Griffin Li

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A Beginner’s Guide to Ubiquiti UniFi

I upgraded my home’s internet to UniFi, a product line of business-grade networking equipment by the company Ubiquiti. My home’s Wi-Fi improved considerably, but the process was lengthy and complex, as information was scattered across many articles, videos, and forum threads, and much of the content was outdated or not geared towards home use. I’ve compiled my knowledge into this guide to help anyone, regardless of prior networking experience, set up UniFi.

If you currently use a Wi-Fi router, you’ll likely have slow or no internet in certain parts of your home. UniFi can fix that.

If you use a mesh Wi-Fi system like Eero or Nest Wi-Fi, there are likely significantly slower speeds in some areas of your home. UniFi can give you equally-fast Wi-Fi speed all throughout.

If neither applies to you – for example, if you’re using a mesh Wi-Fi system with Ethernet backhaul – you’ll still benefit from switching to UniFi:

  • UniFi is designed for business/commercial uses, so the hardware and software are high quality and very reliable.
  • UniFi is upgradeable and modular, so you can move to the latest Wi-Fi technology without replacing all your equipment, or increase your Wi-Fi range by adding another Wi-Fi device.
  • There are many advanced features: you can VPN into your home network just by installing the WiFiman app, block ads at the network-level with just a toggle, and extensively customize the settings of each piece of hardware.

By the end of the process, you’ll have a setup like this:

Before

After

Prerequisites

To get the full benefits of UniFi, your home needs to already be wired with Ethernet. If some rooms have an Ethernet or voice port, you’re all set. Otherwise, you’ll need to get your home wired with Ethernet (which is beyond my knowledge).

You’ll want a fundamental understanding of networking. Here’s what you should know:

  1. You purchase internet connectivity from an internet service provider (abbreviated ISP), such as Verizon, Xfinity, or Cox.
  2. Your ISP runs a cable from the street to your house.
  3. The cable is connected to a modem, which is a device that converts the signal from your ISP into a format compatible with Ethernet.
  4. A cable goes from your modem to your router, a device that allows multiple devices to connect to the internet (such as through Ethernet cables).
  5. A Wi-Fi access point is connected to your router. It may be built into your router, in which case you have a Wi-Fi router, or it may be a separate piece of hardware. It broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal, which your personal devices see and connect to.

Make sure that you can obtain the internet speed you’re paying for. You can check by standing next to your Wi-Fi router and running a test on speedtest.net. If you aren’t receiving the promised speeds, plug your device into your router via an Ethernet cable and run the test again. If you still aren’t receiving the promised speeds, contact your ISP.

UniFi Buying Guide

A standard Wi-Fi router acts as four things:

  • A router, which allows multiple devices to connect to your internet.
  • A host for the management console, which allows you to control settings related to your home network via a webpage.
  • A switch, which splits an Ethernet input (the cable from your modem) into many Ethernet outputs (the Ethernet ports in your router that you can plug devices into).
  • A Wi-Fi access point, which allows devices to connect wirelessly to the internet.

UniFi separates these parts. The router, switch, and Wi-Fi access point are each separate hardware, which allows you to upgrade individual components and extend your network as needed. However, many of the newer routers also host the management software. Ubiquiti calls these “Cloud Gateways.”

If you look at the Ubiquiti website, you may be confused by the terminology and options: What’s the difference between a Cloud Gateway and a Gateway? What’s the difference between the various switches? Why is there a switch in the Cloud Gateway? Can that power a Wi-Fi access point? Why are there so many Wi-Fi access points?

I’ve sorted through UniFi’s various products and will explain my recommendations. This guide avoids products that are designed to be mounted to a large rack. Instead, everything listed can be mounted to a wall or a mid-size networking cabinet.

Cloud Gateway

To use UniFi, you should purchase a Cloud Gateway. It’s a router that also runs the UniFi management software, which allows you to observe and manage other UniFi hardware and client devices on your network.

Many Cloud Gateways are designed to be rack-mounted, but if you filter for “Compact” on the UniFi Store, you’ll see the Cloud Gateway Max ($199) and Cloud Gateway Ultra ($129). The main difference is that the Ultra only supports internet, while the Max lets you use UniFi products for cameras, access control, and VoIP. I use the Ultra.

Ubiquiti also sells a Gateway Max and Gateway Lite, which don’t host the UniFi management software and instead require you to run it on another device such as a CloudKey+ ($199) or on Ubiquiti’s servers through a $30/month subscription. It’s simpler to go with a Cloud Gateway.

Wireless Access Point

Less is more. It’s better to use fewer Wi-Fi access points than too many, because if you place them too close together, the signals will interfere and slow down your Wi-Fi. UniFi access points have greater range than typical consumer products, so you’re probably good with two for a medium/large house, and you can always purchase more later if needed.

I recommend getting a Wi-Fi 7 access point. It’s the latest Wi-Fi standard and supports the fast 6GHz Wi-Fi band. The only other UniFi access point that supports 6GHz is the U6 Enterprise Wi-Fi 6E access point, which isn’t intended for home use. All other access points are Wi-Fi 6 or below, which are two major Wi-Fi versions behind.

Ubiquiti sells two Wi-Fi 7 access points for indoor use. One is the disk-shaped U7 Pro ($189), designed to be ceiling-mounted, and the other is the rectangular U7 Pro Wall ($199), designed to be wall-mounted. If your home already has Ethernet outlets in some rooms, get the U7 Pro Wall. It can be mounted in place of an Ethernet outlet, so you won’t need to drill holes in the wall or ceiling. Its rectangular shape looks great as well.

The U7 Pro and U7 Pro Wall have similar antenna patterns – they project signal evenly in a hemisphere around the front of the device, so you could use either product wall-mounted. However, each product has been engineered for a specific orientation, so I recommend going with whichever corresponds to the position you intend to use it in.

If you wall-mount your access points, place them on opposite sides of the house facing towards the center. If you mount them on a ceiling, place them in the middle of each floor and spread them 1-2 floors apart. These recommendations are based on the antenna patterns. You can simulate the Wi-Fi coverage in your home for different quantities and placements of Wi-Fi access points in the UniFi Design Center.

Switch

Ubiquiti’s Wi-Fi 7 access points are powered over PoE+, which stands for Power over Ethernet (with the “+” specifying a certain amount of power). PoE+ transfers data and power through an Ethernet cable, instead of using an Ethernet cable for data and a separate cable for power. The Cloud Gateway Ultra and Cloud Gateway Max both have four Ethernet output ports, but neither supports Power over Ethernet. Therefore, you should also get a Power over Ethernet switch.

Most UniFi switches are designed to be rack-mounted, which eliminates them from consideration here. There are two switches I recommend: the Switch Pro Max 16 PoE ($399), and the Switch Ultra 60W ($159). To decide between them, add the number of access points you plan to purchase to the number of Ethernet ports around the house that you’d like to connect to the internet.

If the sum is 7 or under, get the Switch Ultra 60W, which has 7 PoE+ Ethernet output ports and can power up to 3 wireless access points. In addition to the 60W configuration, there’s a version without a power brick, which you don’t want because it’s intended to be used with another PoE++ switch. There’s also a version with a 210W power brick, which is unnecessary unless you need more than 3 access points.

If the sum is 8 or more, get the Switch Pro Max 16 PoE. It functions the same as Ubiquiti’s rack-mounted switches, but is much smaller. It has 16 ports, with 12 supporting PoE+ and 4 supporting PoE++. The “Max” in its name refers to a feature called Etherlighting that gives each port an RGB light to show the port’s speed or help you locate the port where a device is connected.

I’d avoid the Switch Lite 8 PoE ($109) and Switch Lite 16 PoE ($199) because they’re four-year-old hardware and are bulkier than the Switch Ultra, which was released in 2024.

Accessories

You should also purchase patch cables. If you’re using the Switch Ultra, get 7 UniFi Patch Cables ($2/ea). If you’re using the Switch Pro Max 16 PoE, get 16 UniFi Etherlighting Patch Cables ($4/ea), which are transparent so that the Etherlighting can shine through, and you can also get a SFP to RJ45 adapter ($19.50) to free up an extra port.

Budget Picks

The UniFi setup I mentioned can be quite pricey. If you’re on a lower budget, here’s what I recommend:

  • UniFi Express ($149). This is a Cloud Gateway with a Wi-Fi 6 access point built-in. It’s extremely compact (smaller than the Cloud Gateway Ultra), but it won’t perform as well as a standalone Cloud Gateway paired with a standalone Wi-Fi access point. It also doesn’t have Wi-Fi 7. Still, it’s much better than the Wi-Fi router you got from your ISP, and you can use it even if your home doesn’t have Ethernet wired throughout.

If you have a large home wired with Ethernet, also get:

  • U7 Pro Wall ($199)
  • PoE+ Adapter (30W) ($15). This provides power to a cable connecting the UniFi Express to the U7 Pro Wall, removing the need for a PoE+ switch.

If you want to enable Ethernet connectivity across your home, also get:

  • Flex Mini ($29). This turns one input connection into four output ones, so you can provide Ethernet to three wall outlets and one Wi-Fi access point. Connect an Ethernet cable from the UniFi Express to the Flex Mini, then use the PoE+ Adapter to connect the Flex Mini and the U7 Pro Wall.

In total, it’s:

  • $149 to use UniFi, and receive the great benefits of quality hardware, powerful software, and extensibility.
  • $363 to get fast whole-home Wi-Fi.
  • $392 to get fast whole-home Wi-Fi and wired connections.

These prices don’t include the cost of tools and small items (patch panel, shelf bracket, keystone connectors, and RJ45 connectors), but even when those prices are factored in, I think it’s still better value than comparable mesh Wi-Fi products.

Installation

I recommend installing UniFi yourself, even if you don’t have prior electrical or networking experience, because you’ll learn a lot.

You’ll need various tools throughout the process. Klein Tools is generally regarded as the best reasonably-priced brand (there’s Fluke Networks for professionals, at about 50 times the price). Here’s what you’ll likely need:

You should first locate where the Ethernet cables around your house all terminate. It might be a cabinet, called a Structured Media Center (SMC). I’ll assume you have a SMC, but these instructions apply to other arrangements such as a plywood panel. If you have one, you can mount the UniFi hardware using shelf brackets. I have a Leviton SMC so I used the Leviton 49605-AUB Plastic Universal Shelf Bracket, but you can find similar products for other SMCs such as On-Q. You should buy mounting accessories from the SMC manufacturer since the layout of mounting holes varies.

You should also purchase a keystone patch panel designed by your SMC manufacturer. For my Leviton SMC, I used the Leviton 47600-QPB EB 12-Port Structured Media Center Mounting Bracket. The purpose of a patch panel is to prevent wear and tear of the important wires going through walls. Instead of directly connecting them to a switch, you leave them stationary in a patch panel and connect short, easily-replacable patch cables between the patch panel and switch. A keystone patch panel means you terminate each cable in a keystone connector and then insert it in an empty hole in the patch panel, which gives you flexibility to move around ports in the future.

Position the Cloud Gateway, switch, and patch panels in your SMC so that all ports are accessible. Mount the Cloud Gateway and switch using the mounting brackets and velcro, and mount the patch panel using the included mounting system.

Set up your Cloud Gateway by connecting an Ethernet cable from your modem to the internet port on the Cloud Gateway (port 5 on the Cloud Gateway Ultra). There is likely already a cable going from your modem to the SMC (or wherever else your cables terminate): if so, attach it to the Cloud Gateway. You may need to use the crimper and data plugs. Connect the included power cable to an outlet (whether built into your SMC or nearby), and plug it into the Cloud Gateway. The Cloud Gateway will boot up, and you can set it up through the UniFi app on your phone.

Terminate each wire going into the SMC with a keystone jack, then plug them into the keystone patch panel. I used the Cable Matters Slim Profile 90 Degree Cat 6 Keystone Jack, which fit the Leviton keystone patch panel and cost much less than Leviton’s official keystones. As you terminate wires, use the cable tester to make sure you did so correctly. The Klein Tools cable tester I recommended above also lets you broadcast a signal through the cable, so you can connect it to an Ethernet wall outlet and then use a wire tracer to find the corresponding cable in your SMC.

Connect the switch to power using the included power brick. Then, for each Ethernet cable that you’d like to provide internet connectivity to (such as ones connecting to wireless access points or Ethernet outlets around your house), connect a patch cable between it and the switch. If a cable is for a wireless access point, make sure to connect it to a port marked PoE+ or PoE++ on the switch.

Install your wireless access points in the locations you’d like to place them, following Ubiquiti’s instructions.

In the UniFi app, you should see your switch and access points, along with prompts to add them to your UniFi network. Follow along with those, and you’re done. Fast Wi-Fi all throughout your home.

That’s it.

What do you think? Message me.

Further reading:

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