Ubiquiti - UniFi Express 7

My recommendations for short and simple stacks, for Ubiquiti - a UniFi cloud gateway ultra, UniFi lite 8 POE switch and U6+ APs for WiFi. Controller is built into gateway. For Alta labs, route 10 router, s8 Poe and AP6 or AP6 plus APs. They have a free cloud controller or you can buy their controller device. If you want to go TP link route ER7206 for router, OC300 controller, TL-SG2008P for switch and EAP610 for APs. You can skip the OC300 and go with a free software controller on a desktop. The controllers are to get a unified view of the network and configure them.

For my parents, it’s worked fine. The only complaint I have would be regarding how hot the device gets.

For my parents, it’s worked fine. The only complaint I have would be regarding how hot the device gets.

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 😁

I think the second one would have to be a UX7, as UDR7 cannot operate in AP mode

I have the U7 Pro Max and I’ve been having a lot of issues with it - it seems like some devices just don’t like it and Apple devices refuse to roam. Thinking about getting a U6 Pro instead

I’m a firm believer in buy once, cry once. Although the Express 7 is $199, for the extra ~$80 you get a lot more bang for your buck for your use case.

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 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 was running 3 Tp-Link Deco xe75's at our house for the past year and was not happy with the performance. Over the weekend I installed a new UniFi system consisting of a Cloud Gateway Ultra and 3 AP's, installation was easy and the performance has been excellent. I recommend taking a hard look at the Cloud Gateway's for a homeowner wants something better than what's offered off the shelf.

First, mesh is bad without a wired backhaul ( [https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/189h7um/mesh\_wifi\_much\_slower\_than\_main\_router/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/189h7um/mesh_wifi_much_slower_than_main_router/) ). Just something to know going into it. You really should have all of your APs (access points, the things that send out the Wi-Fi) wired back to a central or "home" controller. If your home has coax or ethernet already run, then get non-mesh wired APs instead. If you're getting mesh, I would look at the Ubiquiti UX7. They are scalable, small, have Wi-Fi 7 at a reasonable-ish price, and can easily do all of the things you mentioned except custom firmware. Not sure what the need is for point 4 in your case.

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

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

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

Ideal setup: Unifi express 7 (router + wifi) on ground level, U7 Pro AP (wifi) on top floor. Slightly over budget, but if you're able to cover the extra bit it's a banger combo. Under budget option 1: Unifi express 7 + U7 Lite AP Under budget option 2: cloud gateway ultra + U7 Pro Or any combination of Unifi router + access point tbh

I just replaced three Google Nest Wifi setup with a UX7 and two U6 Mesh APs. Took about 30 minutes to get the internet back up and running, which included unplugging all 3 Google devices, plugging in the UX7, connecting to the ONT, updating the UX7, signing into the console, changing the default network to the same IP range as it was with Google, and then watching everything connect. Spent a little more time reserving some IPs and adding the two APs, but the network was up and running at that point.

I rarely use the express, I don't really like it. There are some smaller features missing. The scheduled speedtest and the mapping tool just to name a few. It's interface is also very sluggish. in your case, I'd just get the ultra and add U6+ or in wall as AP, depending on placement preferences (U6+ is intended and should be used as ceiling mount)

Nobody has mentioned, but the UDR7 has very very limited camera capacity. This is why I invested in a UX7 and a CloudKey G2 Plus which can be had very cheap on the second hand market. See below: "The UniFi Dream Router 7 (UDR7) can support a limited number of UniFi Protect cameras. It can manage a maximum of 5x HD cameras, OR 2x 2K cameras, OR 1x 4K camera."

If you don't need ports/PoE and just a nice gateway, the Express 7 is a bit cheaper, I think it's 100% fanless and has a smaller footprint (or at least one that can fit better than the (cute) egg shape of the UDRs

UniFi, maybe the UDR7 or the UX7

I am sorry to hear that, but to be honest it looks like a defective unit. I have a u7 pro max, and never did my unit boot loop or required to be adopted again. Also the generally feeling with u7 is they are even more stable.

As many have said it's garbage. Just deployed our first express in a retail shop. 1 pc, 1 phone on WiFi, and 1 moneris debit machine. Remoting into this takes minutes, rebooting takes 8-10 minutes. It's so bad. I wouldn't think any $250 router would properly do 3000sqft unless it was 4 walls and empty. That's a bad budget for good coverage. You are talking about controlling your home internet and WiFi, things you use daily... Maybe more usage that your mattress gets. Invest in it.

As many have said it's garbage. Just deployed our first express in a retail shop. 1 pc, 1 phone on WiFi, and 1 moneris debit machine. Remoting into this takes minutes, rebooting takes 8-10 minutes. It's so bad. I wouldn't think any $250 router would properly do 3000sqft unless it was 4 walls and empty. That's a bad budget for good coverage. You are talking about controlling your home internet and WiFi, things you use daily... Maybe more usage that your mattress gets. Invest in it.

I have one. It’s seriously underpowered.

UDR7 is fine, but so is the UX7 for less.  Some report the fan in the UDR7 is too loud for them.  The nice thing about the UX7 is that it can also be switched to an AP, as its the same hardware as a u7 pro xg but with an extra 2.5 port, different form factor, and power supply included.

Saw your edit.  If you decide you need faster or more coverage, get a cloud Gateway Fiber with 3x the CPU of the UX7 as your router and switch the UX7 to an AP.  Or add more APs.  

I was going to second unifi too. My whole home is HomeKit based and have no issues. I actually had more issues with my Linksys Mesh system.

Not going to lie, the two biggest things that kept me on the fence with going to Unifi was the cost and the seemingly complex set up. My home was thankfully already prewired with Ethernet so it made set up a breeze. Now that I've done it, I actually quite like the system and PoE. Where I have it all set up lives on a UPS too so if my power goes out I still have internet. I have a Unifi Express 7, a couple switches and a U6 Pro AP. [This Youtube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiW2EPzWEm8) helped me understand the basic set up of a Unifi system. If you're remotely tech-inclined its just takes a couple youtube videos and I'm sure you'll be able to get up and running with no problem. I also *love* the amount of info/statistics I can see from my network that the stupidly basic Linksys app didn't have.

Put one in my aunts house. She has 100mbit. It’s perfect I can debug her internet remotely.

I took delivery of a UX7 last week, unplugged all other APs and just have the UX7 and a few dumb switches connected. 40 Wi-Fi clients and 10 wired. Three VLANs. I did have issues the first day with IoT devices dropping off Wi-Fi and one Sonos speaker connected via Ethernet showed as Wi-Fi. After reconnecting them I have had zero issues. I have a symmetric 1000 Mbps line, this syncs at 950Mbps Up and 970Mbps down, all previous Routers could never match that. Using DHCP and not PPPoE. 1400 sq ft two story house, furthest room from the UX7 if the iPad drops to 2.4Ghz I get at least 60Mbps, if it latches back onto 5Ghz then over 200Mbps. Close to the Router an Wi-Fi 5 iPad gets 700Mbps down.

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!

Same. Bought a few express to try out. Was hoping it would make a good replacement for UDR. Ended up giving all the express away. I’d never use one for a client.

Same. Bought a few express to try out. Was hoping it would make a good replacement for UDR. Ended up giving all the express away. I’d never use one for a client.

UE7 is great, as long as you don't want anything other than networking related stuff, otherwise consider dream router. I have UE7 and love it.

That’s probably the best option if you need a couple extra Ethernet ports. You will also need POE injectors for the two APs. UI sells a [regular POE injector](https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/u-poe-af) for $8 which is all you need for the U7 Lite. My only other suggestion would be a [UniFi Express 7](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cloud-gateways/products/ux7) which has an AP built in, with 6 GHz, to boot. But it only has one LAN port so if you’re wanting to run more Ethernet you’d need a switch. The [cheapest one UI sells](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-switching/products/usw-flex-mini) is $30 which makes it about a wash with your setup. The only advantage would be 6 GHz from the router but your still be without it on the other floor. Edit to add if there’s a chance they may ever want cameras the Cloud Gateway Max and Dream Router 7 both offer a basic NVR that supports their Protect products. And both have several LAN ports. The Dream Router even has a POE port to power an AP.

That’s probably the best option if you need a couple extra Ethernet ports. You will also need POE injectors for the two APs. UI sells a [regular POE injector](https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/u-poe-af) for $8 which is all you need for the U7 Lite. My only other suggestion would be a [UniFi Express 7](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cloud-gateways/products/ux7) which has an AP built in, with 6 GHz, to boot. But it only has one LAN port so if you’re wanting to run more Ethernet you’d need a switch. The [cheapest one UI sells](https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-switching/products/usw-flex-mini) is $30 which makes it about a wash with your setup. The only advantage would be 6 GHz from the router but your still be without it on the other floor. Edit to add if there’s a chance they may ever want cameras the Cloud Gateway Max and Dream Router 7 both offer a basic NVR that supports their Protect products. And both have several LAN ports. The Dream Router even has a POE port to power an AP.

For AP’s, I’d go with Ubiquiti Unifi or TP Link Omada lineups. I lean more towards Omada cause they’re cheaper. For either line, I’d get their WiFi 6 products. For a router, I personally use a PC with OPNsense loaded onto it. I really like this approach because it gives me a ton more customization options compared to Unfi or Omada routers. You could get an [Intel N100 mini PC](https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-EQ13-Alder-Lake-PCIe3-0-Computers/dp/B0CYP89CDR) and load OPNsense onto that. Though if you aren’t really into customization, I’d probably just get something from Unifi. Their Cloud Gateway Ultra looks really good.

I just got a UX7 as well, replacing my OG Express—it’s a night and day difference! I’m so happy with it!

lol, glad I could help. If I remember correctly, the routers I had (I had two different models) both were said to have a max of about 30 clients or so before they would start dropping clients randomly, for random amounts of time. At the time, I was pushing 60 or so (I’ve since increased). I can now support 300+ clients and have no further issues. I removed the Google route entirely, my UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra connects directly to the ONT. From there I have a couple of managed POE switches, and 3 access points - all of which is managed in the same interface. And work together as one system.

UniFi has a lot of hone options and routers ( gateways ) uX7 (home / soho / super cheap ) Udr7 ( all in one ) uCG Ultra ( oddly named budget range ) And others Omada WiFi access poing range is tiny and software not as good. I went with UniFi for the camera integration and outdoor APs

It’s fine but is seriously under-powered and bottlenecked by its CPU. Mine works fine (when it works) but has constant issues that require reboots - and those can last 15min.

It’s fine but is seriously under-powered and bottlenecked by its CPU. Mine works fine (when it works) but has constant issues that require reboots - and those can last 15min.

For what it’s worth I use mine as an AP and it’s kind of a pain… constantly having problems. It should be fine as a router but don’t plan on using it as an AP only down the road.

For what it’s worth I use mine as an AP and it’s kind of a pain… constantly having problems. It should be fine as a router but don’t plan on using it as an AP only down the road.

Agreed. The Dream Router 7 with a UniFi Express 7 is cheaper than any equivalent Asus or Netgear setup in the US. $500 can get you one of each. $500 will barely get you an entry level 2 node mesh. And the Ubiquiti stuff will be more capable too. I'm dumping my Asus setup in favor of Ubiquiti once I get some money.

Ubiquiti Dream Router 7 and a UniFi Express 7 for $500 direct from them. It'll destroy anything from Asus and Netgear at that price and it's full Wifi 7. https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cloud-gateways Plus there's a whole ecosystem that can be easily managed. And the stuff actually works too, which isn't always a given with Asus and Netgear.

Ubiquiti Dream Router 7 is $279 direct from them, or you can get the UniFi Express 7 if you don't need all its capability. It'll be better than anything you can buy from Asus for the same money. It's a very scalable system with a lot more capability than anything consumer grade.

As a UniFi Express owner, I do not recommend anyone purchase it. My parents have 100/20 service and it struggles to keep up with their single Apple TV.

As a UniFi Express owner, I do not recommend anyone purchase it. My parents have 100/20 service and it struggles to keep up with their single Apple TV.

Sounds good. Unifi does seem to have a more complete ecosystem these days. I don't like the TP Link routers and lean towards more recent tech when upgrading. Unifichas a solid portfolio of hardware that covers the three major components you'd need. You just pay more but it's nice to have everything controlable on one pane. With unifi you could do; Router: cloud gateway ultra Switch: one of their poe+ switches AP: either u6 pro/litr or u7 pro/lite. U7 lite doesnt have the newer 6ghz radio but you probably don't need that

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.

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.

You could start with a Unifi Express for $150 and add more gear later if needed. It’s a good-enough 2x2 MIMO dual-band AP, but you don’t get _any_ of the fancy stuff like NVR or IDS. Can be converted into an AP later too.

Ubiquiti maybe? I use their UniFi stuff in my house but anything except the Express would probably be overkill. They do also make a more consumer focused line called ApliFi. Founder of the company worked for Apple on the Airport stuff by the way. You see some of the design philosophy both good and bad in a lot of their products.

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 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.

The Unifi Express might fit your needs. Router, one WAN & one LAN port; WiFi & controller built in. For 2 users should be fine. Small footprint as well.

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.

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.

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

>*"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.

\+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).

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

Ubiquiti doesn’t have to be super expensive. A flex mini and unifi express is pretty reasonable, and you can host the console on your own PC. This will be enough for many homes! But then you can upgrade as your needs change.

Precisely! With ubiquiti you can tailor your system to your exact needs, ranging from simple to extensive. The simpler solution I mentioned absolutely won’t work for every use case, but it will for many homes. This is a big part of why I enjoy this system so much — you can get exactly what you need in a way that comparable systems cannot. I need only one AP in my home for 20 wireless devices, but I need two switches for wired devices. You need multiple APs for an extreme demand. It works for all these cases and more, and you don’t need to overbuild.

Ubiquiti UniFi Express and a couple wireless repeaters is all you really need. I have a two box Ubiquiti setup at my mother-in-laws that is flawless and was easy to set up.

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.

UniFi. I just set up mine today. But I’ll tell you, WiFi 7 is amazing but the range sucks. You have to be really close to the AP to get speeds better than WiFi 6.

I don't know why you are getting downvoted cause I had the same problem with my unifi 7 and the new iphone 16. iphone 15 was fine but with the 16 I was having to constantly reconnect it to the network

Had Netgear 6 for about 3 years. Going with Unifi 7

I had to dump my U7 Pros for E7 and U6 Ent. No problems since I changed. If you can factory reset E7 without U7 I’d try that. The U7 Pro and Pro Max have some issues with the chips in them so I’d just stay far away from them. Otherwise - If you don’t care use 6 generation forget about Wi-Fi 7 and wait for the next round.

If you are a Costco member or know one the AEX5300 is the same as the XE75 but even cheaper, they are the exact same. Your assumptions are going to be wrong, price !== quality. If you want to spend more money look at a Unifi Express 7/Dream Router 7 with a U7 Lite.

To be honest, I would not upgrade. It seems like you’re satisfied with your AmpliFi Alien system and enjoying a great day-to-day experience with it. Ubiquiti is still selling the AmpliFi Alien on the UI Store, at the Apple Store, and at many other retailers. Unless you have a good reason to upgrade, it will be an unnecessary hassle and expense. I use UniFi Gen 7 APs with a Cloud Gateway. Still, I would not have upgraded had my previous mesh Wi-Fi system not failed to accommodate a fiber internet service upgrade.

I moved from Eero 6 (3 routers) to Unifi, since I didn't want to pay a monthly fee just to see more data/bandwidth info. I also wanted to create separate VLANs for Guest and IoT, which Eero couldn't do. I ended up with a UDR7 and two U7 Lites, and it has been rock solid for the past 6 months. The controller has a ton of options to tweak to your hearts desire (love the recent update that allows you to turn off specific radios).

It would be multiple products and it's very customizable based on your needs. Going to be comparing to the Pro Deployment which is $699 No Wiring but only need WiFi? Dream Router 7: $279 2x U7 Pro + 2 POE injectors: $408 Total: $687 Need at least 1 ethernet ports near the mesh AP? Dream Router 7: $279 2x Unifi Express 7: $398 Total: $677 Have at least 1 ethernet port wired and need both multiple ethernet and wifi? Dream Router 7: $279 Unifi Express 7: $199 U7 In-Wall: $149 Total: $628 It's a whole ecosystem of devices meant to work together and you can continually expand or replace as units get old. Eeros and Orbis would require replacing the entire stack when it comes to upgrading. With a Unifi setup you can pick and choose which components you want to replace, usually you keep the gateway/router and swap out the Wireless Access Points.

It would be multiple products and it's very customizable based on your needs. Going to be comparing to the Pro Deployment which is $699 No Wiring but only need WiFi? Dream Router 7: $279 2x U7 Pro + 2 POE injectors: $408 Total: $687 Need at least 1 ethernet ports near the mesh AP? Dream Router 7: $279 2x Unifi Express 7: $398 Total: $677 Have at least 1 ethernet port wired and need both multiple ethernet and wifi? Dream Router 7: $279 Unifi Express 7: $199 U7 In-Wall: $149 Total: $628 It's a whole ecosystem of devices meant to work together and you can continually expand or replace as units get old. Eeros and Orbis would require replacing the entire stack when it comes to upgrading. With a Unifi setup you can pick and choose which components you want to replace, usually you keep the gateway/router and swap out the Wireless Access Points.

I'm in the UK on Virgin Media 1GB cable connection at home. I've been using Google Nest WiFi Router for the last 5 years. After I bumped my service to 1 Gb, I never quite got the full advertised bandwidth. It away reported 850-900 Mbps download, ~85 up and latency ~30+ms. I didn't think much of it as it was still plenty fast for my needs, but about 10% slower than advertised. Yesterday I replaced it with a Unifi Express 7 (same ethernet cables). Speed test now reporting 1.15 Gbps down, 100 Mbps up and latency at 13 ms. So on or over advertised ISP speeds 👍 I always thought it was the Virgin service, a bit shocked to see it was the Google Nest Router, particularly the latency drop. And I couldn't be happier with the new kit. Loving the granular control, visibility, speed etc etc

I’d recommend the UniFi Express 7, it’s an amazing value and has all the WiFi 7 features you’d want. And many more advanced security things too like Intrusion Prevention.

I would personally do Express 7 since you dont have plans for Protect and other apps. See if it can handle the load in your household. DR7 and E7 has the same spec i think but DR7 allows you to use the unifi stack which you said you're not gonna use. If E7 not enough then you can buy UCG fiber and make the E7 as an AP.

Latest UniFi Express 7 and Dream Router 7 has same IPQ5322 CPU and 3GB of RAM. If you don't need the built in SFP+ and 2.5Gbps switch, and don't bother with running other UniFi applications, UniFi Express 7 is perfectly fine.

I’ve had two asus units, two older google units, and a dinosaur of a unit from apple. Neither asus or google lasted 2 years before completely dying, and none were reliable. I have UniFi now going on 5 years and in that time I had one ap dead on arrival, otherwise flawless experience. A UniFi express and a switch may do well for you, but it won’t look like it belongs in the bat cave.

If you’re buying into the tech today I’d recommend looking at WiFi 7, wifi 6 is already outdated.  Personally I’d look at the UniFi range if you want to be a bit hands on with your network. Maybe a UniFi express 7 or UDR7 if you want an all in one for your main router (wifi and routing). Then if you can get other access point hardwired in then great, if not UniFi APs will do wireless mesh. (U7 pro or u7 lite to save costs) Of course the number of nodes/access points you need will depend on how much area you’re covering. But seeing as you have the 2x AE (flat square ones? Or towers?) two wifi points should suffice in your new set up  If you want to be less hands on, then look at tp link deco and eero. Tp link have a low range wifi 7 model that doesn’t include 6ghz 

Unifi express 7. $200 for full wifi 7 and a very nice suite of features. Takes up to 10 gig in and can later be used as an access point if you decide you need something like a cloud gateway fiber or dream machine.

Unifi Express 7 or a Cloud Gateway Fiber + AP.

Yes, exactly. I've been reading up on ubiquiti and I'm starting to lean towards a dream router 7 + a U7+ In Wall Access point. The dream router outputs PoE and has enough ports to where I don't need a switch and can directly send everything to the rooms. Then I'll use the U7+ In Wall to receive ethernet and transmit wifi in the living room while also allowing ethernet output. And then I get to access all the ubiquiti bells and whistles. This is also super future proof as i can just add more access points from ubiquiti when I move

The Dream Router 7 has been the best router I've ever owned so far. WELL worth the cost.

Depending on the thickness of your floors and walls, 2-3 APs should do the trick. The Unifi app includes a site mapping feature that will tell you where to put APs based on the floor plan, and you can just scan your rooms to make a floor plan. I’d suggest giving that a shot to see what it suggests for placement and number of APs. A U7 Pro AP is $189 from Ubiquiti directly, and requires a PoE+ switch to power it. You can either buy a switch from ubiquiti, or get a cheap one on amazon. This is where things can start to get expensive. Rack-mount gear is really nice to have. Not having to worry about a precarious pile of networking gear perched somewhere awkward is nice. And it lets you rack mount other gear (home server, UPS, your shitty modem that your ISP gives you) and lets you install a patch panel for easier network management. However, it is bigger, and more expensive. A Unifi Lite 16 PoE is $200, while a Unifi Standard 16 PoE is almost $100 more for AR capabilities and rack mounting. The AR stuff is pretty slick fwiw, showing you what’s hooked up to each port. As for a router, the Dream Router 7 comes with a WiFi 7 AP built in. As does the Express 7. The Express 7 is focused solely on routing, and is cheaper at $200. The Dream Router is more capable, running the full Unifi suite, allowing for security cameras, VoIP phones, door control, and stuff like that, but costs $279 to do so. The Cloud Gateway Max eschews the built in AP for a built in 2.5 GbE switch instead of the GbE switch in the Dream Router 7, and the ability to use an NVMe SSD for camera footage, instead of a microSD card. Worst case scenario: * Cloud Gateway Max - $279 * Unifi Standard 16 PoE - $279 * Unifi U7 Pro x3 - $567 And then you grab a 3d printed mount for the cloud gateway, your ISP modem, and begin rack mounting everything you can. Less than $1500 to do it fancy. Less than $1000 to do it economically. Still, definitely recommend downloading their app and mapping your place out before you pull the trigger on anything.

> 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.

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.

Unifi ubiquity stuff is rock solid

Ubiquity/Unifi, if that's within your budget, way beyond the usual consumer brands, it's a commercial brand, but loved by a lot of prosumers like me.

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

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.

Id check out the decos then unifi, unifi is pricer but nicer, my parents used decos forever without issue. If you just want some basic QOS/port forwarding you'll be good to go.

Like a few others in here I’ve been a full Ubiquity Unifi guy for many years. Great stuff.