Primary Device
Ubiquiti U6 Pro
★ 4.4 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Spatial Streams (MIMO): 6 total: 5 GHz 4x4 (DL/UL MU-MIMO); 2.4 GHz 2x2 (UL MU-MIMO)
- Aggregate Throughput: 5.3 Gbps (combined; 4.8 Gbps 5 GHz BW160 + 573.5 Mbps 2.4 GHz BW40)
- Radios (bands): Dual-band: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
- Uplink Port Speed: 1x 1 GbE RJ45
- Max Clients: 250+ (official Ubiquiti tech specs; some retailers list 300+)
- PoE Requirement: PoE powered, 44-57V DC input, 13W max consumption; 802.3af/at not specified by Ubiquiti; no PoE injector in the spec listing
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: Wi-Fi 6 with 4x4 MU-MIMO on 5 GHz for good multi-client performance; Aggregate throughput up to 5.3 Gbps across both bands; Low 13W power draw compared with higher-end APs; Works with UniFi Network controller for centralized management; Ceiling or wall mounting with included Pro Mount; Compact, low-profile design (about 197 mm diameter, 35 mm height)
- ✘ Cons: Only a single 1 GbE uplink, which can bottleneck the 5 GHz radio on fast networks; No 2.5 GbE or multi-gig port; PoE standard not clearly specified, so verify your switch or injector supplies enough power; PoE injector is not included with the US model, which adds cost; Client capacity is lower on the official spec (250+) than some retailer marketing claims (300+); Requires a UniFi controller for full feature use
- Est. Price: $159 - $185
Compare Against
Cisco Catalyst 9164 (CW9164I)
★ 3.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6E (IEEE 802.11ax)
- Spatial Streams (MIMO): 4x4 on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; 6 GHz listed as 2x2 by one reseller and 4x4 in the Japanese Cisco datasheet (conflicting, verify against the English datasheet)
- Aggregate Throughput: 7.49 Gbps theoretical PHY rate (vendor-listed, not measured)
- Radios (bands): 3 radios: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz (tri-band)
- Uplink Port Speed: 1x 2.5GbE RJ-45 (100M/1G/2.5G)
- Max Clients: Not confirmed in sources reviewed
- PoE Requirement: PoE powered device (PD) on the 2.5GbE port; exact 802.3 class not confirmed in sources reviewed
- Management: On-premises with Catalyst 9800 WLCs (IOS XE 17.9.1+ per one listing) or cloud-managed via Meraki (CW9164I-MR SKU)
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.1
- Antenna: Internal antennas
- Memory: 2 GB RAM, 1 GB flash
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with dedicated 6 GHz band for less congested, high-capacity clients; 4x4 MIMO radios on 2.4 and 5 GHz; Single-cable PoE deployment with 2.5GbE uplink; Flexible management: on-prem with Catalyst 9800 controllers or cloud-managed via Meraki SKU; Internal antennas give a low-profile ceiling-mount form factor; Bluetooth 5.1 for IoT and asset-tracking use cases
- ✘ Cons: Single 2.5GbE uplink caps wired throughput well below the 7.49 Gbps radio rate; Quoted throughput is a theoretical PHY rate, with no independent measured aggregate results found; Price varies widely by seller and SKU (-B, -ROW, -E, -MR), and many listings are refurbished; Spatial stream and PoE class details conflict or are unconfirmed across sources; Requires IOS XE 17.9.1 or later for some configurations, and needs a Catalyst 9800 controller or Meraki license for full management
- Est. Price: $1,100 - $1,900