Ubiquiti Router Configuration

 

As part of the new network build comes the responsibility of configuring new network equipment, but maintaining the same functionality and configuration the current one has.

In this video I QUICKLY lol, run you through the Ubiquiti router configuration.

I basically start from scratch from plugging it in, to configuring VLANS, DHCP and assigning VLANS to ports.

The video is not meant to be a Ubiquiti router configuration tutorial, but rather a peek to the Ubiquiti configuration parameters for those of you who may have not seen this before.

In the next videos I will be covering:

-          Installing and configuring Ubiquiti wireless access points

-          Configuring a Cisco switch with VLANS

-          And anything else that pops up during this project

from the net: Power Over Ethernet and Copper Cabling

 

I know,, its a vendor doc, but this one has a lot of good information

from the PDF

"Increasing usage of Power over Ethernet (PoE) represents one of the most meaningful impacts to enterprise network infrastructure in recent history. This technology reduces installation costs and time by allowing power and data onto a single twisted-pair cable, installed by a single low-voltage contractor and eliminating the need for a separate electrical cable to each device. As the ubiquitous nature of Ethernet has grown, an increasing number of items are being networked together. These new applications, such as digital signage, next generation wireless access points, nurse call systems, and video conferencing systems, have power needs beyond PoE+ standards. The industry has recognized this need and has begun to develop next generation PoE equipment that will supply 51 to 71 watts. This document provides information and guidance on installing Panduit cabling and connectivity with both the existing PoE+ and the new higher power PoE standards."

Get the free pdf here https://www.panduit.com/content/dam/panduit/en/landing-pages/NI-ENT-PoECopperCablesCOTB05.pdf

Free WiFi Design Tool

 When you have to install or troubleshoot Wifi issues, it helps to be able to have a visual coverage map.

Having a tool to give you a prediction of basic coverage is just as important as walking around and running tests.

While looking at Ubiquiti's website, I stumbled upon their FREE UI Design Center https://design.ui.com/ which was pretty helpful when determining estimated coverage area for various bands and how different materials affect coverage as well.

As always, I will keep the write-up short and encourage you to go try it out.

https://design.ui.com/

The Build: Existing Site Reconnaissance

 One of the most critical tasks when upgrading or building a new network is determining what the client has and how the equipment is configured.

In this case, I need to figure out what equipment to propose for them to purchase and if there are any network configuration notes I need to make.

Your site contact is key for this process to go as smoothly as possible. Another thing to keep in mind as a consultant is that you don't want to spend a lot of unnecessary time, since that equates to the client having to pay more money for your time. I want someone who gets involved with technology as well as the inner workings of the office, applications, etc.

Just a note that with the technology available today, you don't have to physically go onsite for this process, but I prefer it when possible because I usually spot all sorts of things that the client might not be aware of.

The meeting was very productive and I made a list of equipment to replace and any configuration notes for the new network.

For example, the office had a typical consumer-grade router, which i will replace since it only has 100Mb ports and the new internet service will be either 300 Mb or 1 GB. After reviewing the router's configuration, I noticed there was a static router to a non-existant network, port forwarding was enabled to devices that no longer exist, a VPN tunnel configuration that went nowhere

The same goes for their unmanaged 100 Mb POE switches. I suggested new enterprise-grade switches that support POE+, have 1 Gb copper, and support multiple VLANs.

I also noticed that the math didn't add up when i took a quick client/phone/printer count and compared it to the number of switch ports in use. After some discussion, I realized that some users plugged their computers into their Voip phone's pass-thru port and others just left their laptops on wifi. This was done because some of the office cabling and specific switch ports were causing issues. I also ran a network scan tool to document how many devices there were present at that time.

As far as WiFi goes, they had similar consumer-grade wifi/routers and access points that only supported older WiFi standards had limited range and did not support Vlan tagging or multiple SSID's.  I then asked if they needed a guest network and the client's face lit right up, so I took that as a yes ;)

I also found out that there is a requirement for VPN/remote access. to date the odd staff member would leverage some of the consumer remote desktop products like Teamviewer, but would like a better solution.

And there were many other things i spotted that you will read about in future articles.

In summary, try to get out in person for these visits, or set up a video conference so you can see, or record what's on site.

The Build: First Steps

 

A client asked me to design, configure, and install network equipment at their new site.

In my typical style, I will keep these write-ups short but hopefully, helpful.

Before I jump into anything; "Being as organized as possible and prepared is key to success".

Here is a bullet list of things that need to get addressed in no particular order:

-          Client interview

-          Current network equipment inventory to determine current configuration and what equipment needs to be upgraded

-          Get a floor plan of the new site and existing site if possible

-          Make a list of new network equipment

-          New site walk-thru to review where the telecom closet is and what gets terminated there

-          New equipment configuration and testing

-          Installation

Of course, there will be a ton of stuff that pops up that I haven’t considered yet.

Client interview

Talked to the client and asked what new services they plan to have at the new site that they do not have currently have. They explained the new place will be much larger, so they will have several conference rooms, an outside courtyard, and a large event room.

I asked when they wanted to be moved in at the new site and the answer was June 1st, which isn’t a lot of time when you factor in the time required for site visits, equipment, service orders, change orders, testing, installation, etc…

I then reviewed what technical services they currently have and determined they obviously need internet access, wifi, typical file server/print services, phones/voip, and VPN access.

Next step is to schedule a visit to the current location to get a physical inventory and inventory what equipment is there.

Use Your Words

 

For parents of preschoolers, there comes a time - often in the evening - known as “the storm before the calm.”  It can also come about during the day if expectations of some kind are not met, or perhaps if a child is just “hangry.”  Our preferred solution was to remain calm and tell them to pause, take a breath, and “use your words.”  Once children have the words to express their feelings, they are much better equipped to match their behavior to social norms and achieve their goals.  This approach, while often called-for, is not a wise choice for use on another adult.

 

Emotional turmoil isn’t the only reason we fail to communicate clearly– often we forget that communication is a two-way process.  As Alan Greenspan said, “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” My late father was a Professor of Speech and Drama at the University of Southern California and I listened to versions of this for most of my life.

 

As a STEM worker myself, I feel justified in saying that professionals like us aren’t always the best communicators.  You may be proudly multi-lingual, but knowing Python, JavaScript and C++ isn’t much help.  Unlike compilers, human brains have an amazing - and sometimes frustrating - ability to interpret words out of context.  Those words we are admonished to use are often made-up in the moment, mis-heard, or change their meaning as language evolves.

 

Unless you have abstained from computers for the past 30 years, you have a basic understanding of the term “meme.”  Memes are a dependable source of fun on virtually any topic.  But if you had name-dropped the term “meme” back in 1976, readers of Richard Dawkins book The Selfish Gene would have assumed you were talking about a “unit of culture”-a non-funny term coined by a scientist and not a humorist. 

 

The terms “cool” and “hot” are widely understood to have little to do with temperature, unless of course they are used to describe the weather.  In a conversational sense, they generally mean the same thing, sort of.  An attractive person might be called “hot”, while the latest smartphone would be “cool.”  Both are similarly complimentary, though not quite interchangeable. 

 

A less clear distinction is attached to the word “nerd”, the meaning of which is highly dependent on context and delivery.  Originally connected with obsessive intellectualism and anti-social traits, it has gradually become cooler.  Perhaps we can thank all those Silicon Valley “nerds” cruising around in their Lamborghinis.  The first recorded use of the word, nearly 70 years ago by none other than Dr. Seuss, referred to a strange little imaginary creature.  Any theories on how “nerd” evolved from that to its current meaning are left as an exercise for the reader.

 

I was a freshman living in a campus dorm when the Beatle’s Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was released.  While all my fellow students were smugly noting that this was a clever metaphor for LSD, I was focused on the line “the girl with colitis goes by.”  Who was this poor girl (was it Lucy?) and why were the Beatles singing about her?  When John Lennon said the inspiration for the song was his son Julian’s nursery school drawing of a friend named Lucy O’Donnell, entitled “Lucy.  In the sky with diamonds”, it more or less cancelled the psychedelic vibe.  My empathy for poor little Lucy O’Donnell’s inflammatory bowel disease remained.

 

I’m sure Credence Clearwater Revival’s Bad Moon Rising was in no way inspired by the Beatles tale of Lucy and her troubles.  Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but think of poor Lucy’s IBS when John Fogerty sang the line “there’s a bathroom on the right.” Finding restrooms in concert venues is always challenging, and many of us appreciated the thoughtful guidance John provided. 

 

Communication failures resulting from mishearing or misinterpretation are important enough to have their own obscure word – “eggcorn.”  Together with evolving word meanings, eggcorns constitute a substantial barrier to effective discourse.  Neuroscientist Dr. Kris De Meyer of the University College London was running a workshop on climate change when he came upon an additional problem. 

 

According to Dr. De Meyer, we don’t always agree on even the most basic definitions.  Concepts like risk and uncertainty are vastly different for a software engineer writing code (where a mistake could result in the loss of a job) compared to an oncologist treating a malignancy (where an error might end with the loss of a life).  Even our understanding of “concept” is a complicated mix of emotion and character.  It’s worse still with abstractions like fairness or freedom, which we connect with our individual identity.   Dr. De Meyer likens this to the Far Side Cartoon where an owner is scolding his dog Ginger – all the dog hears is “Blah, Blah, Blah, Ginger, Blah.”  He calls it the “Ginger the Dog” effect.

 

Those storming preschoolers have an advantage – they are rookie talkers with a limited vocabulary and a simple objective.  For the rest of us, the proliferation of eggcorns combined with the Ginger effect continues to lower the signal-to-noise ratio in our conversations.  There is no short answer.  Awareness of the problem along with taking time to clarify is our best hope. 

 

In closing, I know you think you understand what you thought I’ve said, and I hope you now realize that what you learned might not be exactly what I wrote.

Author Profile - Paul W. Smith - leader, educator, technologist, writer - has a lifelong interest in the countless ways that technology changes the course of our journey through life.  In addition to being a regular contributor to NetworkDataPedia, he maintains the website Technology for the Journey and occasionally writes for Blogcritics.  Paul has over 50 years of experience in research and advanced development for companies ranging from small startups to industry leaders.  His other passion is teaching - he is a former Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Paul holds a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.