Ubiquiti - UniFi Express

Yes and no. I replaced my Google WiFi system with a bunch of UXs and had no complaints. But there is a limit to how many devices they can manage, and I wanted to add some other UniFi switches so I hit the limit basically immediately. There's a few solutions, but I ended up making my main gateway a Cloud Gateway Ultra instead, with the UXs all acting as APs, which they're much better at than the Google devices, honestly. That said, I ended up going down the rabbit hole and I'm running a UCG-Max now, various other switches, including PoE powered devices, a number of cameras, and a doorbell, so be warned 😁

Pretty much any consumer router made in the last 10 years will work, but id recommend the unifi express (149.99) or unifi express 7 (199.99), I would go with the unifi express 7 as its a bit more value and is more future proof, Unifi routers also have great IDS/IPS. And then an 8 port unmanaged gigabit switch, pretty much anything will do the trick as long as it says gigabit and has at least 8 ports.

If your devices aren’t WiFi 7 then it’s not going to be any better. I’d buy the unifi express for $150. It’s prosumer and probably better than most. And if you need more WiFi coverage you can add an access point later. I’d also recommend getting an unmanaged 1gb switch from someone like tplink or netgear and then wire your ps5 via Ethernet.

UniFi, hands down. I don't know what you consider "similar nonsense", - prosumer and a lot of business will use a controller that manages the configurations and statistics. The Cloud Key is a somewhat older implementation of the UniFi setup where it performed as the controller and an NVR for cameras. They've split that off - you can get gateways (router/controller) that does not have the video incorporated any longer. The "cloud" in some of their hardware doesn't mean it's run from the cloud or whatever, it's simply part of the model name. You can run it all standalone without being tied to their servers (though it's pretty convenient at times). Similarly, they have "mesh" in the name of some of their APs - but all of them can be wirelessly uplinked. It's a matter of them associating through marketing to the massive consumer "mesh" marketing. But it's still prosumer stuff and uses the same controller as the rest. My favorite feature is reliability. It's been rock solid for me through 6 years (I've moved through three upgrades and it's just stable. I love it. Look at the Dream Router 7, UniFi Express models, and Cloud Gateway models for some pretty darned good home solutions. The Dream Machines are great also, they are rack mount though and tilt towards having the video features. Should you choose one of the simpler offerings and want to go video later - there are standalone DVRs - including the Cloud Key+, which is still popular - that you can add. There is other prosumer gear, but Ubiquiti UniFi and TP-Link Omada are the only ones I know of with the unified management.

UniFi, hands down. I don't know what you consider "similar nonsense", - prosumer and a lot of business will use a controller that manages the configurations and statistics. The Cloud Key is a somewhat older implementation of the UniFi setup where it performed as the controller and an NVR for cameras. They've split that off - you can get gateways (router/controller) that does not have the video incorporated any longer. The "cloud" in some of their hardware doesn't mean it's run from the cloud or whatever, it's simply part of the model name. You can run it all standalone without being tied to their servers (though it's pretty convenient at times). Similarly, they have "mesh" in the name of some of their APs - but all of them can be wirelessly uplinked. It's a matter of them associating through marketing to the massive consumer "mesh" marketing. But it's still prosumer stuff and uses the same controller as the rest. My favorite feature is reliability. It's been rock solid for me through 6 years (I've moved through three upgrades and it's just stable. I love it. Look at the Dream Router 7, UniFi Express models, and Cloud Gateway models for some pretty darned good home solutions. The Dream Machines are great also, they are rack mount though and tilt towards having the video features. Should you choose one of the simpler offerings and want to go video later - there are standalone DVRs - including the Cloud Key+, which is still popular - that you can add. There is other prosumer gear, but Ubiquiti UniFi and TP-Link Omada are the only ones I know of with the unified management.

Better routers are not going to overcome "lots of concrete and walls". You would be better served by working on a plan to get some ethernet run around and access points connected with it. "I'd really like to avoid..." says to me that you *could*, you just don't want to. The effort and expense would be worth it, your wifi experience would be so much better by using access points connected via ethernet. Mesh is just wifi via wifi, so the same signal issues getting to clients also applies to getting signal from router to mesh points. Placement will be key - the mesh point needs to be in a spot where it receives good signal from the router *and* is able to provide good signal to the clients you want to serve. The UniFi Express is more of an entry level device. The Dream Router 7 is meant to compete with the consumer all-in-one devices. The DR7 is *probably* going to do a better job with wifi. Nobody can predict how wifi will work in any house, but since you mentioned lots of concrete and walls, that makes wifi a challenge. What I will say is that UniFi will likely be more reliable and it's definitely more expandable with a wide range of APs and switches.

Do you have wifi 7 clients? If not, wifi 6 is cheaper. Do you have a ton of devices? If not, triband is not really necessary - most average consumer routers will handle a reasonable amount of clients. (Triband usually just adds a second 5 GHz radio, making a total of three.) I'd suggest you consider UniFi - for a single unit (combo router) the UniFi Dream Router 7 ( yes, if has wifi 7, but you get a lot of bang for the buck with the device and you'll get a bit of future proofing.) If you need more coverage, you can easily add another access point that would be managed within the same ecosystem. UniFi access points can be wirelessly uplinked (that's all mesh is) if desired. The UniFi Express (or Express 7) may be a budget-friendly choice as well. [https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cloud-gateways](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cloud-gateways)

The Express devices are more entry level/minimalist, and they also offer easy meshing for people want to do that. The DR7 is more competent and can do IDS/IPS and DPI which the Express devices don't. I don't think there is going to be a lot of difference in range but the performance is going to be better overall with the UDR7 (the IDS/IPS/DPI requires more horsepower). UniFi doesn't strive for huge range but instead the model for them is better coverage by using multiple access points. Trying to cover a whole house with a single AP is stretching wifi.

I would suggest the Unifi express or UX7, both can handle fiber and they are super friendly user interfaces.

grzeje się mocno i spowalnia. Jesli możesz sprzedaj i dołóż do express 7 jest dużo mocniejszy, quad core zamiast dualcore i 3gb ram zamiast 1. Dodatkowo ma ids/ips

Get a Unifi Express for $149 or step up to the Express 7 with wifi 7 for $199. The regular express should meet your needs tbh.

Unifi express for a one stop shop that just works. Unifi ucg ultra + an AP if you're a little more tech adventurous

>*"You are better going with something like ubiquity"* The problem with this is that if you want to get into 10G... or really anything beyond 1G, you need a UDM Pro which just isn't that great if you don't have room for a full 1U rack anywhere. And by the time you add in APs and potentially other switches it gets really pricey compared to a standard Asus all-in-one unit for a small-medium size house. There's the Dream router - but that's only wifi 6 and doesn't support multi-gig. The Express is cute but again, not above gig. Sure, the AIO solutions from Asus for 10G probably aren't quite as good as a full Unifi setup with their APs... but it's way cheaper, takes up less space, and is simpler if you want others in your household to be able to configure it when you're not around.

So I used to buy routers like this and they were kind of okay, but I found a better way. What worked for me is buying a prosumer router, like from UniFi—either an Express or Cloud Gateway product. Then you buy a wireless access point (AP)—I use U6 pros. This lets you decouple your wireless protocol from your router. You can then easily just upgrade the AP to a WiFi 7 or 8 when it makes sense for you and your router stays good for years. It’s a little more learning and money up front but it’s a far more solid, performant, and flexible home network situation than what these ASUS routers provide.