In short
To choose a UniFi access point, look at the mounting type (ceiling, wall or outdoor), how many devices connect at once and what cable and switch power it. The U7 Lite covers ordinary rooms, the U7 Pro large spaces with the 6 GHz band, the U7 Pro Max and XG models high density, and the wall models individual rooms.
Access point range
| Type | Models | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling, general use | U7 Lite, U7 Pro, U7 Long-Range | Offices, homes and shops. |
| Ceiling, high density | U7 Pro Max, U7 Pro XG and XGS | Large meeting rooms, classrooms and crowded areas. |
| Wall | U7 In-Wall, U7 Pro Wall, U7 Pro XG Wall | Hotel rooms and offices, with built-in network sockets. |
| Outdoor | U7 Outdoor, U7 Pro Outdoor, U7 Industrial | Terraces, gardens, courtyards and warehouses. |
| Mesh | U7 Mesh, U6 Mesh, U6 Extender | Points without a network cable, as a last resort. |
| Enterprise | E7, E7 Campus, E7 Audience | Campuses, venues and stadiums. |
| WiFi 6 | U6+, U6 Pro, U6 Long-Range, U6 Enterprise | Tight budgets or extensions. |
What WiFi 7 adds in UniFi
In Europe the part of the 6 GHz band authorised for WiFi is narrower than in other countries, and its range is shorter than 5 GHz. It helps most in spaces with many devices. An older laptop or phone will notice no difference.
- The 6 GHz band on models that include it: more channels and less interference.
- Multi-Link Operation (MLO): the device uses several bands at once.
- A spectrum analysis radio on several models, which watches for interference without affecting service.
- 2.5 or 10 GbE uplinks to the switch, so the cable is not the bottleneck.
How many access points are needed
Before installing, we do a coverage survey on the floor plan and check it with on-site measurements.
- It depends on walls more than on square metres: concrete and solid brick weaken the signal a lot.
- As a reference, one access point per floor or per two or three rooms in homes, and one per work area in offices.
- In hotels, one wall access point per room or per two rooms.
- Several points at moderate power are better than one at full power.
Power and cabling
- Almost all access points are powered by PoE from the switch.
- The most powerful models require PoE+ or PoE++: the switch’s power budget must be checked.
- Category 6 cable or better to use the 2.5 GbE uplinks.
- The U6 Extender plugs into a mains socket and needs no network cable, at the cost of lower performance.
Useful UniFi management functions
- Roaming: the device changes access point without dropping the connection.
- Several WiFi networks on different VLANs: office, guests and automation devices.
- Guest portal with terms of use or a temporary password.
- User authentication with RADIUS or UniFi Identity.
- Automatic channel and power adjustment.