Infrastructure Working Group

To create a robust, reliable, wireless and wired network at LMN for members, guests and space owned equipment.

• Joe Zimmerman
• Tim Schmidt

• Help answer some of the questions below.
• Tell us your needs or concerns.
• Join this working group!
  • To do that, edit this wiki page add your name, and send a message to members@lansingmakersnetwork.org.

• The network must be easy to use
• The configuration must be accessible, and understood by more than one member
• The guest network must be separated from the members network

• SSID: LansingMakersNetwork
• Password: Written on the wall in many places around the space

If you see any of these access points with the light showing anything other than a solid Green, it would be helpful if you can report that here and the members list.

Please do not plug in any additional access points without asking the members list and consulting this working group.

9/14/2015 upgraded firmware on all three AP's from 3.2.5.2791 to 3.2.12.2920

(Educated guesses are okay here)

1. How many machines live in the space?
   • Can any of these machines be hard wired?
2. How many members will be connecting at one time?
3. How many guests might be connecting at one time?
4. How big of a space will each access point cover reliably?
5. What kind of environmental problems will we be challenged with?
   • metal stud walls
   • concrete walls
   • large metal machines
   • electrically noisy machines
   • etc.
6. What kind of throughput would we like to provide on our network?
   • With consideration to internet speeds vs internal network speeds
   • 802.11AC / 802.11N / 802.11G / 802.11B
7. What is our realistic max budget?
8. Will we need a smart switch or wired router of some sort with manged firewall?
9. Can we provide a wireless guest network that is completely firewalled from the wireless and wired network using the same access points.
10. Can we prevent guest users from plugging in a machine into a wired connecting and being on the private network?
11. Can we allow them to be on the guest network until providing the mac address or something to an authorized private network list?
12. Can / Should this authenticate with LDAP and give each LMN member an account in a central location that can be used for various services?
13. Can the guest network be dumped to an Intro to LMN page and have free roam on the LMN wiki without any extra authentication?
14. How will we allow for VPN connections from outside the building into the member only network?
15. How will we allow for members to run servers using static or dynamic IPs?

• Ubiquiti Networks UniFi AP Enterprise WiFi System UAP-3 (Pack of 3)
  • Pros:
    • Under $200 for 3 pack, but only supports 2.4ghz
    • These come with power injectors.
  • Cons:
    • only supports 2.4ghz
  • Info:
    • Manufacturer Link
    • Amazon $192.76
    • NOT 802.1af (48v) compatible – from amazon review. need more info if that matters or what it means?
  • Additional Equipment needed:
    • We will need a cheap switch, or switch with POE injeciton
    • Cat6 wire to install
    • Cat6 termination ends

• Ubiquiti TS-8-PRO ToughSwitch 8 Port Advanced Power Ethernet Controllers
  • Pros:
    • 24V/48V Passive PoE
    • 8 Ports
  • Info:
    • Amazon $178.90

OR

• Ubiquiti TS-5-POE TOUGHSwitch 5 Port Advanced Power Ethernet Controllers
  • Pros:
    • Price
  • Cons:
    • 24V Passive PoE Only
    • Only 5 Ports
  • Info:
    • Amazon $82.59

• PacketFence
  • What can PacketFence do?
    • BYOD - Let people bring their own devices
    • Provide guest access
    • Role-based access control
    • Perform compliance checks
    • Eliminate malware
    • Simplify network management
    • WiFi offload / hotspot
  • Tim Schmidt has stated he has set it up at home before
  • A friend of Joe Zimmerman's uses this at a small community college (he says “It's Awesome”)
  • A LiveCD called ZEN (Zero Effort NAC) is availble and we would like to test it out.

• Ubiquiti Network UniFi-AC
  • Suggested by a network admin of a small community college
  • Cost is around $700 for a 3 pack of routers

• Shielded vs Unshielded Cat6

TODO: add links and research

• POE switch for access points
  • What is 802.1af
  • Ubiquiti TS-8-PRO ToughSwitch 8 Port Advanced Power Ethernet Controllers
  • Ubiquiti TS-5-POE TOUGHSwitch 5 Port Advanced Power Ethernet Controllers
• Additional RJ45 ports in the space
  • It was requested a port be added near the Coder Farm area.