But, while Zyxel, EnGenius and TP-Link have released powerful WiFi 6 access points a couple of years ago, proudly showcasing the best that the standard could offer, Ubiquiti didn’t really care about its competition. So it took its time, only recently making available a 2.5GbE WiFi 6 access point. The Ubiquiti U6-LR still offers a 1Gbps port and, considering the price tag of the device, it makes a lot of sense. To be fair, the entire series is surprisingly affordable, but U6-LR supports 160MHz channel bandwidth, OFDMA, 4×4 MU-MIMO and the support for the excellent UniFi controller. The Ubiquiti U6-Lite WiFi 6 Access Point delivers up to 1.5 Gbps aggregate radio rate with 5 GHz (MU-MIMO and OFDMA) and 2.4 GHz (MIMO) radios. You can mount the U6-Lite horizontally in the ceiling to cover a high-density environment, or mount it vertically on the wall to extend its range. UniFi 6 Lite has a compact and nano-sized design, so it can use nanoHD covers and mounting accessories (sold separately, see accessories tab). Key Features

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. 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. I don’t recommend using 40 MHz channels in the 2.4 GHz band, due to them overlapping with over 80% of the already-crowded spectrum. There’s only one non-overlapping 40 MHz channel in North America, and the rest of the world only has two. Like 160 MHz channels in 5 GHz, there is not enough available frequency for them to be reliably used in most situations. Wider channels also impose a noise penalty, and are generally worse at range than narrower channels. The U6-Pro is the newest of the three, and it is also a big step up from the U6-Lite. The U6-Pro also offers more transmit power, higher-gain antennas, more spatial streams, and more overall performance than the U6-Lite. The U6-LR and U6-Pro are both IP54-rated, meaning they are partially dust and splash resistant. They can be used in a protected outdoor area, like under a porch roof, but you wouldn’t want to install them in an unprotected outdoor area. I was a bit curious about whether the specs list was wrong and maybe one of my multi-Gigabit Ethernet switches (such as Zyxel XS1930 or EnGenius ECS2512FP) would show a 2.5GbE connection, but no, it’s Gigabit. That being said, I connected the Ubiquiti U6-LR to a PoE switch, then connected a server device to the switch as well. The router also gets to be connected to the same Ethernet switch. Then, I got three client devices, the first is equipped with an Intel AX200 adapter, so it’s WiFi 6 and it supports the entire spectrum of features that the Ubiquiti U6-LR has to offer. Then, there is a laptop equipped with an Intel 8265 adapter (WiFi 5) and the Pixel 2 XL (also WiFi 5), but we’ll talk about them later. Ubiquiti – U6-LR – Wireless Test – 5GHz – WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 client devices – Upstream Ubiquiti – U6-LR – Signal Strength – 5GHz – WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 client devices – Upstream

Hardware

In any case, the performance on 2.4GHz radio should be similar to what we saw on the WiFi 5 Ubiquiti APs, hopefully. Besides OFDMA, there’s MU-MIMO which is only useful with compatible devices and I suppose their number has grown a bit over the last few years, at least in regards to smartphone or laptops. Lastly, there is the possibility to create a mesh network using multiple Ubiquiti access points (wireless Uplink), but will the U6-LR actually connect to nanoHD? And the answer is yes, these devices are compatible, so you can use them for this specific typology. Wireless Test (5GHz) 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. Powerful Wi-Fi 6 Access Point with 4x4 MU-MIMO featuring a small, sleek design and mounting flexibility for use indoors or outdoors.

UniFi 6 Mesh Access Point is a Wi-Fi 6 access point that delivers up to 2.7 Gbps aggregate radio rate with 5 GHz (MU-MIMO and OFDMA) and 2.4 GHz (MIMO) radios. It can be placed on a desktop or mounted on a pole, wall, or ceiling*. The modern yet discreet design allows placement near users for optimal performance. UniFi 6 Mesh Access Point shares its form factor with the UAP-FlexHD, so UniFi 6 Mesh Access Point can use FlexHD mounting accessories. With a 5 GHz band offering 4x4 MU-MIMO and OFDMA, delivering a remarkable 4.8 Gbps throughput rate, and a 2.4 GHz band featuring 2x2 MIMO and a 573.5 Mbps throughput rate, you get the best of both worlds. Stream 4K videos without buffering, enjoy lag-free online gaming, and ensure a seamless browsing experience on all your devices. This access point is engineered for high-speed data transmission, so you can enjoy uninterrupted connectivity throughout your home or office. Seamless Performance with Full 4x4 MIMO Early implementations of OFDMA were tested by SmallNetBuilder, and he found no discernible benefits. The full impact of these changes probably won’t be felt until a few years from now, when more devices support them and firmware improves.The U6-Lite has an older 2.4 GHz radio, meaning it doesn’t deliver the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 for 2.4 GHz clients. The U6-Lite is an AX1500 class AP, with an 802.11n-era 2.4 GHz radio and a 5 GHz radio that tops out at 80 MHz channel width. The U6-Lite doesn’t support 160 MHz channels, unlike the U6-LR, Pro, and Mesh. They can all operate in DFS channels in the US, though.

The AC-Mesh and AC-Mesh-Pro are still relevant, but are also due for an update. Ubiquiti hasn’t replaced these models with direct replacements, but they have made newer outdoor APs that can be considered instead. Wi-Fi 6: U6-Mesh The U6-Pro switches from MediaTek to a Qualcomm chipset. Generally speaking, Qualcomm’s solutions are better than an equivalent MediaTek chipset. I’m glossing over a lot of details there, but the underlying differences are enough that Ubiquiti classifies the U6-Pro as a 6th generation device, while the U6-Lite and U6-LR are both 5th generation.The 5 GHz band of the U6-Lite is equipped with 2x2 MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology, boasting a radio rate of 1.2 Gbps. This ensures fast and reliable wireless connections, making it ideal for data-intensive tasks and high-density environments where network performance is crucial. Versatile 2.4 GHz Band 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.