Internet Ubiquiti Bullet - Any Good ?

[foggysail]

Pat--

I got some things completed but I did not get to the AirOS....no antenna. My first mistake was thinking that 192.168.1.20 was just a web site with instructions rather than a site designed to directly interface with the Bullet.

As I mentioned, I used the Nano instructions and got as far as the end of section 2 where the IP was changed from static back to dynamic. I did not get to the 3rd section where further communications between the bullet could read and select the strongest signal's MAC address including that of my router followed by the Main tab where I coiuld align the antenna..... not needed using an omnidirectional antenna.

I am on hold now until my antenna gets here next week. It is an Alfa Hi Gain Omni Directional 15db unit that I ordered from Amazon, sold by DBroth. Scheduled delivery date range is 27-30 June. If there is no delivery screw up, I hope to be in good stead this time next week.

Foggy

[Patrick_DeepPlaya]

Well free to PM me if you need any help. I need to write a step-by-step "disaster recovery" doc for my own setup anyway in case I needed to rebuild it from scratch, so helping you helps me too. ;-)

-p

[foggysail]

Thanks Pat--

Foggy

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by foggysail

I am totally disgusted with Ubiquiti Networks support. Yeah, I posted two questions which received almost immediate responses from folks there providing helpful answers.

I want to update this post!

I PM'd a couple of posters in the Ubiquiti help forum last night. My posts were not held up by a moderator but by a technicality. My posting problem is resolved. It is important to me that I share this with others. I am happy my unfortunate experience there is behind me.

Foggy

[Auspicious]

So how is your Bullet working for you now? Do you still need help?

[foggysail]

Weeeell, maybe! I think I am going to try staying in cruising/sailing forums. I just felt it necessary to correct my initial post regarding support at the Bullet site.

As to "how the Bullet is working", in colloquial terms, it ain't! But please remember I am waiting for my antenna delivery which is scheduled for Monday. I have great expectations, I will share my progress, successes, failures whatever it turns out to be with this forum.

I reached the point where the antenna is necessary to complete the initial setup.

Thanks--

Foggy

[s/v Jedi]

The Ubiquity products have these two features:

- they are pro-grade kit, assuming pro buyers who understand wifi kit
- it's popular enough that they can't produce enough to supply demand

the first point can be eased by buying from a cruiser oriented seller like islandtimePC or wififorboats.

ciao!
Nick.

[foggysail]

Jedi (Nick)

I do agree from what I have seen, the Bullet is pro-grade. Most likely other things the manufacture has offers equally fine qualities. But if only pro buyers with WIFI kit knowledge were customers, do you believe their current sales would be as you describe them?

Everybody interested in WIFI needs to start some place. Granted, they should have some technical understanding. I don't know your age (and that does not matter) but way back in the late 70's early 80's new PCs from various manufacturers were introduced. Heck, it was Bill Gates that introduced Microsoft Basic, one of the first programs where data could be entered using a keyboard aroiund 1980. At that time, nobody had experience with stand alone computers. Everybody had to learn the basics. My first PC (in 1980) was a Zenith that used DOS similar to but not exactly the same as IBM's. It was a technically superior machine than the IBM. But IBM had much better marketing and soon Zenith was history.

But back to the important topic, WIFI. There are few if any products out there today that offer what the Bullet provides. But as folks determine a need, that market I believe will grow and the users will not be pros and in my opinion, they are not all pros today. Just my thoughts--

Foggy

[s/v Jedi]

Hi Foggy,

90% of Ubiquity sales are to ISPs who install these radios at their customers premises. So, the users are shielded from the technical part of it.

What I tried to say is that if one has the knowledge, buy it direct from a distributor; if one needs help, buy it from islandtimePC or wififorboats etc.

What we see here is somebody who doesn't understand this gear and kind of blames the manufacturer for that... because he is under the impression that this product should include some form of documentation or education which it doesn't have (can't have) for this price.

Oh, my first PC was a Sinclair ZX81 with 4 KByte RAM. I decadently slapped a 16 KByte RAM extension module on the back of it, which needed some tape to stay in place
Zenith? CP/M

ciao!
Nick.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Hi Foggy,

90% of Ubiquity sales are to ISPs who install these radios at their customers premises. So, the users are shielded from the technical part of it.

What I tried to say is that if one has the knowledge, buy it direct from a distributor; if one needs help, buy it from islandtimePC or wififorboats etc.

What we see here is somebody who doesn't understand this gear and kind of blames the manufacturer for that... because he is under the impression that this product should include some form of documentation or education which it doesn't have (can't have) for this price.

Oh, my first PC was a Sinclair ZX81 with 4 KByte RAM. I decadently slapped a 16 KByte RAM extension module on the back of it, which needed some tape to stay in place
Zenith? CP/M

ciao
Nick.

Nick,
I had a ZX80 with 1k of RAM, but hardly used it. With the Channel 3 input, it tied up our only TV set.

I gave it away.
I don't regret it, as Ebay is selling them Buy It Now for about twelve bucks.

[Auspicious]

Nick is on the right track. There is nothing particularly difficult about using a Bullet. All the "network engineering" you need to know you can learn from Wikipedia in an hour. The documentation does leave a little to be desired. It is a great bit of kit though and very easy to use if you put even minimal effort into it.

[foggysail]

Received my antenna! I did have a minor problem with IP settings while in static mode that I have overcome. Note that I could not do this without the antenna that is needed for communications. Also updated the units firmware.

Unit is working fine with DHCP! Plan to install on my boat this weekend.

Foggy

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Hi Foggy,

90% of Ubiquity sales are to ISPs who install these radios at their customers premises. So, the users are shielded from the technical part of it.

What I tried to say is that if one has the knowledge, buy it direct from a distributor; if one needs help, buy it from islandtimePC or wififorboats etc.

What we see here is somebody who doesn't understand this gear and kind of blames the manufacturer for that... because he is under the impression that this product should include some form of documentation or education which it doesn't have (can't have) for this price.

Oh, my first PC was a Sinclair ZX81 with 4 KByte RAM. I decadently slapped a 16 KByte RAM extension module on the back of it, which needed some tape to stay in place
Zenith? CP/M

ciao!
Nick.

Nick--

All technology has to start some place. Not everyone is exposed to new technology when it arrives just waiting to be used.

Documentation is important, manufacturers cannot just assume a product's delivery is enough for successful use. Sorry, I don't agree with your premise "somebody who doesn't understand this gear and kind of blames the manufacturer for that... because he is under the impression that this product should include some form of documentation or education ."

I forgot the Zenith model, been too many years. But I do remember that it had 2 CPUs, one for DOS and the other for CP/M. Back then, there was limited technical support for laptops. Heck, Pascal was a teaching language that found its way into products before C & C++ were even thought about. Software engineers were at a premium, almost impossible to find.

Foggy

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

All the "network engineering" you need to know you can learn from Wikipedia in an hour.

REALLY???? Do you really mean that????

Foggy

[Patrick_DeepPlaya]

Originally Posted by foggysail

Received my antenna! I did have a minor problem with IP settings while in static mode that I have overcome. Note that I could not do this without the antenna that is needed for communications. Also updated the units firmware.

Unit is working fine with DHCP! Plan to install on my boat this weekend.

Foggy

Congratulations!

-p