AVNation took the next gen WAP from Pakedge out for a spin

Whether your next job is a home looking for robust network or a slate of monitoring tools you need a reliable access point. The average home has between 20 and 25 wireless devices and need the ability to get devices on and off quickly with enough throughput to satisfy everyone. Interior designers and architects have recognized the need for network, they just don’t want to “see” it. The new Pakedge WA-2200 Access Point is a good piece for the price and performance and it’s the company’s next generation of wireless products.

The Pakedge WA-2200-C access point is a low profile, powerful network appliance. The device comes with an in-ceiling flush mount, but you don’t have to use that mount. For a convenient hidden mount, the WA-2200 is really well done.

Installation

When you open the box you are greeted with the WA-2200 access point and in-ceiling mount. In addition, there is a sticker template for you to cut the ceiling hole. Once that has been accomplished, the anchoring tabs keeping the WA-2200-C mount in place are set by two Phillips screws. Bring a network cable through the top and plug it in (as long as you’re running PoE) and you are on your way.

Setting up the WA-2200

Like most of the Pakedge product line, setup is based on a web server. The WA-2200 can run on PoE, needing 12 VDC. If you can’t or don’t want to run PoE, you can plug it into a power adapter that is sold separately. Once there is power, login into the default IP address and within 5 minutes you will have most of the settings done. At least that was my experience.

One small qualifier. I have been through the Control 4/Pakedge PCNA course. And passed. So my experience may be different on the speed of setup. That being said, it was quite simple to setup. It does come with BakPak Lite. That is Pakedge’s simplified version of BakPak. If you have a full version of BakPak already, then you are going to want to add the WA-2200 to that.

Since I do have a BakPak account that is the route I took. Once you have logged into the access point you head over to the Connections section and attach the WA-2200-C to your existing BakPak. If you don’t have an account this is where it will prompt you to add one.

The environment

This was installed and tested in a 2,000 square foot home. The WA-2200 was placed in the bedroom area of the home so we could test how many devices it could successfully handle at any given time. The max we had on any given time was 12 devices. This device list is below. There was no noticeable change in network speed or connectivity, even while streaming video to multiple devices.

Conclusion

From a performance standpoint, the WA-2200-C is a solid access point. The bandwidth it can push through to wireless connections is quite impressive. I appreciate the design of the ceiling mount. Those who do not appreciate technology don’t always want to see the tech. The ability to hide the WA-2200 in a flush mount is well done. The setup is relatively simple, especially if you have an existing BakPak account and have some experience with Pakedge interfaces. If not, it might take you a bit longer. Overall, it’s a great access point at a competitive price to other APs in the same class.

4 out 5 stars

Devices connected:

(2) Amazon Echo

(2) XBox game systems

(3) laptop

(3) iPhone 7

(2) Amazon Fire stick