Beginner's Guide for Choosing a Unifi AP

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Knowing what features or benefits you get from a more expensive AP isn't always obvious. My hope is that by watching this video, you will have a better grasp of why Unifi prices their APs like they do. This is not a deep dive AP lesson, but more of a overall strategy for picking out what APs will work best for you.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:16 Generations of Wi-Fi
6:21 AP Mounting Options
11:02 Comparing Wi-Fi 6 APs
18:44 Comparing Wi-Fi 7 APs
23:24 Your client matters too
28:01: Final Thoughts on buying APs
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Other Videos:
How to Choose a Unifi Switch Video: • How to Choose which Un...
Unifi Gateway Video: • Which Unifi Router is ...
How to Plan you WiFi: • Plan your Wi-Fi Locati...
Links to Devices:
U7 Pro Max AP: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
U7 Pro AP: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
U7 Pro Wall: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
U7 Outdoor AP: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
U6 Enterprise AP : store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
U6 LR AP: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
U6 Pro AP: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
U6 Lite AP: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...

Опубликовано:

11 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 75

@lionheart8001 Месяц назад

Well explained thanks a lot!

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

I hope it was helpful. Thanks.

@JH-jh2 16 дней назад

Such a well made video and a VERY helpful analysis - no fluff or useless info, straight to the point, not boring, covering off on all important points. Thank you!! Just subscribed. I'll now have to look into whether i can connect a WiFi 7 AP wirelessly with a WiFi 5 router (or through a moca connector, but that's another $100).

@ethernetblueprint 12 дней назад

Thank you for the compliment. I really enjoy making these videos. I couldn’t tell in the second part of your comment if you were talking about wirelessly connecting a UniFi Wi-Fi 7 AP with a UniFi Wi-Fi 5 device. Ubiquity can only mesh with other ubiquity products. I will tell you that if you have the option for physically cabling it, you’re gonna get way better speeds. I don’t think ubiquity has quite got mesh throughput figured out yet.

@chevyb2283 Месяц назад

Another great video

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!

@mar1video Месяц назад

Great review ❗️ Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yesterday I’ve picked up a Ubiquity Unifi Dream Machine SE and U7 PRO access point as a replacement for TP Link BE9300 WI7 router and AX3000 Omada WI6 outdoor access point. I only had the TP Link setup for a week, as a Starlink router replacement. Im still awaiting for Ubiquity U7 Outdoor release (17 Jun 24) in 9 days. The Ubiquity equipment should do the trick to provide WiFi to an old farmhouse, garden and surrounding area. I understand that I need to buy another outdoor access point, but seems like Unifi is a better option than buying extenders and other equipment from the other brand. Hopefully I won’t regret the additional $365 in price difference. 😁

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

I think you’ll like UniFi. Sounds like a nice setup. Good luck with everything.

@Chris-zd2zi Месяц назад

Any reason you went with Ubiquiti instead of just finishing your Omada setup?

@mar1video Месяц назад

@@Chris-zd2zi - TP Link supposed to be the cheaper solution, but specs on paper sometimes don’t match reality. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with TP Link. Unifi came highly recommended couple years ago by one of my family members that is working in IT for some .gov contractor. I wasn’t impressed with the prices. Meanwhile my other router at my other location start acting up. It needs to be restarted from time to time. This time Ubiquity product came recommended by another friend, this working in CCTV and alarms business, as a “It just works” product. I’m not an expert it Networking, and budget is tight, so jumping into a semi pro equipment was the best idea I could come up with. I took some college courses in 2003-2005 to become IT something something, but that didn’t work out as planned. Setup time was cut in the half with Unifi 😃 comparing to TP Link . So far is working great and I have WiFi coverage in the places I needed. Once additional access point will be added on, I’ll have coverage where I wanted in the first place ! Good luck with your project !

@1d9d5k6 Месяц назад

Great review and thank you. I have to U6 Pro's, one upstairs and one downstairs; the software meshed them together and I have not complaints. My Failgear in the garage needs to be replaced. How would the system or mesh fare if I took the U6 Pro to the garage and replaced the upstairs AP with an U7 AP? I do have a couple of 6E devices, that are primarily used upstairs.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

I haven't personally tried what you are descibing here, but from what I have read, the U7 device will mesh with the U6 Pro APs using its 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz bands (depending on how far they are apart and obstacles)... If you plan on upgrading one of the APs in the home to U7, I would upgrade the AP connected to the switch. This will give you the best chance at seeing a performance upgrade with your 6E devices because there will be a wired backhaul to the internet. Since the meshed devices will be communicating with each other over the 2.4/5Ghz band, your throughput will be limited to those speeds and you won't be able to take advantage of the extra speed on the 6Ghz band.... I hope that makes sense...

@1d9d5k6 Месяц назад

@@ethernetblueprint , thank you for the reply and it does make sense. However, both AP's are hooked directly to my DMSE.

@mikeb1220 19 дней назад

@@1d9d5k6 Maybe I'm misunderstanding something here, but if both upstairs and downstairs AP's are hardwired to the UDM SE then the meshing is not needed, and frankly not doing anything. Meshing is done wirelessly and only needed when an AP cannot be hardwired to a switch. If these are all hardwired, I might suggest turning off the mesh function for those AP's. Cheers.

@realMysta 24 дня назад

If you were trying to add some reach to yard for gardening devices/connecting while walking dog/working in yard(100-150 ft or so radius) would you just mount an Indoor one with Wifi 7/6ghz on the inside of house to supplement u7 pro you have on the other ends of house or would you say it's actually beneficial to use an actual outdoor like u7 outdoor or u6 mesh?

@ethernetblueprint 24 дня назад

I typically recommend having an outdoor AP for something like this. If you think about it this way, your home is built to keep hot/cold air where it is supposed to be, suppress sounds and and be sturdy. This isn't good for WiFi signal to pass through... especially if you want to use the faster bands like 5Ghz or 6Ghz. I would put an AP outside if you can. They will shoot out pretty far.

@donaldhoudek2889 Месяц назад

I have 4 UI AP's (3) nanoHD's and (1) U6 lite on the UDM-Pro, USW Pro-24 and UNVR with 1 WiFi camera and 12 wired (HD mode) and this is only a 1KSqFt home, big downsize from up north (3.6KSqFt). I have been running theses for about 3 years and have yet to have an performance issue of any kind. We have had the entire family over here and all the kids have their iPads, iPhones, tablets and never got the dreaded buffering circle. As for the house there are 11 WiFi devices (Alarm, 4 FireSticks, 3 Alexia's,2 thermostats, Fridge.... that are always running, not to mention a few that only come on occasionally. I also have to add in the 38 ZigBee sensors/switches that also operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency, so the 2.4 GHz frequency has got some traffic on it. At the current Point in Time I really do not see a need to upgrade to WiFi 7. I still have one more nanoHD on a shelf as a backup. Up until 2 years ago I had 100mbps internet, which did not have any performance issues, the kids talked me into upgrading to 500mbps which cost me $10 a month more. I doubt that I will ever come close to maxing that out in my lifetime. So far today only used 16Gb. GREAT Video, GREAT Detail, and if my AP's start crapping out well then I guess I will upgrade to WiFi7.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Thanks. And thank you for sharing your setup. I think that helps anyone watching feel better about their. Glad you’ve had a great experience.

@saeedahmad3748 Месяц назад

Very helpful video. I had a question, I am going to Unifi echo system in my old home (meaning minimal wired) and have fiber internet. After watching lot of your videos on Unifi decided to go with UDM pro but to have wireless net work added Unifi express as Access point (as I don't have wired connecting in my home and express can be powered by USB-C and I can use it as wireless mesh network with 2-4 express devices). The main purpose of change to Unifi from my current mesh next work is more security and VAN use. This is my thought but need your help as I am not sure that my thought is right especially using Express as my AP while you did not mention Unifi Express in your this video. What you think about my above solution? please help.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Yes. You can use Express devices as APs and they can mesh when you have limited limited cabling. I also didn’t mention the U6 Extender too. They plug into an outlet to get their power and will mesh too. I’ll have to do a full video on them. store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/wifi-wall/products/u6-extender

@saeedahmad3748 Месяц назад

@@ethernetblueprint Thank you very much, it is very helpful and will wait for full video on these devices.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

You're welcome!

@LeeBoris974 Месяц назад

I have a U7 Pro sitting on a shelf. It's footprint is a bit large, but it works great.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Glad it’s been a good solution. Thanks for the comment.

@EricLind77 18 дней назад

What are your thoughts on the fan in the U7 Pro/U7 Pro Max in terms of long term deployments? Having to service moving parts on an AP in either an enterprise or residential situation sounds like a big potential problem. I'm upgrading from a 10 year old (maybe older) home router to OPNsense + an external AP and the Unifi controller has a lot of nice bells and whistles I like. But I'm looking at that fan vent in the u7 models and thinking, "what happens when that fan fails?" because it will fail eventually. Do I need to have a cold spare AP sitting around? It feels like I'm taking on a lot of added uncertainty vs the U6 Enterprise. But maybe I'm just overthinking it?

@ethernetblueprint 17 дней назад

I’ll be honest, until I read this, I didn’t know they had a fan in them. I have a U7 pro in my living room and have never heard a fan noise once. I do tend to agree that this new development could cause issues down the road but I guess I’m norm worried about that. I do know that the U6 LR and U6E APs get super hot so maybe this will help.

@mkdenver 22 дня назад

Great video. I just upgraded to a 2gig fiber. So far I have the UDM SE and a U6+ what access points can I get to take full advantage of the 2Gigs? PS: I might need to mesh because the house walls are pretty isolating.

@mikeb1220 19 дней назад

In terms of ethernet ports, the UDM SE only has a 2GbE WAN (internet) port, the rest are 1GbE. So you would need to connect the UDM to another switch that has 2.5GbE LAN ports via the SFP+ port (10GbE). The current Ubiquiti switches with 2GbE LAN ports would include the Pro Max line as well as the Enterprise PoE switches.

@ethernetblueprint 19 дней назад

Well it depends on what you think of as "taking advantage of the 2Gig"... Even WiFi7 APs will struggle with getting 2Gb speeds to a single device over wifi... However if you think of it more as sharing that 2Gig across the network and allowing more devices to connect faster, then most of the WiFi6/7 APs will let you take advantage of faster internet speeds... The WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 APs have 2.5Gb ports on them so they can handle faster speeds when connected to a switch that can do the same... Not sure I understand you mesh comment, but if your forced to "mesh" your APs together wirelessly and not have the physically connected to the network, then nothing is going to get you close to those speeds... meshing drastictically kills speeds with Unifi... but maybe I am not understanding what you mean by that...

@mkdenver 15 дней назад

@@ethernetblueprint thank you for your response! My thought process was in that same direction. I managed to order a ubiquiti switch that handles 2.5GbE PoE+, an extra access point (U7 pro) and a SFP+ cable to connect the switch to my UDM SE. Though all devices will not get 2 gig speeds, they will still get for more better speeds with that setup!

@mkdenver 15 дней назад

@@ethernetblueprint the mesh component was from the Ubiquiti perspective on how one can advertise the same SSIDs on all physically connected access points.

@ethernetblueprint День назад

Once you create the Wireless network in your SE, it will tell all your APs to broadcast it by default... UNLESS you specifically tell it not to. You should be good!

@kunalkishan9411 29 дней назад

Great Video! For the POE + Powered, does that mean I would need to have an outlet near my AP so it can be plugged into? How does the POE + Powered work? Tried to google but only came up with how regular POE works lol

@ethernetblueprint 29 дней назад

Hi there... The great thing about this setup is you don't need a power source near the AP... you only need to run a Cat6 line to the location. The AP will get its POE+ power from the switch. Switches have POE ports on them which mean they will deliver both network connectivity and power to your devices - like APs and Cameras. It make for a much easier setup when installing. I have a video on switches as well that talks about this too. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CmwqZ-b55NY.html

@mikeb1220 19 дней назад

If you understand how regular POE works, the only difference with POE+ is that it is sending more power over the ethernet cable than regular POE. POE sends the least amount of power, POE+ sends more, and POE++ sends the most.

@kunalkishan9411 18 дней назад

@@mikeb1220 very helpful, thank you!

@kunalkishan9411 18 дней назад

@@mikeb1220 are you familiar with ubiquity and the gateways? Trying to determine if I will need one for my set up. Will have 4 access points and 16 port POE switch and 16 port regular switch.

@kunalkishan9411 18 дней назад

@@ethernetblueprint thank you, this was super helpful! Trying to determine if I will need a gateway for my set up. Will have 4 access points and 16 port POE switch and 16 port regular switch.

@ThomasAgain 21 день назад

good vid

@ethernetblueprint 19 дней назад

Thanks very much!

@SteveN-sy4bm 29 дней назад

Hi can you share a little more on the pros and cons of using the in wall devices behind the tv…. Will this still function as an ap at an acceptable level?

@ethernetblueprint 29 дней назад

I get this question alot, so much that I am going to do a video on it... I put them behind TVs all the time. The TV will block some of the signal and I still prefer to use a ceiling mounted AP in an open area... however, I have had a lot of success with Inwall behind TVs... If your TV is mounted on a stone fireplace, the stone will cause more signal issues than the TV... If you have an android device, you can get the WiFiMan app and it will help you determine your signal and where you need to add additional APs...

@SteveN-sy4bm 28 дней назад

I look forward to the video I am remodeling a historic lathe and plaster house which degrades the signal but your videos have really help my planning and upgrade to a full unifi house

@ethernetblueprint 19 дней назад

I am glad to here that... old plaster houses definately add some challenges with WiFi... I am happy to hear that I have been able to help!

@rolf2943 Месяц назад

For the European market with the crazy energy prizes, if you need an install with multiple access points i would only use the high end AC's like wifi 7 in rooms where you really have a lot of devices and go with a lighter model like the u6 plus or lite elsewhere. Where the u6 plus/lite uses around 3 to 4 Watts, U6-mesh to 6+ Watt it starts to get high for the high-end ac's like 9+ Watt for the U6-LR and over 10Watts with the wifi 7 models. Unless you have a ton of high speed wifi devices the extra cost in purchase and electricity is just not worth it for the marginal gains it gives for the majority of homes. Personally i kept my wifi 5 pro models and U6+ models in most spots and use a U6 mesh in the congested space and a U6-LR in my office. I regret buying the U6-LR as for most use cases it is overkill as you can get more coverage with 2 U6+ models for almost the same price and less power consumption.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

All good points. And I wasn’t aware of the European stipulations on energy. I think a lot of it is dictated by the cables you have in your house too. Some people need a single AP to shoot farther in their home because they don’t have the cables for two smaller access points. Thank you for weighing in. I appreciate your comment.

@rolf2943 Месяц назад

@@ethernetblueprint yes indeed, the extra wiring might be a problem, but in general the range gain with the high end models is limited (by ex. in Europe the LR model gets a bit neutered by EU regulation). Just to give you an idea, running any u7 over a u6+ costs at least around 50 usd/year extra in power consumtion where i live. If you start counting a couple of ap's it all starts adding up overtime.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Yikes... That is crazy. I had no idea!

@peterstasinaki642 Месяц назад

They did announce the U7 Pro in-wall HD is coming out soon and it will have a network switch built in.

@peterstasinaki642 Месяц назад

Crosstalk solutions covered this at the 3:20 mark. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GFoEuSbMi_U.htmlsi=9KaGWvyIXzK9W3Bg

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Interesting. I’m glad to hear that. I had not read that.

@peterstasinaki642 Месяц назад

@@ethernetblueprint crosstalk solutions covered it in his video. Around the 3:20 mark… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GFoEuSbMi_U.htmlsi=sbonGu42Ugg6rtFe

@peterstasinaki642 Месяц назад

@@ethernetblueprint Crosstalk soulutions cover it in his video around the 3:20 mark. It’s in his review of the u7 inwall

@peterstasinaki642 Месяц назад

@@ethernetblueprint it’s talked about in Crosstalk solutions video review of the u7 inwall.

@jorsol Месяц назад

I have a U6-Pro mounted in wall, I'm doing it wrong?

@Cheesus4You Месяц назад

Should be fine.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Of course not. As long as you’re getting the coverage you need, I’m sure it’s just fine. I was just mentioning that. I typically don’t mount them like that and I would use more of a U6 mesh or a similar wall mounted access point for wall in those cases.

@BowWowPewPewCQ Месяц назад

FYI Samsung S24 Ultra supports wifi 7. The base and + models are wifi 6E

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Sweet. I did not know that. Appreciate the info.

@randomuser2468 Месяц назад

I believe the U6 Lite is Wi-Fi 6 on 5 GHz only, not on 2.4 GHz.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

It appears that you are correct... The devil is in the details - or in this case, the fine print.

@420niles Месяц назад

Love the click bait ho

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

That picture counts a clickbait?

@TheBrotherHolmes 28 дней назад

My phone is Wifi7.

@ethernetblueprint 27 дней назад

Thanks for sharing. It is coming, that is for sure. Which phone do you have?

@TheBrotherHolmes 27 дней назад

@@ethernetblueprint Google Pixel 8 Pro

@ethernetblueprint 19 дней назад

Nice... Thanks for sharing!

@garryholmberg6502 Месяц назад

Pixel 8 Pro has wifi 7

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

I figured some of the newer phones would have WiFi 7 in them. They seem to be the first to adopt the new wifi standards... Thanks for sharing!

@l0gic23 Месяц назад

That more expensive dishwasher is a scam

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

Hahaha. 😆

@stalowyszczur3198 Месяц назад

You didn't do your homework ;) To join a Wi-Fi 6E network, you need one of these Apple devices: MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 2024) MacBook Air (13-inch, M3, 2024) iMac (24-inch, 2023) MacBook Pro (14-inch, Nov 2023) or MacBook Pro (16-inch, Nov 2023) MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023) or MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2023) Mac mini (2023) Mac Studio (2023) Mac Pro (2023) iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) or iPad Pro 12.9 inch (6th generation) To create a Wi-Fi 6E network, you need a Wi-Fi router or access point that supports Wi-Fi 6E and has its 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands also enabled, preferably using a single network name (SSID) across all bands.

@ethernetblueprint Месяц назад

I appreciate you commenting, but I’m not sure I understand your comment. I simply stated that in order to take advantage of the 6Ghz band your client needs to be compatible.