PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Ubiquiti U7 Pro
Ubiquiti U7 Pro
★ 4.1 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), tri-band
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 6 total (2x2 MU-MIMO per radio: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)
  • Aggregate Throughput: ~9.3 Gbps (2.4 GHz: 688 Mbps, 5 GHz: 2882 Mbps, 6 GHz: 5765 Mbps)
  • Radios (bands): 3 radios: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz (tri-band)
  • Uplink Port Speed: 1x 2.5 GbE RJ-45
  • Max Clients: 300+ concurrent clients
  • PoE Requirement: 802.3at (PoE+), approx. 21 W; PoE+ injector or switch not included
  • Management: UniFi Network 8.0.26 or later
  • Mounting: Ceiling or wall mount, indoor

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with dedicated 6 GHz radio for less congestion; Roughly 9.3 Gbps aggregate across bands at a relatively low price for Wi-Fi 7; 2.5 GbE uplink lets it exceed gigabit wired backhaul; Powered by standard 802.3at PoE+, so it runs on common PoE+ switches; Supports 300+ concurrent clients, suitable for medium-density offices; Managed centrally through UniFi Network with no per-device license fees
  • ✘ Cons: Single 2.5 GbE uplink port, with no 10 GbE option; PoE+ power adapter or injector is not included, so a PoE+ switch is needed; Only 2x2 per radio, so real-world throughput trails higher-end Wi-Fi 7 APs; Requires UniFi Network 8.0.26 or later, so it cannot run standalone; US retail prices vary widely between sellers and the official spec sheet was not reachable to confirm the throughput figures
  • Est. Price: $189 - $206

Compare Against

Cisco Catalyst 9178i
Cisco Catalyst 9178i
★ 4.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4 MU-MIMO per client-serving radio (4 spatial streams per radio)
  • Aggregate Throughput: 24 Gbps aggregate (concurrent 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz radios)
  • Radios (bands): 4 client-serving radios: tri-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz with a 4th radio (quad-radio design)
  • Uplink Port Speed: 2x 10 Gbps mGig ports (multi-gigabit Ethernet)
  • Max Clients: 1200 (400 per radio)
  • PoE Requirement: 802.3bt (PoE++) required for full operation; 802.3at/af supports reduced functionality; draws approx. 30-52 W

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Wi-Fi 7 with tri-band 2.4/5/6 GHz and 4x4 MU-MIMO on every radio; 24 Gbps aggregate throughput for high-density environments; dual 10 Gbps mGig uplinks avoid a 1 Gbps bottleneck; rated for up to 1200 clients; supports 802.3bt PoE on the mGig ports with at/af fallback; manageable from Catalyst 9800 WLC/Catalyst Center or Meraki cloud depending on SKU
  • ✘ Cons: Requires 802.3bt PoE for full functionality, which raises switch and injector cost; needs Catalyst 9800 controller running IOS XE 17.15.2 or later for the Catalyst SKU; Wi-Fi 7 benefits need Wi-Fi 7 clients to be realized; list pricing varies widely by reseller and SKU (CFG vs Global vs RTG), and reseller spec figures differ in places; cloud-managed (Meraki) deployment requires separate licensing; premium cost compared with Wi-Fi 6E alternatives
  • Est. Price: $1,681 - $2,996

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