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Next, I detached the metallic part of the case, leaving the antenna assembly still connected to the PCB. Flipping it upside down allowed me to identify the dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm IPQ5018, there are 4GB of flash NAND memory from Mouser Electronics (THGBMNG5D1LBAIL VD6963 2147KAE) and 8MB flash memory from MXIC (25U6432F). Ubiquiti U6-Pro Teardown. When everything is working properly, then the LED will be solid blue and, before it’s adopted to the UniFi controller, it will be solid white. What’s very problematic is that Ubiquiti has advertised that the users would be able to set the color that they wanted (RGB), but they have removed that feature. I have no idea why because as I said, the single LED pales in comparison to the traditional array of LEDs anyway. Why not have some fun? The U6 Mesh has a horizontal antenna pattern to maximise coverage on the same level/floor, the others have a forward beam-pattern that is better suited to ceiling-mounting. The U6 LR unsurprisingly has the best performance (speed and range) across both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, thanks to the highest signal strength and 4×4 MIMO on all bands. Wi-Fi performance is hard to accurately capture. Before we cover my iPerf results, it’s important to understand what they do and do not say. iPerf is a tool for testing throughput on wired and wireless networks, but it is easy to misinterpret these numbers, or put too much importance on them. Using a public speed test server like fast.com or speedtest.net will almost always result in lower speeds. iPerf is a good way to get repeatable results and test the upper end of performance, but they don’t always reflect normal everyday use.
Statistics: Ubiquiti organizes and visualizes your network(s) traffic in clear and easy-to-read graphs. As the name implies, the U6-LR offers more range than the U6-Lite. The U6-LR has twice the spatial streams (2x2:2 vs. 4x4:4) in both bands, resulting in better beamforming and higher potential throughput. It is physically much larger, the same size as the AC-HD. The U6-LR is a step up in nearly every way, but it still has an older 802.11n-era 2.4 GHz radio and MediaTek chipset like the U6-Lite. The U6-Lite is the cheapest and least-powerful Wi-Fi 6 AP UniFi offers. It has the least range and performance, but it also has the lowest price and smallest size. It’s the same size (and uses the same mount) as the older AC-Lite and nanoHD. It is not dust or water resistant, and should only be used indoors. Before getting to the actual results, I need to mention that a PoE adapter or switch is mandatory, and I used the Zyxel XS1930 which was way overkill for a Gigabit connection, but I had it already installed from when I tested the EnGenius ECW336 (not that Ubiquiti actually sends me anything, let alone an Ethernet switch). So, as I did with the U6-LR, I used three client devices, one with a WiFi 6 adapter and two with WiFi 5 cards. Ubiquiti U6-Pro vs U6-Lr vs Zyxel WAX650S vs WAX630S – Long-term speed test – 80MHz – Upstream – 5 feet. For my next test, I tested from 3 different places in my house. I wanted to show the impact of distance from your AP on a typical 20 MHz 2.4 GHz or 80 MHz 5 GHz channel. The above tests were very close range, and were meant to show an absolute best-case scenario. These distance tests are more realistic, and the 15 feet + 1 wall results are more likely what you will see in typical use.There is a bump in the antenna gain of 0.5dBi for the 5GHz, while the transmit power is 22dBm as opposed to the 26dBm of the U6-LR, the platform is also different but is that enough to make a noticeable difference between the two models? There should be a difference, but I am not sure it’s going to be that steep, hence the small difference in terms of cost between the two models. Growing up in the early 2000s, I remember the Wi-Fi in our home being slow, unreliable but most of all extremely spotty. There were some areas of the house that were just dead zones. But after 2 decades, technology has advanced to the point where you can get speedy Wi-Fi that can stream multiple 4K streams simultaneously along with all the other traffic in a typical digital household
I’ve seen this approach with lots of EnGenius access points, including the ECW230 and the latest WiFi 6E ECW336, and it works wonders for the heat management of compact access points. Ubiquiti still insists that their APs are suitable for outdoors, so there are no ventilation holes and you do get a silicone cover for the ports area, which means that the device will get hotter to the touch when it’s operational (due to the heat transfer), but there should be no risk of overheating. Ubiquiti U6-Pro Heat Management. The Ubiquiti U6-Pro UniFi WiFi 6 Access Point is an indoor WiFi 6 AP with 5.3Gbps over the air speed and a 300+ client capacity. The U6-Pro is a dual-band WiFi 6 (802.11ax) access point that represents the next generation of high-performance wireless technology for home and enterprise users. Delivering blazing fast over the air speeds of up to 5.3 Gbps over its 5GHz and 2.4GHz channels, the U6-Pro will maximise the WiFi experience of any residential or office deployment. Plus, with its ability to support over 300 concurrent clients, the U6-Pro ensures reliable wireless coverage across even the most device-dense environments. The U6-Pro also marries power with ease of use through streamlined setup, configuration, and mobile-friendly management via the UniFi Network app. Key Features Unlike traditional systems, Ubiquiti uses a virtual client/server application that requires zero cost and no additional hardware.In reality, a single U6-LR or U6-Pro can cover my entire house, at least with a usable 2.4 GHz signal. So why is my current network a UDM, U6-Pro, U6-Enterprise, and an AC-Mesh? For one, I'm a nerd and I like over-engineering things. I don’t need four access points to cover my house and yard, but by using more radios at lower power, I’m optimizing for maximum performance in every corner. Now how reliable that Wi-Fi is across the whole home and whether there are dead spots is another matter altogether. If your home is large or spread across multiple floors, a single Wi-Fi router is just not going to cut it. But your ISP-provided router comes with just 1 Wi-Fi radio.
I understand the push towards using PoE more since it’s so convenient, but I would have still wanted the option to power up the access point via a power cable. I have mentioned before that the Ubiquiti U6-Pro was built to withstand outdoor conditions and the device is indeed IP54-rated which I suppose could ensure that it withstands some degree of abuse from the elements. But I would still be careful to not put it completely in the open. Make sure that there is some sort of roof above it, otherwise it’s not going to last that long. Internal Hardware (Ubiquiti U6-Pro Teardown) I explained my current home network in Zen and the Art of Home Networking. In that post I walked through my home network and why I chose the APs and locations that I did. I’ve used the U6-Lite, U6-LR, U6-Pro, U6-Mesh, and several other models and vendors. The differences aren’t always what you would expect from the spec sheet. The Ubiquiti UniFi Prooffers simultaneous dual-band operation with 2x2 and 3x3 MIMO technology. It has a range of up to 400 ft and 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports.The UAP Prois faster than the standard UAP model, offering speeds of up to 300 Mbps in the 5 GHz radio band and up to 450 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz radio band. The U6-Pro switches from MediaTek to a Qualcomm chipset. Generally speaking, Qualcomm’s solutions are better than an equivalent MediaTek chipset. I’m glossing over a lot of details there, but the underlying differences are enough that Ubiquiti classifies the U6-Pro as a 6th generation device, while the U6-Lite and U6-LR are both 5th generation. The U6-Mesh is my default recommendation for outdoor UniFi wireless networks. The AC-Mesh and AC-Mesh-Pro are still workhorses, and their superior antenna options make them better options in some situations. I’d still lean towards the U6-Mesh due to the higher performance with Wi-Fi 6 devices, but that’s just me. I don’t think there’s a big rush to upgrade from an AC-Mesh or AC-Mesh-Pro, but for new installs and upgrades the U6-Mesh is the new benchmark.I have been using the UniFi U6 Lite in my home for many months now and have been impressed by how much it improved Wi-Fi in my home. Range is very good and so are transfer speeds. But how does it compare to the other U6 models? The U6-Mesh takes the FlexHD’s enclosure and stuffs Wi-Fi 6 radios in it. It's a AX5400 Qualcomm-based AP like the U6-Pro. The U6-Mesh runs hot, but it also performs very well. It is IPX5 certified, meaning it can be used indoors or out, and mounted in the same way the FlexHD can be. The AC-Mesh is an AC1200 Wi-Fi 5 AP that is getting old, but it’s still for sale and a valid option for new outdoor installations. The AC-Mesh comes with removable omnidirectional antennas, which can be replaced with any antenna that has RP-SMA connectors. The AC-Mesh can operated on standard 802.3af (15W) PoE, or with Ubiquiti’s 24V passive PoE. In any case, on the bottom of the Ubiquiti U6-Pro, there is a dedicated area carved into the plastic where you can find the Reset button and a single Gigabit Ethernet port which supports PoE (802.3af). Left: Ubiquiti UAP-AC-PRO. Right: Ubiquiti U6-Pro.
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