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.

Things like unify express are about 200 a pop. You get one of those and then standalone access points like i7 pro. And for wired devices you add some 2.5 gbe or 10 gbe switches.

A UniFi express will be underpowered and a dream machine pro is enormous and will be overpowered. Get a cloud gateway max. And you’ll need a PoE switch to power your access points. Other than that, yeah this is good advice

This will probably get lost in the other messages, but it seems like you are getting close to potentially going down the r/homelab route. In that case, I would recommend the Ubiquiti Unifi Express (https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/ux). It runs the same router software as the Dream Machine but only supports 4 managed devices (unlimited unmanaged devices, you likely have 0 manageable devices at the moment). Because it runs the same networking software as the UDM, if you ever wanted to upgrade to a bigger network using the UDM, it would be a super easy transition. You can even use the Unifi Express as an access point with the UDM so it isn't a wasted purchase in the event of an upgrade.

The UniFi Express 7 is only $199 and the UniFi Express (WiFi 6) is $149. I bet the gl.net has better coverage but if that’s not a huge issue I’d argue that the UniFi stuff is affordable for anyone looking for something decent. I live in a one story 3 bedroom duplex where I host my UDR7 (same coverage as the Express 7 but more ports and features for $80 more) on one far corner of the apartment in my bedroom. It’s completely usable for my roommates and even outside on the patio on the other corner of the place. Coverage would probably be better if I centrally located the UDR7 but I’m selfish and want the peak 6Ghz speeds for myself.

It’s bit overkill maybe, but if you don’t use any Ethernet ports I’d recommend the [UniFi Express 7](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cloud-gateways/products/ux7) for the cutting edge WiFi 7, the security, and the ease of managing devices for a family. It should be supported for a long time. If you do use extra wired ports you could always opt for the [Flex Switch](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-switching/products/usw-flex-mini) from them that gives you four extra ports and is powered off the router itself. That or you could go for the the [UniFi Dream Router 7](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/cloud-gateways-wifi-integrated/products/udr7) for a bit more. I just purchased the UDR7 and love it!

UniFi express is fine, but a little underpowered

It’s kinda slow, both in the interface but also connectivity. Granted though it’s perfectly fine for a small space and basic use case. But if I was going to do it again, I’d buy the express 7 for the extra $50

What’s your internet speed? It’s usually a good idea to avoid “gamer” stuff as it’s usually more expensive (gaming tax). If you have 2.5Gb or more, I would recommend getting something like the unifi dream router 7. Future proofing of WiFi 7, 10Gb/2.5Gb WAN and 3x 2.5Gb LAN ports. And you’re buying into the unifi ecosystem which will make expansion down the road really easy. If you don’t want to spend more for WiFi 7 or more then Gb on your ports, then there’s a ton of cheaper options. Personally I would still go with the dream router (not the 7) or the unifi express.

Yeap. Unifi is a sweet spot if you like user friendly interface, slightly more advanced capabilities and IDS/IPS. I have UDM-Pro, UDR and UX. First two are working perfectly and are very fast, so I can recommend both of them. UX is stable but not very fast, so don’t go that route. I don’t have UDM, so can’t comment.

The UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra can do 1Gbps. The UniFi Express has WiFi 6 and I think it also has 1Gbps throughput. I have the express and it's been rock solid. It also manages the 2 UniFi APs on the network. I'm only running 300/300 so I'm hardly pushing the hardware.

The Unifi Express non-7 is a bad piece of gear. It’s comically underpowered. The Unifi Express 7 is fine.

Moved from ASUS to Unifi. Reasonably low end kit for them, over 50 devices. Works like a dream. Even the Wi-Fi mesh.

Mine is a bit overkill for most situations, I have a cloud Gateway Ultra, u7 pro, 2 switch lite 8s, u6 extender, and an Ap-ac pro for an area that the others don't reach. I still run an opnsense firewall and a pihole as well for dns. BUT if you just need something simple an express gateway is enough for most people, and you can add additional ap's to it if needed as well. It is slow but for how little you have to actually log in and change settings after it is configured it doesn't matter. I set my parents up with an express and two additional ap's and they've had zero issues since as well.

I'm moving from TP-Link to Ubiquiti. Not related the the potential "ban" but because the unifi system is better and adds more options. And it doesn't have to be out of your price range. My ASUS systems ran about $500. Then my TP-Link ran $350. On the store right now you can get a cloud gateway express for 109 on sale. I have seen it on fb marketplace for $100 as well. And then on marketplace you're likely able to find some old AC Pros for around 25 a piece. so for $150ish you could cover most average homes...

I made the stupid mistake of buying two unifi Express models. Trust me, they are absolutely 100% garbage. I even sent one to the factory under RMA after I bought it, so I tested 3 total. I have hundreds of ubiquiti networking products for home and two business locations. Pro, non-pro, enterprise, switches, gateways, wifi AP's. They tend to work fine. The Express model though is a failed product, that should be pulled from the market. It will cause you nothing but pain and suffering. If this had been my first ubiquiti product, I would have permanently blacklisted the company line for all business purchases. Buy anything but this product.

I would return the dream router get the Unifi express series either the regular or the 7s. put one in the cupboard and put another in the house they mesh.

\+1 for Unifi. Have had it for 10+ years, and have three separate installations now. Super stable, no fuzz, top quality and good customer service (if you ever need it). For a basic set-up: * Unifi Cloud Gateway Ultra (connect the inbound line to this, and do all management through it): [https://eu.store.ui.com/eu/en/products/ucg-ultra](https://eu.store.ui.com/eu/en/products/ucg-ultra) (avoid the Unifi Express, it's .. shit. I have one, unfortunately) * U7 Pro (if you want wall mounted access point): [https://eu.store.ui.com/eu/en/category/all-wifi/products/u7-pro](https://eu.store.ui.com/eu/en/category/all-wifi/products/u7-pro) * U7 Pro Wall (if you want to place the AP on a shelf or similar): [https://eu.store.ui.com/eu/en/category/all-wifi/products/u7-pro-wall](https://eu.store.ui.com/eu/en/category/all-wifi/products/u7-pro-wall) Then visit r/UNIFI to see how to get rid of all your money. Edit: In the "large" installation we a wired connection between our house and the STR, and just one SSD for everything. It's been working great, and we have excellent coverage in both houses, the barn in between and surprisingly far outside the houses too (100m).

ASUS has some good routers personally I would recommend a you to get ubiquiti unifi express ( wifi version) as it has a lot more features then what you have listed. IDS / IPS ( intrusion detection system and intrusion protection system) Ad blocking DNS inbuilt into the device and it also has DNS redirects built in to make sure all your devices use your specified dns servers. And having your own DNS on your router you can block malicious sites and scams, force safe search and block all adults content.

If the new property has in-wall Ethernet or coax that can be converted to Ethernet via MoCA, you can use a main router + multiple AP setup. This is the ideal option as having the wired link to all APs will give you the most speed and consistency. I’d start with a unifi express + any network switch for the amount of wired devices you need. Then you can find dead zones in the home and add APs as needed. The other option is a mesh network like the eero that all link up wirelessly. It’s much more convenient, but sacrifices speed, latency, and reliability. I’m not too educated on the best mesh systems out there so I’ll let someone else recommend one.

I’ve been using UniFi UI Express. Those routers with ‘Gaming’ stamps all over them are grinding my gears. Not specifically knocking on ASUS they have good stuff. But the marketing BS is too much. Most enterprise and open source solutions blow these out of the water

The nice thing with UniFi is that you can start with a CGU and one AP, and if and when you find that the coverage is lacking then you can add another AP when you can afford that. And for each AP it gets better. I had an ASUS mesh system with 4 APs (eventually) that didn’t work well so I switched to a TP-link mesh system with 5 APs (eventually) and that didn’t work well. In both of those cases my coverage was poor with the initial setup and when I added more I got better coverage but it got less reliable. To me that is the difference between UniFi and the consumer systems I have encountered. The downside with UniFi is that you will start with something that fits within your budget and then you will sell your kidneys to get the budget you need to get the system you want. I am only half kidding. It is a drug.

For your setup Best signal: Unify Cloud Gateway Router, and U6+ or U7 Pro OR Simplest: UDR7 OR Lowest cost: Unify Express 7

> Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway and their access points. I have my main network, a guest network, an IoT network, and dedicated WFH network. The IoT network is 2.4 only to make setting up those devices easier. After years of trial and error with every consumer brand router under the sun, I have pretty much exactly the same Ubiquiti setup you do. Three access points, multiple virtual networks, and it's been very stable. Still gradually migrating all my IoT hardware to the dedicated IoT network though. I have so many stupid wifi thingies I keep finding new stuff I forgot about.

Any Cloud Gateway from Ubiquiti paired with AP’s. Easy to setup and manage.

Since you have cable Internet and it runs into the basement, you hopefully have coaxial cables available to you throughout the house, and usually in key locations. Just look at the area where all the coax ends should meet, likely in the basement where your modem/router is at and plugged into. If you do find this bunch of coax, you can use it with MoCA Adapters to build a wired Ethernet network inside your home. If you can achieve that, then getting good WiFi everywhere will be easy, as well as providing wired capabilities for other devices in needed locations. MoCA Adapters can be a bit expensive, but worth the cost. If you can build this MoCA network, then whatever you choose as the router and Access Points will work very well, including a 3 pack of a reputable mesh brand. For mesh, I use and can recommend eero. But ASUS Zen mesh is also praised a lot, and has more configurability. If you want to go higher end, you can get an Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway router, a Ubiquiti PoE switch, and some Ubiquiti Access Points. It's more expensive, but very capable of advanced setups, and is very stable. I use Ubiquiti at another home and in my office location, and I can recommend them personally as well.

So others will steer you into changing everything about your current smart home. And while they aren’t necessarily wrong, I’ll try and help you out with your ask. If a lot of your smart devices are Wi-Fi then you have some options. If you have Wi-Fi devices spread across your entire house and outside, you are going to want to invest in a decent mesh system. Specifically one where you can fine-tune the different Wi-Fi networks. You want a system where you can create different Wi-Fi networks as well as assign the bands to each network. I use a Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway and their access points. I have my main network, a guest network, an IoT network, and dedicated WFH network. The IoT network is 2.4 only to make setting up those devices easier. That network can’t reach into the other networks but the main network can reach into the IoT network. I haven’t worked out all the kinks, as I’m still learning myself and tweaking as I go. Another option would be to find a more consumer grade mesh system where you can have multiple access points, nodes, or whatever the brand you choose calls it. The big thing there is to ensure your 2.4 GHz network is named differently than your 5GHz. The mesh helps with coverage, and the unique name for the 2.4 again makes adding your smart devices a lot easier. You should be able to do this with your google Wi-Fi pucks now. Advice would be to leave the 2.4 network the same so you don’t have to read those devices, it can be a pain, the name your 5GHz something different. Phones and laptops are a lot easier to change networks on. The big thing that will help with speed in the consumer grade setup is having wired back haul capabilities. Google Wi-Fi does, I don’t think Nest does. That changes your access points from repeaters to the same speed as your main router, but in more places in your house. The caveat being you need to have Ethernet access in the places you want to add those wired Access Points. I’m sure others will chime in, and correct anything I got wrong. 🤣 Edited: Because I skimmed and missed that you already have a mesh system capable of naming the bands differently and google Wi-Fi supports wired backhaul.

I have just moved to Unifi from Linksys due to the constant issues with the Velop mesh. All wired and seems to be working very well. Even the Mrs is happy

You can easily do this with Ubiquiti UniFi gateways. Often we create a different SSID for IoT and just turn on 2.4GHz for that SSID. Turn off 5GHz etc.

I second the recommendation of Unifi. Install a multi AP system, set up two SSIDs, and broadcast to the APs in each apartment. A regular consumer mesh system may or may not be able to do what you need as well or at all.

I use Ubiquity Unifi gear since I’ve used it for almost 10 years. Netgear Orbi is a high quality product, Eero is probably ok too. More a question of how big your space is, is there a way to hardwire access points etc. The standard Verizon router may be totally fine for a small space.

Do not put a deco mesh system into your 32,000 sqft mansion.  You should be looking at higher end systems like UniFi, HpE, Ruckus. I’m not super familiar with engenius.  You need a centrally managed system and with an estate of this size a high end system will be a drop in the bucket of your build budget.

Yeah. I did. Along with hpe and ruckus. A number of my wealthy clients specifically request UniFi and in my experience they stay happy with it and I rarely have to touch anything. It’s also commonly used at resorts, hotels, etc What’s your beef with UniFi?

Ubiquiti makes UniFi. Yes.