Welcome back to another deep dive into the world of technology with Lighthouse! Today, we're excited to introduce you to our latest partner in networking solutions, Alta Labs. This innovative newcomer to the industry is making waves with its cloud-first approach, and we're thrilled to offer their products as an integral part of our stack!
Meet Alta Labs: A New Player with a Big Impact
Though Alta Labs is relatively new to the scene, having been around for just a few years, they're backed by engineering expertise from industry giants like Ubiquiti. Their standout feature? A focus on cloud-managed solutions that offer seamless and rapid client support. At Lighthouse, this translates to faster issue resolution and less hassle with logging in or remote management. The benefits of cloud tools extend to templating and secure state management, streamlining network setups significantly.
Alta's Unique Value Proposition
Unlike many competitors, Alta's products are free from annual maintenance costs. This makes their solutions particularly tempting, offering full cloud-managed features without the burden of subscriptions. We introduced Alta to our lineup at the end of 2024 after extensive testing, which led us to become quite fond of their offerings.
Let's explore three flagship products from Alta Labs:
- Network Switches: Starting with an eight-port PoE switch, Alta also offers 16, 24, and 48-port models. These switches, while some compact and some rack-mounted, come with impressive build quality and essential features like VLAN support and PoE+ ports. However, a current limitation is the number of PoE ports across the range, but Alta is on it, announcing forthcoming models with full PoE.
- Router/Firewall: A compact yet powerful device, the Route10 provides real-time network insights, features advanced security protocols, and supports high-speed SFP+ ports for substantial uplinks. Its affordability and performance make it a great option, despite some ongoing tweaks needed for multi-WAN support.
- Access Points: Alta's access points stand out for their performance and innovative features like Alta Pass, allowing multiple shared keys on a single network identity. Likely to capture attention with their design, these APs compete strongly with more expensive counterparts, offering excellent range and speed. We went over the AP6 Pro in our video, but there are many options available.
Performance and Potential
From switches to firewalls and access points, Alta products offer high performance at a sub-$300 price point. Though still awaiting extensive field deployment, preliminary results are promising, showing Alta as a potent competitor in the network equipment arena, especially for setups under ~20 users. Despite some minor gripes, especially regarding rack-mount options for enterprise scenarios, Alta's commitment to continuous improvement is evident. Their focus on integrating user feedback ensures that enhancements are in the pipeline.
Concluding Thoughts
Alta Labs is proving to be a valuable addition to our networking solutions, providing cost-effective and feature-rich hardware options without the typical overhead costs. Their cloud-centric design philosophy aligns with our mission at Lighthouse to offer our clients cutting-edge technology that streamlines operations and enhances productivity.
Expect to see Alta Labs products on our quotes soon, especially as we phase out older lines in favor of these new, robust solutions. We look forward to empowering your networks with the latest from Alta Labs, and we're excited to see these devices in action. Until next time, stay connected!