Why Mesh?
As demand for internet connectivity has grown exponentially- and with it the portability of client devices- it’s become normal to expect better internet in more places. These expectations have extended past what we used to think was reasonable, to places and devices that ethernet cables or routers couldn’t viably reach. This is where Wireless Mesh Networks come in.
A Wireless Mesh Network uses a number of wireless Access Points/Radios which communicate with each other wirelessly to extend and provide internet access to clients throughout a physical site. This works contrary to traditional wireless networks which attempted to provide internet connectivity through a smaller number of wired gateways/routers.
We recently began shipping our newest product line of UniFi access points, the UniFi AC Mesh. Our UniFi AC Mesh line includes two models: the base UniFi AC Mesh (UAP-AC-M) and the UniFi AC Mesh Pro (UAP-AC-M-PRO). These access points offer benefits consistent with the rest of the UniFi AC products, but also add some new features that can help administrators better meet their network’s needs.
In this post, I’ll explain in greater detail how these new Mesh APs work and show how easy it is to deploy your own Mesh network.
Wireless Mesh Networks offer a way to get around the limitations of traditional networks and allow internet access across almost any environment. Using a mesh network can help you address challenges like a poorly placed cement wall or service demand in an outdoor venue.
Our UniFi Mesh product line enables network administrators to capitalize on this technology, deploy wireless further and more flexibly and all through the same UniFi Management platform.
AC Mesh Models & Features
The Mesh and Mesh Pro differ greatly in form from each other as well as our other AC APs- and with that comes some distinct advantages. Let’s take a look at what each has to offer:
Both devices can be used in different ways to help you build a strong network in even the most unique deployment conditions.
As noted in the above graphic, the UAP-AC-M is the first UniFi AC access point to support alternative antenna options. This can be extremely useful in that it opens up a huge range of potential applications. With the fast-mount antenna you can use your AP with pretty much any 5g antenna like the airMAX 5g sector antennas.
On the other hand, our beefier UAP-AC-M-PRO model is ideal for outdoor UniFi deployments that need to serve a larger number of client devices per AP and also offers more throughput than the UAP-AC-M.
Ubiquiti UniFi UAP AC Mesh (UAP-AC-M) in Kenya
