller and walls are thicker. For reference, a single AP11 could cover up to 400 sqm in ideal conditions, but at home, I’d suggest two or three units to cover all the gaps for a moderately sized house.
You’ll still want to hardwire each access point for best performance, and you can even add one onto an existing network if you configure it correctly for optimal wireless performance.
As someone who has spent thousands of rands on access points and routers over the years, I realised my biggest mistake was not investing in better-quality hardware for wireless connectivity. While it won’t be suited to every home environment, the HPE Aruba AP11 is a versatile access point best suited to geeks like myself who want more control and range from a wireless network.
A switch for hardwired connections
If you want the same level of configuration from your wired network at the office, then the HPE Aruba Instant On 1930 24-port PoE GbE Smart Managed Switch with 4x SFP+ ports should be on your shopping list. With impressive security controls to monitor traffic and user access, this switch features the same cloud-based portal so you can see and configure all your Aruba hardware in one place and apply the same rules across your network. You can find the HPE Aruba Instant On 1930 online for around R10,700.
From installation to configuration, I was impressed with the HPE Aruba kit. This platform makes network management easy, and the hardware’s range and throughput are super impressive, especially if you have an extraordinary number of wireless devices on your network.
A solution for outdoor Wi-Fi
Duxbury also sent us this massive DuxNet DUX840APO Outdoor Access Point with four 6dBi dual-band omni antennas that can be used to provide impressive outdoor coverage for larger outside areas. While it does not feature integration with the Aruba platform, it can still be used with any network as an access point, Gateway, WISP, or Wi-Fi repeater. You can get this one for under R1,500.
