Which is better for our Venue, AP550 or AP254X

[kc]

Hello,

We need help on choosing an AP for our Event Venue. Our two candidates are the AP550 and AP245x

We have a Wedding/Corporate event venue that is appox 120ft x 90ft. The venue has events ranging from 100-600 people. Due to aesthetics, we are only allowed to install the AP's inside the walls on the perimeter of the venue, facing towards the center of the venue. We are planning on installing 4-6 AP's.

We were planning on going with the AP245X since they are Wave2 and are cheaper than the AP550. But, the AP550 intrigued us because of the Dual Ethernet ports that can be setup in in LACP. Are there any additional benefits on going with the AP550? Or should we save a couple bucks and stick with the AP245x?

[bruce_stahlin]

You will also need to factor in antenna costs for the AP245X as they are not included. This may work in your favor as you can find third party antenna kits that you may find aesthetically pleasing. Just be sure to confirm compatibility.

As you are probably aware, the AP550 antennas are internal, thus included in the cost. There is also a slight difference in the environmental operating specs you may want to consider depending on the installation, i.e. we have found the family of APs that the AP245X has descended from more desirable in our non-climate controlled warehouses and the AP550 line more suitable in our office spaces.

Hope this helps.

[AnonymousM]

The AP550 is also a wave 2 .11ac AP. It is a 4x4:4 model whereas the AP245/250 are 3x3:3 models. That said, most of the devices at your events will be mobile devices, so 2x2:2 capable. I think you'd be fine with either option (even without LACP as you'll never need more than 1 Gbps with a bunch of 2x2:2 capable client devices).

Don't forget to add in the cost of the external antennas when comparing the two APs though as it does not come with any by default. Both are dual 5 GHz capable, which could be beneficial in your open environment.

Both are valid routes though. If you choose the AP245 as your AP or choice, the alternate of that is the AP250 and the only difference is that it has internal omni antennas so you wouldnt need to purchase any additional antennas.