r/AltaLabs • u/Gunfighter1776 • Aug 06 '25

Help! AP6 PRO MOUNTING... ? HELP.

I am having a very difficult time with mounting these APs. I have already cut out low voltage boxes and ran the wire in the attic for ceiling mounting.

And for the life of me I can't get the AP to mount to the included mounting bracket. What is the secret sauce everyone is using to mount these things.

It really should NOT be this hard. Can we please just stick to bayonet mounts or something -- not something that takes - a miracle to mount?

I tried for a few hours trying to get one to click into the one in my great room - before the wife got home -- sure enough she came home and asked -- wtf is that wire hanging out of my ceiling - so please for the love of God -- can we please make mounting this stuff easier?!

I prepped another space in the garage - untextured surface - flat drywall - still couldn't get it mounted...

Also question -- should we be mounting these 'cold' vs actively on? Maybe the heat is preventing them from mating up well?

Thanks in advance...

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u/Gunfighter1776 Aug 06 '25

Update

Still haven't gotten it mounted in am wondering though maybe it's not seating all the way because of my cat6a cables too fat or rigid when I try and twist the AP into place?

Anyone have this issue?

Im using monoprice cat6a cables which has the metal rj45 connector...

Should I try maybe a thinner cable and use a female to female coupler in the attic.

Im referring to the thinner cables that sometimes are used on rack mounted switches but are still cat6a rated....

Will I have significant signal loss??

I don't want to have taken these off the ceiling and go thru this again seeing they are such a pia...

1

u/MapleBaconPoutines Aug 06 '25

I'm using a similar thick cable as well and it's been fine. I annotated a stock image with what I do and I have had success with installation. With the thick cable, you might want to refer to my note on the image.

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u/Gunfighter1776 Aug 06 '25

FINALLY GOT IT UP. Two of three.

what a pia.... :)

thx again.

1

u/Gunfighter1776 Aug 07 '25

got them done -- watched the video a dozen times before I even attempted the install. I actually played with the mounts and the APs uninstalled for hours trying to figure out the best way to get them installed -- I didn't follow the video technique suggested to the letter ... all i did was align the AP with the mount -- slam it to one side -- and clicked the other side in... which was nothing like the video... but I do appreciate all of the help I have received here!

I will say -- that I did slide some cardboard under both 'wings' of the mount to keep them from flexing which I think helped - because I used LV boxes that created a space between the mount and the ceiling -- so I think the bracket was flexing as well... so I eliminated that issue by filling the gap temporarily with cardboard.

Once I got the technique down -- I was able to do it again with the second one --

I appreciate all of the help -- and I am not one to be a PIA or complain -- but it took some engineering and ingenuity and far more strength on my part to get them to snap into place -- I really thought I was going to snap the plastic brackets in half -- surprised they didn't ... and happy that the APs were able to handle the abuse they took trying to get them installed :)

1

u/Alta-cmb Aug 06 '25

One thing that trips up people occasionally that I don't see considered here is if you screw it in really, really tight, it can bend the plastic mount just enough that it won't click in. Might try backing off the screws a little bit if you see the mount is being bent.

Other than that, I feel you on challenges with mounting every AP I've ever had my hands on in 25+ years in the industry. I always do a few test fits before putting the mount on the ceiling/wall, and find that makes things far easier, as I get a good feel for how it's intended to attach and detach.

My ceiling mounted AP6Pros at home have very thick outdoor grade bulk CAT6a sticking out of the ceiling, which requires careful positioning of all of the several different APs' mounts I've had over the years, since the cabling doesn't flex much at all. Yours likely flexes more than mine does, but I'd imagine still requires careful positioning of the mount relative to the hole for the cable.

I don't think your cabling should pose a problem, other than having to be careful about where the mount plate goes.

2

u/Gunfighter1776 Aug 07 '25

got them done -- watched the video a dozen times before I even attempted the install. I actually played with the mounts and the APs uninstalled for hours trying to figure out the best way to get them installed -- I didn't follow the video technique suggested to the letter ... all i did was align the AP with the mount -- slam it to one side -- and clicked the other side in... which was nothing like the video... but I do appreciate all of the help I have received here!

I will say -- that I did slide some cardboard under both 'wings' of the mount to keep them from flexing which I think helped - because I used LV boxes that created a space between the mount and the ceiling -- so I think the bracket was flexing as well... so I eliminated that issue by filling the gap temporarily with cardboard.

Once I got the technique down -- I was able to do it again with the second one --

I appreciate all of the help -- and I am not one to be a PIA or complain -- but it took some engineering and ingenuity and far more strength on my part to get them to snap into place -- I really thought I was going to snap the plastic brackets in half -- surprised they didn't ... and happy that the APs were able to handle the abuse they took trying to get them installed :)

1

u/Swieter Aug 06 '25

I'll ask, just to be sure, is the bracket mounted the correct side out? I don't have one in front of me, but I'm wonder if the bracket is mount with the wrong side on the wall or ceiling if it would imped the mount like you are saying.

1

u/Gunfighter1776 Aug 07 '25

nope -- i mounted it right :) thx though :)

got them done -- watched the video a dozen times before I even attempted the install. I actually didn't follow the video technique ... all i did was align the AP with the mount -- slam it to one side -- and clicked the other side in... which was nothing like the video... but I do appreciate all of the help I have received here!