PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Ubiquiti Enterprise 8 PoE
Ubiquiti Enterprise 8 PoE
★ 4.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 2x2 MIMO (2 spatial streams per band)
  • Aggregate Throughput: 1.8 Gbps (1.2 Gbps 5GHz + 600 Mbps 2.4GHz)
  • Radios: Dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
  • Uplink Port Speed: 1 Gbps Ethernet
  • Max Clients: 128-200 concurrent clients
  • PoE Requirement: 802.3at PoE (30W)
  • Antenna Type: Internal omni-directional
  • Coverage Area: ~400 sq ft / ~37 sq m
  • Frequency Bands: 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n/ax), 5 GHz (802.11a/n/ac/ax)
  • Data Rate (5GHz): Up to 1.2 Gbps
  • Data Rate (2.4GHz): Up to 600 Mbps
  • Security: WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise & Personal
  • Management: UniFi Network Controller, cloud/on-prem
  • Form Factor: Compact ceiling or wall-mount

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 6 with strong dual-band coverage; Simple PoE power delivery (802.3at standard); Excellent UniFi integration and centralized management; Cost-effective for mid-market deployments; Reliable firmware and security updates from Ubiquiti
  • ✘ Cons: Limited to 2x2 MIMO (lower stream count than flagship models); 1 Gbps uplink can bottleneck in high-density deployments; Requires UniFi Controller ecosystem (not standalone); Internal antennas limit customization; 5GHz range more limited than external-antenna competitors
  • Est. Price: $249 - $349

Compare Against

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6100
Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6100
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 240 Gbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 178.5 Mpps
  • Ports: 48 u00d7 1GbE RJ-45 + 4 u00d7 10GbE SFP+ uplink
  • PoE Budget: 390W PoE+
  • Layer: L2/L3
  • Stacking Support: Yes (VSF - up to 6 units)
  • Backplane: 240 Gbps
  • Buffer Memory: 16 MB
  • Max VLANs: 4094
  • Management: Web UI, CLI, SNMP, SSH

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Enterprise-grade performance with 240 Gbps switching capacity; PoE+ support with 390W budget sufficient for 30+ IP cameras or wireless APs; Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) allows seamless stacking of up to 6 units without separate stack cables; Aruba OS - intuitive CLI and comprehensive management features; Excellent price-to-performance ratio for mid-market deployments; Fanless and compact form factor suitable for edge deployments
  • ✘ Cons: Limited to 48 1GbE ports plus 4 10GbE - not ideal for very high-density deployments; 10GbE uplinks are SFP+ only, requiring transceiver modules; VSF setup requires specific module licenses; Not suitable for data center core switching (lower throughput than enterprise-class CX switches); Power consumption (~140W typical) requires adequate power infrastructure in small spaces; Limited redundant power supply options on base model
  • Est. Price: $3,200 - $5,500

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