The difference between the U6-Lite and U6-LR is large enough that it could be the deciding factor between needing one or two APs to cover a given area. In some situations one U6-LR is better, in others two U6-Lites may be better. It’s hard to make general conclusions. There wouldn’t be much difference in performance or price, so that decision probably comes down to where you have Ethernet cabling more than anything. Note for International Readers The U6 Lite is only dual-band (2.4 GHz and 80 Mhz channel-width), but the others also support the 160 MHz channel-width. The Ubiquiti U6-Pro UniFi WiFi 6 Access Point is an indoor WiFi 6 AP with 5.3Gbps over the air speed and a 300+ client capacity. The U6-Pro is a dual-band WiFi 6 (802.11ax) access point that represents the next generation of high-performance wireless technology for home and enterprise users. Delivering blazing fast over the air speeds of up to 5.3 Gbps over its 5GHz and 2.4GHz channels, the U6-Pro will maximise the WiFi experience of any residential or office deployment. Plus, with its ability to support over 300 concurrent clients, the U6-Pro ensures reliable wireless coverage across even the most device-dense environments. The U6-Pro also marries power with ease of use through streamlined setup, configuration, and mobile-friendly management via the UniFi Network app. Easy to Deploy and Manage! Ubiquiti seems to have had different ambitions with its U6-LR and the U6-Pro, and that’s to make the transition towards the WiFi 6 standard as cheap and painless as possible, so neither really aim to be speed champions. The problem is that while there is a clear distinction between the U6-Lite and the other WiFi 6 Ubiquiti APs, the lines get very blurred when putting the U6-LR and the Ubiquiti U6-Pro next to each other. Yes, I know the former should reach farther (LR stands for long range), while the latter is built to perform better on the 5GHz, but is that really the case? Ubiquiti U6-Pro.

The speed remains fairly consistent up until the 45 feet spot (-77dB), where the throughput goes down to 162Mbps up and 33.6Mbps downstream. Going farther to 70 feet disconnected the client device once again, so the problem is that the Ubiquiti U6-Pro just doesn’t reach that far, while most other WiFi 6 APs do. Was that done as to not overlap the potential audience for the U6-LR? Probably. The AC-Mesh-Pro is an AC1750 Wi-Fi 5 AP, offering more performance than the non-pro model. It doesn’t have removable antennas, but instead comes with high-gain (8 dBi) antennas built-in. The AC-Mesh-Pro is big enough that it could act as a lunch tray. It is harder to hide, but the additional antenna gain provide impressive range and performance. The AC-Mesh-Pro can operated on standard 802.3af (15W) PoE, or with Ubiquiti’s 48V passive PoE. Please Note: The UAP-PRO is no longer available. For an alternative, we recommend the UAP-AC-PRO . Ubiquiti UniFi Pro Access Point (UAP-Pro)When everything is working properly, then the LED will be solid blue and, before it’s adopted to the UniFi controller, it will be solid white. What’s very problematic is that Ubiquiti has advertised that the users would be able to set the color that they wanted (RGB), but they have removed that feature. I have no idea why because as I said, the single LED pales in comparison to the traditional array of LEDs anyway. Why not have some fun? Not bound by a contract, you can choose to migrate your devices from our cloud controller at any time. And, since the Ubiquiti U6-Pro supports 160MHz channel width, I tried to keep the interference to the minimum to see the maximum performance that the AP can reach. At closer range (5 feet), the QCN9024 is absolutely phenomenal, delivering an average of 934Mbps upstream and 625Mbps downstream. Ubiquiti U6-Pro vs Other WiFi 6 Access Points – 5GHz (80MHz) – 5 Feet – Upstream. When further away, you can see the impact of the lower transmit power for APs like the U6-Lite. Higher power and higher spatial stream APs offer more distance, and can compensate with features such as beamforming. Range is where the U6-LR and U6-Pro show their biggest advantage over the U6-Lite. Higher gain antennas and higher transmit power allow them to reach further. A few extra dBm is enough to allow an AP to effectively cover a larger area.

I suppose if we ignore the nanoHD, the Ubiquiti U6-Pro can be considered the WiFi 6 upgrade over the UAP-AC-Pro and that’s even more obvious if we put the two devices side by side. They’re pretty much identical not only from the design point of view, but they’re also the same size. Indeed, the Ubiquiti U6-Pro measures 7.76 x 1.38 inches or 19.7 x 3.5 cm (a tiny tiny bit larger than the UAP-AC-Pro) and, while the top section is plastic, the bottom is made of metal alloy. Left: U6-LR. Right: U6-Pro. The throughput at 30 feet was 238Mbps up and 121Mbps downstream, but things get a bit problematic at 45 feet and farther. That because the attenuation shot up to 79dB and the throughput was barely decent, 43.9Mbps upstream and 12.7Mbps downstream. At 70 feet, I could no longer see the network, so it’s 0Mbps. Before reaching conclusions, I just assumed that it’s the fault of interference (which did ramp up after 30 feet) and it’s natural when using the 160MHz channel bandwidth on 5GHz. The U6 Mesh has a horizontal antenna pattern to maximise coverage on the same level/floor, the others have a forward beam-pattern that is better suited to ceiling-mounting.In reality, a single U6-LR or U6-Pro can cover my entire house, at least with a usable 2.4 GHz signal. So why is my current network a UDM, U6-Pro, U6-Enterprise, and an AC-Mesh? For one, I'm a nerd and I like over-engineering things. I don’t need four access points to cover my house and yard, but by using more radios at lower power, I’m optimizing for maximum performance in every corner. The U6-Lite is the cheapest and least-powerful Wi-Fi 6 AP UniFi offers. It has the least range and performance, but it also has the lowest price and smallest size. It’s the same size (and uses the same mount) as the older AC-Lite and nanoHD. It is not dust or water resistant, and should only be used indoors. Virtual Ubiquiti Controller software interface (no expensive WiFi hardware controller/switch needed)

The U6-Mesh is my default recommendation for outdoor UniFi wireless networks. The AC-Mesh and AC-Mesh-Pro are still workhorses, and their superior antenna options make them better options in some situations. I’d still lean towards the U6-Mesh due to the higher performance with Wi-Fi 6 devices, but that’s just me. I don’t think there’s a big rush to upgrade from an AC-Mesh or AC-Mesh-Pro, but for new installs and upgrades the U6-Mesh is the new benchmark. The UniFi brand is the one that interests enthusiasts like me. It is considered a prosumer product line in that it supports features that are found more commonly at the enterprise-level but at a more affordable price. Next, I detached the metallic part of the case, leaving the antenna assembly still connected to the PCB. Flipping it upside down allowed me to identify the dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm IPQ5018, there are 4GB of flash NAND memory from Mouser Electronics (THGBMNG5D1LBAIL VD6963 2147KAE) and 8MB flash memory from MXIC (25U6432F). Ubiquiti U6-Pro Teardown. The U6 Lite and U6 Mesh have comparable 2.4 GHz performance at various distances, but at 5 GHz the U6 Mesh is faster.

Enhanced Security and Network Isolation

I have been using the UniFi U6 Lite in my home for many months now and have been impressed by how much it improved Wi-Fi in my home. Range is very good and so are transfer speeds. But how does it compare to the other U6 models? Before getting to the actual results, I need to mention that a PoE adapter or switch is mandatory, and I used the Zyxel XS1930 which was way overkill for a Gigabit connection, but I had it already installed from when I tested the EnGenius ECW336 (not that Ubiquiti actually sends me anything, let alone an Ethernet switch). So, as I did with the U6-LR, I used three client devices, one with a WiFi 6 adapter and two with WiFi 5 cards. Ubiquiti U6-Pro vs U6-Lr vs Zyxel WAX650S vs WAX630S – Long-term speed test – 80MHz – Upstream – 5 feet. I understand the push towards using PoE more since it’s so convenient, but I would have still wanted the option to power up the access point via a power cable. I have mentioned before that the Ubiquiti U6-Pro was built to withstand outdoor conditions and the device is indeed IP54-rated which I suppose could ensure that it withstands some degree of abuse from the elements. But I would still be careful to not put it completely in the open. Make sure that there is some sort of roof above it, otherwise it’s not going to last that long. Internal Hardware (Ubiquiti U6-Pro Teardown) In-wall models are handy if you have Ethernet run to a wall plate. The three models I've tested aren't the best to compare because I don't have a AC-In-Wall-HD, or a Wi-Fi 5 model from Omada. Once again UniFi and Omada APs are generally the best value. The Instant On AP11D and AP17 are the worst value on a pure performance per dollar metric, but hopefully they'll be replaced with Wi-Fi 6 models soon. The U6 Mesh can be placed on a table, wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted, but the others are designed to be wall or ceiling mounted only. You can of course place the others on a table but coverage may suffer.

The UniFi line is great but can be a bit confusing for beginners to understand. So I have put together this comparison of their latest Wi-Fi6 compatible access points – the U6 Lite vs. U6 Pro vs. U6 LR (LR = Long Range). Unlike traditional systems, Ubiquiti uses a virtual client/server application that requires zero cost and no additional hardware.

Ubiquiti UniFi Pro Access Point (UAP-Pro)

R = This is downlink test, where the server is sending data to the wireless client. Without this flag, the client will send data to the server. The UniFi Access Point (UAP) U6 family consists of 5 models: the U6 Lite, the U6 Pro, U6 Long-Range (LR for short), U6 Enterprise, and the U6 Mesh. For my next test, I tested from 3 different places in my house. I wanted to show the impact of distance from your AP on a typical 20 MHz 2.4 GHz or 80 MHz 5 GHz channel. The above tests were very close range, and were meant to show an absolute best-case scenario. These distance tests are more realistic, and the 15 feet + 1 wall results are more likely what you will see in typical use. As the name implies, the U6-LR offers more range than the U6-Lite. The U6-LR has twice the spatial streams (2x2:2 vs. 4x4:4) in both bands, resulting in better beamforming and higher potential throughput. It is physically much larger, the same size as the AC-HD. The U6-LR is a step up in nearly every way, but it still has an older 802.11n-era 2.4 GHz radio and MediaTek chipset like the U6-Lite. Hold on, what is the U6 Mesh? Are the other U6 models not mesh devices? Of course all UniFi WAPs are mesh devices, as I explained earlier. I think UniFi chose a terrible name for the U6 Mesh and I can only imagine this for marketing purposes. This model is obviously aimed at the Google/Netgear/TP-Link plug-and-play mesh Wi-Fi market who are not very tech-savvy but represent a growing market. Those products typically only support wireless up-link because they do not have Ethernet ports. But the U6 Mesh has an Ethernet port, so it is just as wire-able as the other U6 models. The U6 Mesh should really have been called the U6 Pro Outdoor or something, because it is technically very similar to the U6 Pro, but with an IPX5 waterproof rating.