UniFi U6 Pro and U6 Enterprise: short test of Wi-Fi 6 access points

I’ve been using the Wi-Fi solution UniFi from Ubiquiti for a few years now. You have already been able to share in most of my predominantly positive experiences through previous blog posts. Two years ago I was still using the UniFi Dream Machine, but now I’m working on the corresponding successor, the UniFi Dream Router. Of course, one of the reasons was that it can handle Wi-Fi 6. With the UniFi U6 Pro and the UniFi U6 Enterprise I’ve been examining stand-alone access points again over the past few months. These are intended to provide local Wi-Fi coverage instead of the access points built into the Dream Router. In particular, I wanted to check the 6 GHz frequency of Wi-Fi 6E, since Ubiquiti has only donated this to the Enterprise model so far.

First a look at the technical data. The U6 Pro supports 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, the U6 Enterprise also supports the 6 GHz band as mentioned. While there is only 2×2 MU-MIMO at 2.4 GHz, 4×4 MU-MIMO is used for the other frequencies. The 6 Pro is accordingly specified with a maximum throughput of 573 Mbps (2.4 GHz) or 4.8 Gbps (5 GHz). The latter value shouldn’t play too much of a role anyway due to the lack of a corresponding connection. The information for the Enterprise model is identical, since Wi-Fi 6E with 6 GHz is added. Although this only supports a small range of end devices, it is not as overloaded, which promises higher speeds and less interference.

Both access points are operated via PoE or PoE+ (in the Enterprise model), with the U6 Pro only using Gigabit Ethernet. With the 6 Enterprise it is at least 2.5 Gbit. Both access points support WPA3 equally. With the U6 Pro, Ubiquiti specifies 300 clients, with the Enterprise model they even want to use twice the number of clients. For home use, this probably plays a subordinate role in both models. I would also like to mention the prices first. The U6 Pro costs around 180 euros. The U6 Enterprise is twice the price at 360 euros.

I don’t have to say much about the processing. Perhaps something special about the two test devices: The U6 Enterprise is a whole corner larger and also heavier than the U6 Pro. Should be taken into account for installation in any case.

A few words about my setup structure, since the living conditions, the Wi-Fi networks of the neighbors, etc. play a role with Wi-Fi. I deactivated the integrated access point on the UDR in order not to operate any other access points as potential disruptors. I connected the U6 and U6 Enterprise separately (with the same settings) and took some readings from similar locations. They are also to be taken with a “pinch of salt”. There are almost 45 clients hanging around in the network, the vast majority of them wireless – all of them at the same access point. The certain old building charm of the apartment also promises limited ranges of the access points.

Due to a lack of infrastructure, the U6 Enterprise was only connected to Gigabit Ethernet during the test. I made the measurements to be compared with smartphones (iPhone and Pixel 7 with Wi-Fi 6E), so 2×2 is already the end and here, too, the maximum capacity is not exhausted. I measured each with the WiFiman app, and the measured values ​​show the throughput to the UDR accordingly. I also recorded the signal strength on the iPhone with the WiFiman app via lidar in a map. Of course, I had little influence on roaming and the like, so these cards should also be treated with caution.

Under the above conditions, I then came up with the following peak measurement values ​​or coverage:

The effects of Wi-Fi 6E are clearly visible, a gigabit speed can definitely be achieved under real conditions – with 2.5 Gbit there should be a shovel more potential at the top speeds. Otherwise, the differences in the U6 Enterprise are not only to be found in the area of ​​fewer Mbps. Fluctuations are to be expected at such high speeds, the leveled-off speed is a bit lower in each case. All in all, however, with both access points, with my requirements and premises, convincing values.

With Wi-Fi 6 in the 5GHz network, the differences between the U6 Pro and U6 Enterprise are only marginal and can be ignored. However, I would make the claim that the U6 Enterprise is more stable at top speeds. When it comes to the range itself, the devices don’t give much.

Before I draw a final conclusion, I would like to add one or the other anomaly apart from the measurements. I also looked at the power consumption. Ubiquiti specifies a maximum of 13 and 22 watts for the U6 Pro and U6 Enterprise respectively. Even in my normal operation (approx. 45 clients), the U6 Enterprise allowed itself approx. 13-15 watts, which are only possible at the top with the U6. That’s quite a lot, especially when you only notice a few differences in normal home use apart from Wi-Fi 6E and its advantages.

I’ll also tell you that the UniFi 6 Enterprise should only be operated on a PoE+ port with the appropriate power. This is not the case with the UniFi Dream Router, which ends at 15.4 watts anyway. When running my first speed tests, the U6 Enterprise got out and restarted itself. After an update, the low-power option mentioned below is available, which is intended to prevent exactly that. However, 6 GHz is then not available, which further reduces the difference to the U6 Pro. If you are not using compatible equipment, you should go down one level instead of activating the mode.

Another special feature that affects the U6 Enterprise and its Wi-Fi 6E capabilities: If you activate the 6 GHz band, you can only operate your access point with WPA 3 (Enterprise). Even the mixed operation of WPA2/WPA3 is then no longer available. Wouldn’t be so problematic if numerous devices didn’t quit their service. These include smart home devices. No, not only unknown actors, but also, for example, Amazon’s Echo Smart Speaker or Kindles say “good night” with WPA3. It is conceivable to operate Wi-Fi 6E with a separate SSID and WPA3 for correspondingly compatible devices. This only makes roaming and the setup for home use unnecessarily complex.

A conclusion? Difficult. After all, you can get two U6 Pro for the price of one U6 Enterprise and thus achieve greater coverage. If you don’t have to look at every cent, you can of course use the U6 Enterprise. A U6 Pro (or even a device below it) should probably suffice for the rest. The foray into the Wi-Fi 6E area showed that there is a lot of potential (sometimes untapped) lying dormant – both in terms of manufacturers of access points and end devices. None of my Apple devices (including the high-priced MacBook Pro with M1 Max) are currently ready for this.

To my knowledge, the Pixel 7 used in the test is probably one of the few devices that support 6 GHz and fly around at my house. Accordingly, one could definitely wait until 6E has also arrived in the underlying series. The U6 Enterprise is probably too oversized for home use. But who am I telling this to, that should also be the case with almost every other UniFi device.

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