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Update 2019: The list of supported OpenWRT Wireless Access Points Vendors

Update 2019: The list of supported OpenWRT Wireless Access Points Vendors

OpenWRT Wireless Access Points Vendors

The exponential growth in demand for wireless internet connectivity has led to the need, for companies in most business environments, to upgrade their Wi-Fi networking infrastructure.

Many companies within the networking industry aim at establishing lock-in barriers with high switching costs in order to make customers dependent on them. This approach progressively increases Wi-Fi deployment costs for organizations, slows down innovation and ultimately hinders the Wi-Fi user experience.

Recently, the networking industry has began shifting from operating as a proprietary closed system to a more flexible system. This shift to a more flexible, open system, occurred as a result of customer dissatisfaction due to high internet connectivity pricing, vendor lock-in, slow innovation, poor quality software, unforeseen charges for services that should have been included in the price of the product, to name a few.

At Tanaza, we believe that the current market conditions allow the disaggregation of hardware and software to occur also in the Wi-Fi networking market and create a disruption.

Tanaza is an vendor-alternative firmware, based on OpenWRT that supports a wide range of access points. OpenWRT is a Linux-based open source alternative firmware for embedded devices that enables the customization of wireless device, as a result of its fully writable filesystem with package management.

With OpenWRT, the network administrator can avoid being locked by the web interface or the web applications of the vendor.

 

Easy to install and to use, Tanaza may be the best option for you, if you are looking for an easy-to-use alternative firmware for your wireless device.

For more information about Tanaza and its wide range wide of supported access points, click here.

If you can’t find the vendor you are looking for, you can make a request and ask to Tanaza to support a new access point.

 

To see the full list of access point vendors compatible with OpenWRT, check below. 

Related articles:

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/ces-2019-four-interesting-innovations-for-the-wireless-devices-industry/

FCC proposes rules for unlicensed use of the 6GHz band

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/wifi-6-the-next-generation-of-wifi/

What is WiFi 6 – The next generation of WiFi

What is WiFi 6 – The next generation of WiFi

WiFi 6: the next generation of WiFi

Wifi 6 – The next standard for wireless LANs, IEEE 802.11ax, has been conceived to transmit data faster, to better allocate bandwidth among several devices connected to a WiFi network and to more reliably deliver high-bandwidth applications (such as video streaming) than its predecessor, 802.11ac, also known as WiFi 5.

 

 

The new naming standard

 

The 802.11ax specification, also known as ‘high-efficiency wireless’, will be commonly referred to and marketed as WiFi 6.

This is a new naming standard set by the Wi-Fi Alliance®, with previous generations now being retroactively labelled as WiFi 5 (802.11ac) and WiFi 4 (802.11n). This new labelling convention will appear on devices as shown in the image below.

WiFi new naming convention by the Wi-Fi Alliance: WiFi 6, WiFi 5 and WiFi 4

This naming scheme is aimed at making it simpler for final consumers to recognize which of the IEEE 802.11 standards each WiFi device supports.

Faster data transfer speeds

WiFi 6 will have a single-user data rate that is about 40% faster than 802.11ac by virtue of a more efficient data encoding, resulting in a higher throughput: more data is packed into the same radio waves, and the chips that encode and decode the signals will increasingly get more powerful and will be able to handle the additional work.

The new standard also improves the performance on 2.4GHz networks that, despite the large investments of the industry on the 5GHz band to reduce interferences, is still better at penetrating physical obstacles.

WiFi 6’s predecessor, 802.11ac, only uses bands in the 5GHz spectrum; the new standard operates across both frequencies and will eventually expand this spectrum to include bands in 1GHz and 6GHz when they become available.

 

Better performance in dense environments

WiFi performance tends to get worse in crowded locations, such as stadiums, airports, malls and offices, where many WiFi enabled devices are connected to the network at the same time.

The new WiFi 6 incorporates many new technologies to overcome this issue, and according to Intel, it will improve each user’s average speed by at least four times in congested areas.

WiFi 6 can divide a wireless channel into a large number of subchannels, and each of these subchannels can carry data intended for a different device. This is achieved through the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), a modulation scheme which allows for resource unit allocation and will boost capacity, reduce latency and improve efficiency by allowing as many as 30 users at once to share the same channel. This technology is not a part of WiFi 5, which has regular OFDM; OFDMA is compared as a multi-user version of OFDM.

The new wireless standard has also an improved version of multi-user or MU-MIMO. Wi-Fi 5 Wave 2 introduced Multi-User MIMO, but it only supports four simultaneous connections on downstream (one on upstream). Wi-Fi 6 will instead be able to handle eight streams of data in either uplink or downlink, offering four times the maximum theoretical throughput of Wi-Fi 5 and supporting more users at once.

Wifi 6 Technologies MuMiMo and OFDMA

Image Source: Qualcomm

Extended battery life for client devices

The new Target Wake Time (TWT) feature enables access points to tell to connected devices when and how frequently they have to “wake up” to send or receive data, reducing power consumption and improving spectral efficiency. This technology will be very useful for both mobile and IoT devices, allowing them to effectively increase their sleep time and consequently extend their battery life.

Target Wake Time, in addition to saving power on the client device side, also enables wireless access points and devices to define and negotiate specific times to access the medium, reducing contention and overlap between users.

Target Wake Time (TWT) Feature

Image source: Qualcomm

When will we get WiFi 6?

While some routers already advertise “802.11ax technology” and many products supporting WiFi 6 were presented during CES 2019, 802.11ax WiFi won’t be finalized until the end of 2019. There also aren’t any WiFi 6 client devices available yet, so so these routers won’t bring any benefits to consumers before the transition is done: indeed, both the sender and the receiver need to support the latest generation of WiFi to gain the advantages.

Related articles:

https://www.classichotspot.com/blog/ces-2019-four-interesting-innovations-for-the-wireless-devices-industry/

FCC proposes rules for unlicensed use of the 6GHz band

WiFi 4 and WiFi 5 are the new simplified naming protocols for wireless standards

Meet Hiro: the new Logo for Tanaza

Meet Hiro: the new Logo for Tanaza

Hiro Tanaza

Tanaza was founded with the idea to develop a sophisticated tool that could be so smart that it could be easily integrated to work in perfect harmony with any device from any vendor. Today, we have fully transformed our brand in order to capture what using Tanaza is really about: to disaggregate hardware and software to create reliable and cost-effective Wi-Fi networks.

 

Our new logo

In 2018, our design team, in partnership with Copystudio, created an entirely new Tanaza logo to reflect our vision.

The word “network” has been a key inspiration in the way we wish to visually communicate our brand. However, we found that design elements like lines and dots were not enough to shape our new brand idea. We wanted a memorable concept that could be easily recognized and understood. We wanted an impactful logo that could personify the meticulous manner with which we have developed our product and reflect the quality and reliability of our software. And so, we thought — who better than a spider to represent the creation of a robust and impenetrable network.

We are proud to introduce HIRO: the new symbol for our community of Wi-Fi professionals.

Tanaza has created a symbol. An original trademark that impersonates our shared values. An iconic symbol for our community of Wi-Fi professionals who embrace open networking.

We have also updated our wordmark. We have carefully designed our geometric letters, paying close attention to the “a”, as it is repeated 3 times within the word Tanaza. Additionally, we have also changed our primary color. We decided to abandon the bright orange that allowed us to differentiate ourselves from the very beginning within the Wi-Fi industry. Our new logo is predominately black and white, to balance the bold identity of our new trademark.

 

The five most used access points by Tanaza’s customers in 2018

The five most used access points by Tanaza’s customers in 2018

The Five Access Points Most Used by Tanaza’s Customers in 2018

Tanaza multi-vendor’s approach allows WiFi professionals to choose the hardware they want to work with when designing their WiFi network infrastructures.

Tanaza supports many brands from consumer-grade access points to enterprise-grade wireless devices, facilitating ISPs and MSPs to develop public WiFi hotspots in different sectors like hospitality, education, healthcare, retail, public places etc.

The ten brands the most used by our customers are:

 

Ubiquiti   –  Tp-link –  Open-mesh –  Mikrotik  –  D-link  –  Linksys  –  Intelbras  –  Wi-Next  –  LigoWave  –  EnGenius

 

To help its customers, Tanaza developed the Access Point Selector, a free tool that allows WiFi professionals to select the best hardware according to their WiFi project.
In three simple steps, select the location, the size of the location and the level of service you want to offer, you will access a complete list of wireless devices. In addition, the tool will provide you with relevant information such as the required number of units, the number of concurrent users per unit and the cost of each device.

Tanaza multi-vendor’s aspect empowers the hardware by delivering to the device a professional set of features for WiFi cloud management. Below, you can find the list of the five most used hardware by our customers in 2018. 

400 unifi

Ubiquiti UniFi LR

Radio

2.4 GHz (B/G/N)

Max Power (2.4 GHz)

20 dBm / 100 mW

Radiation Shape

Sector

Installation

Ceiling

Power Supply

PoE

400 tlwr841ndv13

TP-Link TL-WR841N/ND

Radio

2.4 GHz (B/G/N)

Max Power (2.4 GHz)

21 dBm / 126 mW

Radiation Shape

Omni

Installation

Desktop

Power Supply

DC

400 om2phsv3

OpenMesh OM2P

Radio

2.4 GHz (B/G/N)

Max Power (2.4 GHz)

23 dBm / 200 mW

Radiation Shape

Omni

Installation

Desktop;Wall

Power Supply

DC;PoE

400 rb951ui2hnd

MikroTik RB951UI-2HnD

Radio

2.4 GHz (B/G/N)

Max Power (2.4 GHz)

20 dBm / 100 mW

Radiation Shape

Omni

Installation

Desktop

Power Supply

DC;PoE

400 nanolocom

Ubiquiti NanoStation Loco M2

Radio

2.4 GHz (B/G/N)

Max Power (2.4 GHz)

23 dBm / 200 mW

Radiation Shape

Omni

Installation

Pole

Power Supply

PoE

The 10 most read articles about WiFi in 2018

The 10 most read articles about WiFi in 2018

The 10 most read articles about WiFi in 2018

2018 is over, and we at Tanaza already started 2019 with great motivation and enthusiasm!

The one just passed has been a year of growth for Tanaza’s blog, as more and more people read our articles and interact with us every day.

On our blog, you can find the latest WiFi industry news to keep you updated about the main trends and innovations in the market, as well as updates about Tanaza’s latest features.

We also write actionable articles that explain to you how to improve your WiFi network infrastructure, how to customize your splash page and get the most out of your public WiFi hotspot, which access points to use according to the size and needs of your WiFi project, and much more.

Below, we made the list of the ten articles our readers appreciated the most in 2018.

 

 

1. Mikrotik routers: configuration of a WiFi hotspot with login page

Tanaza is a multi-vendor software which means that our software allows WiFi professionals to choose the hardware they want to work with. Among the supported brands, Tanaza is compatible with Mikrotik.
This article is about how to configure a WiFi hotspot with Mikrotik routers in very few and easy steps.

33.5k people were convinced by this article!

 

2.  Maximum number of concurrent users per WiFi access point

When designing your WiFi network, you need to consider client coverage carefully. In this article, we list the top 7 access points you can deploy with Tanaza when you need to provide your WiFi connection to a large number of concurrent users.

This article has been useful to more than 27.5K people.

 

3. 4 rules to build the perfect splash page for your WiFi hotspot

Tanaza features a fully customisable captive portal which can be turned into a very powerful marketing tool. When users visualise your splash page, you have a few seconds to convince them to log in. This article shows the best practices to build an effective, user-friendly splash page.

23.7K people read it!

 

4. Tanaza wins WiFi NOW’s Best WiFi Startup and Best Enterprise WiFi Solution awards

2018 has been a great year for Tanaza, as we took home two WiFi NOW awards: Best WiFi Startup and Best Enterprise WiFi Solution.

This article has been shared and read more than 20K times!

 

5. Collect verified phone numbers from WiFi users

Tanaza features many authentication methods such as social login, email address, custom form or phone numbers. To help our customers to collect always more verified data that can be leveraged for marketing purposes, Tanaza developed a new login mode: the phone number verification with custom form.

17K people read this article!

 

6. The 4 best WiFi analyzer apps to boost your network speed

If you want to optimise your WiFi network, boost its speed and improve your WiFi signal strength, you should definitely download a WiFi analyzer app on your smartphone! In this article, we list the 4 best analyzer apps for Android and iOS devices.

This article was useful to 16.5K people.

 

7. How WiFi can become your new marketing tool

WiFi is a powerful marketing tool for venues, as it helps them to engage and retain customers, enhance their overall experience and extend the time they spend on premises. Moreover, WiFi is a way to get more information about customers thanks to the data capture, enabling venue owners to know their clientele better and engage them with tailored communications.

You have been more than 16K people to read this article!

 

8. Paid WiFi: how to configure a couponing system

Offering paid WiFi can represent a good revenue opportunity if you are the only internet provider in a specific location and if you can bring a real added value to your users.  In this article, you will find out how to easily configure and monitor a paid WiFi hotspot with Tanaza’s couponing system. 

Useful for 15k people!

 

9. Tanaza hotspot system for Cisco Meraki users

Tanaza’s hotspot system is now compatible with Cisco Meraki Devices: this integration enables Meraki Cloud Dashboard users to keep managing their access points from the Meraki interface while simultaneously using the Tanaza captive portal, without replacing the vendor’s firmware.

This article has been read 14.5K times!

 

10. 4 ways to leverage your WiFi landing page

The Tanaza splash page editor gives the opportunity to owners of a venue to promote and deliver additional services to WiFi users; in this article, we list different ways to leverage the splash page of a public hotspot and make the most out of it.

13K people read this article!

 

Our blog is also available in Spanish, French and Italian!

Subscribe to our newsletter if you want to be up-to-date about all things WiFi!

FCC proposes rules for unlicensed use of the 6GHz band

FCC proposes rules for unlicensed use of the 6GHz band

Rules for unlicensed use of 6ghz band WiFi

In response to the demands of high tech companies for a more so-called “mid-band” unlicensed spectrum, on October 23rd the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously voted to propose making available up to 1,200 MHz of spectrum for use by unlicensed devices in the 6 GHz band.

“Unlicensed devices that employ WiFi and other unlicensed standards have become indispensable for providing low-cost wireless connectivity in countless products used by American consumers”, we read in the official statement. Unlicensed devices include WiFi routers, connected home appliances, fitness trackers, cordless landline phones and baby monitors.

On December 17th, the FCC released its NRPM (Notice of Proposed Rule Making) document, outlining the proposed rules for unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band.

 

 

New rules to avoid interferences

 

Since various parts of the 6GHz frequency range are already used by fixed, mobile, and satellite services, the FCC commits to protecting these incumbents, while at the same time opening the band to an increase number of unlicensed devices.

Concisely, the FCC wants to introduce four new unlicensed subbands, named U-NII-5 to U-NII-8.

In the case of U-NII-5 and U-NII-7 (respectively, 5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.525-6.875 GHz) a new scheme called Automated Frequency Control (AFC) will protect incumbent users (mostly point-to-point microwave links) from harmful interference.

Conversely, the U-NII-6 and the U-NII-8 subbands (respectively, 6.425-6.525 GHz and 6.875-7.125 GHz) should be only used indoors at a lower power level. In those portions of the 6GHz band, licensed mobile services such as the Broadcast Auxiliary Service and Cable Television Relay Service already operate.

“The Commission tentatively concludes that this two-class approach can expand unlicensed use without causing harmful interference to the incumbent services that will continue to be authorised to use this spectrum,” we read in the NPRM document. Moreover, The U-NII-5 band is currently under study by the European Commission for a possible expansion of WiFi bands in Europe.

The objective of the proposed new rules is twofold:

  • To enable unlicensed devices to operate only on frequencies where the devices would not cause harmful interference to authorized licensed services
  • To allow a more intense use of a valuable spectrum resource to benefit consumers.

 

 

Creating new opportunities for the future of WiFi

 

The Wi-Fi Alliance praised the results of the October 23rd vote, stating that “the demand for WiFi connectivity has increased manifold while unlicensed access to critically important mid-band spectrum has remained relatively unchanged.”

“Today, more than ever, WiFi is expected to deliver vast amounts of data traffic that comes with broadband services such as 5G,” said Alex Roytblat, Senior Director of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs at Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi 6 is designed to support these growing data throughput requirements, and needs additional unlicensed spectrum access to accommodate wider channels and other technical innovations. That is why access to the mid-band, 6 GHz, unlicensed spectrum is so important to Wi-Fi’s future.”

According to Claus Hetting, Executive Director of the WiFi-NOW organization, “The amount of frequencies available for WiFi to operate in could more than double, possibly already by the end of next year. This staggering amount of new spectrum will likely spark a massive new growth cycle for the WiFi industry and allow consumers and businesses to apply low-cost WiFi technology to multitudes of new use cases.”

 

If you want to develop a WiFi project, our business consultants can help get you started and make the most out of it by understanding your business needs and guiding you through all the different features of the Tanaza platform, showing how they can help you to deploy a successful WiFi project.