I have a switch plugged into my Amplifi router and it works fine. The Amplifi router has 4 ethernet ports as well as a Wan ethernet port.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Review: Ubiquiti Labs' AmpliFi Routers Have Fast Setups, Gorgeous Designs, and Rock Solid Mesh Wi-Fi Coverage
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have a switch plugged into my Amplifi router and it works fine. The Amplifi router has 4 ethernet ports as well as a Wan ethernet port.
I got one of these a couple of years ago. I actually picked it out, not my husband, which is funny because I know zilch about these things and relied on an article similar to this one to solve our coverage problems in our three level home. He’s the techie, but due to work and extended family commitments has barely free time to sleep, never mind dealing with home infrastructure.
Whatever our old system was, it wasn’t getting signal reliably from the basement up two levels to the bedrooms. I kept waiting for my husband to fix that but he kept getting buried in projects so I read about this and bought it and managed to get him to set it up.
To give an understanding of how ignorant I am of what it is I bought, all I know is there’s a “box thingy” in the family room and it connects to these “paddle things” with antennas plugged into an outlet in the dining room and a spare bedroom. In the basement is an ugly flat box with antennas that belongs to Verizon and that’s where our internet service enters the house.
We now have extensive coverage that extends all the way into a field next to my house, but I notice for some reason I need to reboot the cube fairly regularly. The main box from Verizon also goes out a lot and needs to be rebooted. I have no idea what causes any of this aside from occasionally severe weather and resultant power disruptions. My husband says most of our problems are with Verizon and he'll attempt to get it sorted when he can get a break in his schedule.
Whatever our old system was, it wasn’t getting signal reliably from the basement up two levels to the bedrooms. I kept waiting for my husband to fix that but he kept getting buried in projects so I read about this and bought it and managed to get him to set it up.
To give an understanding of how ignorant I am of what it is I bought, all I know is there’s a “box thingy” in the family room and it connects to these “paddle things” with antennas plugged into an outlet in the dining room and a spare bedroom. In the basement is an ugly flat box with antennas that belongs to Verizon and that’s where our internet service enters the house.
We now have extensive coverage that extends all the way into a field next to my house, but I notice for some reason I need to reboot the cube fairly regularly. The main box from Verizon also goes out a lot and needs to be rebooted. I have no idea what causes any of this aside from occasionally severe weather and resultant power disruptions. My husband says most of our problems are with Verizon and he'll attempt to get it sorted when he can get a break in his schedule.
Well it's not mesh when you can't buy another one, lol. Do you think it's worth it to cost/risk of it not working buying a used one to get me by until WiFi 6 mesh systems are widely available? Not exactly sure when that will be, but I'm hoping for some product unveilings at CES and a release by Q219, but since it's still so new it might be a while before the good systems are available. The other problem is that I moved my router to the new studio I built in my basement so I could plug in my Xbox One X and have faster signal to my MBP when working from home. However I'm having trouble in a few areas of my house now and am not getting anywhere near the 500mbps I get in my studio. After I upgrade to mesh I'm going to move up to the next tier so I can blanket my home in sweet gigabit internet.
UniFi UAP-AC-HD is a much higher class device than the AmpliFi units. I had two UAP-AC-HD and replaced them with two UAP-IW-HD, as the AC-HD is an overkill for my house. But even UAP-IW-HDs are devices in a completely different class than AmpliFi devices. For those with Ethernet throughout their house, I would recommend not buying the “Paddles” and instead uplinking several the AmpliFi main units using the Ethernet as the backbone. the option to use Ethernet as backbone became available earlier in 2018, and is an officially supported feature.
That would maximize the performance of the AmpliFi system and make it perform closer to lower-end UniFi APs like UAP-AC-Pro. Of course, the AmpliFi main unit also has a routing/firewall feature, whereas UniFi APs are Wi-Fi APs only that still need a switch, POE, and a router/firewall. So, for those who are weak on computer networking, AmpliFi is a better option than UniFi, with the latter being a business (or prosumer) solution.
Last edited:
You're completely correct of course. I have a 10Gb home network though so I'm in that prosumer category and that's why I have two of the UAP-AC-HD's for our place and their switch. I'm all about that speed!
I mean, they're certainly less conspicuous and much easier on the eyes than my router (which actually matches my previous laptop, design-wise):
I hope you disabled the router function of the Verizon box, so that it is working as a modem only. The Amplifi HD mesh router should be the only thing doing the routing work.
Do you really need a company account in order to manage the hardware?
Can the hardware be managed using a web browser interface or is mobile app the only option?
Does the router need to be rebooted like Linksys and Netgear routers when settings are changed?
I'm thinking of getting one NanoHD to replace our AE - which is more or less in the center of our three story home. I would also get the Cloud Key for control. The AE is in bridge mode. Looking at forums it seems easy to set up the Unifi AP. If one gives good coverage - great. If not, I'd add a second - ethernet of course. Does the roaming feature work well - using the same SSID? And can you also add a guest SSID? Thnaks
OP how do you switch from an Apple Extreme and not compare or even mention the Time Machine compatibility of the Amplifi?? This review is sorta lacking imo.
I'm curious about this myself.
I've read that Eero requires a live internet connection for management, which means I won't be touching it with the proverbial ten-foot pole.
I can understand if I buy a piece of equipment that requires setting up an account over a live connection to provide the primary service.
Maybe I'm old school, but if I can't simply administer a piece of equipment without it having to reach out to some remote server? No thanks.
Does anyone have any reviews of these AmpliFI setups from a security standpoint?
What about HomeKit compatibility? The issues I'm having with HomeKit are why I'm casually looking into a different router.
What about HomeKit compatibility? The issues I'm having with HomeKit are why I'm casually looking into a different router.
I've currently got broadband problems (fault with my ISP) and can still manage the system even without a live connection. For example, I rebooted the AmpliFi router with my phone app, even though I didn't have internet access. This was a straight phone to Router over Wifi (so all within the house) connection. You can, however, set up the option for remote access, so you can control your router whilst away from home if you so choose. I've set this up but only used it once, when the kids were home and I was at work.
You might find more details on security here: https://help.amplifi.com/hc/en-us/articles/115009611867-AmpliFi-Firewall-Information
Works fine with HomeKit for the bits I use, which is just Hue Lights and the HomePod.
You can have a guest SSID, but without a UniFi router/firewall (USG), you’ll have to have the routing for the guest VLAN to be handled via either VLAN or a separate L3 interface on a non-UniFi router. A consumer-grade router may not work for this purpose, as most of them are not VLAN capable and don’t have more than one L3 LAN has interface. Additionally, you would need a VLAN capable switch to separate your LAN VLAN from your guest VLAN. It’s not very trivial to configure unless you understand networking.
If you buy a UniFi gateway (USG) and a UniFi switch, the controller will do it for you, but you still need to understand some networking to set this up with the UniFi controller.
If you are not very good at computer networking, go with AmpliFi. Get two main units and uplink them via Ethernet. AmpliFi will do all the magic for you. Additionally, they have a device you can take with you when you are out of town to establish a VPN tunnel into your AmpliFi network.
For a three-story house, one NanoHD may not be enough. Additionally, the NanoHD has a metal back, so almost no signal is sent to the back, and it should really be mounted on the ceiling. You can consider IW-HDs that are mounted on the wall into the network drops. They also have a four-port Ethernet switch and POE passtheough.
Also, don’t forget that UniFi APs require POE/POE+ to be powered.
Last edited:
I’ll ask my husband what he did. I didn’t do anything but pick it out and order it.
Home technology has gotten too sophisticated for me to keep up with. It’s been about two years now since I have lost the ability to use our home entertainment center. My husband hooked up so many things to it I no longer have a clue how to watch anything on it. I can use the DVD player and that’s about it. If I want to watch tv programs, I wait for family tv night or I watch it on my iPhone. I’ve got three seasons of Downton Abbey ready to go on my Xr. That will do. Fortunately for the sake of my sanity, I prefer reading to program or movie viewing.
If they work fine with Hue, they oughta be fine with my ecobee. My Hue seem to be the most finicky of the bunch, compared to my ecobee and iHome plug.
Thanks for your recommendations. I'll go with one Amplifi HD unit first - get it set up - then add a second afterwards. While I could add a UniFi gateway - that would be a hassle replacing the FIOS Quantum. For our situation I think the AmpliFi HD will work just fine. BTW - any advantage getting the new gaming version? We don't do games. Thanks again
I am not exactly sure what the gaming version does beyond the HD version. It's supposedly some flavor of QoS on the Wi-Fi connection, but I am not sure why the regular HD version wouldn't be able to do the same. I think it's a gimmick and it gives you a different color of the box. You may want to read up on the gaming version, though. Maybe they put a more powerful CPU or more RAM in that version.
Good to know. I didn't expect AmpliFi to require to require a connection; I cited Eero as what I consider an extreme example.
But, on a lesser level, what's the benefit of registering for an AmpliFi account, as alluded to in the review? Is it required?
It's not worth continuing with AirPort unless you already have them, which my parents do. They work fine, only they've been slowly dying over the years. They're easy enough for my parents to configure, which is the big reason to keep them.
Hey guys, I wanted to double check with AmpliFi before I responded because I couldn't remember the specifics during the setup process. They confirmed that you don't have to set up an AmpliFi account to be able to use and control AmpliFi hardware. The only account information you technically need is to enter your SSID and password.
Any account you do decide to create (or link via Google/Facebook) is needed if you want to be able to access and control the system remotely. So, in that instance you will need to create an account, but otherwise no it's not required.
Hope that helps!
[doublepost=1545223565][/doublepost]
HomeKit was my main concern when switching, and the whole process was a complete breeze for me. Just make sure you keep your SSID and password the exact same, and all of your HomeKit devices should work as expected when the new router is online. I have about 25 Hue lights, 2 HomePods, 4-5 iDevice switches, 1 outdoor iHome switch, and probably something else I'm forgetting, and had no issues with any of them switching from AirPort to AmpliFi.
Last edited:
Yeah I ordered some longer ethernet cable and am going to try to position mine better until I can get mesh installed. My studio is L-shaped and where I've put my desk and most of my gear is in a nook that is surrounded by steel reinforced concrete and dirt below ground. Not a great idea but the AirPort Extreme has always been so good that I thought it would be fine. I moved it more towards the center of my desk (it's a big desk) but now I'm going to run cabling to put it on the far right edge which angles out of the nook just slightly and I think that will five me the clearance I need. The speed upstairs will still be slower than it was but I doubt I'll drop signal all the time.
Here's my personal experience w/ Google WiFi 3-pack...
I've been using a Time Capsule 802.11ac for five years and since Apple stopped developing AirPort products before mesh even happened, it was time to look elsewhere, so I opted for Google. Got a good deal (15% off + free Home Mini) plus it looked more 'Apple quality' than alternatives like Orbi and Covr with their nasty power bricks. Not to mention that Google's software is much slicker and more stable.
My situation is that I have 250/250 Mbit fiber, but it's actually 250/1000 because the provider has no cap on the upstream for whatever reason. Repeated tests show that I get 230/850 when I bypass the router and just plug a Mac w/ gigabit ethernet straight into the fiberLAN socket.
However, I use WiFi only since the socket is in a terrible spot. The real world speed I get over ac through the TC is as follows:
MBP 2014: 125 down / 400 up (at 61% signal)
iPhone XS: 100 down / 500 up
iPad Pro 10.5: 100 down / 500 up
Apple TV4: 80 down / 250 up
Note: The MPB and ATV are the farthest away from the TC, about 25-30 ft each. I force everything to use 5 GHz by giving the 5G a separate SSID and disabling auto-connection to the 2.4 SSID. The listed speeds are on channel 52. On channel 100 it's even snappier, but oddly it can't be selected manually - neither can 52 for that matter - so I usually don't have ch100 for long, it switches to 52 after a day or so and then settles there. Only 36/40/44/48 are available for manual selection, all of which suck due to congestion in the neighborhood.
So, yesterday I went out and bought me a Google WiFi 3-pack thinking I would get blanket coverage and speed that runs circles around the ageing Time Capsule. The setup was pretty sweet. The setup software was giving me top marks on node placement, internet speed etc. Woah, can't wait to do some speed tests. Tried a few. Absolutely abysmal. I looked for channel selection and realized there wasn't any. Google of course claims that the optimal channels are automatically hand picked for you at any given time. Oh really, because after some 20 restart attempts it goes for channel 36 every time, which is the worst one by far. The whole block is on 36-40, which is why the TC auto-select won't touch it with a ten foot pole, it goes for 52 or 100. Here are the speeds I get on Google WiFi on ch 36 (some may also be 2.4 GHz, another thing you can't stop it from due to lack of manual control):
MBP 2014: 26 down / 103 up (at 98% signal)
iPhone XS: 46 down / 168 up
iPad Pro 10.5: 45 down / 165 up
Apple TV4: 49 down / 152 up
There it is, not quite half the speed of ye olde TC gen 4. This is because it clings desperately to channel 36 like a mother to a newborn. The TC gets the exact same abysmal performance on 36. Who knows, maybe the Google units would scream past the TC on channels above 50 or better yet 100, but even if I should manage to make it try another channel on reboot attempt #91, it's going to jump back to its beloved channel 36. So what use is hypothetical speed when in practical use it's only half as fast as a 5 year old technological fossil?
I'm giving the Google kit another 3 days, then it's going back. I hear the tri-band Orbi is absolutely merciless to neighboring networks and creates a wifi black hole around itself... sounds tempting.
Interesting. I don’t have fiber in my area, forced to use Comcast Xfinity. If I’m standing next to the router, I get 140 down/100 up. Everywhere else I get around 100/60. Comcast sells these little boosters you just plug in, I think it’s 3 for $119. Maybe I’ll try that. But through my research, what I’ve determined is the optimal thing is having Ethernet ports all over the house for boosters. People who have their home Ethernet wired don’t realize how lucky they are.
Well with 140/100 or thereabouts, the Google WiFi should be fine, provided that you have better luck with the automatic channel selection. Given how mine picks 6+36 every single time, I’m beginning to wonder if the channels are fixed and that the WiFi pucks have no congestion-sensing capabilities at all.
As for my fiber connection I have so many questions. Like, why is the upstream 800+, unadvertised? That’s usually the heavily capped one. And how come I can easily get 400 Mbit upstream over wifi according to SpeedTest et al, but only 100 or so in download speed, why not at least the full 250? My assumption was that if you have say a 250/800 connection as I weirdly do, and your wifi is capable of a steady 400 mbit stream, you would get maybe 200 down and 400 up. Instead I get like 50-100/400? It’s like I always get half of everything? If I downgrade to 100/100 (secretly 100/800), will I then end up with 25-50/400? Meh...