PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max
Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max
★ 5.0 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Wi-Fi Standard: WiFi 7 (802.11be)
  • Spatial Streams (MIMO): 8 Streams (6GHz: 2x2, 5GHz: 4x4, 2.4GHz: 2x2)
  • Aggregate Throughput: 15.1 Gbps
  • Radios (bands): Tri-band (2.4, 5, 6 GHz)
  • Uplink Port Speed: 2.5 GbE RJ45
  • Max Clients: 500+
  • PoE Requirement: PoE+ (802.3at)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Industry-leading WiFi 7 performance, massive 15.1 Gbps aggregate throughput, dedicated spectral scanning engine for interference analysis, and excellent price-to-performance ratio.
  • ✘ Cons: Requires PoE+ power, needs 2.5GbE infrastructure to reach full potential, and 6GHz range is inherently shorter than lower bands.
  • Est. Price: $279 - $295

Compare Against

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

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 204.8 Tbps (full chassis)
  • Forwarding Rate: 204.8 Tbps
  • Ports: Up to 288 u00d7 10/25/40/100 Gbps (via modular line cards)
  • Layer: L2/L3
  • Stacking Support: Yes (up to 9 units via Stacking Cables)
  • Chassis Type: 3-slot modular chassis
  • PoE Budget: Up to 5.6 kW per module (optional PoE+ modules)
  • Max Power Consumption: 10.2 kW (full chassis)
  • Backplane Bandwidth: 204.8 Tbps
  • Throughput per Port: Up to 100 Gbps per port
  • Cooling: Redundant, variable-speed fans
  • Uplinks: Multiple 100 Gbps QSFP28 capable

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Industry-leading 204.8 Tbps switching fabric supports next-generation high-density deployments; Modular architecture allows flexible line-card configurations for different port densities and speeds; Full redundancy support (PSU, fan, uplinks) ensures carrier-grade reliability; Native support for Cisco DNA Center and SD-Access intent-based networking; Excellent in-service upgrade capabilities with no traffic disruption
  • ✘ Cons: Significantly higher capital cost compared to fixed-configuration switches; Requires skilled technical staff for modular line-card installation and configuration; Power and cooling infrastructure overhead for large deployments; Complexity of managing modular chassis in smaller networks may be overkill; Limited flexibility in port mix compared to disaggregated options
  • Est. Price: $85,000 - $125,000

Popular Comparisons

Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max vs Ubiquiti U7 Pro Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max vs Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max vs Cisco Catalyst 9178i Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max vs Cisco Catalyst 9176I (CW9176I) Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max vs Cisco Catalyst 9136I