Hi all. TL;DR at the bottom. I was hoping to take advantage of the vast knowledge of this sub for some home network recommendations. If you want to read more details, continue on.
#Desired Hardware
My AirPort Extreme has been working flawlessly for 10 years but I want something with WIFI 6 or 6E and more features.
A single router isn’t going to provide the coverage I need anymore. I want my next setup to consist of a network switch or something that can act as my DHCP server with a switch attached to that, with two wireless access points stemming from it.
I have a couple CAT 6A lines running between the two places where I want to locate the access points. One of these places is my home office. The other place is my media center where the modem and DHCP server will be located.
I envision the following items connected to the main switch:
- Modem (through the WAN port)
- Apple TV 4K
- Synology NAS
- Access Point 1
- CAT 6A Run 1: Laptop @Home Office
- CAT 6A Run 2: Access Point 2 @Home Office
- NVR
- POE Switch
- Sonos Playbar
- Xbox One
- Pi Hole (future addition)
#Desired Features
Now for the main reason behind this post: I want my next hardware to have the following capabilities, either built-in or via add-in packages:
- Monitor traffic on every device (both wired and wireless) connected to my network
- Monitor the instantaneous transfer speed of each device
- Monitor the online status of each device
- Monitor the amount of data has been sent over a certain period of time
- Monitor incoming connections for suspicious behavior
- Monitor how often my smart devices are phoning home (or making other outbound connections)
- Send notifications when certain devices go offline or suspicious activity is detected
- Have the ability to view all this via mobile device
A buddy of mine suggested PRTG network monitor. Another guy on this sub recommended Ubiquity products. Are there packages that can run on a Raspberry Pi that will do the same thing, and does that makes sense since I’ll be using a Raspberry Pi 4 as a DNS Server?
I have over 80 WiFi devices including cameras, switches, outlets, robot vacuums, humidifiers, you name it. We have 2 iPhones, 2 iPads, 2 Macbooks, 2 Windows laptops for work, various gaming consoles, Kindles, etc. I need all this to work seamlessly.
TL;DR: I would like recommendations for a managed switch with the 8 features listed above and access points.
Do you have any recommendations for brands of fancier equipment?