Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD Review

[mtbdudex]

I don't believe this has the dedicated backhaul channel to keep the speeds up like Orbi or EERO have. So the speeds will not be as good as those.

https://www.omnicoreagency.com/best-wifi-mesh-network-systems/

The unit is connected as shown to 1 of 4 gigabit ports, so I’d expect the backhaul unit to be as fast as primary .
Since my coverage is so good I don’t need to buy a second router , so I can’t test it though .

 

[IdentityCrisis]

The unit is connected as shown to 1 of 4 gigabit ports, so I’d expect the backhaul unit to be as fast as primary .
Since my coverage is so good I don’t need to buy a second router , so I can’t test it though .

Yea wired backhaul is not the same as the wireless 5ghz backhaul. This system just turns into a wap then instead of a mesh.

 

[hobowankenobi]

Yea wired backhaul is not the same as the wireless 5ghz backhaul. This system just turns into a wap then instead of a mesh.

The "just" in your response sounds as though wired is bad. For anybody following along and still learing wifi basics, it should be pointed out that wired APs are usually preferred...if possible, as a first choice. Yes, in cases where a wired connection is not possible, then a dedicated back haul channel is indeed superior, and considered a true mesh system.

But it still takes some knowledge (or at least luck) to build a good network as signal strength between the APs become an essential element of the design and install.

For anybody looking, a new player in the pro-sumer market is Synology. I have used and very much like their previous wifi routers, but their new system is reported to be a true mesh and modular setup: MR2200AC. Hoping for good things, especially the 5G channel for back haul....but never used one yet. Biggest downer: not a sexy box.

 

[IdentityCrisis]

The "just" in your response sounds as though wired is bad. For anybody following along and still learing wifi basics, it should be pointed out that wired APs are usually preferred...if possible, as a first choice. Yes, in cases where a wired connection is not possible, then a dedicated back haul channel is indeed superior, and considered a true mesh system.

But it still takes some knowledge (or at least luck) to build a good network as signal strength between the APs become an essential element of the design and install.

For anybody looking, a new player in the pro-sumer market is Synology. I have used and very much like their previous wifi routers, but their new system is reported to be a true mesh and modular setup: MR2200AC. Hoping for good things, especially the 5G channel for back haul....but never used one yet. Biggest downer: not a sexy box.

There is no reason to buy that system then. The Mesh is for those that can't wire their homes. Once you hook up a wire to the nodes, you wasted your money on that system.

 

[apolloa]

This advice makes sense. I was just saying that if you already have short CAT 5e cables then they are probably plenty good for this application. If you are going out and purchasing new then yes I would say it's smart to buy CAT 6 ones.

Cat 5E goes to 1GB speeds on short cables, over that speed or over long runs you’ll need Cat 6 really, they are cheap as chips anyway for a short cable to plug the router to the modem. Also Cat 6 and 7 cables tend to be better shielded.

Anyway nice review, I’m contemplating replacing my Google WiFi because here in the UK it doesn’t support IPV6 anymore over PPOE, which is what BT use and are the most popular provider!

So I was looking at the instant and the Gamers edition, but I only need a router and Mesh extender so don’t need the kits they do, apart from the Instant.
If you setup the QOS for gaming or streaming, does it time out or stay on permanently?

 

[MacModMachine]

Cat 5E goes to 1GB speeds on short cables, over that speed or over long runs you’ll need Cat 6 really, they are cheap as chips anyway for a short cable to plug the router to the modem. Also Cat 6 and 7 cables tend to be better shielded.

Anyway nice review, I’m contemplating replacing my Google WiFi because here in the UK it doesn’t support IPV6 anymore over PPOE, which is what BT use and are the most popular provider!

So I was looking at the instant and the Gamers edition, but I only need a router and Mesh extender so don’t need the kits they do, apart from the Instant.
If you setup the QOS for gaming or streaming, does it time out or stay on permanently?

doesent matter if its cat 5e or 6 , both support max 100m @ 1G (faster on 6 but same max length)

cat 6 and 7 are both the exact same shielding as 5e , 6 and 7 have better pair twisting and a support plastic + in the middle.

You can buy 5E/6/7 in shielded and non shielded cable depending on what your EMI looks like during installation.

 

[apolloa]

doesent matter if its cat 5e or 6 , both support max 100m @ 1G (faster on 6 but same max length)

cat 6 and 7 are both the exact same shielding as 5e , 6 and 7 have better pair twisting and a support plastic + in the middle.

You can buy 5E/6/7 in shielded and non shielded cable depending on what your EMI looks like during installation.

Hmm seems your right on cat 5E but your wrong on the proper cat 7 specs which state the pairs are individually shielded:

http://www.cablek.com/technical-reference/cat-5---5e--6--6a---7--standards

 

[MacModMachine]

Hmm seems your right on cat 5E but your wrong on the proper cat 7 specs which state the pairs are individually shielded:

http://www.cablek.com/technical-reference/cat-5---5e--6--6a---7--standards

Not really , that’s class f standard.

Cat 7 can be bought unsheilded , I use it daily we buy it in 1000ft rolls unsheilded, the pairs however are separated by a plastic T

 

[apolloa]

I thought I'd give a quick review of this system for anyone who might be looking to upgrade their AirPort Wi-Fi router (or any other router for that matter) since Apple is phasing these products out. I had been an AirPort user for about 12 years and I owned a couple different Extremes over the years as well as a couple Expresses. I always found the AirPorts to be reliable and the software to manage them to be well laid out. Anyhow I decided to upgrade about a month ago and ended up with buying the AmpliFi HD router first. I live in a small enough house that one good router will cover it and the AmpliFi was about the same in coverage as the last generation AirPort Extreme. With that said, although my house is small it is older construction which includes heavy lumber and plaster/lath walls so it's not exactly the easiest house to cover. I also need to have my router along the wall in the back bedroom so out in the living room coverage drops quite a bit. I had some money left on a Best Buy gift card so I decided to add 1 mesh point in the center of my house. It is small enough to be hidden behind a book shelf so you don't even notice it. Wow! That made all the difference. Now my house has excellent and very fast Wi-Fi signal in every room and my device connections are stable and flying! Even when connecting though the Mesh Point my iPad is hitting a stable 750+ Mbps all over the house. My S8+ is seeing similar speeds and streaming video on Wi-FI devices is almost instant. I have a 100 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up Internet connection so I know this is overkill, but everything is just so responsive on a robust network.

As you can see in my first picture I have a very simple networking set-up in my house. I'm using an Arris SB6183 cable modem connected to the AmpliFi HD. I also have a Motorola MoCA 2.0 bonded adapter that networks my two TiVos though the coax. I just did a restart before taking these pictures because I was messing around with stuff, but I can say the AmpliFi has been very reliable since I installed it. The app is very comprehensive and is really a much better and more modern app then what Apple is using for the AirPorts. You can customize it so all of your devices are properly named on your network. It gives you a lot of details as you can see by the attached pictures. Set-up was very easy for me and I am not a networking pro at all. If you can configure an AirPort you can configure this system. I like the guest network features and although I'll probably never use it the "Internet pause" feature might be handy if you have kids you are trying to get to dinner or bed. Haha! You can broadcast all SSIDs if you want (each router and MP will broadcast a 2.4 and 5 Ghz SSID) or just broadcast 1 that will work for everything whether it's 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz. That's what I do and it allows devices to roam between the main router and the mesh point depending on what is more powerful at that location. Sometimes it takes awhile for a device to jump to the closer point, but I think if you have a larger house that won't be as much of an issue.

Both the router and the mesh point run rather cool and do not have any fans. The "power brick" for the main router is tiny so it's not an issue at all. I feel the power cord is too short for the main router though (about 3') and you'd need a USB-C extension to add length to it. The light on the main router touchscreen LCD can be dimmed, turned off, or run on a schedule. The same is true for the base lighting. The last thing I will say is depending on your needs you might not need the whole package that includes the router and two mesh points. If you have a small house or apartment you might just need the router which is about $150. I was able to buy the extra mesh point for about $100 so the total for my system was $250. That's cheaper then an AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express combo and this is a much more robust solution.

After I use this system more I'll be happy to report back on how reliable it is. Like I said, so far I really like it and as someone who owns iOS and Android devices I really like the fact that the identical app is available for both. Like I said before I am no networking expert and this system may or may not meet your needs. I do find it very comparable to the AirPorts though so I figured it might be a good option for people moving on from their AirPort systems.

Does the app give you the ability to set up individual pause schedules for devices? For instance set it so every week day one persons iPhone is paused from 9AM till 6PM the following morning? And then every other device works as normal.

 

[apolloa]

Well the price of the gamers edition Amplifi HD here in the UK looks set to be 450 Sterling!!
I’m going to wait and see with the new UniFi Dream Machine is like.

I see a few ACX or WiFi 6 routers are out but I guess you’ll see no difference unless the device connecting to them supports it too?

 

[hobowankenobi]

Well the price of the gamers edition Amplifi HD here in the UK looks set to be 450 Sterling!!
I’m going to wait and see with the new UniFi Dream Machine is like.

Pricey. But sexy, and simple setup. I went with two Unifi AC Lite APs a few years and am very happy with the coverage and performance. They have been rock solid.

But that also means a separate router, and Ethernet for POE to both APs. No big issue for me, but not fair to compare to plug-and-pay complete mesh system.

Dream Machine should prove to be tempting. Would be great...maybe too much to ask...if it provided POE power for APs!