Omada EAP225 Outdoor

Mark Pickavancetests TP-Links affordable outdoors Wi-Fi solution by sitting in the garden with a laptop, a smartphone and a large Pimms

- Mark Pickavance

TP-Link has developed a range of wireless products designed for the great outdoors, and this access point under test is from its Omada brand. There are similar alternative products around at a similar price, such as the Ubiquiti UniFi AC Outdoor Mesh solution. But Ubiquiti’s offering doesn’t look like a high-technology upgrade for Harry Potter’s wand!

With the antenna attached, the Omada EAP225– Outdoor is about 40cm long, and comes with a small mounting plate designed to be glued, screwed or tie wrapped to some hopefully immovable piece of architecture. An alternative model – confusingly with the same model number – is designed for indoor use. Both antennae can also be replaced with alternative designs, if need be.

The only other moveable part of the EAP225 is a small access plate on the bottom end that provides a weatherproofed (IP65) entry point for a single Ethernet cable. There’s a flaw here, however, as the hole for the cable to enter is directly underneath, and not rear facing. Therefore, it isn’t possible to install an Ethernet cable without it being visible.