WAL U6 APs
Detailed comparison of the UniFi U6 Mesh, U6 Pro, and U6 Long-Range (U6-LR) access points, including their current UK prices from the official Ubiquiti Store:
📊 UniFi U6 Series Comparison (UK Pricing)
| Feature | U6 Mesh | U6 Pro | U6 Long-Range (U6-LR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (ex. VAT) | £117.00 | £105.00 | £117.00 |
| Wi-Fi Standard | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Bands | Dual-band (2.4 & 5 GHz) | Dual-band (2.4 & 5 GHz) | Dual-band (2.4 & 5 GHz) |
| Spatial Streams | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| Antenna Gain | 4 dBi | 4 dBi | 4 dBi |
| Max Throughput | Up to 2.4 Gbps | Up to 5.3 Gbps | Up to 3.0 Gbps |
| Mounting Options | Wall/Pole (indoor/outdoor) | Ceiling (indoor) | Ceiling (indoor) |
| PoE Support | 802.3af | 802.3at | 802.3af |
| Weather Resistance | Yes (when mounted LED side up) | No | No |
| Ideal Use Case | Flexible indoor/outdoor coverage | High-performance indoor coverage | Extended indoor range |
🔍 Model Highlights • U6 Mesh £117: Designed for flexible deployments, suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments. Its weather-resistant design makes it ideal for extending coverage to areas like gardens or outbuildings.
• U6 Pro £105: Offers higher throughput, making it suitable for high-density environments like offices or conference rooms where multiple devices are connected simultaneously.
• U6 Long-Range (U6-LR) £117: Provides extended range, making it ideal for large indoor spaces where fewer access points are desired without compromising coverage.🛒 Purchase Links EX VAT • U6 Mesh: £117 • U6 Pro: £105.00 • U6 Long-Range (U6-LR): £117.00
Spatial streams are a key part of how modern Wi-Fi achieves higher speeds and better reliability, especially in Wi-Fi 5, 6, and 6E.
📡 What Are Spatial Streams?
Spatial streams are individual data streams transmitted or received simultaneously between a Wi-Fi device and an access point using multiple antennas. Each stream carries a separate part of the data, effectively increasing speed without needing more frequency spectrum.
Think of them like multiple lanes on a motorway: more lanes = more cars can travel at once = higher total throughput.
🔧 How It Works • Based on MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology. • Each spatial stream uses a separate antenna. •** A client device (like a laptop or phone) must also support multiple streams to benefit fully.**
🧮 Example Comparison
| AP / Device | # of Spatial Streams | Max Theoretical Speed |
|---|---|---|
| UniFi U6 Lite | 2×2 MIMO (2 streams) | ~1.5 Gbps |
| UniFi U6 Mesh | 2×2 MIMO | ~2.4 Gbps |
| UniFi U6 Pro | 4×4 MIMO (4 streams) | ~5.3 Gbps |
| UniFi U6 LR | 4×4 MIMO | ~3.0 Gbps |
| Smartphone (typical) | 2×2 or 1×1 | ~0.5–1.2 Gbps |
| Laptop (good model) | 2×2 or 3×3 | ~1.5–2.4 Gbps |
🧠 Key Takeaways • More spatial streams = more potential bandwidth, assuming the client device supports it. • 4×4 MIMO means up to 4 data streams at once. • Client limitations matter — many phones and tablets only support 1×1 or 2×2, so they won’t use the full potential of a 4×4 AP. • More streams can also help multiple devices share bandwidth more efficiently.
Mesh?
| Device | Mesh Capability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UniFi U6 Lite | ⚠️ Not ideal | Designed for wired use; limited or no mesh support in current firmware |
| UniFi U6 Mesh | ✅ Yes (Designed for mesh) | Fully supports wireless uplink; best suited for mesh setups |
| UniFi U6 Pro | ⚠️ Not ideal | Designed primarily for wired Ethernet backhaul |
| UniFi U6 LR | ⚠️ Not ideal | Long-range but expects wired uplink; mesh is possible but discouraged |
| Smartphones/Laptops | ❌ No | Can only connect as clients, not as mesh nodes |
SPEEDS
| Metric | 240 MB/s | 2.4 Gbps |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | Megabytes per second | Gigabits per second |
| Conversion | 240 × 8 = 1920 Mbps | 2.4 × 1000 = 2400 Mbps |
| Comparison (in Mbps) | 1920 Mbps | 2400 Mbps |
| Relative Speed | ~80% of 2.4 Gbps | 100% |
| Real-world Usage Context | SSD transfers, LAN copy | Max theoretical WiFi 6 speed |
Yes — you can mesh the UniFi U6 LR, but with important caveats:
⸻
✅ UniFi U6 LR Mesh Capability
| Feature | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh support | ✅ Yes | Supports UniFi “Wireless Uplink” mesh mode |
| Designed for mesh | ⚠️ Not primarily | Optimised for wired long-range coverage |
| Performance in mesh | ⚠️ Moderate | Mesh mode uses half the bandwidth for backhaul |
| Ideal use | 🚫 Not recommended for backhaul to other APs unless wiring is impossible |
🔧 When You Can Use U6 LR in Mesh Mode • As a last-mile repeater in areas where Ethernet is not available • For outdoor line-of-sight scenarios if signal strength is still high • Only a few clients (low density), otherwise bandwidth gets saturated
🧠 Better Practice • Use wired backhaul for U6 LR whenever possible — that’s its strength. • If you must use mesh, try to: • Limit the number of devices connecting via this AP • Avoid chaining more than one hop (AP-to-AP-to-AP)
⸻
🧪 Summary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can U6 LR operate as a mesh AP? | ✅ Yes |
| Is it designed for mesh use? | ⚠️ Not ideally |
| Better for wired backhaul? | ✅ Absolutely |
| Suitable for high-speed uplink? | ⚠️ With reduced performance |
First Draft House x 2 U6 Mesh wired Office and Shop x 1 U6 Mesh wired
Yard midway x 1 U6 Mesh wired Yard midway Ethernet repeater x 1 Workshops x 1 U6 LR (inside) wired or U6 Mesh Sales office x 1 U6 Mesh wired
2 house, 4 shop etc
6 x £117 = £702
🌐 U6 Mesh-to-Mesh Distance Estimates with wired links
| Environment | Max Reliable Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 📭 Clear line of sight (outdoors) | 60–120 metres | Stable connection; ideal conditions |
| 🏠 Indoors, few thin walls | 10–25 metres | Brick/plaster walls reduce range |
| 🧱 Indoors, multiple thick walls | 5–15 metres | Signal and performance can degrade significantly |
📡 U6 Mesh with Wireless links — Key Details
| Aspect | Impact |
|---|---|
| 🔄 Wired Speed | Shared with client traffic — expect up to 50% bandwidth loss |
| 📶 Distance Limit | Ideally < 30–40 metres indoors, < 60 metres outdoors |
| 📉 Throughput | Degraded with each hop — don’t exceed 1 hop if possible |
| 📡 Signal Strength Needed | Maintain at least –65 dBm for stable mesh uplink |
| ⚙️ Setup Simplicity | Easy — automatically meshes with controller guidance |
| 📦 Traffic Load | Light/medium use is fine — heavy loads will struggle |
If there’s no wired links, UniFi U6 Mesh access points will rely on wireless uplink, forming what’s known as a true mesh.
Here’s what that means for performance, reliability, and placement:
📡 U6 Mesh with Wireless links — Key Details
| Aspect | Impact |
|---|---|
| 🔄 Link Speed | Shared with client traffic — expect up to 50% bandwidth loss |
| 📶 Distance Limit | Ideally < 30–40 metres indoors, < 60 metres outdoors |
| 📉 Throughput | Degraded with each hop — don’t exceed 1 hop if possible |
| 📡 Signal Strength Needed | Maintain at least –65 dBm for stable mesh uplink |
| ⚙️ Setup Simplicity | Easy — automatically meshes with controller guidance |
| 📦 Traffic Load | Light/medium use is fine — heavy loads will struggle |
🔍 What You Lose Without Wired links
| Limitation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Reduced Speed | Wireless uplink halves the AP’s bandwidth — it must “talk” in both directions over the same radio. |
| Latency Increases | Each hop adds 5–10+ ms — affects video calls, VoIP, RDP responsiveness. |
| Interference Risk | Shared spectrum = more collisions, retries, especially in dense areas. |
| Limited Scalability | Mesh doesn’t scale well — ideal for ≤ 2–3 APs total, not whole buildings. |
✅ When Wireless Mesh Can Work Well • You’re covering a small number of users or light-load tasks (e.g. basic internet, Sage access, web apps). • APs have good line-of-sight or limited obstructions. • The client devices are close to the mesh APs (not sitting at the outer fringe of the signal).
🧠 Realistic Use Case Summary
| Use Case | Wireless Mesh Feasible? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Office ↔︎ Yard (30m LoS) | ✅ Yes | Strong signal, especially with elevated APs |
| Yard ↔︎ Warehouse (30–50m) | ⚠️ Maybe | Only if not heavily used simultaneously |
| House ↔︎ Shop (walls, 20m) | ⚠️ Maybe | Acceptable, but wired preferred |
| Yard ↔︎ Yard AP ↔︎ Warehouse | ❌ Avoid double-hop | Second hop cuts performance sharply |
🔧 If No Wiring Is Possible • Use U6 Mesh (not Pro or LR) — it’s designed for wireless uplink. • Keep APs as high and visible as possible. • Consider adding one AP mid-point if direct link isn’t reliable — but not more than 1 hop. • Optionally, use the UniFi Building-to-Building Bridge for a stable wireless link with dedicated bandwidth (range up to 15km!!) but https://uk.store.ui.com/uk/en/category/all-wifi/products/uap-ac-mesh