Access point unifi

kannanni1

kannanni1

kannanni1

Associate
Joined
24 Sep 2024
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10
Location
London
Hello,

I am currently using only 1 unifi u6 pro and was looking for something with a better longer range..

Any recommendations please - will the enterprise model have a better range?

What about the WiFi 7 versions - are they better in range?

I don’t have any WiFi 7 clients as yet but later in the year we might upgrade our phones to WiFi 7 however not big deal if we remain in WiFi 6

It has to be another unifi product as am I also using their gateway with the build in controller
 
I had a virgin media hub 5 previously who reached all my house at reasonable strength and speed. I have now no coverage on some corners of my house on the 5ghz band. All I need is the same coverage/speed matching the virgin hub - nothing special

I have tried different positioning of the AP but unfortunately it just doesn’t push the signal that bit further

To make it simplier: which unifi AP can match or do better range coverage than the VM hub 5 on 5 ghz band WiFi 6
 
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Sounds like an installation or setting issue, the U6 Pro should be more than capable than the VM hub. Likely need to do a scan and tweak the channels for best performance. Where is the AP mounted?
 
andy_mk3 said:
Sounds like an installation or setting issue, the U6 Pro should be more than capable than the VM hub. Likely need to do a scan and tweak the channels for best performance. Where is the AP mounted?
Click to expand...
It’s exactly where the VM used to stay in the corner of living room lying flat on top of my desk. I have tried scanning using the build in scan from the controller and changed 5ghz channels a few times but the range coverage issue remains - just weaker range compared to what I had previously

Any particular settings you recommend for the 5ghz band wifi6? I’m currently on 80 mhz full power on channel 44

How do I get wifiman to connect and scan with my local gateway console? At the moment it’s asking me to login to console with my email and password via the cloud only unless there is something else that I am missing (I am configured to access the gateway locally only)
 
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Having it lying flat with the fascia pointing upwards will be causing most of your issues IMO. Most APs are designed to be ceiling mounted facing downwards into the coverage area.

Ubiquiti say that you can wall mount the U6 but I've come across and fixed so many wireless deployments where APs have been installed incorrectly that I wouldn't even bother messing about with channel and power settings until you've got it ceiling mounted.

I've walked away from jobs where people are asking me to 'fix their WiFi' only to find the AP is sat on top of a cupboard or mounted to a wall. Mount the AP properly and the go from there.
 
that’s not gonna happen unfortunately too much work involved to get cables through the ceiling. I’ll just find a decent router with strong coverage similar to the vm hub and get done with it.
 
Yeah, unless you actually set out to run cabling through the walls and floors ceiling mounting an AP isn't really feasible for most homes, even though it is worth doing. You could run some external network cable outside of the house and in through the loft.

Alternatively, there is a U6/U7 in-wall model that may be a bit more optimised for your placement. There are 3D printed brackets available to allow them to be stand mounted rather than having to be mounted to a wall directly.

Ultimately though, that U6 is going to be doing you absolutely zero favours in its current location.
 
Try getting a cheap 3D printed stand for the U6 and see if that helps. It'll give you some flexibility to move it around and mess with placement without any permanent fixtures going in.

I've got a U7 Pro XGS on a 3d printed stand so it's definitely not optimal in terms of mounting and placement (it is going to get ceiling mounted once our renovation work has finished) but I find that configured correctly it just about covers all of the main rooms in the house, upstairs and downstairs, with good speeds. It doesn't quite reach my EV charger outside nor the car on the driveway but I never expected it to.
 
Thanks guys,

The only other option I’m thinking is to add another ap to cover the blind spots. It will be a wireless mesh system if I go that route. Not sure which ap is best for my case, any recommendations?
 
How have you got the U6Pro positioned?
Laying flat with the curved side upwards?

If you want to get geeky about the optimum positioning, the radiation patterns can be found at https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005212927-AP-Antenna-Radiation-Patterns

What gateway are you using?
If you only need a fairly basic gateway, something like a UDR might be more suitable for desk standing, then combine that with the U6 Pro as a wireless mesh.
 
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