Cisco cheaper than Ubiquiti? Impossible? Cisco SMB WiFi 6 setup // CBW150AX Access Point

[@dave24-73]

I think what this demonstrates is that companies like TP-Link and Ubiquity caused a real threat to Cisco with well priced high performing products. It’s good to see that this has in turn forced Cisco to come out with more affordable pro-consumer products. It’s good to see competition in the market at the higher levels but with lower pricing, allowing small business and homes to get the benefits. I’m studying IT at the moment and it’s interesting how much Cisco is still the default they teach especially with Packer Tracer. I have adopted the ubiquity range within my own home and happy with their products. As usual informative and interesting to watch.

[@lamerdan]

Great overview. As a former support person my only suggestions is to work on getting people in the habit of reviewing the details/changelog/release notes. PLEASE! If the vendor puts great details in there it shows transparency and attention to detail. It also makes those technical writers who put them together feel really good knowing their work is used and not just brushed aside.

[@maurice_walker]

A little bit of technical background: This runs good old Mobility Express with a slightly debloated GUI, but they made it intentionally incompatible with other APs and WLCs. Also, SSH is locked, so you can't easily use the CLI. For configuring features not available in the GUI, you can however download a config backup, modify it and upload it again. The serial port works, but it requires a cable with a special plug and 3.3V levels.

[@newellslab]

I'm still running mobility express lol

[@vyasG]

Thank you for this video. Cisco cheaper than Unifi is unbelievable! It would be a great choice in the SMB market if it lives to Cisco standard.

[@michaelwiley6979]

Am I missing something? This is Wifi 6 but from the spec sheet, it looks like AX1200 vs AX5400 that the Ubiquiti supports. From my understanding, this means that the total shared/overall bandwidth for all wireless clients is an aggregate of 1200 Mbps vs 5400 Mbps. The total bandwidth is shared amongst all wireless clients because they're all reliant on CSMA/CA and are sharing the same carrier. This is unlike any wired switch made in the last 20 years that only forwards traffic to the appropriate port based on what's in the MAC tables and only broadcasts when the mac address isn't in the mac table. From my understanding, Wi-Fi acts more like an old-school hub and everyone in the range has to make sure that no one else is currently transmitting before they transmit, and if two accidentally start transmitting at the same time, they both back off, wait a random amount of time and then retry assuming no-one else is speaking at the moment, but they all have to wait for their own turn in an aggregate of 1200 Mbps vs a potential 5400 Mbps. This isn't huge in most home scenarios where you're bottlenecked by the WAN connection, but if you have multi-gig WAN and/or you're doing a lot of internal large-file transfers/streaming on your network then you may see a noticeable difference between an AX1200 AP vs an AX5400 AP.

[@charanteja1531]

Great overview David, thanks for walking us through the initial setup very clearly. This looks to be a great product and better pricing too.

[@0bsmith0]

I don't want something cheaper than Ubiquiti for APs. Where Ubiquiti fails is software / firmware development and maintenance. I would pay say 10% - 15% more to have an environment with much better development practices.

[@shadowj5639]

These look great. Thanks for the peek at the interface. It looks like the same web UI they tacked on to the 8.5 AireOS wireless controllers which is interesting. These will even support up to 16 VLANs which will be good for IoT, guest etc.

[@DavidBombalTech]

The Cisco CBW150AX is a WiFi 6 access point for small medium businesses. Note: The PoE injector is not included for the following countries: India, China, Tawiwan and Hong Kong. // Menu // 00:00 - But looking online... 00:54 - What This Video Covers 01:10 - Disclaimer//Not Sponsored 01:48 - Comparison 02:44 - Unboxing 02:59 - In the Box 03:41 - PoE Injector Included 04:07 - Ethernet Cable 04:34 - Powering Up the AP 04:43 - Instructions 05:37 - Setup 06:14 - Connecting to the AP 06:41 - Initial Setup Steps 08:04 - AP Configuration Overview 09:28 - Upgrading the Software without Logging into Cisco's Website 10:24 - Updating the Software on the AP 12:28 - Summary Previous video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqrIZKmOpcqimNU Per Cisco: The CBW150AX AP and CBW 151AXM Mesh extenders are the next generation of the Cisco Business Wireless Product line. The major new feature / improvement is the implementation of 802.11ax / Wi-Fi 6. These new APs provide improved performance by increasing the efficacy of the network and it's ability to manage higher numbers of devices. These specifications apply to both CBW150AX AP and CBW 151AXM: - Authentication and Security: WiFi protected access - WPA2 and WPA3, including WPA2-Enterprise authentication. - 802.1X, RADIUS Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA). Segmentation via VLANs (up to 16). - 802.11r and 802.11i - Guest network can also authenticate against a Social Login Account (Google and Facebook. Maximum number of associated wireless clients - 200 per Wi-Fi radio, for a total of 400 clients per access point, or 1000 in a system. Maximum number of access points - 50 - Recommended up to 25 Maximum number of mesh extenders - Maximum number of associated Cisco Business mesh extenders: 25 per Access Point, up to 8 hops #wifi #cisco #wifi6

[@Ford_Prefect]

I think the PoE Injector is not 802.11af, it seems to be some other proprietary cisco stuff, or is it really a af device? Nothing on the device itself says so.....

[@peterwan小P]

Hey, I’m now having a ton lot of problem with RMA of my 150Ax from Amazon back to Cisco. Do you have any idea how I could have resolved this?

[@jamesleecoleman]

Thanks for sharing the video. I've been looking at getting a Unifi switch and AP for my home lab. I do just want to say though, Unifi does have an AX AP for 99USD without the POE injector but it can be a separate purchase for either 8,15 or 29USD depending on the wattage needed. So for the 99USD AX AP, the 8USD POE inject would be needed, so it'll put the cost of the devices at 107USD. The AP that I'm talking about might not have the same authentication and security features that the CBW150AX has but it does have similar speeds.

[@MactelecomNetworks]

Great video. Unifi has wifi 6 APs the have 5ghz ( the u6 lite does not) Also they have the U6 extender which is a mesh AP ( just wanted to clarify 😅) Looks like a good kit though wouldn’t mind trying it out

[@DavidBombalTech]

Great feedback Cody :) I'll speak to Cisco and see if we can organize you some :)

[@MactelecomNetworks]

@@DavidBombalTech Awesome thank you so much 😀

[@ericyost5287]

@@MactelecomNetworks I would love for you to do a video on these.

[@JasonsLabVideos]

@@ericyost5287 Agree. Just becareful, I bought one and they didn't work in Canada. Had to send them back.

[@ericyost5287]

@@JasonsLabVideos I love your videos.

[@norbital]

Not sure what you mean by No Wifi Mesh Extender. All of their access points support mesh mode and have for a years. So they can be extenders as well as wired APs, they sell the wifi 6 mesh model that comes with a Poe injector and the same capabilities in a more placeable form factor. They also have a dedicated mesh extender. Just confused by what's listed in the video is all.

[@FCB19873]

Cheap and cisco stand in opposite sides 😄 But this one surprisingly looks cheap. I've used aironets back at work before. Great product

[@kvocal]

I not surprised. Cisco purchase Linksys. This ain't no Cisco enterprise switch. Just from the sound from your handling device, it sounds pretty hollow like a drum (3:06).

[@Christos9]

When you review something, please open each and every tab of the menu for us to see what is there and the available options.

[@mikescott4008]

Certainly looking at the along with Aruba. Fed up UniFi support / RMA process and such (UK). Need: 24 port PoE 8 port switch, ideally with PD power option 2 x indoor AP 1 x outdoor AP Then all UniFi kit going on eBay!

[@rgzeper8061]

Hi David I hope you can make a video at least for medium to large scale deployment. In that way we can see how will it be easy enough to install it.

[@guyvanleeuw]

Thanks David. Coul you explain how this works in mesh with multiple AP’s ?

[@MrPeter924]

Good sounds great video. David. Wifi 6. 👍 box.

[@Ford_Prefect]

I also got a CBW150AX and was pretty enthusiastic about the device. But... don't know why yet, AX works fine - but not as fast as it could be, though AC compatibility is not as good as I wished.... e.g. with a Mikrotic AC Accesspoint (same position as the cisco) with my LG TV I get only about 20 MBit peak, with the Mikrotik about 120 MBit - same position as the TV with my Notebook, I get about 500 MBit AX and 390 MBit AC performance.... seems to be some kind of incompatibility, which only the Cisco AP affects.... I also have a Linksys AC3200 lying around, which works also well without problems with all my devices. So far, I am hoping for a firmwareupdate which fixes the problem. Furthermore: I totally miss the cli access! okay, you can enable ssh, but there you go nowhere, because it is only for a crypt handshake for the cisco support team, so no other is able to gain access to shell (oficially)... another downside - would love to have the CLI like the bigger Cisco Accesspoints used to have.

[@davidsomething4867]

I've had a few of the In wall 145s for about a year now. I simply chose them because I wanted a few ports on the APs and didn't want to go with Unifi, I did have Unifi APs for 4 years previously. I had a Linksys business AP many years back and when I first got in to networking I never bought anything but Linksys or 3com network cards or switches. I think there is the Cisco and there are these cisco, I've had the SG300 switch before now but they don't run the normal Cisco IOS.

[@lordcarnorjax8599]

I'm very interested in these. Currently run a couple of UniFi WAP's at home but I use Cisco Catalyst switching & pfSense firewall. I work as a network engineer for a large enterprise and use Cisco WAP's at work, the embedded controller looks like a cut down version of the 9800 controller. That price is really aggressive too. Would be interested in more video's detailing the more advanced features and maybe getting second one so have controller fail over.

[@user-ko5qj9ob7w]

Thanks

[@DavidBombalTech]

Thank you very much!

[@srh_btk]

Are these model of AP allowed to form something like a domain with master AP as a virtual controller like Aruba Instant AP do? For example If I have 5 AP of this model and I want to form a seamless mesh Wi-Fi network, will this model allow me to do it?

[@johnheller2311]

Not sure if having a POE inject is such a major feature. It will be built into the price somewhere. Maybe a 3 or 5 pack of access points could be offered with no injectors for better pricing

[@paulvancyber1979]

I install some Cisco AP´s very cheap, very good!

[@cyberdevil657]

I love David. If I save some money I can definitely do some fun stuff with this😁

[@DavidBombalTech]

Thank you!

[@kennethjakobsen7295]

It doesn't seem to be WLC controller compatible, but the UI sure looks a lot like that platform at the initial setup.

[@sunbl0ck]

I went ahead and bought 3 of them! And there's no client isolation option! I have to enable guest mode, but then it forces you to use a captive portal that uses an untrusted certificate so it throws an error on the users' browser. Arggh...

[@360-grapher5]

Hello David. Greetings from India. I have purchased the same access point for my organization. The problem is that we did not get the PoE injector with the pack. Now I am planning to purchase the injector separately. I am confused which kind of injector to procure, An active PoE injector or passive one?

[@alefpontessilva1093]

In 7:45, it says that my acess point could not find a DHCP server. What do I do? Is it necessaryM

[@squirrel_ca9745]

Is there not licensing fees involved when you go the Cisco route? Licensing has always been the issue with enterprise hardware vs UniFi.

[@JetsYo]

Agreed that's why I have gone with Unifi and TP-link

[@pfabiszewski]

Cisco Small Business series is totally different thing than "normal", enterprise grade Cisco equipment. Small Business usually doesn't require licensing. But other Cisco series - Catalyst, Meraki etc. - they surely do and it is not cheap.

[@srk12341]

This AP does not require any license

[@bagaskararikopangestu6627]

Nice video Mr. David

[@James_Knott]

IIRC, Cisco APs had to be used with a controller, unless you flashed in different firmware. This appears to be stand alone right out of the box. My Ubiquiti AP came with an injector. You're not allowed to read the instructions. 😀

[@lordcarnorjax8599]

I've been using Cisco WAP's since they switched from VxWorks for the OS to IOS, previously Cisco WAP's could be bought with images for either autonomous stand alone or lightweight (CAPWAP controller) preloaded on them. It's was literally a single letter difference in the part number. eg AIR-LAP1142N-A-K9 for controller or AIR-AP1142N-A-K9 for stand alone. Like you said you could flash to a different firmware if you got the wrong order or you wanted to switch between the images for some reason. Later there was WAP's that were only for controller use. Recent Cisco WAP's like this one have a reduced feature set integrated controller in them, that's why David's WAP was saying it's the primary AP. You add additional WAP's and they form a HA controller. Very keen to get my hands on a pair of these for home.

[@s2meister]

Would like to see you expand on this to a multiple WAP environment, still the same single pane for management? Would roaming work and auto power/channel all with out annual licenses? Yes I have 5 WAPs and a controller in my house, need to upgrade.

[@srk12341]

These don't require any licenses. The controller software runs on the Primary access point and is free.

[@marveII0us]

Interesting

[@DavidBombalTech]

Hope you enjoyed the video Jay!

[@marveII0us]

@@DavidBombalTech Currently watching :)

[@dschNgz]

Nice but whats with a performance comparison ? I only saw 10% feom the web ui, so what infos did your video gave me ? Nor much i guess :(

[@medjaba9037]

Nice!

[@crusheen]

I still don't quite understand PoE fully. Does the "included PoE injector" mean that I can plug this into a standard switch that does not supply PoE out of its ports? The injector being placed between the switch and the AP providing power? Or is it more of a regulator that sets the voltage coming into the AP to what it is supposed to be rather than a possibly higher or different voltage coming out of an actual PoE enabled switch? Please help!

[@EuniceAni-wq6uy]

Is ThinkPad t420 corei7 Ram 8,good to use

[@toshisansan]

Does it support vlan?

[@JiriBrejcha]

Yes, it supports up to 16 VLANs: www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/smb/wireless/CBW-AX/kmgmt3378-get-to-know-150ax-151axm.html

[@Hicnik1]

Hello, will CBW150AX work with cisco 2504 wireles controller?

[@Create-The-Imaginable]

I'm confused? Where does this leave Meraki?

[@Vijaythalapathy28]

I would love Ruckus access points please

[@eW0LF]

802.1x is mentioned in specs, but I am not sure is it only for AP auth or it also supports 802.1x for client auth. Also, what is with capwap firmware? Can it be joined on controller?

[@albertomarletta4295]

Thanks David, very interesting video as always!!! Do you know if it is possible to integrate the Cisco CBW150AX into a Cisco Meraki system (Firewall + Switch)? Many thanks.

[@JiriBrejcha]

There is no direct integration between Cisco Meraki and Cisco Business product ranges. They address 2 different markets and are different price points. Can this AP be powered my a Meraki MS switch and pass its traffic through a Meraki MX firewall/router/unified threat management appliance? Yes, it can.

[@propeto13]

I like Cisco too, but man I got one of those new 'CBW150ax' AP and replaced it in the same location/orientation where I had a 'TP-Link EAP225'! and the TP-Link outperformed the CBW150ax :( -going Unifi

[@unmesh59]

Which Unifi AP did you get and what has your experience been?

[@propeto13]

​@@unmesh59 ended up returning the CBW150ax and went with 'Access Point U6 Pro' comparing both same location/orientation/environment. The unifi outperformed the cisco :/ -so from my experience i can say 'Access Point U6 Pro' is the way.

[@unmesh59]

@@propeto13 Good to know. Thanks.

[@yuenthomas5355]

in video, what he showing is not sure about the price of Ubiquiti UniFi 6 Lite Access Point only $111.40 in Amazon model# (U6-Lite-US).

[@amitchoudhary7428]

I would like to know why there is no AC to DC adapter support in cisco AP's, they only support POE

[@JiriBrejcha]

The PoE power injector is an AC to DC adapter. It converts AC power to PoE, which powers the access point. It is much more universal solution than an AC to DC power adapter/brick with a barrel jack.

[@katlegobopape9760]

This is interesting stuff from Cisco. So if I already have a 9800 WLC in my environment, will this AP be able to join and be managed from there or is the Cisco Business web interface the only way to go?

[@JiriBrejcha]

No, these APs won’t join Catalyst or AireOS controllers. This Cisco Business range is best suited for smaller businesses. If you are looking for small form factor AP which can be managed by Catalyst 9800, Catalyst 9105 is the Wi-Fi 6 option, and Catalyst Wireless 9162 is the Wi-Fi 6E.

[@JoanNin]

6-10 minutes each time you boot, reboot , upgrade!? I think is not right for a business environment. That is why I have to change all my Aruba Instan On they take to long to boot after reset

[@jacksoncremean1664]

I'm currently with Unifi, however I've been having a lot of stability isues and I'm looking for a Unifi replacement. Does this AP require a licence from Cisco, or can I just buy it set it up and that's it.

[@JiriBrejcha]

This doesn’t require any license.

[@ziqif3407]

Don’t you need a license for Cisco access points?

[@publictoilet7832]

and the controller software free?

[@JiriBrejcha]

The controller software runs on the Primary access point and is free.

[@JetsYo]

Do they have self-hosted central management like TP-link and UNFI?

[@JiriBrejcha]

The management runs directly on the Primary access point.

[@BinaryHackerMan]

Does it still require a separate license?

[@JiriBrejcha]

No, it doesn’t require any license.

[@martijnstam6186]

What's the throughput for WiFi-6 at 2x2 80 MHz? I'm looking into an AP that can hit 1 Gbps to saturate my fiber Internet. WiFi-5 at 80 MHz does approx. 480 Mbps.

[@LampJustin]

Yeah that's great and all, but you really didn't go into the interesting things like vlans and such. That it will work as a standalone AP was pretty much a given...

[@Racetowin717]

Unifi 6 lite is $100 msrp

[@kittysreview9055]

Ubiquiti u6 lite is $99 on UI site. Why didn’t you show it there? Misinformation galore

[@rocky7gd]

Update process is not good

[@JasonsLabVideos]

AH OH! All the Unifi Fanboys are going to get hurt over this ! LOL !

[@squirrel_ca9745]

Not really . Been using UniFi for years, love their angle on the industry, only reason I haven’t moved over to Cisco or the likes is because of UniFi’s free software licensing model. If this works the same then I’ll be more than happy to try it * my use case is home network with +- 4 VLANs for IoT, etc.

[@johnheller2311]

I think it has a way to go before I would change. This Cisco AP looks quite reasonable, but Unifi is a much more complete eco system

[@Riborwahz]

Let's connect to David WiFi and hope he isn't like Hackerloi

[@DavidBombalTech]

lol

[@ahmedtalaat27]

the reason is the stupid UI for cisco