Beginner's Guide for Choosing a Unifi AP

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:

Links to Devices:

[JH-jh]

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).

[MrHassanfakhry]

Amazing video!
Really makes everything clear, simply and to the point

[ATypicalJake]

Thank you for making this video! I noticed that they dropped the 4 port switch on the newer in wall AP, but hadn’t considered the speed limitations in our phones and tablets. I recently moved from a 2 story house to a single story and am finding that my AC router no longer reaches everywhere I need it to. I’ve been casually looking at setting up a Ubiquity network and am more comfortable getting a couple in wall 6’s, one for each end of the house, and a U7 pro for the middle. Hopefully they integrate switches in the next generation of access points when I need to upgrade again. Cheers!

[marvideo]

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.
😁

[edvinsroze]

Nice video - good concise summary of the various flavors of WiFi!

[donaldhoudek]

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.

[NoahZimmerman]

Great video! I just have one question. If I only have cat 5e run through the house, is there much of a point for going with wifi 7 access points, or would it make more sense to stick with wifi 6?

[mkdenver]

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.

[anpc]

Im closing in on the date i have to start purchasing the gear in a few weeks, for home of 2k sq ft, 2 floors

Local store got stock of Gateway Max
I can get a POE 8 port switch, likely get the doorbell and maybe a camera

Only thing available for U7 AP are the discs.
The Wall one is not in stock and i dont see one with built-in switch even on any site.

I am new to ubiquity, is there any point in just going minimal viable product and trying to see what happens Black Friday?

I am thinking at one end of the house, main office get U6 wall then other side of house mounted to ceiling u7 pro disc.

Thank you for your content, i like how the videos are very topic specific, i keep going back to them to remind me what i need to know on each step.

[EricLind]

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?

[ddk]

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.

[LeeBoris]

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

[richardmurray]

Even with a lack of WiFi 7 devices, the U7 access points are the cheaper way to get WiFi 6E since only the expensive enterprise version of the U6 line provides that.

[realMysta]

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?

[thebeuks]

love your channel, i would love to join the unifi ecosystem but her in Australia it is very expensive

[tomnewman]

Does having a 2.5 gig access point really help if your broad band is only 1 gig

[kunalkishan]

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

[saeedahmad]

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.

[SteveN-sybm]

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?

[avinashjagdeo]

My Odin 2 handheld is the only wifi 7 device I currently have. It's also dual wifi.