About two weeks ago I started experiencing some strange network issues: Nagios kept reporting devices dropping off the network and reconnecting, the TiVo Minis would lose their connection to the Bolt, etc. I eventually traced it to one of my TRENDnet TPE-TG44g switches (specifically the one in the closet that most of the home network traffic travels through on its way to the router) constantly rebooting. It was out of warranty so I had to buy a new switch to replace it. Since I already two Unifi wireless access points on the network (and I run the Unifi Controller software to manage them), I decided to spend a little extra and get the Ubiquiti Unifi Switch 8 POE-150W.
poe
power-over-ethernet
TRENDnet TV-IP572PI PoE camera
My security camera re-org project continues as I upgrade my old indoor cameras to newer HD (and PoE) versions. I replaced the outside ones earlier this month and next on the list was my four year-old TRENDnet TV-IP121W which I replaced with the very similar, but newer TV-IP572PI.
TRENDnet TV-IP311PI outdoor camera and TPE-TG44g PoE switch
Now that the wireless network re-design was done, I wanted to replace my aging Foscam outdoor cameras with newer, HD models. Installing the Ubiquiti UniFi AP was my first introduction to power-over-ethernet and I decided to move to PoE (instead of wireless) cameras. I already had TRENDnet cameras in my current setup, along with TRENDnet switches, so I decided to stick with that brand and selected the TV-IP311PI outdoor cameras and TPE-TG44g PoE switch.
Ubiquiti UniFi AP
My current home wireless setup had been in-place and stable for about two years. And while everything was working fine, my incessant need to tinker was overpowering so I decided to do a little re-design and simplification.
The real reason for the re-org was because I wanted to try out the Ubiquiti UniFi AP, an 802.11n wireless access point with MIMO technology capable of 300Mbps speeds with ranges up to 400 feet. Slightly larger than your average smoke detector, it’s meant for enterprises but for $70 if you know your way around network setup it’s pretty simple to set up as a very robust home access point when paired with your existing router.